By Erik Frankel (guest columnist)
It has come to my attention that a plan to develop Sunset Park South Brooklyn Marine Port has gained some favor, a plan that, once again, will benefit the few at the expense of the many. Under this plan, a foreign company called Equinor will build a wind turbine assembly facility on land that is desperately needed for low-income housing, parks, public markets, and trade schools.
At first glance, such a plan might sound pretty good. Who, after all, is not in favor of alternative energy development? Any proposal to bring in jobs, not matter how sketchy, is often welcomed instinctively. Unfortunately, a number of our city's politicians and community leaders have climbed aboard this bandwagon without examining it in detail, and certainly without looking, I might even say without caring, about whether it makes sense, and surely without looking into the people behind it, players who I believe do not have our community's best interests at heart.
Unfortunately, NYC has a long history of falling for big promises that turn into dust, revealed as little more than con jobs of some quick buck artist. Our trust in city leaders to protect us has often been abused, our expectations disappointed. The company behind the South Brooklyn Marine Port proposal is a foreign oil and gas company that has lobbied furiously, spending many millions of dollars in an effort to influence our City, State, and National governments. Does anyone believe that this big bucks lobbying effort is for our own benefit?
The company behind this latest land grab, Equinor, is currently facing lawsuits in the State of Texas for efforts to defraud investors. It has already been fined many millions of dollars for financial, anti-competitive, govt. contracting, and environmental offenses. They have been accused of violating the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is not a company we do NOT want to do business with.
https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/equinor
I believe that we can, and must, do better. Our people depend on it. As your elected representative, I will leave no stone unturned, no avenue unexplored, in order to improve our lives, and the lives of our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
I have come to the realization now within the few short months of running for office, Truth is a luxury very few politicians can afford. Although my family immigrated to sunset Park in the 1880s, I spent half my life living and working in developing countries; Vietnam, Myanmar, China.
When I heard a small nonprofit organizations and community Leaders in Sunset Park. stood up to protect the community from the wealthy developers (Industry City) it made me feel glad to be a New Yorker. For years well funded developers were known to be a driving force for displacing poor communities and replacing them with more wealthy residents, known as gentrification. The reason why developers had been so successful in the past, they were not competing for land with an foreign Oil Fracking Gas Lobbying company with a history of bribery, fraud, & team of Lobbyists. #159th listed on the fortune 500 index StailOil, now known as Equinor.
Sunset PArk South Brooklyn Marine Port Equinor
During a time when our politicians were telling us to wear a mask and stay home, they announced the 78 acres of Land that the developer wanted to build on would be given to Equinor ( to assemble wind turbine engines.
Politicians were praising activists, activists were praising politicians Journalists were praising both activists and politicians.
The story was portrayed as David vs Goliath. But I think we got the hero and villain reversed. If the world knew that our elected government officials and activists were not fighting against the wealthy Developers Industry City, but they were actually fighting for Equinor a company owned by the Norwegian Government) which is a Fracking, Oil & Gas company that had lobbied millions of dollars to many branches of the US Government from the US Coast Guard, EPA, DOT to the House of Representatives the list goes on.
That brings me to the next observation. Why was there no opposition to Equinor.
The opposition to Industry City was ferocious , Besides using social media, pamphlets & Newspapers, & TV, protesters would carry out out inside outside Industry City and even in local schools. Yes inside schools. According to students who attended local schools, they were told their families would be “kicked out of their homes” and replaced by white people if Rezoning the waterfront had taken place.. Who would protest a job fair?When Industry City tried to have a job fair community outreach program the school Community activists had protested and were met with resistance.
No demonstrations, no protesting on facebook, instagram. twitter..
Community activists are praising the politicians, and the politicians praised the community activists. Yor read positive stories about the outcome all over the internet.
Affordable housing is still an issue, this project claims to only
There should be an investigation launched to investigate
Inviting a Norwegian company to build a factory in an area filled with undocumted workers who can’t get citizenship shows our worst. Do you think all the Norwegians who are going to work for this company will risk being deported? Where do you think they are going to live? If they want to live close to the factory, what do you think will happen to the price of rentals?
What the community needs most, is home ownership / affordable housing, small businesses, citizenship for undocumented workers, less pollution & congestion.
Look at the board of Equinor do you think it reflects the community? They look like the original cast of Star Wars, without Lando. The 78 acres plot would have been great for first time home owners, small business owners. This Project is a representation of the failure of our government & media.
I am confident that the staff coming over from Norway will have no problems getting visas and work permits, while many people in the community of Sunset Park live with the fear of being deported. The issue of Visa’s from non wealthy oil rich countries is a topic that is close to my heart since My son’s mother who was denied a visa and I have to raise a 2 year old by myself for the past year.
Do you think the fact this company lobbied the ?
House of Representatives,
U.S. Senate,
DOE (Department of energy)
(FERC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(CFTC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission
State - Dept of (DOS),
(EPA) Environmental Protection Agency
(NSC), Natl Security Council
(OMB),Office of Management & Budget
(NEC), Natl Economic Council
(USTR), U.S. Trade Representative
(DOD) Department of Defense,
*USCG) U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Customs & Border Protection,
(DOC) Department of Commerce -
Treasury
Dept of, Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Interior - Dept of (DOI) Department of Interior
DOT Transportation - Dept of Transportation
Minerals Management Service,
My name is Erik Frankel, my family immigrated to Sunset Park Brooklyn in the 1800s and opened a small shoe store Frankel’s which has been in our family all these years. Through our store I got to know the community. Even though most of the people in my community don't look like me and come from different places I consider them Family.
I don’t think a Norwegian OIL FRACKING company wants to move to Brooklyn build wind turbines to get
-Americans less dependant of fossil fuels, give American’s jobs, lower the cost of housing or prevent gentrification.
