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May 26, 2006
Brooklyn elections and the developers
People's Weekly World
A socialist economic and political overview of demographic changes coming to Brooklyn, brought to you by the Bloomberg-Doctoroff big developer doctrine:
The housing, construction and development boom of recent years, which only recently has shown signs of slowing, is changing the class and nationality composition of whole cities, and with it reducing the Democratic majority.
High-rise luxury apartments, condos and offices; waterfronts privatized with luxury dwellings, hotels, recreational facilities and restricted parks; cruise liner ports; big-box stores; sports facilities featuring luxury boxes; glitzy casinos — all these are reshaping our cities. They are being financed by a host of federal, state and city public subsidies ranging from 30-60 percent of total costs, while finance capital — the big banks, developers, real estate and construction corporations — divide up 100 percent of the profit.
In Brooklyn, the fate of progressive politics is being played out over support for and opposition to the Atlantic Yards proposal:
The outcome of the Sept. 12 primary election will determine whether a progressive continues in Congress to fight the Bush administration. But it will also impact the citywide fight over whether the billionaire developers should have their way.
Posted by lumi at May 26, 2006 8:46 AM