The Death and Life of Atlantic Yards

'If this report card is only so much as just mostly correct, then this megadevelopment, shiny, new and expensive, can be expected to have a severely blighting effect on Brooklyn and the city in which it is located.'

A detailed analysis of the proposed project for the area of Brooklyn where New York City officials and developers want to build a large complex of "mix-use" commercial buildings has been published by a noted urban planner in what he calls the, Jane Jacobs Atlantic Yards Report Card.

"This report card rates Atlantic Yards almost entirely negatively by these Jane Jacobs criteria," wrote the urban planner and attorney, Michael D. D. White.

The development project is controversial because it relies on public subsidies in order to make the risky project "economically feasible" to its group of developers, lenders, and owners. At least some of the construction of this project would be paid for by the issuance of tax-exempt bonds.

Back when the plan was approved in 2006, Mayor Bloomberg said that this project would help bring jobs and affordable housing to Brooklyn. But we all know that the only shiny new towers that ever get built in New York City are "luxury condominiums." How is that supposed to create affordable housing ?

Another blog opposing Mayor Bloomberg is launched

Debut of new blog against Mayor Bloomberg's shady third term campaign: Bloomberg Newzzz

No third term for Christine Quinn

'Where are the watch dogs? Where are the accountability and the transparency?' -- Bloomberg Newzzz

In 2008, Christine Quinn backed Mayor Michael Bloomberg on a controversial bill that overturned voter-approved term limits and allowed for the Mayor, City Councilmembers (including Quinn herself), and Borough Presidents to run for third terms, reversing the results of two successive public referenda. The Public Advocate and Comptroller both denounced this move; neither will seek a third term.

In June 2009, the Public Advocate's Office sustained a 40% budget cut for the fiscal year commencing July 1. No other elected office received a cut greater than 6%.

In April 2008, Quinn became embroiled in a scandal over phantom budget allocations to non-existent community groups. In fiscal year 2007-08 alone, $4.5 million had been set aside for thirty different phantom groups.

Quinn was investigated on these slush funds and stated that while she knew some money was being held, she had only recently found out the groups were fake. She also said she told her staff to stop funneling money to the fake groups, but they didn't.

"I was kind of sick over the fact that there were things listed in the budget that were not accurate and that my instructions to the staff were disregarded." Quinn says she turned over information to city and state authorities.

*** The above text information was excerpted/quoted from Wikipedia as of 25-July-2009. ***

Mark Greene speaks at FUNY meeting

‘Why has only the watchdog over City Hall been cut 40 percent?’

Candidate for New York City public advocate Mark Greene made a surprised visit to tonight's meeting of Fed Up New Yorkers at the LGBT Center in Manhattan.

Mr. Greene offered words of hope in the campaign against Mayor Bloomberg's third term. Mr. Greene reminded us of the famous words said by Ferdinand Foch, the brilliant French general and Allied armies supreme commander:

"Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I attack."

A very sobering statistic that Mr. Greene provided in his remarks was the fact that the City Council is crippling the office of Public Advocate by slashing its budget by 40% ! As is always the case in such matters, dirty politics is the suspected culprit for the way the City Council has lashed out against the office of the Public Advocate.

In addition to Mr. Green, a diverse group of people spoke at FUNY's meeting. There were speakers from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Teachers, substitute teachers, former Mitchel-Lama residents, lawyers, urban planners, and retirees were also among the speakers. I would have to guess that over 20 speakers must have made presentations to the group about why they do not support Michael Bloomberg. And I would estimate that the meeting was attended by 60 to 80 people.

I was feeling sick today, but I decided to be unreasonable and attend the meeting anyway. I was exhausted and nervous when I read my open letter to Mayor Bloomberg. I studdered and mumbled and fumbled my words, but the audience seemed to appreciate my concerns. The line that got the most reaction was when I said about Mayor Bloomberg:

"You haven’t even noticed that NYU is the second-coming of Robert Moses, because while NYU is tearing down historical houses or evicting cultural landmarks, you have been busy closing down firehouses and advocating for the construction of more football stadiums."

Click here to read my entire remarks.

FQ Mayor Bloomberg

Somebody on YouTube did this, not me ! Really, I swear !

It is a matter of trust: No third term for Michael Bloomberg

An open letter to Michael Bloomberg

Running for mayor means that you are asking the citizens of New York for their trust. Based on your record of the last 8 years, we know all too well that we cannot trust you. No, sir. Not at all.

When ConEdison neglected its infrastructure, and the lights went out in my neighborhood of Astoria for two weeks, days had to pass before you realized that 174,000 people were both without power and powerless to do anything about it. Being mayor means that we depend and rely on you to stand up for us.

When George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, many New Yorkers did not support the war. Even though we had proper permits, NYPD put up barricades and the MTA shut down subways – to keep us from peacefully attending our rallies. We have a right to gather and express ourselves. Our mayor should not be suppressing the voices in our community.

After you won the bid to host the 2004 Republican National Convention in our city, you thought it was perfectly fine to arrest over 1,800 protesters. The people you arrested were detained under false pretenses – until a court threatened to fine the city, effectively forcing you to set them free. I wasn’t arrested, but, at the time, I belonged to a small group called, “Gays Against Bush.” The New York Times reported that NYPD was collecting information about our meetings and our rallies. How can the citizens trust their mayor, when he is so quick to squash our freedom of expression ?

