Choose Powell for the 10th CD

So, it's that time of year again. Congressional primaries. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (who represents the 11th district where Atlantic Yards is proposed) is unchallenged.

The big race in the neighborhood is for the 10th Congressional District, pitting 25-year incumbent Ed Towns against 42-year old challenger Kevin Powell.

Powell opposes Atlantic Yards while Towns has supported the project and has, through the years, received contributions from Ratner and his relations and surrogates.

On Powell's campaign site he has posted this pdf outlining his position on the Atlantic Yards project. 

Towns does not have a campaign web site.

Powell has asked Towns to debate, but Towns has repeatedly declined the invitation. 

The Brooklyn Paper had separate sit down interviews with Powell and Towns just last week and has posted the podcasts on their website [Powell interview, Towns interview]. 

Powell, around 30:30 of the podcast said:

"Where is he [Towns] on Atlantic Yards? Woefully missing in action, because he's in the pocket of a number of developers."

Towns did not say anything about Atlantic Yards.

We are well aware that there is not a lot that federal officials can do about Atlantic Yards, but currently Congressman Dennis Kucinich is in the midst of probing IRS regulations and the Yankees' use of tax-exempt bonds for their stadium, and seems to be eyeing Ratner's arena as well. Presumably electing Powell to the seat would give Kucinich a new ally in his probe.

We're pretty unabashedly simple minded here. But this one makes it even simpler. It's time for the entrenched incumbent, who, amongst other things supports Atlantic Yards, to go. While we enthusiastically endorse Powell for this seat because of his stance on Atlantic Yards, there are many, many reasons to inject new blood into a Congressional seat which has grown stagnant under the 25-year incumbent. Towns's position on Atlantic Yards is just one more reason. 

The 10th Congressional District includes Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Bed Stuy, all which border or nearly border the Atlantic Yards project. Also in the district are East New York, Canarsie and Flatlands.

The primary is on Tuesday, September 9th.