From the Brooklyn Paper:He’s been Brooklyn’s park czar for almost 30 years, but outgoing Commissioner Julius Spiegel says he can’t identify trees, doesn’t know plants and has never really been all that interested in parks.
“I’m not a nature guy,” said Spiegel, who announced his retirement from the Parks Department this week and will be stepping down in September. “I think of myself as a manager. I have a good eye for talent.”
Spiegel was appointed Brooklyn Borough Commissioner — the first and only person to occupy the post — 29 years ago when he was 34-years-old.
But he won’t be spending his golden years relaxing in the parks he oversaw.
“I don’t know how much I’m going to use them,” Spiegel said. “I never did — I’d see too many things that pissed me off.”
Spiegel might have come to the Parks Department as a numbers cruncher, but today he says he absolutely “can’t stand doing that kind of stuff.”
“Now I spend most of my time lobbying politicians for money,” he says. “I go and beg for money. That’s my job.”
As he leaves his public life behind, the Bay Ridgite, who moved here from Montreal over four decades ago, still refuses to give his opinion on such important park initiatives like Borough President Markowitz’s plan to transform Asser Levy Seaside Park into a world-class outdoor concert hall — even though he hints he doens’t like the plan.
“I still have to have lunch in this town,” Spiegel said.
10 comments:
Quacker Oats
Maspeth Mom says....
He's not even smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
He is retired for heavens sake. Who cares who he has lunch with.
No one has balls anymore.
Frightened little people here and there having lunch, meeting about stuff, and no one as the courage to put their heads up.
Exhibit A as to why things need to change.
People like this run our community boards, runs our city, runs our state, runs our civics, runs our media, ....
this man is a creature of his time.
God, help us all!
Gives new meaning to "dumb as a stump", no?
Looks like its dress-up day on July 4th in the NYC Council with a lobbyist (right) making sure that government is still ticking just enough to pay his employer.
What a soulless moron. My mom has worked for Parks for 23 years and she can tell you that it's filled with these types of douchebags.
This is unrelated, but I am wondering what your opinion is of the new Arizona immigration law, Crapper.
Julie is actually a good guy who brought a lot of parks to poor neighborhoods. Look at Brooklyn parks and compare them to parks in the other boroughs and you can see the good he has done. His comment about begging politicians for money is completely true and good for him for not liking to do it. Where do you think the money comes from to keep the parks there - when the last 3 mayors have made it clear that parks are not a priority.
Hate on someone who deserves it - like his weasel of a boss or the dimwits who don't know what they're doing in Queens.
With thee types of pushovers running our parks, no wonder Marty has such an easy time getting his potato chip project approved.
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