Dear Bronx Voters,
Yesterday, April 28th, The Bronx Times released an article which raised a very concerning possibility – What if a candidate backed by The PAC (political action committee) Ending Homelessness & Building a Better NYC or EHBB for short, wins the election?
EHBB is funded by Michael Andrew Jenkins, a Wall Street mogul and founder of financial firm Jane Street. Michael is connected to real estate firm Brookfield Properties and also happens to be the sole contributor to the PAC: EHBB, which is run by Tomas Ramos. EHBB is currently backing candidates Wilfredo Lopez (District 8) and Yusef Salaam (District 9) for election in June. According to a quote from the previously mentioned Bronx Times article: Records show that EHBB has spent about $145,000 mainly on mailers, web ads, totes and T-shirts on Lopez’s behalf and that his campaign received individual donations of $1,050 each from Jenkins and Tomas Ramos, president and founder of the Bronx nonprofit Oyate Group, listed as CEO of the PAC.
Additionally, on April 16, the billionaire financier filed another donation with the PAC for a whopping $650,000 bringing the total monies given to Wilfredo Lopez to a staggering $1.6 million. Michael Brady, a spokesperson for the PAC, issued this statement regarding the highly unusually sums of money being donated to this race: “EHHB is an independent expenditure focused on issues rather than solely on candidates…While we have endorsed several candidates throughout NYC, EHHB is firmly committed to changing the status quo for New Yorkers and addressing the root causes of homelessness while working to find solutions that New Yorkers need and deserve.”
This is a lot of money infiltrating this NYC Council race to say the least. As fellow Bronx residents, our team is concerned with the implications and fine print this money brings with it. As we mentioned before, Michael Andrew Jenkins is connected to Brookfield Properties, the development firm that owns most of the luxury housing in the Port Morris/Mott Haven area. Could this be a calculated move by Brookfield Properties to finally displace low income neighbors and own the entire neighborhood? Taking hold of “El Barrio” ensures there is no solidarity on either side of the Kill, pun intended. It’s no secret that the apartments Brookfield has erected still sit vacant, their investment yet to yield any profit, thanks in large part to the diligence of our steadfast community members.
In June, we ask you to trust your voice and vote your conscience. Not only will the City Council races will be taking place but the position of Borough President is up for election and this too raises serious concerns with our team.
Michael Brady, along with his deep ties to Tomas Ramos, has also aligned himself with Rafael Salamanca Jr. who is running against incumbent Vanessa Gibson. Both candidates are complicit in gentrification, from Salamanca’s ties to the corrupt Acacia: the largest provider of homeless housing in the NY metro area to Gibson’s idolic worship of so-called entrepreneurs Amaurys Grullon and Marco Shalma, our options are clearly limited but consider this worst case scenario: If Wilfredo Lopez and Rafael Salamanca Jr. both win their races, they would likely displace numerous low-income residents in the Mott Haven area. Tomas Ramos previously ran an unsuccessful congressional campaign, failing to advance gentrification in the district. However, a win by Wilfredo Lopez, a former prosecutor from the Brooklyn DA’s office, could enable Ramos, Brady, and Salamanca Jr. to achieve large-scale displacement, which would be catastrophic for our community.
Michael Brady and Tomas Ramos want to profit off of the area’s culture and proximity to Manhattan. They are both affluent, well educated and privileged outsiders looking to take advantage of our circumstances. The man, Michael Brady, who called the police on peaceful protesters, kettling them and injuring many does not care about “finding solutions that New Yorkers need and deserve.” Nor does the man, Tomas Ramos, who has linked himself to PACs and politicians, including incumbent Vanessa Gibson, Luis Sepulveda, Pierina Sanchez, and former Bronx Borough Deputy Janet Perguero.
The Bronx is a paycheck to these men. You are just profit. Your culture, your memories, your struggle… they mean nothing to these greedy characters. So will you use your voice this election season? Will you stand with us, stand with the Bronx and not these shietsty sellouts?
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
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