I don't know if any blog readers have been to West 57th Street in the last couple of years, but if you have, you surely could not miss what has to be the poster child for An Ugly High-Rise That Devastates the Neighborhood and the City. It's "One57"--a steel and glass monster that not only mars 57th Street, but one that casts a shadow over southern parts of Central Park and can probably be seen in most field areas of the park.
We find out that this monster, whose apartments have been bought up by billionaire hedge-fund operators and rich foreigners (many of whom will reside in these apartments for just a few months out of the year), is getting a 10-year tax exemption for developer Gary Barnett of Extell Development:
How have our politicians let this through? According to the NY Times article, money is at the core:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/nyregion/luxe-builders-chase-dreams-of-property-tax-exemptions.html?_r=1&
Mr. Barnett and four princeling developers joined the Real Estate Board
of New York last year, spreading a thick green carpet of cash for
politicians, at least $1.5 million. (To peruse their donation lists is
to glory in nonpartisan giving: the governor, the attorney general, the
state party organizations that have proved so corrupt of late, and any
politician, Republican or Democrat, who possessed the simple wit to
create a “Friends of ... ” committee — all are awash in the developers’
cash.) This is known as fertilizing a field. Spread manure and, voilà!
Our politicians are willfully destroying this city and handing it over to the super rich.
And wouldn't you know it that our councilman, Dan Garodnick, is a beneficiary of Barnett cash:
| Barnett, Ayala | homemaker | Garodnick, Daniel R
(NP)
City Council (2013) | $500.00 | Monetary Contributions
St#: 4 ID: R0004579 |
||
| Barnett, Ayala |
| Garodnick, Daniel R
(NP)
City Council (2013) | $2,250.00 | Monetary Contributions
St#: 6 ID: R0006356 |
||
| Barnett, Ayala | homemaker | Garodnick, Daniel R
(NP)
City Council (2013) | $2,750.00 | Monetary Contributions
St#: 8 ID: R0007108 |
||
| Barnett, Gary |
Extell Development Company
Developer | Garodnick, Daniel R
(NP)
City Council (2013) | $400.00 | Monetary Contributions
St#: 6 ID: R0006358 |
So generous were the Barnetts, that there was an adjustment made because their enthusiasm for Dan was overflowing:
| Barnett, Gary |
| Garodnick, Daniel R
(NP)
City Council (2013) | ($150.00) | Receipt Adjustments
St#: 7 ID: R0006645 |
Anyone who votes for Garodnick votes for Big Law and Hedge Funds and all the sleaze and slime that goes with them. He came from Big Law and Wall Street slime and those are the people who finance and nurture his "career" as a mediocre politician. We need to get rid of him. His only interest in STPCV is what money he can make out of it for him and his nurturers.
ReplyDeleteI would think he has more pure motives regarding PCVST, but no politician that we support should be taking money from big real estate companies that want to swallow up NYC.
ReplyDeleteYou're going soft, STR! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSTR, thanks for telling it like it is RE: Garodnick.
ReplyDeleteThis town really stinks but, unfortunately, that is nothing new.
So much hate for Dan Garodnick. While I do hate that he has allowed CWCrap get away width commercializing the Oval, he has done a lot for this community over the years, including getting the NY State Attorney General to slap down CWCrap over their recent, historic, predatory, inhumane mid-term lease increases.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Dan should be accepting contributions from big real estate? We're in trouble because of these guys, and Dan has his wallet wide open for them. Besides, he votes wrong, along with the City Council, to let these people trample on zoning requirements, etc. Dan is bad for New York, irregardless of the few positive things has done for this community. And working for this community is part of his job.
ReplyDeleteDan has been fairly ineffectual when it comes to stopping the eradication of the middle class in Manhattan and in PCVST, he folded on the commercialization of this community, and has never vigorously stood up to Bloomberg, if he has stood up to him at all.
Yeah, a pretty boy, smooth talker, and probably a nice guy, but not what New York needs to save this city before it becomes completely for the rich.
And what about the hypocrisy of Dan voting against extending term limits then, when his time comes up, he runs for a third term!!! Plain and simple bullshit.
ReplyDeleteReal estate money is ubiquitous in NY politics. The only candidate in the entire field of current candidates for NYC mayor to refuse RE money is Sal Albanese (and I don't think he has a realistic shot).
ReplyDeleteThen again, Bloomberg took no money from ANYONE and he's been the biggest friend to RE in my lifetime.
