From the Forum West:During his most recent budget announcement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city must take severe measures, including drastically cutting vital services, in order to balance the city’s finances. According to the group Willets Point United Against Eminent Domain Abuse, the $400 million set aside by the city to acquire private property should be put towards better use to soften the blow of impending budget cuts.
A partial list of proposed cuts includes $48.9 million from police, $20.1 million from libraries, $17 million from the fire department, $5.3 million from senior centers, $91.2 million from education, $3.3 million from ambulance services, $5.6 million from parks and $3.4 million from jails, according to the group’s first press release, issued last Thursday.
“The taxpayer money set aside for property acquisition at Willets Point could easily be redirected towards these agencies to prevent these cuts,” said Jerry Antonacci, president of the coalition of business and land owners. “There would also be enough left over to install a sanitary sewer system to fix the roads at the Iron Triangle and allow the property owners to stay, expand their businesses and let the area redevelop naturally.”
“Why is there $400 million set aside to force business and property owners off their land while jobs for police, fire and teachers are being eliminated?” asked Jake Bono, owner of Bono Sawdust Supply Co. and a group spokesman. “Why in an economic downturn is the city spending money not only to destroy businesses and jobs, but to destroy the American dream of owning property? Government-abetted private land grabs were not what our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the Constitution.”
From the Queens Chronicle:
Willets Point United members also believe the impetus to get rid of the unsightly small shacks and auto parts shops is coming from the Mets, whose new stadium, Citi Field, is located across the street from them on 126th Street. “The Mets shouldn’t dictate what goes on,” Bono said.
Because of the economy, he thinks the project will have to be scaled back. “Every developer is in trouble. They have all canceled projects,” he said. “Spend $100 million on infrastructure and the area would get pretty quicker and cheaper.”
10 comments:
I really, truly wish that every voter who plans on voting this year thought about the sad facts that this article describes. Unfortunately, I fear that not enough people do and Doomberg will in fact buy his way in once again. Its freakin terrifying if you ask me.....
Why focus time, money and attention on Willets Point when St John's Hospital needs the money to remain open, time by our Mayor would be well spent on the attention of the POLS in Albany and in Washington to help save this vital Hospital?
Willets Point I guess will make many millionaires of the folks whom are looking to feed at the trough - so it goes Tammeny Hall continues in new iterations.
Because Wellington Chen and Claire Shulman stand to make millions off this deal.
TDC has already been chosen as the developer. Has been since 1994.
To understand this is simple: there are no kickbacks to Commissar Death and Taxes by fixing potholes and delivering all the city services paid for by the business and personal taxes generated at Willets Point.
Developers give kickbacks.
Ditto on spending the money
for vital services during our current financial crisis.
And never trust
a protege of Donald Manes,
while you're at it!
Remember,
it was Claire Shulman,
following in Boss Manes' footsteps, who sold out Flushing,
with regards to the historic RKO Keith's theater.
It appears she's at it again!
How much money do you suppose
she's making off this boondoggle?
from what i hear the word on the street has it was supposed to be 10,000,000 but the city threw a wrench in her parachute by letting the big 3 stay where she was going to put the housing, also her partner in this crime to be was going to be briarwood ..... back room deals i love it , thats what its all about claire right? not the people but the shady deals
Not only is this a big waste of money, but it is terribly unfair to developers who are already nearly finished with their projects. Who needs half-done construction that will never house anyone?
Let everyone finish what they have already started and put all the new projects on hiatus until the money and demand is available.
meanwhile the businesses at willets point will have to wait with handcuffs on. the most sought after peice of land in nyc and they can't make the people happy. claire wants it all
ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY who could make the most off of other peoples land what a joke,we have to vote all these ass holes out there killing us tax this take land hear close this .
when will it stop????????
What about the illegal lobbying, Claire? Pay your fine yet? When will Federal agencies get involved? I can dream, can't I?
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