Lower East Side residents, small business owners, and community
groups gathered this past Tuesday across the street from St. Teresa's
Parish in Chinatown to propose the restoration and preservation
of existing low-income housing, and the addition of new, affordable
housing in downtown Manhattan.
Aligned together as the Lower East Side - Chinatown Consortium,
community groups criticized the way Liberty Bonds, funds for the
development of lower Manhattan after 9/11, were being spent. The
Consortium cited news reports that indicated that millions of
dollars were given to financial institutions and several wealthy
developers. As an alternative, the Consortium requested additional
disaster assistance funds for the immigrants and blue-collar workers
who remain in lower Manhattan. In addition, they demanded rent
control provisions and subsidies, as well as programs to protect
existing jobs and create new employment opportunities for lower
Manhattan.
Paul Lau, executive director of the Sportswear Apparel Association
in Chinatown, said the community needed more affordable manufacturing
space, arguing that many immigrants depended on jobs in this industry,
particularly when they first arrive in the United States.
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), an authority
that Governor George E. Pataki created to oversee the redevelopment
of lower Manhattan, has responded to residents' protests by announcing
a marketing campaign called "Explore Chinatown" to attract
tourists - and bring revenue - to the neighborhood.
Despite such efforts, community groups questioned the motives
of governing bodies such as the LMDC. Nancy Eng, staff organizer
for the Chinese Staff and Workers Association (CSWA), said the
tourism campaign was not about helping people in the community
but rather about turning the community into "downtown Times
Square," which means that "we would have to go."
However, the community did not want to alienate newcomers and
tourists. Father Donald Baker, who came to support his parishioners,
said, "New people are always welcome to be part of this community."
But new, wealthier residents should not be given priority over
people who have been living there for years, he added.
The Consortium's proposal also addressed the health care of patients
who lived or worked downtown and were exposed to debris from the
World Trade Center collapse. The community demanded monetary compensation
for injuries, comprehensive medical insurance, and the long-term
treatment and study of their physical and mental conditions.
Philip Craft, Deputy Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney, described the Federal and State government response to
lower East Side residents and workers as "inadequate"
because "the people who were affected the most were left
out of the process." To help remedy the situation, he said
Congresswoman Maloney's office introduced a bill that, if passed,
would provide health insurance benefits for people in the community
whose health was directly affected by the Twin Towers' destruction.
Almost three years after the terrorist attack, residents and
workers still complain about respiratory problems, which they
blame on the air quality inside and outside lower Manhattan buildings.
A neighborhood physician who asked to be referred to as "Dr.
Cao" said many residents lost their jobs, and subsequently,
their health insurance, and came to him because they had difficulty
breathing. Another physician, Dr. Jeffrey Nichols, has been treating
many elderly people in the area. Dr. Nichols said he has observed
an influx of patients exhibiting similar respiratory symptoms.
Among these residents is Mercedes Esquerette, who said she has
been suffering from asthma, dry mouth, allergies and high blood
pressure - conditions that only materialized after 9/11. Not only
that, but Ms. Esquerette also is being treated for liver damage,
which she attributed to toxic chemicals in the air of lower Manhattan.
None of her doctors, however, have determined the cause of these
ailments. Ms. Esquerette insisted that she and other patients
deserved to know what caused their health to deteriorate.
Elisa Martinez, who has been living on Avenue B for 30 years,
said that ever since 9/11, she has had to receive medical treatment
once every two months. She then took a cough drop out of her pocket
and motioned to her throat, which she said has been causing her
discomfort. "I hope they'll remember us," she said,
referring to policymakers.
NMASS Home | RELATED: "Beyond
Ground Zero"