What to do about money in politics? I'm usually critical of this blogger for what I perceive as a slightly unreasonable hatred of DG, but I think that shaming pols for this kind of stuff is a really good idea.
But if that isn't followed by either (a) publicly financed campaigns ONLY, or (b) efforts to get ordinary individuals to dig deep to make up the difference in support of their preferred candidates, it's all bullshit -- a NYC candidate can't get elected without a war chest. But that ain't gonna happen most NYers can't even name any of the current candidates running for mayor besides Quinn and Weiner (according to Brian Leherer's show this morning). So while it's easy to point fingers at pols and yell and scream or bitch and moan, I say we absolutely get the gov't that we deserve. And I'd add to that that after seeing Pataki and Bloomberg get re-elected twice, the NYC body politic apparently enjoys a good screwing by elected reps.
STR gets a standing ovation for that. I'm off the Garodnick train too. I admit I voted for him twice but I will not a third time even if he has no opponent. I just won't vote for City Council this year although I am pretty sure he will run unopposed and is a shoo in. In NY once elected as a Democrat you are basically in for life unless you murder someone. I'm voting for Weiner because he is a good symbol of the cesspool poitics in NY has become.
ReplyDeleteI can go either way on the building but extending tax breaks for billionaires is just disgusting.
ReplyDeleteBloomberg took no money from anyone because he was in a position to do the absolute reverse: he PAID everyone to do his bidding! One way or another, he bought everybody he needed, especially to get his illegal third term.
ReplyDelete11:57AM So, if I understand you correctly, is it because of self-loathing or a poorly developed sense of irony that your vote goes to the only candidate who voted against RS tenants (his votes for vacancy decontrol & income decontrol). Whew! Boy... you'll sure show'em! But WHO are you showing ANYTHING to? Really.
ReplyDeleteWhile Weiner (pre-Bonergate) always talked the good fight in Congress (single payer healthcare, etc.), he never actually ACCOMPLISHED much. His record bears this out. So, coming right after the single most destructive mayoralty for tenants since the mid 1970s, you're now going to throw your support to someone who'll finish us off? You may talk like a punk, but to actually vote like one would be to sell out your own home. Are you seriously willing to do that? If so, do me a favor, please do not vote. I'd like to hang onto my place for a while longer and so would most of the folks I know. Since you don't seem to care one way or another, please, spare us your irony/comedy vote. The rest of us appreciate it.
"I'm voting for Weiner because he is a good symbol of the cesspool poitics in NY has become."
ReplyDeleteyou must be in love with that cesspool if you are going to vote for Weiner. He has the poorest record of actually getting anything done and a horrible record regarding rent stabilization and tenants' rights. He is a huge loud mouth set in an extraordinarily ugly face who has a penchant for waving his dick around and masturbating covertly in public. That is something he, himself, admitted. I think it would be better if you didn't vote because I don't think someone as stupid as you deserves the right to vote.
STR said >>>"Yeah, a pretty boy, smooth talker, and probably a nice guy..."<<<
ReplyDeleteGarodnick is none of the above.
Over four years ago, I asked him a question. And instead of giving me a factual answer, or saying "I don't know". He just made up an answer, that he thought I wanted to hear. This is what he does. He is a feckless leader. Unfortionatly it has taken many years for most people to find this out.
5:09pm: in other words Garodnick simply follow the lawyers rule of "When you can't blind them with brilliance baffle them with bullshit."
ReplyDeletePUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
ReplyDeletehttp://gothamist.com/2013/06/28/psa_please_wrap_your_old_mattress_l.php
off topic- Donna's Deli closing this sunday after over 30 years. Wonder if she was forced out? Will miss this neighborhood icon
ReplyDelete"off topic- Donna's Deli closing this sunday after over 30 years. Wonder if she was forced out? Will miss this neighborhood icon"
ReplyDeleteWhile I never thought it was the cleanest place, I did buy cold cuts there from time to time. Well, here comes a 7-11. We already have the Starbucks and Subway.
I live on 14th, though I don't face 14th. At 6:45 this morning I heard the screech of brakes and a horrible thud. Anyone know what happened? Didn't hear any sirens, so I'm hoping it was nothing serious.
ReplyDeletehere we go...
ReplyDeleteof course donnas will be another chain / isn/ bank / duane reade closet ...
uglier and uglier.
