Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Bloomberg takes over public park for private use

Randall's Island - June 27, 2009. Park users are kept behind metal barricades guarded by Bloomberg LP security this past weekend. Since 1997, his company has rented dozens of acres of public park land each Summer for weeks to host his lavish private corporate picnic for thousands of employees. The company pays the Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISP) - a public/private group which the city allows to manage the island - $70,000 annually for the rental. Bloomberg was a long time RISF board member until he quit the board shortly before his mayoral run. An executive of his company reportedly still remains on the board however. Besides the annual rental fee Bloomberg continues to give annually to RISF including reportedly paying the salary of a gardener.

A Bronx couple attempt to gain park access but are denied by a Bloomberg LP security guard. The couple were in the park to attend a birthday party for their nephew.

Photos by Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

He should let them in. After all, the city is preparing all of us to have to sleep in the parks after the greedy landlords, developers and banks are finished vacuuming our pockets.

Anonymous said...

How is this different than when a private organization locks baseball fields in a public Juniper Valley Park because only they have permits to play there?

Queens Crapper said...

The Parks Dept locks the ballfields.

Anonymous said...

That is a distinction without a difference Crapper. The ballfields are still public parkland that are locked and inaccessible by the public for the benefit of being reserved for a private organization.

Anonymous said...

Anyone can play on those ballfields, you need to get a permit so they know who is responsible if the fields get damaged.

Queens Crapper said...

"The commissioner stated that the fields would be closed for maintenance during the winter, but would remain unlocked and open starting this spring to teams with valid permits as well as the public."

Times Newsweekly, 11/16/06

Better take it up with Dorothy Lewandowski.

Anonymous said...

You still haven't explained the difference. Randalls Island's park is open to the public and can be reserved for a fee by a private entity for an event. The ballparks are closed to the public unless a permit is provided for a game.

Queens Crapper said...

The difference is that these areas are accessible to the public all the time. No permit is required to use them, therefore, no permit should be allowed for their exclusive use. The fields that are locked away are accessible to the public by permit only. Those are the Parks' rules, I didn't make them up. Take it up with them.

Anonymous said...

The ballfields situation sounds even worse, since the public CAN'T use the fields UNLESS they get a permit, where with Randalls Island the park generally CAN be used by the public UNLESS a permit has been issued for a private event. You are the one criticizing the Randalls Island situation, but the Juniper Park situation is even worse. I don't have to take anything up with the Parks Department, I am asking you why you are so critical of this but you are ok with the Juniper ballfields situation.

Queens Crapper said...

1) I didn't criticize the Randalls Island situation. Geoffrey Croft did and I posted his commentary and photos. I do think it's wrong, however. They have private clubs for this type of thing.
2) I never said I was "ok" with the Juniper Park situation. I think the Parks Department should invest the manpower and money into fixing all ball fields everywhere and let everyone play on them. But that isn't going to happen unless you complain loudly and publicly. So take it up with them.

Anonymous said...

Considering 'New Yorkers for Parks' are made up by developers, you will hear nothing from them.

A sham.

Anonymous said...

Jewish domination of NYC politics and land usage.

Anonymous said...

Yawn.

More Anti-Semitism from some nasty little twerp sitting in the basement of his mother's house.

You've got to try harder next time.

Anonymous said...

Actually holding real estate ranking very high in that faith.

(yawn)

But I think the private use of public land by Blumturd is yet another attitude problem he has with the typical New Yorker.

Sad no one in the 'Media Capital of the World' has the balls to ask him.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually holding real estate ranking very high in that faith.

(yawn)

But I think the private use of public land by Blumturd is yet another attitude problem he has with the typical New Yorker.

Sad no one in the 'Media Capital of the World' has the balls to ask him.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

================================

And other professions as well. The point is that religion has nothing to do with this. It's just another excuse for someone here to again vent their hatred.

Yawn again.

Anonymous said...

they're not NYPD and have no authority to prevent anyone from going anywhere.

if you disobeyed their "orders" they have no law on their side. sure, they may sic a cop on you but i doubt it since that would be horrible PR for a mayor in an election year.

Don't be shy. Go where you're entitled