Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Ratner & state bullying family

From Atlantic Yards Report:

Things are getting truly strange for Daniel Goldstein, spokesman for Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, who with his wife and child is the only resident left on Pacific Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

Goldstein lost his condo to condemnation last week and his street and two others were closed and made private.

Now that his street is closed to traffic--permanently at Fifth Avenue, and via guarded barriers at Sixth Avenue, anyone visiting Goldstein must provide advance notice, which means friends have been stopped by guards and kept him on the phone today with representatives of both Forest City Ratner and the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), which owns his property.

Goldstein on March 4 received a letter from Charles Webb, ESDC Condemnation Counsel, informing him that "ESDC requires you to relocate by April 3, 2010 (thirty days after the date of this letter) so that development plans for the Atlantic Yards Arena and Redevelopment Project... may proceed."

Goldstein's attorney Michael Rikon responded forcefully, on behalf of Goldstein and other footprint property owners, calling Webb's letter "an attempt to intimidate our clients":

First, you have absolutely no right to inform anyone that they must vacate by April 3, 2010. You must understand that condemnees have the protection of New York's Eminent Domain Procedure Law. You cannot even suggest a vacate date until you comply with the requirements of the law.

Those requirements include a notice of acquisition and a good faith advance payment. Then the date to vacate would be set by the condemnation court.

He added that "no roadway or access to a street or highway may be interfered with."


What the hell country do we live in? I seriously am starting to wonder.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What kind of country to we live in?

Well, Crappy, its a place where the lessons of Moses and Penn Station are alive and well. Where a city is ready to embrace the needy of the world, where racial, or espeicially, SEXUAL discrimination causes the press and pols to go off the charts!

A place where HDC had a successful conference last week discussing the very things that you point out here.

A place where a professor at Hunter goes apeshit because Sunnyside Gardens gets landmarked - and those very people that were instrutmental in landmarking the Gardens now tout for development.... in other peoples communities.

A place where urban think tanks (to say nothing about their alumni who live in landmarked districts) turn a blind eye as Columbia and NYU ocotopus-like grab and absorb surrounding communities.

A place a program sponsored by MAS tell churches in Queens to build out of scale, yet turns out yet another tedious tract on Brooklyn Heights.

A place where Pratt, where alumni from MAS and city planning meeet. churns out one prodevlopment study after another.

A place where the borugh Preservation Councils meets at local borough halls, calmly accepts inept borough historians appointed by the hack borough presidents, and says nothing of substance as the fabric of our city is removed piece by piece.

A place where the media looks the other way, and the social conscience of the urban elite is self absorbed in lifestyles and are oblivous the the ethical and social rot around them.

Anonymous said...

It's not a question of what kind of country we live in. It's really a question of New York State and city. The use of Eminent domain is out of control.

Nothing is safe in NYC. Say the magic word: "blight" and there goes your home or business. Parks are taken away to make room for stadiums. And people are forced to relocate to make room for a developer's out of scale project.

And all of it has the blessing of corrupt entities like ESDC. Including Mayor Moneybags and asshole Brooklyn boro president, Marty Moose.

Nobody cares about the community anymore. It's about what s good for the interests of our elected officials and developers.

faster340 said...

As Bob Marley once said...


"Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!"

Babs said...

Anonymous said: . . . "says nothing of substance as the fabric of our city is removed piece by piece."

I like what you said here.

I was in that area over the weekend on business myself - I was blown away by the beauty of the Atlantic Yards area - the hipness - the perfect marriage of the old and the new.

Sad.

georgetheatheist said...

The price of Liberty is eternal Vigilance. [Often misattributed to Jefferson, but you can quote me.]

That's e-t-e-r-n-a-l vigilance. Don't fall asleep.

Anonymous said...

What kind of country do we live in?

Just ask Reich's Chancellor Bloomberg!

We understand that he's having Gucci design him a custom pair of hob nailed jack boots that he plans to wear when he heads towards Willets Point and Flushing's Muni Lot #1.

"These boots are made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do...
someday these boots are gonna walk all over you"!

Seig heil, Seig heil, seig heil!

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (who knows how how many more) terms.

Hell, you dumb voters kept him in now enjoy the bitter fruit of you asshole decision!

CJ said...

Crappy asked:

What the hell country do we live in?

Answer:
Land of the rich, home of the knave.

Anonymous said...

MR. GOLDSTEIN: DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!!!

Cherokeesista said...

Is the new name of NYC, BLOOMDERG VILLE:( GOD HELP US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Will someone do a made for tv story about this.

