Defending Our Homes: Chris Owens for Congress

Mole333 has a diary up emphasizing the need to support candidates who have proven their dedication to the community. In it he mentions three particular candidates. I want to add my support for one of those candidates because he stands with us against a particularly corrupt and odious development project not mentioned in mole333's diary. I want to voice my support for Chris Owens because he is defending our homes.

Chris Owens is a community activist. There are too many lawyers, wonks and bureaucrats in congress, particularly in the New York delegation.

Look where that has gotten us, mealy-mouthed leadership in the face of a dominating GOP.

We need more members of Congress who come directly from the people; Congress members who spend their lives working with communities and run for office because of their concern for the community, instead of their concern for their political careers.

Chris Owens is one of those candidates. He's running for the 11th Congressional District and is the only true progressive candidate in the race-unencumbered by Brooklyn's corrupt Democratic political machine (as 2 of his opponents City Councilmember Yvette Clarke and State Senator Carl Andrews are) or vast gobs of corporate special interest money (in NYC that's developer money, and that's City Councilmember David Yassky who has raised the most money of any Congressional candidate in the country).  

Chris Owens is from the community and of the community. How has this played itself out? Well, in the 11th District one of the biggest issues is a development proposed by Forest City Enterprises, the largest publicly traded real estate development firm in the country. That proposal, known as "Atlantic Yards," is the largest development proposed by a single developer in the history of New York City, and it is fueled by eminent domain abuse, public land giveaways and massive taxpayer subsidies/costs/investments of close to $2 billion. With all of that onus on the public, all of the risk on the public, the project would never see the oversight of any elected officials other than Albany's three men in a room.

There is enormous public opposition to the project.

Well, from day one, which was December 2003, Chris Owens, as a citizen, opposed that project. His three opponents supported it and still do. David Yassky straddles the fence and tries to pander to both sides of the fight over the development, but in the end that amounts to support for the developer, whose plan would be disastrous for the borough of Brooklyn.  

I witnessed Chris speak out in those early days of the fight over this project when few would-at public hearings, rallies and press conferences.

Now that "Atlantic Yards" is in the spotlight of media attention Chris Owens consistently makes the important point to make-he is the only candidate who stands against the boondoggle and the democratic process it flouts.

Chris Owens' run for office, in a large part, is based, in apart, on the corruption he sees in the "Atlantic Yards" deal. It's the same kind of cynical corruption, characterized by sweetheart deals and no-bid contracts, that are endemic to the Bush administration. It's the same kind of corrupt behavior that the public is willing to see, criticize and attack, while too many entrenched Democrats and Republicans are unwilling to condemn and punish.

Chris stands up to this behavior on the local, community level and is fearless in doing so.

If Chris can stand up to the power elite of New York State, as he has done, we know that he can and will stand up to the Bush agenda. We know that Chris opposed the Iraq War from before the invasion while his opponents are Johnny-come-latelies. It is always the community (the people) who see the truth before the politicians do. And Chris comes from that perspective.  

Unfortunately the same can't be said for his opponents. They stand up to nobody. They pander on their quest for the next political job. Chris is running to represent the community, while the others are running to represent their CV.  

Whats the  conclusion?

Support Chris Owens, a progressive Democrat, who will stand up to entrenched interests and will stand up to President Bush and the GOP, while his opponents stand down. He will be a great new asset and voice to the Democratic House and the New York delegation.