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November 10, 2009
It came from the Blogosphere...
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, Refused, Return to BAM
The photograph below was sent to us anonymously. If it is unclear what it is about, please click here, or here, or here.
rozele, in which new york city votes, sorta
more interestingly, my city council member, the pretty damn right-on tish james, did not get the WFP's ballot line. you read that right: the only member of the city council ever to be elected solely on the WFP line did not get the party's nod. why? ACORN. tish james has been one of the only council members to actively oppose the massive scam that is the atlantic yards project. ACORN, one of the WFP's main funders/sponsors, is mega-developer ratner's chosen astroturf contractor. i keep meaning to write a "the real trouble with ACORN" post, so i'll spare you a more extensive rant till then, but bear this in mind when thinking about WFP. they're willing to cast aside the person who gave them their most notable electoral success - and only elected official - for taking a position that's wildly popular in her district and throughout central brooklyn, and who exemplifies what the party claims to stand for:
Real estate titans in New York City are used to running the show without interference from pesky tenants and the communities impacted by big development projects. The candidates that rode to victory in this year’s primaries have another vision: development that puts working families and neighborhoods first. Projects that build housing New Yorkers can actually afford, and that fit with the needs of New York’s neighborhoods.
that ain't atlantic yards. but it sure is tish james. and the WFP's willingness to go along with ACORN's astroturf-for-hire relationship with ratner is a sign of bad things to come.
NetsAreScorching, INTRODUCING THE NETS MISERY INDEX
The Nets are now officially off to their worst start in franchise history, which says a lot considering the nefarious history of this organization. However, even with the 0-7 start and half of the roster injured – including having the first player in NBA history to be diagnosed with the “Swine Flu,” I think it’s always good to put things in proper context. So, with that in mind, I have developed the “Nets Misery Index.” I’m going to take a look at some other miserable seasons in Nets history and rate each one of a scale of one to five Dwayne Schintziuses – one equaling not so miserable, and five equaling misery comparable to building your roster around Dwayne Schintzius.
NoLandGrab: We always suspected there was some intentional irony in the name NetsAreScorching.
NetsAreScorching, NETS ON THE NET: 11/10/09 EDITION
Atlantic Yards Report is looking at AY and examining if it’s a public project, a private project, or a public-private project.
Willets Point United, Regular people hurt by government folly
The government of Connecticut clearly didn't know what was in the best interest of its citizens. They misjudged the benefits of taking people's land to give to a giant company that promised the world but delivered nothing.
The same thing is happening at Atlantic Yards and at Willets Point.
The Neighborhood Retail Alliance, A Keloid Scar
The abandoned New London property should serve as a warning that our vaunted decision makers sometimes simply don't know what they are doing-and plow ahead because they are programmed to act in a certain way. It is time that EDC opened up and presented all of the needed information to those whose lives will be effected by this massive redevelopment scheme. And, by the way, someone should let us all know how much it will cost and where the money will be coming from.
NLG: Richard Lipsky could just as well be speaking about Atlantic Yards as Willets Point, except for one small, troublesome detail — Bruce Ratner paid him to lobby on behalf of his Brooklyn land grab. Richard, there's still time to leave the dark side — surely Bruce dropped you from the payroll long before Frank Gehry got the boot.
FreeFastEasyMoney, The Post-Big Era: Will Small-Scale Ingenuity Replace Large-Scale Architecture?
Point of debate: Are projects like the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn and sustainable neighborhoods like the Beddington Zero Energy Development in England (above) beneficial or harmful to surrounding communities? Like many such mega-projects, Atlantic Yards would eliminate existing streets, overwhelm the surrounding brownstone neighborhood and add an estimated 40,000 new car trips every day.
SI.com, Nets struggle on court, await brighter future
The deal to sell Prokhorov 80 percent of the team is contingent upon current owner Bruce Ratner selling almost $600 million in tax-exempt bonds by a Dec. 31 deadline. The Russian must also pass an NBA background check and then get approval from three-quarters of the league's owners.
If the Nets have a bright future, they're paying their dues right now.
Posted by eric at November 10, 2009 6:04 PM