At the TA's mayoral forum, Weiner was asked if he stood by his vote in the City Council for vacancy destabilization (that is, that an apartment can be taken out of RS when it's vacated). (I think he voted for luxury destabilization too.) He gave a long answer about how there are too many people who are paying lower rents than they can afford, so those apartments should no longer be stabilized (that seemed to be the gist of what he was saying). The auditorium got quiet when he said that because we all know that once an apartment is lost to RS it never comes back. Finally, he said he stood by his vote, but there should have been some sort of indexing for the increases. If I had ever had the slightest, most infinitesimal intention of voting for someone who can't control his most infantile impulses, that answer alone would have killed it. So keep it in your gay orange pants, Anthony. (For anyone who thinks I'm being homophobic, that's a reference to Weiner's explanation for why he was wearing orange pants Thursday night. He said he'd been celebrating with the gay community about the repeal of DOMA. That's so cool, Anthony. And we all know that if you're gay, you wear flamboyant colors, right? You were just showing your solidarity.)
ReplyDeleteHopefully, when we are rid of that senile twerp, Bloomberg, and have a NYer mayor (NOT Quinn or Flasher) we will start to see a little normalcy be restored to New York - at least so it can be recognized as New York.
ReplyDeleteIf they indexed RS rent to income, and even used the 30% of income guideline, rents would plummet. Landlords are abusing renters, big time.
ReplyDeleteExcept Bloomberg is a real new yorker. More than MOST of us here.
ReplyDelete?
I won't vote for Garodnick for one reason...although there are plenty when it comes to real estate. He worked the TA-Brookfield deal and brought in his cronies to profit from it and he did it with such open boldness & arrogance, he can't be trusted. I won't vote for Quinn or Weiner either. So for mayor, I'll look at everyone else.
ReplyDeleteBloomberg is a Boston guy. He is not a New Yorker.
ReplyDeleteBlomberg is from Massachusetts, born and raised. He came to NYC after college and then became wealthy.
ReplyDelete"Except Bloomberg is a real new yorker. More than MOST of us here."
ReplyDeleteBloomberg is a Bostonian. Born and raised in the city once famous for its bans! Guess he brought that bit of Bostonian style with him!
Weiner has to be the worst kind of opportunistic parasite freak the world has ever known. If New Yorkers vote in this guy for Mayor, then the City should sink into the ocean. This is a guy who flashed and sent his photos to women (and girls) all over the place and who admitted that he masturbated all the time he was sitting in the council or congressional chamber - can't remember which, but probably both. He is a sicko, a pervert and the only thing that keeps him in the spotlight is his psychopathic ego and the stupid wife who is probably emulating Hillary Clinton with the "stand by your sex addict man" philosophy. At least Clinton didn't tweet his wang all over the place, though if the technology had been there, he probably would have.
ReplyDeletewhat happened to the methadone clinic on 2nd avenue?
ReplyDeleteseems like it's gone now.
? anyone?
Happy 4th fellow residents. I know you're all out at your Hamptons manses but don't worry, renovations are going gangbusters in my building this 4th! At 9 AM the crew showed up and they're in there banging/crashing/slamming/yelling going full at it. I'm so happy I have my cozy summer mansion to seek refuge in. Let the little people sweat it out with the noise and the laborers who need the work.
ReplyDeleteHappy Independence Day, STR!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what the story is with Ramon (the Mayor of 14th Street, as someone once dubbed him)? He is looking so thin - emaciated even - lately. Is his family really starving him to death, as he claims? I feel sorry for him, but I am tired of giving him money and finding him jumping out at me all the time.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you, STR? We are worried that you might have been kidnapped by the Enemy and are being held in a dark, airless, sweaty-hot, rat and roach infested dungeon, being forced to listen to atrocious music at full decibel and being taunted by Bro brays and bellows and woo-hoo girls in stilettos on a wooden floor over your head and having to inhale the foul odors of pot and pottie. I strongly suspect that that is what has happened to you and so we are sending out a search party to scour the PCV basements and temporary laundry rooms and hope to find you before you succumb to your torture or go permanently insane. Fear Not! Help is On The Way! We will overturn every filthy washing machine and risk electrocution to find out where the EVIL CW is holding you. Semper Fi.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry. I am here. Overwhelmed with the charms of Stuy Town and the bikini beauties out there.
ReplyDelete"Not to worry. I am here. Overwhelmed with the charms of Stuy Town and the bikini beauties out there."
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a great relief, STR. I was so afraid you were in that dungeon with the skeletal remains of Lux Living!
I miss lux. I hope all is ok. Hugs from me,,, us...
ReplyDeletewherever you are. We DON'T forget.