Monday, February 19, 2007

Manhattan vs. Queens

Here's one of the key differences between Manhattan and Queens:

In Manhattan, more than 100 people show up to protest a billboard. In Queens, you can't even get 10 people together to protest the city's failed response to a massive blackout.

Long fight to hold on to history of Village

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, that is part of the issue.

Remember that in Queens, most people are not managers but worker bees. It is not their position to 'think' or 'create' but 'do' at work.

Independent thought is something that is learned, not born.

Anonymous said...

I do not know if the previous postings blaming immigrants or working class people are correct.

In Brooklyn immigrant communities can be very vocal. And working class people can be very militant if you study the history of union organizing.

I think the problem here is that people need to know what is possible. They need to have access to information to be aware that they call the shots; their voice is the most important part of the process.

In Queens, the machine monopolizes everything, every scrap of information, every bit of news. It’s sad that the folks in places like Manhattan never bother to interfere. After all, as someone posted before, if Queens remains barefoot pregnant and in the kitchen it means more for everyone else.

It’s a shame how they are let down by the very people who can help them.

Anonymous said...

Well part of the problem is the city-wide groups appoint putzes to represent Queens.

Look how they treated the folks trying to save St Saviours - vigorous, grass-roots and invisible.

Now some whiny letter writer, well that's the ticket!

And also insures the Queens portion of the pie stays in Manhattan.

Anonymous said...

I once asked a board member of a certain leading preservation organization why there were not more people from Queens on their board.

They answered that they couldn't find any.

I recited a list known to all: Richmond Hill, Rockaways, College Point, Old Astoria.

They skewed their face in anger and walked away.

Anonymous said...

People in Queens often come from traditional cultures where people in authority are deferred to. That is one of the reasons that the politicians are encouraging the borough to be immigrant.

Of course, pressure does eventually build up but instead of getting elections (temblors) you get revolutions (earthquakes - Queens Crap and the like)

Anonymous said...

I agree with the original post to a point. Many of us worker bees are just too tired after working all day to want to partake in extracurricular activities. There are exceptions to the norm however. One of the best recent examples that I can think of is when Gallagher was named man of the year by the Juniper Park Civic association. The meeting was a mob scene, filled with local homeowners protesting his then current proposals. Gallagher's arrogant response to his critics? He had workers stand outside the auditorium handing out propoganda on what a great leader he is.
So, in a nutshell, there are many here in Queens that do participate but it is very difficult to stand up against the status-quo.

Anonymous said...

Because people in Queens prefer a flurry of furious and frenzied "letter-writing", which they believe is effective. Same old tactics....same old solutions! THE SAME OLD FAILURE!!!!!!

All of these feebly polite measures continue to fall upon deaf ears as they have for decades! Wake up folks. Nobody's interested inreading your well phrased literary salvos. You can produce them by the pound and they'll be properly filed in the waste basket!

Not to get too Zen about it but......this is the sound of the tree which falls in the forest.....that nobody hears!

Anonymous said...

Once again.....actor Eli Wallach (in "The Magnificent Seven" movie) says, "If God did not mean for them to be shorn, He would not have made them sheep"!

This line might well apply to the "fighting spirit" of a lot of Queensites !

Anonymous said...

I think that the "worker bee" reference is not intended to mean "immigrants" but rather meaning the drone attidude of following and not leading by a lot of Queens residents.

Following the instructions of not making too many waves that's often postulated by some of those emasculated preservation societies is an example of this lack of courage.

Busying yourself with "beautificationn" activities or groups doesn't save your neighborhood.

It just puts pretty lace curtains on the windows or maybe makes sure that approprite awnings make the retail yuppie stores look nice.