🚀 go-pugleaf

                                 CONTACT: Ray Normandeau 718 392-1267

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  First Shooting of the Weekend at the Notorious Queensbridge Houses
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday afternoon September 11, 1992 there was another shooting at
Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City, Queens.

According to usually well informed sources the victim was a reputed
drug dealer.

The shooter is alleged to have thrown the gun into a trash can as he
ran into a building. Then the perp changed clothes and walked back
out the building right past the New York City Housing Authority
Police who were looking for him.

Police sources will only admit that a gun was recovered and disclaim
any knowledge of the perp walking past them.

Some tenants are waiting to see if there will be any announcement
from Mayor Dinkins saying that he will be sending the shooting victim
a get well card.

On Wednesday August 26 a murder victim was found sprawled in a fifth
floor hallway at Queensbridge Houses with three bullet holes in his
head.

Queensbridge Houses tenants have voted for the Fruit of Islam as a
paid security force. The New York City Housing Authority was
considering this until, the ADL of B'nai B'rith sent out letters of
opposition to the New York City Housing Authority and to Jack Kemp,
Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in
Washington. Now HUD and the NYC HA refuse to discuss this any further
and the carnage continues.

Tenants recall that in 1989 Bush had said in an acceptance speech "I
want a drug-free America. ... My administration will be telling the
dealers, 'Whatever we have to do, we'll do, but your day is over.
You're history'" Tenants say "Enough Bush-it."

Tenants wonder what is happening to the millions of dollars
reportedly being sent by HUD to the NYC HA earmarked for crime
fighting in the projects.

Tenants feel that HUD winks as money given to the NYC HA is misused.
HUD employee whistleblowers say "while advising President Bush on the
Federal Budget, Secretary Kemp mismanages his own." "DIGEST,
INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT TO CONGRESS NUMBER 27", is a scathing
indictment of HUD. The digest states "Areas of fraud and
mismanagement in Multifamily Housing Programs include contracting
improprieties, embezzlement, bribery, and extortion by HUD employees,
local officials .... six organized crime figures who were indicted
after they received $23 million in HUD-funded contracts from the New
York City Housing Authority using a debarred contractor who set up a
shell company to obtain contracts."

What the digest doesn't mention, but is reported in the Thursday
March 5, 1992 NY Post on page 4 is that HUD directed the New York
City Housing Authority to give work to an organized crime connected
firm which the NYC HA had not intended to give. Obviously HUD doesn't
just look the other way at NYC HA misuse of money, but orchestrates
the misuse. Any proper investigation of the NYC HA would implicate
HUD itself.

Perhaps if there was better accounting of money sent to the NYC HA
for crime fighting in the projects, the tenants wouldn't be seeking
outside security assistance.

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