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October 19, 2008
Barry Bonds' desperate swing
NY Daily News
Mike Lupica
The politicians, wearing their old Dodgers caps like the Nets were going to be playing in some modern version of Ebbets Field, wanted to do everything for Ratner but build a statue outside the basketball arena that would be surrounded by all the high rises.Only it was never about the Nets.
It was about the property.
About Ratner's vision of those high rises.
Only now, all this time later, Ratner has the shorts, the way a lot of rich guys do, and needs help from government on this deal.
The way a lot of rich guys do.
And a shovel still doesn't go into the ground where the Nets arena is supposed to be.
You know why?
Because Ratner has been the one shoveling something from the start.
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn says Lupica "is right on target when he wonders where 'fiscally responsible' Bloomberg and 'reformer' Paterson are on Atlantic Yards. As we have said before, and Lupica says now, reform in New York State begins with the Atlantic Yards project. New Yorkers need to hear from the Mayor and Governor...now."
From Atlantic Yards Report:
Lupica's right in noting that the developer wants more subsidies. The mayor has been a big Atlantic Yards supporter, adding $105 million in new subsidies in 2007. His effort to have the City Council override voter-imposed term limits, as I've written, shares a spirit of backroom governance.Paterson (whose name was misspelled) has been basically supportive of the project and, of course, his administration's Empire State Development Corporation is vigorously defending pending lawsuits. Perhaps one of them will cause him to question the state's finding of blight.
Posted by amy at October 19, 2008 12:17 PM