Oh, I forgot, do the main people have to be gay and of color to be important?

Anonymous said...

Damn right - if its the apple in the machine's eye you dont dare look crosseyed.

A voter? a taxpayer? a citizen? a middle class white person?

who gives a flying f*k?

Gary the Agnostic said...

georgetheatheist said...
The price of Liberty is eternal Vigilance. [Often misattributed to Jefferson, but you can quote me.]

--------------------------------



Or John Philpot Curran.

georgetheatheist said...

Curran the noted Irish politician of the late 18th-early 19th century actually wrote:

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance..."

Play it again, Sam.

Anonymous said...

Bloomberg gave our money to his rich developers friend for the Yankees Stadium, Atlantic Yards, Coney Island etc and NOw this bitch wants us to Bail out his friend Silverstein for the WTC. He stated it wasn't bailing out Silverstein but bailing out AMerica but America isn't profiting but Silverstein.

Bloomberg Bone Cancer 2010. Join the Movement.

Anonymous said...

Marty Markowitz Heart Disease 2010. Join the Movement.

Lino said...

"What the hell country do we live in? I seriously am starting to wonder"

This is the bitter fruit of thirty years of mean spirited conservatism.

All those who voted for people such as Reagan-Potaki-Giuliani etc, on the grounds they'll hurt those "others" that they don't like and I'll be alright...well think again.

Groups such as C-Pac have had a systematic approach to longterm seeding the courts with judges that are "business friendly"--meaning that they will rule for the big money and property and against any "malcontents".

Please understand that if you are not -very- wealthy, in big business and are just a working person, voting for conservatives is a vote against yourself and your family.

georgetheatheist said...

Lino, you're right. Some Conservatives can be scum. That's why we must promote an Objectivist philosophy.

www.aynrand.org

John from Conn said...

I would take a simple dose of Milton Friedman at this point...

Lino is the typical Liberal Hypo-crite...Living a double life...

Why doesn't he turn that "long time" family restaurant...that has "raped the common man" all these years into a Soup Kitchen and really "Serve" his fellow man...??

Gary the Agnostic said...

georgetheatheist said...
Curran the noted Irish politician of the late 18th-early 19th century actually wrote:

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance..."

Play it again, Sam.
----------------------------------

Which Humphrey Bogart never said.

georgetheatheist said...

Genius.

Gary the Agnostic said...

Why thank you, George. It's so nice to be appreciated.

Lino, Liberal. said...

"Lino is the typical Liberal Hypo-crite...Living a double life..."

"John from Conn" Crawls out from under his rock spouting the typical, stupid chop-logic that non-thinkers always use.

No, "john" a Liberal can be a businessman..and successful at that.

In fact there are a lot of us out there, we are well educated and situated to know exactly what you and your type are..and how to deal with them.

Time is against you pal. We'll be rid of you and your offspring will bury the memory.

georgetheatheist said...

"...to know exactly what you and your type are..and how to deal with them"

And what exactly ARE that type? And HOW do you propose dealing with them? Hmmmmm?

John from Conn said...


Lino,
How do you and your family sleep at night???
Living parasitically on obscene profits off the backs of the working man all these years...

When "My Group" comes to picket in front of your restaurant...this will be our list of demands...
1) All prices on the menu must be reduced to "fair" communal prices.
2) You must never "Double Dip" on a customers Credit Card.
3) You must immediately stop avoiding your patriotic duty of paying taxes by hiding cash at night and by compensating the Kitchen staff "under the table".
4) You must immediately stop extorting immigrants and start checking for green cards and always verify their citizenship status. You must make sure all your employees comply with current US Immigration law.
5) We want a government regulator on site at all times to verify YOUR MENU:
- We need to make sure when you sell by the ounce, the customer is getting "all" they pay for.
- We need to make sure that cheap Pork is not being sold as expensive Veal.
- We need to make sure CrayFish is NOT being sold as Lobster.
- We need to make sure MonkFish is not being sold as "Lazy Man's Lobster".
- We need to make sure that when you state Angus beef..It is really Angus Beef.
- We need to make sure that Halibut sprinkled with Paprika is Not being sold as Red Snapper...
- We need to make sure that the crab cake meat is not imitation...

If you follow these simple demands we will leave you alone to freely conduct your business!

cherokeesista said...

John from Conn said...

Lino,
How do you and your family sleep at night???
Living parasitically on obscene profits off the backs of the working man all these years...

SPEAK THE TRUTH BROTHER:) ROFLMAO!!!!