This week AYR will look back at the 8/23/06 hearing on the Atlantic Yards Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), drawing on the official transcript.
On Thursday, I wrote about the Beckett-like aspects of the hearing. On Friday, I cited a farcical moment in the final community forum. Today let's look at the performance of an eccentric fellow named William Stanford, Jr., who wore dark shades (as he did at this hearing of the Rent Guidelines Board).
Stanford often sounded like a nut, calling his antagonist "Daniel Ratner" (a combo of Bruce Ratner and Daniel Goldstein?), threatening to attack with pro wrestling moves, and charging the aforementioned Ratner with drug smuggling.
But he also made some earthy good sense, questioning the scheduling of a forum on Primary Day with "Are you stuck on stupid?"
The testimony
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: Thank you for holding this forum. By holding this forum you just gave me a better reason to give Daniel Ratner a flying full nelson off the top rope courtesy of the Legion of Doom.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: All right. I'm getting so fed up with Daniel Ratner, his nasty attitude against the people who have low incomes. He's telling the people who live there in Brooklyn, who lives in Brooklyn for years who have low incomes to get the hell out so the rich people can come there and he builds his damn project.
First of all, that damn project belongs in Queens, not here in Brooklyn. Bronx no, where I come from, Manhattan, or Staten Island.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: It belongs in Queens, okay. Just put it in College Point or as somebody called it, Garbage Point, okay. The damn project belongs in Queens. Queens only, nowhere else, okay.
I feel like giving Daniel Ratner a flying close line off the top rope courtesy of the Legion of Doom, okay. I feel like taking that camcorder and smashing it over his head. I'm getting fed up with his attitude.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: His attitude towards people with the low income who have lived here all their lives for a long time for that matter, is degrading. His project who's tearing down buildings so he can accommodate a stadium that's going to knock out the Atlantic -- the Atlantic Hall [Mall?] which is already there. It makes no sense. Put that damn project in Queens where it belongs and stop tearing down houses here in Brooklyn. Stop telling the people who have lived here --
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: -- all their lives to get the hell out so rich people could come. And you're telling them, oh, if we -- if we -- if we tell you to get the hell out, we'll pay for your expenses. You know, it sounds like -- you know, you tell -- if Superfly tells you I'm you're mama, I'm you're poppa, then they get the hell out, that's ridiculous. He needs to get over to Queens, okay, take his drug smuggling operation to Queens as well. I'm getting so fed up with it, I really am.
And another thing is you have this forum, it's scheduled for Primary Day. Are you serious? I mean are you stuck on stupid? How you going to put a forum on Primary Day. People want to vote and you're telling them they got to come out here.... You better change that date. Primary Day, Primary Day, we want to vote. We don't have time for this. This is BS, okay, good-bye.
(Audience participation.)
THE HEARING OFFICER: Thank you, Mr. Stanford. I take it the remarks weren't
directed at the Hearing Officer.
(Laughter.)
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: That's Mr. X to you.
(Audience participation.)
On Thursday, I wrote about the Beckett-like aspects of the hearing. On Friday, I cited a farcical moment in the final community forum. Today let's look at the performance of an eccentric fellow named William Stanford, Jr., who wore dark shades (as he did at this hearing of the Rent Guidelines Board).
Stanford often sounded like a nut, calling his antagonist "Daniel Ratner" (a combo of Bruce Ratner and Daniel Goldstein?), threatening to attack with pro wrestling moves, and charging the aforementioned Ratner with drug smuggling.
But he also made some earthy good sense, questioning the scheduling of a forum on Primary Day with "Are you stuck on stupid?"
The testimony
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: Thank you for holding this forum. By holding this forum you just gave me a better reason to give Daniel Ratner a flying full nelson off the top rope courtesy of the Legion of Doom.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: All right. I'm getting so fed up with Daniel Ratner, his nasty attitude against the people who have low incomes. He's telling the people who live there in Brooklyn, who lives in Brooklyn for years who have low incomes to get the hell out so the rich people can come there and he builds his damn project.
First of all, that damn project belongs in Queens, not here in Brooklyn. Bronx no, where I come from, Manhattan, or Staten Island.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: It belongs in Queens, okay. Just put it in College Point or as somebody called it, Garbage Point, okay. The damn project belongs in Queens. Queens only, nowhere else, okay.
I feel like giving Daniel Ratner a flying close line off the top rope courtesy of the Legion of Doom, okay. I feel like taking that camcorder and smashing it over his head. I'm getting fed up with his attitude.
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: His attitude towards people with the low income who have lived here all their lives for a long time for that matter, is degrading. His project who's tearing down buildings so he can accommodate a stadium that's going to knock out the Atlantic -- the Atlantic Hall [Mall?] which is already there. It makes no sense. Put that damn project in Queens where it belongs and stop tearing down houses here in Brooklyn. Stop telling the people who have lived here --
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: -- all their lives to get the hell out so rich people could come. And you're telling them, oh, if we -- if we -- if we tell you to get the hell out, we'll pay for your expenses. You know, it sounds like -- you know, you tell -- if Superfly tells you I'm you're mama, I'm you're poppa, then they get the hell out, that's ridiculous. He needs to get over to Queens, okay, take his drug smuggling operation to Queens as well. I'm getting so fed up with it, I really am.
And another thing is you have this forum, it's scheduled for Primary Day. Are you serious? I mean are you stuck on stupid? How you going to put a forum on Primary Day. People want to vote and you're telling them they got to come out here.... You better change that date. Primary Day, Primary Day, we want to vote. We don't have time for this. This is BS, okay, good-bye.
(Audience participation.)
THE HEARING OFFICER: Thank you, Mr. Stanford. I take it the remarks weren't
directed at the Hearing Officer.
(Laughter.)
(Audience participation.)
MR. WILLIAM STANFORD: That's Mr. X to you.
(Audience participation.)
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