Why Is New York City Planning to Sell and Shrink Its Libraries?

Defend our libraries, don't defund them. . . . . fund 'em, don't plunder 'em

Mayor Bloomberg defunded New York libraries at a time of increasing public use, population growth and increased city wealth, shrinking our library system to create real estate deals for wealthy real estate developers at a time of cutbacks in education and escalating disparities in opportunity. It’s an unjust and shortsighted plan that will ultimately hurt New York City’s economy and competitiveness.

It should NOT be adopted by those we have now elected to pursue better policies.

Monday, February 29, 2016

PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY: February 29, 2016 Press Conference- Request Eric Adams Postpone Brooklyn Borough Board Vote

This page will be and has been updated.
From one of two Brooklyn News 12 coverage reports that night
The press release describing the event is here:
    •     PRESS RELEASE- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging - Monday, February 29, 2016
The letter delivered to Brooklyn Borough President Adams is here:
    •     Monday, February 29, 2016,  Letter to Borough President Eric Adams Requesting Insistence on Transparency and Full Investigation Into Cooked Books and Rigged Bidding Before Calendaring Brooklyn Borough Board Vote On Brooklyn Heights Library
The media advisory noticing the event is here:
    •     MEDIA ADVISORY- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging, Sunday, February 28, 2016
Here is a link to a 8.5 minute special downloadable March 1st radio report on the press conference by WBAI reporter Mitchel Cohen who has already produced several other radio reports on the library sales aired by WBAI:

LINK TO DOWNLOAD special 8.5 minute March 1st radio report on the press conference by WBAI reporter Mitchel Cohen

We are looking for better photos when the entire crowd had arrived.  Please send if you have them.

Here is more press coverage:


•        Brooklyn Daily Eagle:  Group files federal complaint over sale of Brooklyn Heights Library- Borough Board to vote on issue Tuesday night, By Mary Frost, March 1, 2016


    •    The Jewish Voice: Activists: Bklyn Public Library Sitting on $100M Despite Crying Poverty, by Guy Malone, March 2, 2016
     •    The Home Reporter/The Brooklyn Spectator: Sale of Brooklyn Heights library to impact Sunset branch, by Jaime DeJesus, March 7, 2016.

    •    The Home Reporter/The Brooklyn Spectator: Star of Brooklyn: Christopher Robles, By Christopher Malone, March 7, 2016.
Robles has been a strong voice in the battle against the development at the Sunset Park library.
For more Brooklyn Eagle reporting on the rally and on the vote see:
    •    Brooklyn Heights Press & Brooklyn Daily Eagle:  Borough Board approves sale of Brooklyn Heights Library- BP Eric Adams votes in favor of sale, By Mary Frost, March 2, 2016.
For a report on the vote the next day as well as coverage see: 
    •    Report on March 1, 2016 Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams & Brooklyn Borough Board Vote On Selling and Drastically Shrinking Brooklyn Heights Central Destination Downtown Library



Laurie Frey of Love Brooklyn Libraries








From evening's second Brooklyn News 12 report


From Brooklyn News 12 report: Eric Adams at Borough Hall as we rallied outside about the library.








Picture from Home Reporter coverage.





Note: Quality audio of the press conference is available to member of the press upon request.
MEDIA ADVISORY-Sale of Brooklyn Heights Library Before Brooklyn Borough Board TONIGHT - Despite Community Calls For Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City
WHAT: The Brooklyn Borough Board Has calendared a critical vote tonight on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the Brooklyn Heights Library.  Last night, in front of Borough Hall Citizens Defending Libraries and other civic groups to called for postponement of the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library.
WHEN: Tuesday, March 1, 2016, 6:00 PM
WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall - 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
WHAT ELSE?:  Citizens Defending Libraries and experts about these hoaxes will be on hand to provide facts about the proposed sale and shrinkage of the library.
The Borough Board is scheduled to meet 6:00 PM, Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at Borough Hall.  Community groups joining with Citizens Defending Libraries are unanimous that the board should not vote on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the central destination Brooklyn Heights Library at this time and that this item should not appear on the board’s agenda because of the absolute lack of transparency concerning the ways in which this proposed sale cheats the public.

Here is a link to a page where you can get pictures and a radio report by WBAI's Mitchel Cohen of our rally last night.  News12 also covered us well with two separate reports last night.
    •    PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY: February 29, 2016 Press Conference- Request Eric Adams Postpone Brooklyn Borough Board Vote
 http://citizensdefendinglibraries.blogspot.com/2016/02/photo-video-gallery-february-29-2016.html
On this webpage you will also find links to our press release about the event (with quotes from the many people who spoke) and our collective letter from community groups to Borough President Eric Adams requesting transparency a postponement of the Borough Board vote until that is achieved.

Unless the vote is tabled, as it should be, two critical votes to watch are those of:
    •    the supposedly "progressive" councilman Brad Lander pushing for these library sales who just a few days ago was gleeful about how he is still eager to support the Brooklyn Heights Library sale and shrinkage despite the complaint filed with the attorney general's office and the allegations and release of information by the NY Post of bid-rigging to give the library to the low bidder, a de Blasio friend and contributor, with a very inferior bid, and

    •    Council-member Steve Levin who for more than a year has been assiduously taking great pains  to avoid (including as this vote approaches) his fundamental responsibility as Councilman for the 33rd to insist on transparency from the BPL about this sale, the kind of transparency that would, for example, have surfaced the cooked books and bid-rigging.
Also, new for these councilmen and the Borough President and the Borough Board to respond to, as you will hear listening to the radio report are the new charges just filed with the U.S. Attorney's Office.

