Tearing a page from the Bread and Puppet Theater, the Coalition for Economic Justice staged the following skit at the condos down by the waterfront yesterday. Pictured is a great big Tom Golisano puppet.

Location: Behind Waterfront Place Condos
Date: 10/1/09
Time: 4:00 PM

A Press Conference in 1 Act:

Setting: Rally at Waterfront Condos

Designated “Cast”:
Politician played by Eric Gallion
Developer  (Carl Paladino) played by Roger Cook
Condo Buyer  (Stephen Barnes) played by Harrison Watkins

Foreclosed Home Owner played by Jane Piazza
Unemployed Worker played by Rachel Wilson

Activist: Eric Walker

Act 1: The Press Conference (Politician, Developer, and Condo Buyer stand next to each other, behind podium)

Politician: “We are gathered here today to celebrate the opening of the Waterfront Place Condos.  It has been my honor to pave the way for these condos to be built in a tax-free zone, spurring economic development that only the wealthy can afford.  This development is a perfect example of creatively using the Empire Zone program, which was originally intended to promote investment and job creation in poorer areas, to subsidize luxury condos for the entitled elite.  Without further ado, I would like to introduce the developer who had the courage to take advantage of these subsidies in the third poorest city in the country when he could have built these condos with his own money.” (more…)