For the 8 straight years that you have been in office, the Rent Guidelines Board has systematically raised regulated rents in our city. And any time that the MTA has wanted to jack up our fares, it gets away with it. You haven’t even noticed that NYU is the second-coming of Robert Moses, because while NYU is tearing down historical houses or evicting cultural landmarks, you have been busy closing down firehouses and advocating for the construction of more football stadiums.

The city has changed under your 2 terms, and not for the better. You are constitutionally incapable of relating to the concerns of the average New Yorker. And now you come, asking us to trust you with four more years ? You don’t know what trust means, Mr. Mayor. It means that we give you our permission to run our city for 2 terms, and you return it to us unharmed after your two terms are over.

After voters have twice passed a referendum for term limits, why would you unilaterally help yourself to a third term ? The answer is because you cannot be trusted. We can no longer trust you to run our city. After these 2 long terms, there is no longer any trust left to give.

This is what real leadership looks like

A man with a good conscious went to Albany to save lives. Listen to him speak from the heart.

"Sen. Tom Duane gave an eyebrow-raising performance on the Senate floor early this morning in hopes of moving his colleagues to support a bill that prevents people living with HIV or AIDS and receiving public assistance from having to pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent," wrote Elizabeth Benjamin on The New York Daily News.

The video is going viral, and is being spread by folks on Facebook.

"The vote on the bill, which was not passed by the Assembly, was 52-1. The lone "no" vote was cast by Sen. Kemp Hannon, a Long Island Republican and former chairman of the Senate Health Committee (now the ranking minority member)," Ms. Benjamin added.

No Third Term for Republicans !!!

Lipstick on Your Collar (No Third Term for Bloomberg mix)

Sans contrefacon, Bloomberg est trop republique con

"En 2004, il organise la venue à New York de la convention nationale républicaine."

"La popularité de M. Bloomberg est haute, mais sa manipulation des protestataires à la convention 2004 nationale républicaine, quand des milliers de démonstrateurs ont été arrêtés sur les rues et détenus, est une marque noire sur son administration pour beaucoup de Newyorkais et de libertarians civils. -- NYTimes

Bulldozers and cranes: Christine Quinn's development addiction

Quotes by Suzannah B. Troy regarding City Councilwoman Christine Quinn's addiction to over-development.

New York City has named a block on Hudson Street, "Jane Jacobs Way," after an important author and activist, who changed the course of urban planning.

City Councilwoman Christine C. Quinn was there for the renaming ceremony. Quinn has been the subject of investigations regarding her close ties to developers. Activist Suzannah B. Troy was outraged to see Quinn trade on the goodwill of Jane Jacobs.

"It was laughable and yet horrifying the way Jane Jacobs' name was bandied about, and the sheer denial of politicos pretending that Bloomberg-Quinn did not sell out (and destroy) New York to greedy developers from right under the people of New York's feet -- including how many eminent domain abuse battles going on right now here in NYC ?"

"Yes, I get emotional because on every street there are closings, and, at this street naming, it was the usual "orgy of admiration club" -- complete lies and denials. You heard the introduction Quinn is given -- an air brushed rosy introduction, which is extra horrifying because any one using their eyes can see the Village has buildings every where that busted thru zoning and evictions of small businesses everywhere -- because she was part of the corrupt politico that sold NYC and the people out."

See also: Suzannah B. Troy in recession bikini top $6 & almost 47 yrs old protesting Quinn at Jane Jacobs street signing, Jane must be turning over in her grave.

No Third Term for Republicans

No votes for politicians who close firehouses.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R-NY) has a record of closing firehouses and shrinking the Fire Department, even though we all know that in the name of the safety of the city, we need firehouses to remain open.

Only a Republican would close down firehouses and layoff fire fighters in a city like New York.

Keep our firehouses open by voting for anybody but Bloomberg !

New York City has a large and growing debt burden that is threatening to become unaffordable

"The level of NYC’s debt is rising and representing a growing portion of the assessed value of taxable real property."

William C. Thompson, Jr., the Comptroller for New York City, has released the Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Debt Report.

"New York City has a large and growing debt burden that is threatening to become unaffordable as the City’s economy suffers the impacts of a severe global economic downturn. By any commonly accepted measure, New York City ranks above its peers in the amount of debt shouldered by city residents and the city’s economy."

The budget report also indicated that, "New York City’s debt as a percentage of personal income in FY 2006 was the highest at 14.5 percent."

More slush at City Hall and City Council

While City Council uses its plethora of slush funds to funnel taxpayer dollars to shoddy construction companies, the Mayor is playing election year politics with the city budget.

Suzannah B. Troy posted a new video about new reports in the The New York Daily News about the possibilities of city budget corruption and election year budget engineering.

Bye-Bye Bloomberg (No Third Term mix)

"Money and Power Revised Term Limits, and It Won’t Be Forgotten"

No third term for Republicans !

"Mr. Bloomberg knows that his reputation has taken hard blows in the fight over term limits. But he is apparently betting that the passage of time will restore whatever he may have lost in respectability." -- Clyde Haberman, NYTimes, October 27, 2008.

Bloomberg offended by question about term limit extension

Touchy, touchy! Bloomberg on the economy and term limits

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lost his cool with reporter over a question about term limits.

After discussing the economy and term limits during a May 28, 2009, press conference in Queens, the mayor told the reporter, "You're a disgrace."