BTW: Yesterday AM began with another well attended press conference alleging that board of Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (whose members have a significant overlaps with the trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library) is cooking another set of books, those of the park corporation.  In each case the cooked books are being used as an excuse to push for over-development, in the park selling our parkland, and  by giving away libraries to developers respectively.

CONTACT:
Carolyn E. McIntyre, Michael D. D. White
Michael White, 718-834-6184, mddwhite [at] aol.com
Carolyn McIntyre, 917-757-6542 cemac62 [at] aol.com

Follow us on Twitter: @defendinglibraries

For photos and videos of prior Citizens Defending Libraries rallies opposing the sale, shrinkage, underfunding of New York City libraries, and elimination of books and librarians in the two and a half+ years since its founding, see:

PHOTO GALLERIES- PAST EVENTS

                                                                  #   #   #

PRESS RELEASE- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City
WHAT: Citizens Defending Libraries and other civic groups call for postponement of the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library.
WHEN: Monday, February 29, 2016, 5:30 PM
WHERE: In front of Brooklyn Borough Hall - 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201.
Citizens Defending Libraries joining with library patrons, community members and good government advocates and other community groups, including Love Brooklyn Libraries (LBL), groups from Sunset Park, the Village of Sunset Park and Friends of Sunset Park, and Latinos For Libraries held a press conference in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall to demand that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Brooklyn Borough Board postpone the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library and not vote until there is transparency and a full investigation of the Brooklyn Public Library hoaxes and bid-rigging involved in the sale.

The Borough Board is to meet Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at Borough Hall and the community groups joining with Citizens Defending Libraries are unanimous that the board should not vote on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the central destination Brooklyn Heights Library at this time and that this item should not appear on the board’s agenda because of the absolute lack of transparency concerning the ways in which this proposed sale cheats the public.

Recent revelations highlight exactly why there is crucial need for such transparency before scheduling any Borough Board vote:
    •    NY State Attorney General Schneiderman needs to investigate the complaint filed by LBL documenting that the custodial non-profit corporation, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), is misrepresenting itself to have empty pockets while sitting on a gold goose egg in order to hoax Brooklynites into believing the fairy tale that there is no money to spend fixing its libraries.  Love Brooklyn Libraries’ research indicates that BPL has sufficient funds to make needed library repairs and public budget reports reveal that BPL is hoarding $168 million in public funding while feigning poverty as a rationale for selling the Borough’s important second largest library.

    •    The New York Post just revealed information not available to the public, and not available to the Borough Board either, that not only was developer David Kramer (the Hudson Companies), a de Blasio friend and political contributor, a low bidder, he was 20% lower than the going rate in the neighborhood and 12% lower than another of the two bids that surpassed him.  His bid was inferior in other respects.  The competing bidders put the so-called “affordable” units on-site, unlike Kramer putting them two miles away, but BPL and city officials further hoaxing the public claimed that the reason to allow Kramer to put the affordable units off-site was because it allowed them to pursue their priority of getting the highest possible monetary bid.  - Even this has to be put in context: Kramer was the low bidder for a library that should not even be sold.  He was only bidding for the value of the site as a vacant lot. His bid was no way and no how related to the value of the library to the public.  In another fundamental breach of transparency de Blasio and the BPL are selling off the library with no appraisal of the value of the library from the public’s perspective; this is a recently enlarged and fully upgraded library that would cost more than $120 million to replace.  The city will net perhaps less than $20 million from its giveaway to Kramer.
These revelations highlight exactly why we need more transparency.

Citizens Defending Libraries co-founder Michael D. D. White, emphasizing how crucial the need for transparency is, said : “The public is entitled to the facts and to be able to learn exactly how it is being cheated, as is already very evidently the case.”

LBL! co-founder Doreen Gallo said: "BPL should be ashamed of drawing a false picture of our beloved neighborhood libraries. The library corporation has taken millions in public money.  But instead of using our money to fix the out-of-service elevators, they insist there’s no choice but to tear down the whole building and sell the land to a developer. Shame on BPL!”

LBL! co-founder Laurie Frey noted: "It’s time to tell the truth about Not-For-Profit finances.
The BPL library corporation is unwilling to spend one dime to fix the air conditioning and
ventilation system in the Brooklyn Heights library, but somehow they can find $400,000 a year to
pay off the salary of the BPL President and another $100,000 a year to pay its lobbyists. Since
BPL President Linda E. Johnson began her campaign to sell public libraries to developers, she’s
raked in about $2 million in annual compensation and yearly bonuses, according to BPL’s filed
tax forms. That’s enough money to fix something.”


Maggie Cancar, a leader of Latinos For Libraries, said, “Before Love Brooklyn Libraries filed this complaint based on LBL’s further investigations, Latinos For Libraries met with council member Steve Levin to draw BPL budget irregularities to his attention, but he seemed peculiarly disinterested in doing anything about it and apparently never followed up.”

