Candidate Liu says he refused to take part in arena groundbreaking, ribbon-cutting, won't go to games, wants "real jobs, not selling popcorn"

I wrote earlier this week about Forest City Ratner-related contributions to the mayoral campaigns of Bill de Blasio, Bill Thompson, and Christine Quinn, noting how John Liu is probably (and perceivedly) the main candidate most critical of Atlantic Yards and development.

Indeed, Prospect Heights Patch reports on a visit by Liu to the Parliament Democratic Club in Fort Greene:

"I've had serious issues with the whole Atlantic Yards development over the past 10 years," he said. "It was supposed to be about jobs and affordable housing, and 10 years later all we've got is a stadium and some popcorn vendors. That is not the economic development people were looking for. [Officials connected to the development] kept calling and I refused to take part in the ground-breaking; they kept calling and I never participated in the ribbon cutting; they keep calling and I'm not going to any games."

Though he hasn't looked favorably at the development thus far, Liu said he wants to see affordable housing come to the development, and he wants to see jobs tied to the development be given to Brooklyn residents. "Real jobs, not selling popcorn. No offense to people selling popcorn, I love popcorn. But that is not the economic development that was promised."

One tower is under construction, but, as Liu points out, it's a lot harder to claim that the promise of "Jobs, Housing, and Hoops" is being fulfilled.