Thursday, January 15, 2015

The Mission of the REBNY

This is an important read:

http://www.globest.com/news/12_1026/newyork/development/On-REBNYs-2015-Agenda-Ongoing-Advocacy-354353.html

Just the beginning should alert you:

>>It’s the stated mission of the Real Estate Board of New York “to protect, improve and advance the business of real estate” in the city, and tackling a variety of municipal, state and federal issues has been among the ways it has carried that mission out.<<

Note. The mission of the REBNY is to "protect, improve and advance the business of real estate..." (Emphasis mine.)

And, if you don't know by now, our former disgraced landlord (who introduced dog shit into the complex) is chairman of the REBNY. Here's Robbie Speyer and one his politico friends:


Oh, and the REBNY and Robbie Speyer are pissed off at the landmarking that's around the city, which handicap the BUSINESS of real estate in Manhattan.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every time I see a photo of Rob Speyer I want to vomit. Does this guy ever buy jackets that fit? Does he ever wipe the drool of his ugly chin? Schumer is another ugly schmuck who is one of biggest phonies in NY politics.

Anonymous said...

Well, yeah. The REBNY wants: a Midtown East rezoning plan, to extend the soon-to-expire NY Brownfield Cleanup Program, and to further diminish an already diminished NYC landmarks commission.

Here's what I think. Tenants should be working to divide the REBNY, to divide developers and landlords. The two groups don't always have the same goals. There's plenty of room for tenant-friendly pols to work with developers on things like the first two items mentioned above in exchange for renewing rent regs in June at the expensive of the RSA, the landlord lobby wing. Even further, rent regs need to be renewed in a strengthened form, because if loopholes aren't closed and vacancy deregulation repealed, in five or 10 years there'll be nothing left.

Anonymous said...

Schumer is a neocon and is too friendly with Wall Street but he also did us a huge solid when he told Fannie M-Freddie M to back off any sale that over-leverages STPCV.

Anonymous said...

2 pricks

Anonymous said...

W.C. Fields was right...there's a sucker born every minute...

Anonymous said...

Schumer & Maloney's statement about Freddie Mac and Fae Mae will turn out to mean absolutely nothing. In addition Schumer has shown himself to be self-seeking political traitor who can no longer be trusted.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget that Chickie Cheese's brother is a partner at Garodnick's law firm.

Anonymous said...

Schumer & Maloney's statement about Freddie Mac and Fae Mae will turn out to mean absolutely nothing.

really? please explain.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry if you didn't get one of the 2000 available tickets. Of the 16,000 rebny members, many just roam the halls, drop in to the smaller cocktails parties in the hotel or meet up with the ticket holders and hang out in the Hotel Bar as all will do at 9:30 to exchange cards and get a selfie with a politician.

Where to be and when at the Real Estate Board of New York’s 119th gala Thursday night. In addition to the banquet with its honorees, there are a slew of cocktail parties—all at the New York Hilton hotel in Midtown—where you will have more opportunities to get a selfie with a politician.

http://commercialobserver.com/2015/01/rebny-ticktock-an-itinerary-to-follow-thursday-night-at-the-hilton/

So don't worry if you didn't get your ticket in time.

Post-Program Party

9:30 p.m. to TBD Hang out at hotel lobby bar with a politician.

Anonymous said...

I'll give you 3 reasons why the Schumer/Maloney statement about Freddie/Fannie will mean nothing.

1. Who needs Freddie & Fannie for a deal in first place? If big investment groups see that there is big money to be made here (and there is), there will be no problem raising the dough from private resources.

2. Schumer/Maloney said Freddie & Fannie won't participate unless the city is happy and we are happy.
Great...who will answer on behalf on the city? Alicia Glen? Rubber stamp number 1.
Now who will answer on behalf on the tenants here? A referendum? In your dreams. Garodnick? The TA? Rubber stamp 2.

3. Who's to say Freddie & Fannie would go back on their words and if they do, what would we do about it? Call a cop?

Going back on this statement is especially no problem if new CEOs are put in place over time. They can just say...hey, we never agreed to this. Case closed.