At the conference Love Brooklyn Libraries announced their filing of an updated, amplification and renewal of their complaint which makes clear that the BPL’s hoarding $168 million in public funding while feigning poverty as a rationale for selling the Borough's important second largest library means that the sale and any funds therefrom (plus other funds) are thus being solicited on what should be considered a fraudulent basis.

The New York Post reported on the BPL’s cooking of the books in its Sunday Edition this week.  It contained a statement to the New York Post from State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office that “because the library land was owned by the city and not the nonprofit” there was a basis for his office to decline to review the originally submitted complaint.  Asked about this, attorney Norman Siegel, former director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, a former candidate for Public Advocate said: “New York City public libraries are precious treasures that need to be respected, protected and preserved. The recent sale of the Brooklyn Heights branch raises serious and substantial questions that affect the rights of New York City residents. These questions need to be adequately answered.”

Mr White and Chris Robles from Sunset Park, noting that they were both New York attorneys, united in telling those assembled that there is no question that the Attorney General has jurisdiction and the obligation to investigate such misrepresentation on the part of the BPL which is supposed to function within the bounds of a New York State charity regulated by Schneiderman’s office.  The Attorney General’s press releases speak of his powers “to police fraud and abuse” and the recently enacted Nonprofit Revitalization Act gave his office extra powers including according to the AG, “granting clear power to bring judicial proceedings to unwind interested-party transactions.”

These revelations about the bid-rigging and the cooking of the books come after the expressions of concern expressed in letters coming from the New York City Comptroller and New York Public Advocate.  The new revelations show how prescient, and now vindicated, the concerns of the Comptroller and Public Advocate were:
    •    NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer (emphasis supplied): Mr. Stringer, the evening he said he would provide the letter, said: “We are concerned that this deal may not be getting the full range of value.”  The letter the comptroller provided says, “of particular concern” is “The lack of a comprehensive public plan to address the capital needs of the library system” and “Questions about whether the plan secures fair and full market value for the property.  The comptroller also said the BPL, “has not provided the public with a comprehensive capital plan that explains how the one-time revenue from the sale of BHL will fix those needs.”  The comptroller cited the importance of appraisals and said the City should take steps necessary “to ensure that BPL is getting full and fair market value for this public asset.”

    •    NYC Public Advocate Tish James (emphasis supplied): “I am also concerned about the site being valued accurately and whether New York City is receiving proper compensation from the developer. Moreover, I want to ensure that we end the underfunding of our libraries and give our libraries the financial support they badly need and deserve. . . . . Supporting affordable housing and preserving public assets like libraries must not be competing imperatives. We should not be asked to choose between our need for affordable housing and our libraries.”
Mr. White commented that, “in light of these recent revelations, it appears,  in retrospect, that the forebodings of these public officials were just not pessimistic enough.”

At the press conference Citizens Defending Libraries and those gathering thanked Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams for caring about Brooklyn’s libraries and thanked him for his decision as Borough Board President, Wednesday September 9, 2015, disapproving the sale and shrinkage of the central destination Brooklyn Heights Library in Downtown Brooklyn.

Citizens Defending Libraries, The Village of Sunset park and Friends of Sunset Park announced that they had delivered a letter to Eric Adams asking him to insist of transparency from the BPL including requiring the BPL to finally release to the public its “strategic real estate plan” and its “Revson Study” that concerns the Sunset Park Library, two items among many others that the BPL has been stonewalling and refusing to release pursuant to FOIL even though these things should all be part of what is public whether they are requested by FOIL or not.

Citizens Defending Libraries and those gathering with it believe that an insistence on transparency in matters such as this is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of our elected officials.  At the press conference Citizens Defending Libraries and the others thanked Borough President Eric Adams and other elected officials for their promises that they will insist upon such transparency, but, at the same time, called upon them to follow though on their promises by demanding such transparency and ensuring the that BPL and de Blasio administration’s hoaxes and bid-rigging are fully investigated before any vote on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the library are calendared for any kind of consideration.

The letter to Borough President Adams requesting that there be an insistence on transparency before any Borough Board action is taken or calendared noted two other reasons transparency was now of increased importance:
    •    For those in Sunset Park, indeed for all who reside in Brooklyn and the rest of New York City, transparency about the proposed sale of libraries, and the Brooklyn Heights Library now in particular, is all the more important because BPL president Linda Johnson has finally disclosed to the City Council that the sale and drastic shrinkage of this library is viewed as a model for other transactions in all three NYC library systems.  It’s turning out to be an exceedingly bad model.

