Response to EDC's RFP on Willets Point

In keeping with its heavy handed, unethical and quite possibly illegal behavior, EDC has issued an RFP for developers for the bogus Phase I on Willets Point. This spit in the face of SC Justice Joan Madden, who has scheduled a hearing on the city's phased end run of its pledge to not move forward until ramps off the Van Wyck are approved, is not surprising, since any agency that would lie to the court in the first place is not one that should be expected to act either prudently or ethically in any of its actions.

Put simply, EDC cares not one whit about the Judge's hearing and appears certain that it will have its ramp approval before the July 20th hearing is scheduled to be held. We'lll see about that. EDC is also wrongfully sanguine about the legality of the segmented Phase I itself-and appears confident that it can simply bully ahead as if its prior statements, pledges, and environmental assertions are of little concern-tossed into the memory hole never to be seen again.

Interestingly enough, EDC will not tell anyone who among the development community is actually invited to bid on this illegal phase. We understand that only a select elite are invited from among those who answered the original RFQ-and the city refuses to disclose any of the relevant responses to the RFQ so all can see what the "qualifications" are of any of the developers invited to respond.

Given the fact that a cadre of developers have been funding Claire Shulman's illegal LDC, it would serve the public interest to know which among them is included among the invitees. And while we're discussing Ms. Shulman could there be a more disgusting display of cronyism than State Senator Toby Stavisky's paean to the former BP that EDC included in its press release?

We don't know what is worse, the fact that Lickspittle Stavisky made the homage to the illegal lobbyist, or the fact that EDC had the chutzpah to include it in its release. After all, EDC was the sponsor of the illegal effort and includes this in what appears to be a direct affront to the attorney generals office that still has an open investigation of the entire affair.

Our advice to the developers is to keep your powder dry and hold your money until the legal dust clears on all of this. EDC will be held to account for its underhandedness, and we plan to be around to see it happen.