Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis, Co-directors of Measure of America had an entry published in the Huffington Post today which not only discusses the great divide of inequality which plagues our borough and leads to environmental racism but uses the Bronx as a case of what happens to economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the shadows of their more prosperous siblings.
We know the story all too well. We have a borough president willing to fight for the views of affluent Riverdale (note: I love Riverdale as do many of us with its rich, colorful history, gorgeous architecture and unique community) and then push to destroy the environment and waterfront of Mott Haven and Port Morris – a neighborhood that is in the poorest congressional district in the nation. A neighborhood that suffers some of the highest rates of asthma in the country and Ruben Diaz Jr pushes for thousands of more polluting truck trips on our streets.
The report goes on to mention that Manhattan, with less than a 5th of the city’s population, goes on to produce over half of the city’s waste yet has not one waste disposal site but the Bronx is saddled with an unimaginable 19 of these sites. One of them directly adjacent to where FreshDirect wants to overtake our waterfront and pollute our air.
There is absolutely no way to ethically and morally justify such inequalities which produces dire consequences for the population. Health, safety, education, employment are all at risk when confronted with these ills.
If you are tired of such inequalities then speak up! Act! Current political establishment (with a handful of exceptions) does not care about our borough for they are the very ones selling our borough to the highest bidder.
Tomorrow you have one such opportunity to mobilize against injustice at Community Board 1 meeting as FreshDirect representatives return to plea their case for wanting to harm our communities.
PLEASE MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO ATTEND THIS MEETING!!!
URGENT – FreshDirect Returns to CB1 This Wednesday
When: Wednesday, July 10, 5:30 pm
Where: Community Board 1 Office – 3024 3rd Avenue, Bronx
From The Huffington Post:
Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis, Co-directors of Measure of America of the Social Science Research Council. Their most recent report, Measure of America 2013-2014, is now available at www.measureofamerica.com.