    •    More mysterious black box unknowns have been introduced into the equation of the sale that need scrutiny and present themselves as being unlikely to stand up to it.   There was a backroom deal unveiled at the last minute that raids district Department of Education funds (associated with a compelled and likely unwanted “STEM” or “STEAM” facility) in unspecified but significant amounts (for 1.) acquisition of space, 2.) outfitting of space, and 3.) running the space.)  Another sweetener for the deal bestowed upon this developers?  Similarly, affecting what was ostensibly the goal to help libraries elsewhere in Brooklyn,  funds in unknown amounts are intercepted for a DUMBO Library, albeit tiny, and the Greenpoint Library, both in Councilman Levin’s district.
 Citizens Defending Libraries finds public sentiment in this regard consistent and nearly universal. Citizens Defending Libraries collected testimonies from over 2,000 individuals opposing this proposed sale and shrinkage in just over two weeks.  Citizens Defending Libraries has over 25,000 signatories to its petitions opposing the sale of this and other NYC libraries.  Citizens Defending Libraries also has a widely signed letter of support calling for New York City libraries to be properly funded not sold, signed by, among others: The Committee To Save The New York Public Library, The Cobble Hill Association, The DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance, the Boerum Hill Association and the Park Slope Civic Association.

CONTACT:
Carolyn E. McIntyre, Michael D. D. White
Michael White, 718-834-6184, mddwhite [at] aol.com
Carolyn McIntyre, 917-757-6542 cemac62 [at] aol.com

Follow us on Twitter: @defendinglibraries

For photos and videos of prior Citizens Defending Libraries rallies opposing the sale, shrinkage, underfunding of New York City libraries, and elimination of books and librarians in three years since its founding, see:

PHOTO GALLERIES- PAST EVENTS

Note: We also have a quality audio file of the event available for members of the press upon request.
                                                                  #   #   #

Letter to Borough President Eric Adams Requesting Insistence on Transparency and Full Investigation Into Cooked Books and Rigged Bidding Before Calendaring Brooklyn Borough Board Vote On Brooklyn Heights Library

February 29, 2016

Borough President Eric Adams
Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201

Re: Brooklyn Public Library, Transparency, Need For Full Investigations Into Cooked Books Rigged Bid on Brooklyn Heights Library- Calendaring a Borough Board Vote
Dear Borough President Adams:

Thank you for caring about Brooklyn’s libraries.  Thank you for caring about insisting on transparency with respect to our libraries.  Thank you again for meeting with us on September 8, 2015 about the Brooklyn Public Library’s proposed library sale real estate deals and thank you again on behalf of ourselves and many, many other Brooklynites for your decision as Borough Board President, Wednesday September 9, 2015, disapproving the sale and shrinkage of the central destination Brooklyn Heights Library in Downtown Brooklyn.

We want to thank you again and follow up on your assurance to us on September 8th that you would insist on transparency from the BPL in connection with its proposed library sale real estate deals, insisting upon, among other things that the BPL respond with transparency by releasing, among other things, its “strategic real estate plan” and its “Revson Study” that concerns the Sunset Park Library, two items among many others that the BPL has been stonewalling and refusing to release pursuant to FOIL even though these things should all be part of what is public whether or not FOIL requests have been made for them.

The need to insist on such transparency is more obvious than ever before for many reasons.  These recent revelations highlight exactly why there is crucial need for such transparency before scheduling any Borough Board vote on the Brooklyn Heights Library:
    •    For those in Sunset Park, indeed for all who reside in Brooklyn and the rest of New York City, transparency about the proposed sale of libraries, and the Brooklyn Heights Library now in particular, is all the more important because BPL president Linda Johnson has finally disclosed to the City Council that the sale and drastic shrinkage of this library is viewed as a model for other transactions in all three NYC library systems.  It’s turning out to be an exceedingly bad model.

    •    New York State Attorney General Schneiderman needs to, and is, in fact we belive as lawyers, duty bound, to investigate the complaint filed documenting that the custodial non-profit corporation, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), is misrepresenting itself to have empty pockets while sitting on top of significant unspent funds in order to hoax Brooklynites into believing the fairy tale that there is no money to spend fixing its libraries. Love Brooklyn Libraries’ research indicates that BPL has sufficient funds to make needed library repairs and public budget reports reveal that BPL is hoarding $168 million in public funding while feigning poverty as a rationale for selling the Borough’s important second largest library.  (Obviously there are other elected officials who should be investigating this in addition to Attorney General Schneiderman.)

    •    The New York Post, in a recent article just alleged information not available to the public, and not available to the Borough Board either, that not only was developer David Kramer (the Hudson Companies), a de Blasio friend and political contributor, a low bidder, he was 20% lower than the going rate in the neighborhood and 12% lower than another of the two bids that surpassed him.  His bid was inferior in other respects.  The competing bidders put the so-called “affordable” units on site, unlike Kramer putting them two miles away, but BPL and city officials further hoaxing the public claimed that the reason to allow Kramer to put the affordable units off-site was because it allowed them to pursue their priority of getting the highest possible monetary bid.  - Even this has to be put in context: Kramer was the low bidder for a library that should not even be sold.  He was only bidding for the value of the site as a vacant lot. His bid was no way and no how related to the value of the library to the public.  In another fundamental breach of transparency de Blasio and the BPL are selling off the library with no appraisal of the value of the library from the public’s perspective; this is a recently enlarged and fully upgraded library that would cost more than $120 million to replace.  The city will net perhaps less than $20 million from its giveaway to Kramer.

