what is to be done...

have just read two articles from the City Limits web site. One is about a person, now homeless, who approached the Mayor as he was campaigning in 13 and got some support from the then candidate. But De Blasio's housing vision now excludes this person, and she is homeless. The second is about  a realtor who bought two buildings in Chinatown and tried to throw out all the long time tenants. This gets me so angry. And last night, at the debate (very harsh) for City Council, even the incumbent city council person, supposedly in league with the mayor, admitted that after she rejected the city's current proposal for the Armory, the Mayor refused to budge--to change his vision. We are living in a  very passive, self involved, careerist city. Yes, there are pockets of rage, pockets of groups that are fighting against what is going on--and they will continue to fight through the Mayor's next term, which, sadly, seems a certainty. Well, as Shakespeare said (or sort of said) let the wheel role down and see what the momentum brings.
 Yesterday's afternoon was my visit to Brooklyn--specifically to witness the debate between the three candidates for City Council from that area---an enormous area that spans Crown Heights and parts of  Fort Greene and a little bit of Park Slope. Very varied in need and in economic vision.  I got off at Bergen on the 3, had my cup of coffee at (of course) Coffee, and then decided to walk to the venue where the debate was being held---on Lincoln Place between Rogers and Nostrand. A long walk? Not for cityboy. Bergen going east was an interesting trip---still lots of small, undeveloped land parcels, one block, I think between Classon and Franklin that has a glut of new apartments several buildings that seemed to be owned by black homeowners, and generally a mixed neighborhood. Another fascinating trip, The debate had some rough edges---the group there was about 80% black---the essence was about the armory, about some contributions the incumbent had received and a few other things. The Green party candidate, Mr. Brisport, whose grandmother had bought a house in Prospect Heights 60 years ago, as the whites were leaving, acquitted himself very well, sort of standing above the conflict of the incumbent, and her main challenger, who I have helped campaign. Lots of people on both side, towards the end it got a little rancorous---I arrived at the Nostrand Avenue subway station on the 3 (actually this is the first time I have walked around that area at night) only to find that some disturbance had stopped both way trains dead---where did I go from here?  The closest subway, the A, was fifteen blocks north---and I was tired---if I wasn't and if it was day, I could have easily walked it---luckily at Rogers, a 39 bus came just as I reached it, and took me to Fulton, where I caught (after a long and fraught wait) the C. Thought that I might want to stop at a bar near BAM and check the baseball scores, but in the end, tiredness won out. On leaving the 72nd street station, I went to the Haagen-Daas shop and grabbed some overpriced ($6.00) ice cream---but it was just what I needed at the time.
Today: Spring Awakening at the Connelly with an all high school cast---Jake, one of the Friends graduates whom I liked very much, will be in it. From there---well, it starts at 7, so the night will be young, Will let you know tomorrow.