TESTIMONY
Carolina Salgado Highlights Lack of Community Engagement in EDC Events
2:42:35
·
110 sec
Carolina Salgado discusses the Economic Development Corporation's (EDC) lack of engagement with the Red Hook community, particularly in educational and business events. She points out missed opportunities for local students and businesses due to a lack of communication about EDC-managed events at the cruise terminal. Salgado emphasizes the importance of including local schools and businesses in such events and criticizes the EDC for its failure to connect with the community effectively.
Speaker 5
2:42:35
That's career day, the EDC's maritime career day that was being held in Atlantic Basin.
2:42:39
It's since I think 2 times in the cruise terminal in Manhattan, they didn't invite local schools.
2:42:45
It was a, you know, the CDC preselected schools and the Harvard School logically but other ones as Staten Island won somebody from the Bronx, you know, whatever else.
2:42:53
And there was no engagement with Redhook on this.
2:42:56
You know, there was also I remember testifying to the city council in April 2019 that was a hearing about the CDC's management of the NYC ferry.
2:43:04
And I go to the Riddick ferry dock, and I'd seen school buses coming in, and the ferry dock is packed with people, and some of them speaking, I speak several languages, though, not all very well.
2:43:13
And I spoke to one from Germany.
2:43:14
What are you here for?
2:43:15
Well, there's a youth business plan competition.
2:43:17
I said, there is where is it?
2:43:18
It's in the cruise terminal.
2:43:20
No one had been told, so local students couldn't participate.
2:43:24
That's submitted business plan, but they couldn't even and I'm gonna, like, cry like Keke because I'm big into kids in education.
2:43:30
Our local kids couldn't see an international business plan competition in their own neighborhood because nobody had told them.
2:43:38
You know, and this is the kind of absolute disconnect.
2:43:41
And for years, I have made suggestions like this.
2:43:43
Like, publicized the special events in the Crowe's terminal.
2:43:46
So businesses like Susan's know when people are coming because you know what, if you're running a business and you suddenly have 5000 people at a trade show who wanna come in for burgers and you're not stuffed up and you know, burger meat is not a help.
2:43:58
You know?
2:43:59
And and so there's been no connection in any kind of way in all the ways that the cruise terminals use because it's not just for cruise ships to have this work for the neighborhood.
2:44:10
And you know what?
2:44:10
It's not that hard, but it means the EDC has to listen and stop saying things like we're happy to have that question and we're happy to engage and we're engaging with the apps and and whatever.
2:44:20
I mean, just please be real.
Speaker 15
2:44:21
Just wanna add one more thing.
2:44:23
We cannot wait.