    •    More mysterious black box unknowns have been introduced into the equation of the sale that need scrutiny and present themselves as being unlikely to stand up to it.   There was a backroom deal unveiled by Councilman Steve Levin’s disclosures at the last minute that raids district Department of Education funds (associated with a compelled and likely unwanted “STEM” or “STEAM” facility) in unspecified but significant amounts (for 1.) acquisition of space, 2.) outfitting of space, and 3.) running the space.)  Another sweetener for the deal bestowed upon this developers?  Similarly, affecting what was ostensibly the goal to help libraries elsewhere in Brooklyn,  funds in unknown amounts are intercepted for a DUMBO Library, albeit tiny, and the Greenpoint Library, both in Councilman Levin’s district.
We thank you for having done right by Brooklyn’s library users in the past, and we thank you again for promising transparency.  This is a promise that cannot be sensibly fulfilled after the fact.  Now is the time.  We join in calling upon you for a postponement of the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library.  We call upon you to postpone that vote until there is transparency (including, but not limited to a release of the BPL’s “strategic real estate plan” and the “Revson Study”) and a full investigation of the Brooklyn Public Library hoaxes and bid-rigging involved in the sale.

We note that these revelations come after the expressions of concern expressed in letters coming from the New York City Comptroller and New York Public Advocate.  Thus the new revelations show how prescient, and now vindicated, the concerns of the Comptroller and Public Advocate were.  In retrospect, in light of these revelations, it appears that the forebodings of these officials were not pessimistic enough.

While we are CCing the Borough Board on this letter we hope that you will forward this letter as you feel most appropriate to effectuate the request we make of you here.

                           
Sincerely

Citizens Defending Libraries
Michael D. D. White


Village of Sunset Park
Endorsed:


Friends of Sunset Park
   Maria Roca


CC: The Brooklyn Borough Board

* * * *

See our press release for our the press conference about delivery of this letter:
     •   PRESS RELEASE- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging - Monday, February 29, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging

MEDIA ADVISORY- Citizens Demand Brooklyn Borough Board Postpone
Critical Vote on Future of Brooklyn Heights Library- A Call for Transparency, Full Investigation of BPL Hoaxes & Bid-Rigging


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City
WHAT: Citizens Defending Libraries and other civic groups to call for postponement of the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library.
WHEN: Monday, February 29, 2016, 5:30 PM
WHERE: In front of Brooklyn Borough Hall - 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
WHAT ELSE?:  Citizens Defending Libraries and experts about these hoaxes will be on hand to provide facts about the proposed sale and shrinkage of the library.
Citizens Defending Libraries joining with library patrons, community members and good government advocates and other community groups, including groups from Sunset Park, will join together holding a press conference in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall to demand that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Brooklyn Borough Board postpone the Borough Board vote on the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library and not vote until there is transparency and a full investigation of the Brooklyn Public Library hoaxes and bid-rigging involved in the sale.

The Borough Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at Borough Hall and the community groups joining with Citizens Defending Libraries are unanimous that the board should not vote on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the central destination Brooklyn Heights Library at this time and that this item should not appear on the board’s agenda because of the absolute lack of transparency concerning the ways in which this proposed sale cheats the public.

Recent revelations highlight exactly why there is crucial need for such transparency before scheduling any Borough Board vote:
    •    NY State Attorney General Schneiderman needs to investigate the complaint filed documenting that the custodial non-profit corporation, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), is misrepresenting itself to have empty pockets while sitting on a gold goose egg in order to hoax Brooklynites into believing the fairy tale that there is no money to spend fixing the its libraries.  Love Brooklyn Libraries’ research indicates that BPL has sufficient funds to make needed library repairs and public budget reports reveal that BPL is hoarding $168 million in public funding while feigning poverty as a rationale for selling the Borough’s important second largest library.  The sale and any funds therefrom (plus other funds) are thus being soliciting on what should be considered a fraudulent basis.

    •    The New York Post just revealed information not available to the public, and not available to the Borough Board either, that not only was developer David Kramer (the Hudson Companies), a de Blasio friend and political contributor, a low bidder, he was 20% lower than the going rate in the neighborhood and 12% lower than another of the two bids that surpassed him.  His bid was inferior in other respects.  The competing bidders put the so-called “affordable” units on site, unlike Kramer putting them two miles away, but BPL and city officials further hoaxing the public claimed that the reason to allow Kramer to put the affordable units off-site was because it allowed them to pursue their priority of getting the highest possible monetary bid.  - Even this has to be put in context: Kramer was the low bidder for a library that should not even be sold.  He was only bidding for the value of the site as a vacant lot. His bid was no way and no how related to the value of the library to the public.  In another fundamental breach of transparency de Blasio and the BPL are selling off the library with no appraisal of the value of the library from the public’s perspective; this is a recently enlarged and fully upgraded library that would cost more than $120 million to replace, the city will net perhaps less than $20 million from its giveaway to Kramer.
These revelations highlight exactly why we need more transparency: The public must be able to learn how it is being cheated.   These revelations come after the expressions of concern expressed in letters coming from the New York City Comptroller and New York Public Advocate.  The new revelations show how prescient, and now vindicated, the concerns of the Comptroller and Public Advocate were:
    •    NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer (emphasis supplied): Mr. Stringer, the evening he said he would provide the letter, said: “We are concerned that this deal may not be getting the full range of value.”  The letter the comptroller provided says, “of particular concern” is “The lack of a comprehensive public plan to address the capital needs of the library system” andQuestions about whether the plan secures fair and full market value for the property.”  The comptroller also said the BPL, “has not provided the public with a comprehensive capital plan that explains how the one-time revenue from the sale of BHL will fix those needs.”  The Comptroller cited the importance of appraisals and said the City should take steps necessary “to ensure that BPL is getting full and fair market value for this public asset.