Anonymous said...

January 15, 2015 at 10:15 PM

Your point 1. is true except that raising close to $5 billion won't be "no problem.

2. I don't know how that will work exactly. Why not ask the TA?

3. Schumer and fannie/freddie and the di Blasio admin are all on the public record.

Anonymous said...

At the Fundraiser....straight to the dais....

"Making a late arrival, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) headed straight to the dais upon arriving from a retreat in Virginia."


- See more at: http://therealdeal.com/blog/2015/01/16/spinola-gets-a-princely-send-off-at-rebny-gala-photos/#sthash.PA5HibVt.dpuf

Anonymous said...

10:15 Really good points. Exactly right.

To build on #2

At the gala last night was REBNY darling Alicia Glen who is included in the REBNY gala press and with a link to an RE article on her as a REBNY ally, that talks of RE getting more tax breaks among other things.

Yup a rubber stamp

We all know Dan / TA are rubber stamps.

And your witty point #3 is not only true but really funny and sad and LOL.

Ring Ring

"Hello police? NYC Tenant here, Fannie and Freddie didn't fulfill a promise so a politician could keep his word"



http://therealdeal.com/blog/2015/01/16/spinola-gets-a-princely-send-off-at-rebny-gala-photos/

Anonymous said...

They take our homes. They take our pay.

Which developers get favoritism and why politicians let Tishman get away with destroying working class PCVST community and homes.

.....oh, and when developers want to pay us less for our work the old Quinn City council will also excuse them from paying working class people.


"Related also seems to have gotten a break on the “living wage” bill being drafted by the city council. Late last month, Christine Quinn, the council speaker, floated a version of the bill that would exempt Related from paying that wage, or $10 an hour, at much of the Hudson Yards work site, according to the New York Times."
.....

"Take, for example, the 2007 purchase of the massive rent-regulated apartment complex Stuyvesant Town by a group led by Tishman Speyer.

The $5.4 billion deal was approved, even though many residents of the middle-class enclave staunchly opposed the takeover, fearing they might be displaced. And Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not step in to block the sale — a move viewed by some as tacit support of Tishman’s purchase. (The buyers ultimately relinquished Stuy Town in 2010 after failing to make loan payments.)

Also in 2007, by contrast, City Hall and a slew of elected officials blocked an attempt by David Bistricer’s Clipper Equity to purchase Brooklyn apartment complex Starrett City for $1.3 billion, amid concerns that it could rob tenants of vital affordable housing.

Why differing stances? Some observers speculated that it comes down to relationships. Indeed, Jerry Speyer, Tishman Speyer’s chairman, serves on the board of the Museum of Modern Art, with other city big shots. A former chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York, he also has a stake in the Yankees and sits on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

“People loved him, so nobody asked why he was paying a lot of money for Stuy Town,” said one person familiar with the behind-the-scenes maneuvering among elected officials."


Despicable People the Developers and the Politicians

Constituents never factor in on RE deals. Our homes and our pay are not important to the politicians. Politicians only care about us when they are campaigning and they dread having to shake hands and talk to the people at subway entrances and entrances to PCVST when campaigning. Guess what - we dread it too when we see you blocking our path on our way home from work so let's just cut it out all together.

http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/making-nice-with-mike-developers-with-closes-ties-to-city-hall-and-whos-out-of-favor/


Anonymous said...

Despicable People Developers and Politicians.

Agree. Thanks for the article.

Anonymous said...

The political supporters of the Business Mission of REBNY

In addition to REBNY members and their guests, many public officials attended the event including: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator Charles Schumer, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, among others.

http://www.rew-online.com/2015/01/16/spinola-honored-at-rebny-gala/

Anonymous said...

A reporters minute by minute of the REBNY Gala night plus this little piece,

Who sat at the REBNY Gala DAIS

7:38 p.m.: Some recognizable New York City names are being called to the dais, including President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation Kyle Kimball, City Council Member David Greenfield, President & CEO of Empire State Development Kenneth Adams, Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Vicki Been, Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler, President and CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies MaryAnne Gilmartin, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York Kathy Hochul and many, many others.

