Dear Neighborhood Partner,On Monday, New York’s preservation community was attacked in the New York Post as “those people would see the city die a slow death”. This is provocative (although the Post has called us worse) but when the writer is United State Senator Charles Schumer, it demands action.
Senator Schumer is writing about the plan to upzone East Midtown, which is currently under consideration by the City Council and due to be voted on by next week. The plan is opposed by eight community boards, elected officials, labor unions and even the property owners of Grand Central Terminal but that hasn’t stopped our adversaries in the Real Estate Board of New York from beating the drums and calling in favors to get this massive upzoning passed. Along the way, REBNY wants nothing less than each and every preservation activity fully and firmly squashed. This is more than landmarking, this is overall assault on public participation in development in our neighborhoods. These are the people who spent millions of dollars interfering with local elections and send lobbyists out to community meetings to sabotage preservation efforts. The fruits of their efforts can be seen in Sen. Schumer’s indictment of us as “those people”.
Senator Schumer’s insult affects more than just people who care about Midtown. New York is about to see a massive change in city government for the first time in a dozen years and to have our efforts derided by one of the state’s senior politicians as shortsighted and reflexively negative is unconscionable. Preservationists have been fighting for the soul of New York through the most development-friendly administration in history and to be dismissed and insulted by our Senator in front of a new government requires an answer.
Please circulate this petition far and wide to your friends, neighbors and members. Schumer is not just insulting preservation efforts in Midtown Manhattan, he’s attacking everyone who is working to protect their neighborhood.
Sign the petition: http://goo.gl/bGiPKj
To contact Senator Schumer directly: http://www.schumer.senate.gov/Public/contact.htm
Thank you,
Simeon Bankoff
Executive Director
Historic Districts Council
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
20 comments:
Don't trust Schumer as far as you can throw a wrecking ball. He has developers in his pockets and will stop at nothing to sell our city down the river.
hmmmmm didn't REBNY just invest $350K in our new councilman?
People need to be more involved. Even if it's just sending your dues and becoming a member of your local civic or neighborhood association.
Absolutely join a civic group, the one organization where with a united voice and allies you are able to address the forthcoming destruction of communities that comes with development. Look at Long Island City where communities were far too late to fight the duly needed zoning changes that would have halted the destruction of the traditional single family housing units that existed.
What is critical to note here is that Schumer simply spilled the beans about what is expected under the new pro-development Mayor diBlasio. Who is it that keeps voting Chuck the Schmuck back into office anyway.
The most dangerous place in the world is between Chuck Schumer and a microphone or TV camera. Get out of his way - he loves himself.
Ignorant Scumbag...
Don't blame LIC - petitions aplenty were sent to the commission to save buildings - they did not have a chance because the elected officials were against it - and the preservation community did jack shit to help as they did not want their little understandings with the game compromised.
Bluntly speaking - our reps could have their day with us assured that no one would help us - in exchange our reps would vote for expanding landmarked areas in those communities that threw us under the bus instead of coming to our aid.
Lets get this clear.
With the complicity of the preservation community, our reps do nothing to dispel bullshit - even damn lies - that landmarks were bad for Queens - while accepting those same arguments for other communities mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Yes there is a tale of two cities, its the favored areas and the backward shit upon areas where its made clear there is no hope of ever changing things - at least under the current system.
At first everyone's smirks were reserved for the LIC and Astoria and Maspeth - places where people were looked down upon and generally treated like garbage.
The setup was a big standing joke in places like eastern Queens and Manhattan.
Well guess what?
Those in eastern Queens with Willets Point, Flushing Meadows, and the expanding cancer of downtown Flushing have found out, too late, that its now in their back yard.
Now we have whining from the highers up in Manhattan. They don't want the same crap that is standard fare for most of Queens for a generation.
Ya know what?
F*k 'em!
That's right. Their own deals are coming back to haunt them.
The landmarks law should be thrown out - I see no reason that my taxes should go into a program that I deserve, but never will enjoy.
I see no reason to support something that helps other's property values and elegant lifestyle, while my community is regarded as little more than a pile of rubble to be carted off.
In LIC political support and monies and media attention went to those civics that are widely assumed to favor development (Upzone Upzone Dutch Kills anyone?) while everywhere else was ignored and let wither on the vine (Dutch Kills Advocacy Group and Hunters Point Community Coalition)
Hypocrite.
They said if we elected Republicans, the preservation of neighborhoods would be doomed.
So, you got your Democrats, members of the preservation community, how did that work out for you?
You folks keep electing him! It's not the upstaters it's all you wonder ful progressives in NYC. Look at the slate you elected for mayor,
queensboro pres and councilpeople.
You folks keep electing him!
Where's the quality opposition? Schumer is not only an incumbent, which has its own benefits, he had been in charge of the Senate Dems Re-election Committee, which doled out funds and enabled him to amass a large number of people loyal to him. It's hard for anybody to run against that, let alone a Republican in NYS where that party is on life-support.
Jon Torodash how does this make him a hypocrite?
Jon Torodash how does this make him a hypocrite?
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He lives in a pre-war building by Prospect Park and boasts about his apartment - his most valuable asset - being worth 10x what he paid for it. Think it would be the case if that neighborhood, one of the most desirable in the city with its brownstones and other historic buildings, were mutilated by developers at whim?
It's not that there weren't some good points in his op-ed, but the thoughtless brush off of preservationists tout court was crass.
This guy should sit in history classes of NYC. Make him proud and knowledgeable of what made this city, what it is today and without that he wouldn't have his job. Without the past around us we have no history since it is not emphasized in schools or media it simply wont exist unless there are reminders present and visible. That is the only way people can see, inquire, question and learn from our past. Also it will give one a sense of pride of where they are from and give tourists a reason to visit and therefore history will live on. Living on and creating knowledge, art, culture and inspiration for generations to come. But their small minded brains and money hungry pockets will never understand the importance.
This former cockroach exterminator thinks he's royalty.
Are you serious about your advice that people need to be involved?
I'm serious about that too. They should be!
Unfortunately, it takes money to be effectively involved these days!
i.e.
In Queens, the "historic preservation" organizations (the ones that should be actively involved), are herded like sheep by the politicians whom they fear.
Speak up against ill planned over development and the Queens Historical Society loses its Queens borough hall funding.
Many of Queens' other historical societies continue mounting their pretty exhibits and selling books and pamphlets--taking care to offend nobody who has the power to bankrupt them out of existence.
They've been muzzled and emasculated!
Speak out folks! LOL!
Money wins! Loud mouths lose!
It'll be rezoned whether they like it or not. $$$ talks. Bullshit walks.
Put Schumer in jail where he belongs.
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