    •    NYC Public Advocate Tish James (emphasis supplied): “I am also concerned about the site being valued accurately and whether New York City is receiving proper compensation from the developer. Moreover, I want to ensure that we end the underfunding of our libraries and give our libraries the financial support they badly need and deserve.. . . . Supporting affordable housing and preserving public assets like libraries must not be competing imperatives. We should not be asked to choose between our need for affordable housing and our libraries.”
Citizens Defending Libraries and those gathering with it believe that an insistence on transparency in matters such as this is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of our elected officials.  At the press conference Citizens Defending Libraries and the others will thank Borough President Eric Adams and other elected officials for their promises that they will insist upon such transparency and will, at the same time, call upon them to follow though in their promises by demanding such transparency and ensuring the that BPL and de Blasio administration’s hoaxes and bid-rigging are fully investigated before any vote on the proposed sale and drastic shrinkage of the library are calendared for any kind of consideration.

Citizens Defending Libraries finds public sentiment in this regard consistent and nearly universal. Citizens Defending Libraries collected testimonies from over 2,000 individuals opposing this proposed sale and shrinkage in just over two weeks.  Citizens Defending Libraries has over 25,000 signatories to its petitions opposing the sale of this and other NYC libraries.  Citizens Defending Libraries also has a widely signed letter of support calling for New York City libraries to be properly funded not sold, signed by, among others: The Committee To Save The New York Public Library, The Cobble Hill Association, The DUMBO Neighborhood Association, the Boerum Hill Association and the Park Slope Civic Association.

CONTACT:
Carolyn E. McIntyre, Michael D. D. White
Michael White, 718-834-6184, mddwhite [at] aol.com
Carolyn McIntyre, 917-757-6542 cemac62 [at] aol.com

Follow us on Twitter: @defendinglibraries

For photos and videos of prior Citizens Defending Libraries rallies opposing the sale, shrinkage, underfunding of New York City libraries, and elimination of books and librarians in the two and a half+ years since its founding, see:

PHOTO GALLERIES- PAST EVENTS

                                                                  #   #   #

Thursday, February 25, 2016

City Councilman Brad Lander Tells Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats He's Still Eager To Support His Sale and Shrinkage of Brooklyn Heights Library Despite Investigations Into Fraud- Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon Is Milquetoast on Perceiving Problems

In his inimitably perpetually chipper way, the supposedly “progressive” city council member Brad Lander said that he was still very eager to support his deal selling and shrinking the Brooklyn Heights Library.  This is the deal that his pal, BPL president Linda Johnson, has described as model for transactions being done in all three NYC library systems.
Council member Brad lander at CBID Thursday night
Here is the exchange between Citizens Defending Libraries co-founder Michael D. D. White and Mr. Lander where he expressed his eagerness to support the deal at a meeting of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats.
MDDW:  Since you've voted on the Library, the New York Post says that your library deal doesn't pass the smell test, and a complaint has been filed with the Attorney General's office with documentation about how the books were cooked at the Brooklyn Public Library. Now you need to vote on the library at the Brooklyn Borough board level. Am I going to assume from what you've just said that you are still eager to defend this deal?

Lander: Yes absolutely!

Luckily I don't take the New York Post ss my arbiter of what's good government.

They were clear with us that they didn't choose the winning bidder solely based on the highest bid. They had a range of criteria.  I think they chose a good bid. I think Steve [Councilman Levin] made the project a lot better.

I think it's good for the Brooklyn Heights library I think It's good for the public library system as a whole. I support it. I support the work of the people are looking up in Sunset Park. So I understand we disagree on this. I'm glad.
The New York Post article, (Developer with ties to de Blasio scores job, despite being outbid, by Aaron Short, February 21, 2016) in the context of describing how the de Blasio administration doing a favor for a friend, revealed how the library gave site to a developer whose bid was lower than at least two other bidders and 20% lower than the going rate Brooklyn Heights.  Plus the bid, topped by another bid 12% more was inferior in other respects.  Plus, as stated in the Post: “Not only was his bid lower than others, Kramer was the only competitor to propose placing the required affordable housing units off-site - at a location two miles away in Clinton Hill.”  Library and city officials had, obviously inconsistently in view of the information now supplied, explained that the reason for having the so-called “affordable” units off-site was so that the dollar amount of Kramer’s bid could be higher.

The thing about the other criteria in the “range of criteria” that Lander mentioned: When Kramer was selected he announced to the public that now that because, now that his company had been awarded the bid for the library site “starting from scratch . .  just beginning” and that he could “now shamelessly steal” from his competitors to design what might actually be built.  That meant that any developer that was selected would, for instance, have gone with the same Saint Ann’s air rights acquisition deal and the same interim library deal.  In fact, the library design that Kramer ultimately reveled months later, a much taller builing had virtually no relationship to the original design associated with the award of the project to him.  (See: Saturday, October 18, 2014,  "We're Starting From Scratch!" Says Developer Getting Brooklyn Heights Library Site- So How Tall Luxury Building Replacing Library Will Be And What It Will Look Like Is Unknown!)

