stop REBNY bullies!

REBNY: A Plague On New Yorkers


By Shirley Irons | Street Hype | November 1-18, 2017
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Prominent labor and human rights advocate, Ray Rogers, has launched a counterattack against the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) asserting that REBNY more appropriately stands for Real Estate Bullies of New York.

Rogers claims, "REBNY's top policymakers are a cartel of billionaire bullies and racketeers." Their abuse of political power is at the core of NYC's lack of affordable housing and homeless crisis leaving 62,000 living in shelters and thousands more in the streets. Rogers says these conditions are exacerbated by REBNY orchestrated rezoning plans leading to "hyper-gentrification on steroids."

Millions of residents face displacement and thousands of small businesses are shutting down, Rogers explains, "as profit-driven landlords and property speculators are charging exorbitant rents and finding more ways to evict renters from their apartments, shops and offices."

Rogers says "REBNY corrupts our political system by feeding compliant politicians with fat campaign contributions to see things their way." Two glaring examples are REBNY's large contributions to the Independent Democratic Committee (IDC), eight Democratic state senators who vote with Republicans to assure rent stabilization and rent control laws are weakened and REBNY's developers can continue to rake in billions in corporate welfare subsidies and tax abatements. REBNY: A Plague On New Yorkers

Prominent labor and human rights advocate, Ray Rogers, has launched a counterattack against the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) asserting that REBNY more appropriately stands for Real Estate Bullies of New York.

Rogers claims, "REBNY's top policymakers are a cartel of billionaire bullies and racketeers." Their abuse of political power is at the core of NYC's lack of affordable housing and homeless crisis leaving 62,000 living in shelters and thousands more in the streets. Rogers says these conditions are exacerbated by REBNY orchestrated rezoning plans leading to "hyper-gentrification on steroids."

Millions of residents face displacement and thousands of small businesses are shutting down, Rogers explains, "as profit-driven landlords and property speculators are charging exorbitant rents and finding more ways to evict renters from their apartments, shops and offices."

Rogers says "REBNY corrupts our political system by feeding compliant politicians with fat campaign contributions to see things their way." Two glaring examples are REBNY's large contributions to the Independent Democratic Committee (IDC), eight Democratic state senators who vote with Republicans to assure rent stabilization and rent control laws are weakened and REBNY's developers can continue to rake in billions in corporate welfare subsidies and tax abatements.

Rogers points out how NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council Speaker, while Public Advocate and City Council member, supported passage of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA).until they became mayor and speaker and raked in contributions from big real estate interests. The SBJSA has never been voted on even though the majority of the City Council supports it.

REBNY and its developers, Rogers claims, have led the assault on organized labor so that union-free construction sites will proliferate and become the norm. Rogers points out that more work is going to non-union contractors, even while union members are giving more and more concessions. Union workers are well-trained in their trade and safety procedures and receive far better pay and benefits. It's no coincidence that 29 of 31 construction workers who died on the job in NYC in 2015-2016 worked on non-union sites often dubbed "construction sweatshops."

REBNY's developers leading the charge against unions saying union workers are too costly, include Stephen Ross (net worth $7.6 billion), of Related Companies, Rob and Jerry Speyer (net worth $3.9 billion) of Tishman Speyer and Jed and David Walentas (net worth $2.1 billion) of Two Trees Management!

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