The quality of the typical New York City park is determined largely by whether it is in a wealthy or poor neighborhood, according to a study to be released by a private nonprofit group today. The report also indicated that despite budget increases in recent years, the Parks Department is not doing enough strategic planning to manage its parkland properly.Study Criticizes Parks Dept. Management
“About one of eight parks citywide is not in acceptable condition, and there is a significant correlation between a community district’s share of parks in unacceptable condition and its average income level,” according to the report by the group, the Citizens Budget Commission.
8 comments:
Well.....it's obvious that Parks Commissioner Benepe is a BIGOT who is DISCRIMINATING against the Maspeth community by not considering the creation of a sorely needed new park on the historic St. Saviour's site !
C-mon.....prove us wrong, Adrian.......with all that unused huge pile of surplus cash that's sitting around the Parks Dept. just waiting to be used for this good purpose !
Now.....you know that kind of $$$$$$ is earmarked to go to Central Park.....for planting Petunias or something else "worthwhile" !
From downzoning to landmark designation, it is clear that there is discrimination.
Everyone knows this.
No one has the courage to do anything about it out of fear that if they act up their little bit of pull will be taken away from them.
Fearful people never get far.
The myth of NY as a liberal compassionate place is on the line.
not to say this isn't worth discussing-- it surely is-- but re: the study...
no shit?!
i will say i was SHOCKED this weekend to find a basketball court at Power Playground in Mill Basin had... nets. Not the (evil) Bruce Ratner Nets, rather genuine nylon swish-y things for anyone who wants to ball. i'm strongly tempted to believe they were put up by locals, not the Parks Dept, but i'd be happy if i'm wrong.
wwib
In Flushing Meadows Corona Park (years back) some "conveniently placed" huge boulders were introduced as scattered "landscape features" to prevent (perhaps?) Latino children from using that particular area for occasional harmless impromptu ball games !
H-m-m-m.....if that isn't a rather subtle and skillfully executed application of de facto (?) discrimination (?)....I'll be a Martian's uncle !!!
It's not so much the Parks Department that discriminates, but the fact that wealthy neighborhoods are able to fund organizations like the Central Park Conservancy. Without that, Central Park would be pretty dumpy.
In other words, the main reason that parks in poor neighborhoods are crappy is that the entire Parks Department is underfunded.
So how many of you voted for Giuliani, Pataki, Bush or Clinton based on promises to "cut taxes"? Guess where your tax cuts came from?
Just look at who uses Central Park as their backyard.....all those rich & famous condo owners lining 5th Ave. (Jackie "O" once lived there.....remember) !
And look who lives around FMCP.....the poorer and disenfranchised folks!
Need we say more ? !!!
Word has it that the executive director or founder (?) of the Central Park Conservancy had all but to make a few phone calls one lazy afternoon to some of her vastly wealthy friends and, perhaps, Bridge playing partners ......and "poof" millions of dollars were raised for a standing endowment that would raise hair on Pinky Gallagher's shiny dome !
And our stingy "council member" won't even come to bat for his Maspeth constituents and support St. Saviour's becoming new parkland and a museum site !
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