Sunday, June 15, 2008

Katz proud of developer ties

Council Member Melinda Katz (D-Queens), the chair of the powerful Land Use Committee, has touted her ability to encourage development in the city as an asset during her comptroller run.

Relationship to Developers Dogs Katz, But She Calls Ties An Asset

Yet her close relationship with developers, whose contributions to her campaign have placed her near the top in fundraising—with $1.6 million raised as of January—has made her a target for critics who claim she is too close to the industry.

She shrugged that off, saying developers are the very people who are needed to maintain a healthy economy.

“People talk to me about developers and their support, and my answer is, ‘They are the folks who care deeply about the direction this city is going.’ If they have faith that I can actually make sure the city continues to thrive economically, I think that is a good thing,” she said.

As the only woman, but one of three Jews in a race that includes just one minority candidate—CarriĆ³n—she said she stood out in part because she has been working for the position for two years.


Your constituents must be so happy that for 3 out of 4 years during this term, you have been preoccupied with running for something else rather than concentrating on representing them.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

When we express how thrilled we are, we are told to "shut up".

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND VOTES 101.

Anonymous said...

Yeah. She knows that developers care so deeply about the direction the city is taking.

Cranes toppling, walls collapsing, workers killed, crime up, schools failing, Commissar Death mismanaging city agencies and increasing taxes, all these are signs that the direction is right.

What a moron. She's getting her take, so all's fine with the city.

We really need a sleazy, on-the-take do-nothing for constituents as the watchdog of the city's use of our tax dollars.

We really cannot find anyone else?

Anonymous said...

‘They are the folks who care deeply about the direction this city is going.’

What a loser.

Anonymous said...

This jerk is pushing the middle class out of the city and she is proud. Why is the City Council giving tax breaks to developers to build million dollar co-ops for foreigners? Most of those buying these high cost apartments are buying it with the cheap exchange rates of the devalued dollar.

THE COUNCIL AND KATZ ARE TRADERS TO AMERICA

Katz is a pig who sells herself out to developers for campaign contributions.

Anonymous said...

“People talk to me about developers and their support, and my answer is, ‘They are the folks who care deeply about the direction this city is going.’

Katz has epitomized the attitude of NYC as a whole for the last 350-odd years, a place where development and moneymaking are paramount, and the preservation of history and culture are on the back burner. Thus more landmarks disappear every year, including priceless detail on the Trylon Theater, the development of which she championed.

I will give Katz this: she actually comes out and admits her alliance with developers. Other politicians say they respect preservationists, while doing nothing; Katz SAYS she will do nothing.

Read Curbed and brownstoner. Their commenters, vulgar though they may be, espouse an agreement with Katz that it makes more sense to make $$$$ on a plot rather than preserve historic signage or, say, a Carnegie library. That's New York.

www.forgotten-ny.com

Anonymous said...

Katz is scum in my book. Take a look at our neighborhoods being paved over, and you know who's to blame as chair of Land Abuse or councilwoman. At least she admits her devilish ties to the city's worst developers.

Anonymous said...

If someone approaches you & asks if you want to learn mre about KATZ, do the smart thing. Just say NO!

Anonymous said...

katz is a dog

Anonymous said...

Katz has of Jan 2008 almost 2 million in contributions mostly from developers giving her money to buy her vote in the zoning committee she chairs in the city council.

By the way she get 20,000 more in salary for being the chairman of the council committee where she runs her vote buying operation out of. In other words we pay her extra to steal.

Anonymous said...

"And is working for Affordable Housing".

AFFORDABLE FOR WHO?

Anonymous said...

Sadly, many of her constituents either don't know about her developer ties or don't care.

Many voters are ignorant.

Just look at the huge number of votes that Como and Crowley received agianst Ober and Ognibene.

Anonymous said...

You are so right. We are known all over the World as the most uninformed voters in the World

Anonymous said...

Ties....for Pete's sake she's on their leash!

This little Alley Katz will lap dance
for any developer who'll toss
some $$$$ into her campaign kitty!

She's the builders' b--w job queen.

Anonymous said...

We have to somehow break the hold the press has on the public. This is how something like Katz can not only thrive, but in great Boss Tweed fashion, look at us and say 'What are you going to do about it?'

The press continiously churns out what is little more than press releases from developers and politicians who are joined at the hip.

They absolutely refuse to do any investigative reporting. Every politician (except perhaps Tony A) is wonderful.

The public reads this, and considering the preservation community refuses to embark on a public education program, a vacuum is created that is filled by the clubhouse.

Everyone knows how sleazy politics are in Queens.

Crappy goes a long way, but is not enough.

The boro is filled with self-centered whiny clueless seniors, and transient clueless immigrants.

The perfect septic culture for this clubhouse machiney and its spawn, Katz and her Klique.

Anonymous said...

Katz is a "Baby Mama". She had a daughter, even though she isn't married.

Queens Crapper said...

Actually, she had a boy.

Anonymous said...

'Richard' Katz Junior.

Anonymous said...

If she's so proud of herself for her close ties to developers, then let her go and work directly for Durst, Mattone, etc.

She took enough money from them.

She deserves to be put on salary.

As for her years of "working on behalf of her constituents".....
I never got so much as a returned phone call to acknowledge my inquiry from her district office...let alone a b--w job from that builders' slut!