At City Planning Commission it was discussed how the money from selling the library (and theoretical need for it) was the "main argument" for selling the library.  But as the BPL will actually net very little when the library is sold when the math is all properly done the proportionate difference in net amounts collected by taking the low bid will be much greater, perhaps the difference between netting $15 million or netting $21 million.

Even this needs to be put in context: David Kramer (of the Hudson Companies) was the low bidder for a library that should not even be sold.  Kramer and the other developers were only bidding for the value of the library site as a vacant lot.  They were being asked by the BPL and its trustees to bid only for the "tear-down" value of the library.  These bids were in no way related to the value of the library to the public from the public's perspective, because de Blasio and the BPL trustees were selling off the library with no appraisal of the value of the library from the public's perspective.  And it is important to remember that what we are speaking of is a recently enlarged and fully upgraded library that would cost more than $120 million to replace.
Information about the complaint filed with the Attorney General’s office is available here:  Sunday, January 31, 2016, Love Brooklyn Libraries Files Complaint With Attorney General Eric Schneiderman That Brooklyn Public Library Understates Capital Funds In Order to Sell Heights Library.


What had Lander just said when White guessed correctly that Lander would still announce himself as an enthusiastic supporter of the library deal?  Lander said:
Lander:  Let me Touch three topics that I'm willing to take questions on. I've talked about the library here many times in the past. We passed it. I supported it. I think Steve fought very hard and got us a really good deal.
Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon at CBID Thursday night
Just prior to Lander answering these questions Assemblyman Jo Anne Simon has answered White’s similar questions about her stance the library fraud investigations, presaging, in a milquetoast fashion, the official line that Lander would be handing out.
MDDW: I was wondering if you had any reaction to the Post article of a couple of days ago about how David Kramer on the library is very far away from being the high bidder and very far away from being the best bidder.

Simon: Well `best' is a . . a. .  a term of opinion. Right? And in terms of highest bidder, as I understand it, I have no knowledge other than what I read in the Post about it.

It appears that there were other aspects of the bid that made it more attractive to the library. I don't know. I have nothing to do, to say about that. I have no particular knowledge about it. Obviously the issue about value, and what that value is, and what that deal is for the library may be a little different than just the raw dollars. So, you know, the Post mentioned that too.

MDDW: Well the library has only been able to express things that made it better that were not actually the case. So you get right back to the money. It was an inferior bid in ways that they said were making this inferior so that we will get more money.

Simon: I can't agree or disagree with your characterization. I just know what I read in the Post. And the dollar amount was less than some other bidders. That's a process that I wasn't a part of so I don't know.

MDDW: What do you think that you and the elected officials should be doing as a result?

Simon: Well, you know, the Library is not under the jurisdiction of the state government for purposes of that kind of thing. This is a sale of city-owned land.

MDDW: It's actually regulated by the state Department of Education.

Simon: The sale of city land. . .

MDDW: It's regulated by the State Department of Education.

Simon: So is every profession except the law. Every single profession. So if you're talking about the licensing or the certification of librarians, Yes.

MDDW: No, I'm talking about the library itself.

Simon: Well, you'll have to show me where that is, And show me how that is something that in anyway is subject to the state legislature. But, you know, I think that's for future conversations as far as that goes. I don't know that that legislature has anything that it can do about it, and so, I noticed that council member Lander came in. I don't want to put this on you [Lander], but you may understand more about this than I do, as a city Council representative when it came to the library and the zoning...

. . . These are not uncomplicated issues as you may imagine.
Jo Anne Simon's predecessor, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, not shirking her duties, was a key figure in New York State Assembly hearing that delved with critical suspicion into the sale of New York City libraries, that, among other things receive funding from the State.  See: Thursday, June 27, 2013, Testimony By Citizens Defending Libraries At June 27, 2013 State Assembly Committee Hearing On Selling New York City Libraries.
Senator Velmanette Montgomery at CBID
 Senator Velmanette Montgomery also spoke to CBID.  White spared her from answering a question about the library but she was furnished with the handouts given out at the meeting that appear at the end of this post.  (Ms. Simon impatiently cast them aside when they were handed to her.)

Mr. White also did not ask Dan Wiley, aide to Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez about how the congresswoman was reacting to the latest revelations about the library deal not passing the smell test.  The main subject of conversation with respect to Ms. Velazquez is that she is up for reelection and has an opponent, Yungman Lee, a Chinese a lawyer and banker running against her in the primary.

Citizens Defending Libraries also came equipped with with this handout.

