Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle): The displacement of 225 viable businesses employing about 1,300 persons in Willets Point, that will undoubtedly involve hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and tax perks for wealthy real estate developers, is a matter of grave concern deserving of the utmost scrutiny and full and open disclosures. Back room political shenanigans and ambiguities have no place in the proposal and do not serve the public interest.
One need not speculate that Mayor Bloomberg and members of the city’s Economic Development Corp. the proponents of the proposal, would not buy a suit of clothes without first trying it on; purchase an automobile without being apprised of all of its features; invest in a business without the knowledge of its every single aspect.
Yet, when it comes to Willets Point, they have the arrogance to push for a ULURP and zoning change with the public kept in the dark about anything but the barest details. The notion that 300 skilled people at Willets Point, a pittance of the total, will be retrained for other jobs without specifying what kind of jobs and where they are, is an example of the snake oil being pedaled by the proponents. Equally offensive is the claim the 225 businesses will be relocated. Where? There is little empty space left in this city and what is left is reserved for the fat cat developers.
City Council members John Liu, Hiram Monserrate and Tony Avella have every right to drop support for the proposal and should be congratulated for breathing fresh air in what may well be a public rip-off on a grand scale.
Benjamin Haber
Flushing
Photo from Outer B
4 comments:
An interesting little note:
I was riding the #7 train in a car filled
with 1/2 a dozen MTA employees returning
to the train yard.
One of them said that "City Field"
is already known as "junk yard stadium".
Hey....
with the shitty way the Mets play
and the adjacent crap-yards...it's perfect!
But it suddenly dawned upon me....
and now I finally get it!
The junkyards have been affecting the way
the Mets have played at Shea for years....
and Shulman wants them to get over
their inferiority complex by removing the junk yard.
"The Bronx is burning". Reggie Jackson just emailed me to say he agrees with the sentiments of the first post. That was the problem with the Yankees in the late 70's...bad enviornment depressed the players. Next excuse....
These places pay no sales taxes get rid of the shoddy pieces of crap
95% of the workers are Illegals anyways. John Liu and Tony Monseratte are in the mafia's pockets, so we know why they suddenly "against" the plan. I say get rid of the shitty triangle and build some real affordable housing and freaking mall.
Post a Comment