So this is how borough presidents wield power: Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has flexed his BEEP muscles by dismissing five members of Brooklyn's Community Board 6 - and their common quality was that they were vocal opponents of the Atlantic Yards project. And City Council members David Yassky and Bill DeBlasio also didn't reappoint four other members who opposed the massive $4 billion project that has been the source of community tension. Gowanus Lounge calls it "The Atlantic Yards Saturday Night Massacre."

The NY Times points out that Markowitz "did renew the appointments of some Board 6 members who voted against Atlantic Yards," but "he replaced a greater percentage of Board 6 than of any other community board in the borough." And though Markowitz didn't explain his action, the Observer's The Real Estate reminds us that "last week, Councilman Bill de Blasio defended his right not to recommend members who voted against Atlantic Yards, saying that it was a vote against affordable housing, which is one of his core beliefs."

Gowanus Lounge has some more analysis, mole333 at the Daily Gotham has suspected that Markowitz would lash out at CB6 members somehow in a post titled "When Clowns Go Bad: Marty Markowitz Goes on a Rampage," No Land Grab mentions how Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner "used" the community boards, and Norman Oder at Atlantic Yards Report looks at removed CB6 chairman Jerry Armer. And recently, Nathan Kensinger has been photographing the area where the Atlantic Yards project will be built.

Photograph of Markowitz during the opening of Coney Island in 2004 by Tien Mao