One was this, TOP TEN REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT COUNCILMAN STEVE LEVIN WAS REALLY ON THE DEVELOPER'S SIDE PROMOTING A SELL-OFF RATHER THAN PROTECTING THE PUBLIC AGAINST A BAD LIBRARY SALE - TOP TEN REASONS which we distributed in this physical form:

And another handout was a list of links plus an attachment of the letter Levin has failed for months to send demanding transparency from the BPL in connection wth its library sales:

The text of that flyer reads as follows:
Why isn’t Councilman Stephen Levin demanding transparency from the Brooklyn Public Library and sending the letter to do so (attached) that he long ago promised?
SEE: (From Citizens Defending Libraries) Open Letter To Councilman Steve Levin About His Letter To Brooklyn Public Library Demanding Transparency About Library Sales

http://citizensdefendinglibraries.blogspot.com/2016/01/open-letter-to-councilman-steve-levin.html
See how Levin’s failure to demand transparency just doesn’t square with his ostensible reasons for his “approving” the sale and drastic shrinkage of the Brooklyn Heights Library:
Monday, December 28, 2015, "An Open Letter Regarding the Brooklyn Heights Library Project"- Obfuscation From Councilman Steve Levin Concerning His Betrayal of The Community By Approving The Sale and Shrinkage of Our Library

http://citizensdefendinglibraries.blogspot.com/2015/12/an-open-letter-regarding-brooklyn.html
SEE also:

Monday, December 28, 2015,  TOP TEN REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT COUNCILMAN STEVE LEVIN WAS REALLY ON THE DEVELOPER'S SIDE PROMOTING A SELL-OFF RATHER THAN PROTECTING THE PUBLIC AGAINST A BAD LIBRARY SALE - TOP TEN REASONS
       
http://citizensdefendinglibraries.blogspot.com/2015/12/top-ten-reasons-to-believe-that.html
You can click on the first "Open Letter" link above to see the ext of the letter Levin has refused to send following through on his obligation and promise to demand transparency and which we distributed to the audience in the form below:
SAMPLE DRAFT RESOLUTION
Resolution Calling Upon Stephen T. Levin
To Perform and Fulfill His Responsibilities as a City Councilman
And Demand Transparency From Brooklyn Public Library
Respecting the Future of the Brooklyn Heights Library and Brooklyn’s Other Libraries
Whereas, the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) recognizes the critical and expanding role that Brooklyn's public library system, and all its libraries, including particularly the central destination downtown Brooklyn Heights Library and other libraries threatened by plans that are oblivious to their value to the public and treat them as real estate deals benefitting private parties, and

Whereas, in our growing city, our libraries play a critical and necessarily expanding role in the lives of the city’s residents, providing them with books, information, technology, meeting space and other resources and activities they rely upon to improve and enhance their intellectual, social and economic well being, and

Whereas, Stephen T. Levin holds the office of Council member for the 33rd District of the New York City Council and it is a most fundamental obligation of the office he holds to demand transparency from any institution such as the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) funded extensively by city funds, and most particularly when that institution is involved in promoting the sale of a significant and valuable city-owned asset like the Brooklyn Heights Library as well as other libraries, and

Whereas, in the fall of 2014 Stephen T. Levin represented to members of Citizens Defending Libraries that he would fulfill the obligations of his office in demanding such transparency, and

Whereas, on Thursday, January 22, 2015 Independent Neighborhood Democrats held a forum about the Brooklyn public libraries that gave special focus to the proposed sale and shrinkage of the Brooklyn Heights Library where representatives of the Brooklyn Library acknowledged they should be more transparent but the BPL never followed through in that regard, and

Whereas, Independent Neighborhood Democrats has previously passed resolutions opposing the lack of transparency with respect to the proposed sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library, and

Whereas, since the spring of 2015 Stephen T. Levin has repeatedly represented to members of Citizens Defending Libraries that he would follow through on his obligations as a Council member by sending a letter to the BPL demanding such transparency and an existing publicly available draft of that letter furnished to Stephen T. Levin makes clear what should be demanded in the way of transparency (including but not limited to the “Strategic Real Estate Plan” and the “Revson Study” and information about costs and a proper appraisal of value from the public’s perspective) and makes it easy for him to follow through by sending it, and

Whereas, the obligation and duty of Stephen T. Levin persist unextinguished notwithstanding that Stephen T. Levin has voted in favor selling the Brooklyn Heights Library without demanding transparency of the BPL beforehand, and

Whereas, it is bad policy that is exceedingly deleterious to the public interest for Stephen T. Levin to take actions that further any proposed sale of the Brooklyn Heights library or other libraries before he has demanded such transparency, and the BPL has responded by appropriately and timely furnishing such transparency giving the public a chance to examine its records, now therefore be it

Resolved that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats call upon Stephen T. Levin to immediately, forthwith and without further delay, and certainly by a date no more than two week’s hence, demand such transparency from the BPL including by sending an appropriate letter to do so.

Resolved that the Independent Neighborhood calls upon Stephen T. Levin to take all necessary and appropriate steps to follow up in insisting on such transparency from the BPL.

Resolved that the Independent Neighborhood calls upon Stephen T. Levin not to take any further steps to advance the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library including any affirmative vote by him or his representative at the Brooklyn Borough Board at the very least until he has made such demands, sent such letter, and the BPL has responded by appropriately and timely furnishing such transparency giving the public a chance to examine its records.

Resolved the Independent Neighborhood Democrats calls upon all our elected officials to similarly demand and insist on such transparency from the BPL and to take no further actions advancing any real estate plans of the BPL involving sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library or other Brooklyn libraries at least until the BPL has responded by appropriately and timely furnishing such transparency giving the public a chance to examine its records.

Adopted __________________ by Executive Board