And this funny little game
8:06 p.m.: Reporters are playing a drinking game on the balcony: drink every time Mr. Spinola says “shhhhhhhhh.”

And the major legislation REBNY pushed through

8:20 p.m.: Mr. Spinola tells guests to thank U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer for terrorism insurance, one of the major pieces of legislation REBNY helped push through.

http://commercialobserver.com/2015/01/rebnys-119th-gala-through-the-five-senses/

Anonymous said...

Conversations from the gala after parties

One REBNY member is calling for the new REBNY President John Banks to audit the financial income of all tenants in Rent Stabilized apartments.

"I would like to see him establish an annual income/financial audit for all regulated apartment dwellers."

Adelaide Polsinelli, a senior director at Eastern Consolidated

http://commercialobserver.com/2015/01/banking-on-banks-industry-veterans-offer-pearls-of-wisdom-for-rebnys-incoming-president/


We agree! BUT instead of deragulating the apartment, evict the millionaire and allow a working class person to live in the rent stabilized apartment and the Mayor to sustain the number of affordable homes.

Working Middle class Tenants deserve rent stabilized homes. Many rent stabilized apartments are occupied by the wealthy.

Most notorious abuser gaming the rent stabilization system is last night's REBNY honoree the Rudin Management Company’s high rise at 215 East 68th Street.

Former Mayor David N. Dinkins lives there, as did predecessor, John V. Lindsay. Norman Goodman, N Y County clerk, and Burton B. Roberts, former administrative judge of State Supreme Court in Bronx, Betty Weinberg Ellerin, former presiding justice of the state’s Appellate Division, First Department, and Justice Jacqueline W. Silbermann, administrative judge of the civil branch of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Howard Safir, former police commissioner; Thomas Von Essen, a former fire commissioner; and John Roland, the former WNYW-TV/Channel 5 anchor, Richard Aurelio, deputy mayor under Mr. Lindsay, used to, Andrew P. Beame, lawyer and grandson of another former mayor, Abraham D. Beame; Hazel N. Dukes, former president of Off-Track Betting Corporation who pleaded guilty to embezzlement; and Melvyn Altman, lawyer who did time for racketeering. Tony Bennett lived there, songwriter Sammy Cahn — until, his widow says, they were forced out to make way for a preferred tenant.

..residents say there are still so many boldface names on the roster you could practically establish a city government right in the building.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/nyregion/21building.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&

AND

"Millionaires Are Hogging NYC's Affordable Housing"
"Rent-Stabilized Apartments Are Being Occupied by Millionaires, Records Show
By James Fanelli April 30, 2014


NEW YORK CITY — It’s affordable housing — for the 1%

"A polo-playing multimillionaire who allegedly broke up Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s marriage, former tobacco executive who once chaired an anti-tax organization and head of hedge fund have all lived in rent-stabilized apartments in some of Manhattan’s toniest zip codes in past few years, paying a fraction of their units’ true market value.

A DNAinfo New York analysis of state records found that they were among the tens of thousands of big earners, from surgeons to law firm partners to business executives, occupying rent-regulated units, the city’s largest form of affordable housing."

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140430/new-york-city/rent-stabilized-apartments-are-being-occupied-by-millionaires-records-show


Anonymous said...

hey, 6:39...you asked & I gave you a response. I guess your counter-response is supposed to be pro-Schumer or pro-TA. But the real answer is... let's just see how things play out. btw, you might recall that de blasio/alicia keys went on record...were supposed to get back to us in 2 months after talks with cw about how to keep this place affordable. well, we're going on 8 months now and still no word. No point in being naive about this. Most politicians going on record means next to nothing.

Anonymous said...

1. Who needs Freddie & Fannie for a deal in first place?

This question is a testament to how well Garodnick and the TA have kept tenants ignorant and misinformed about our circumstance and ability to influence events for more than three years.

Schumer delivering Fannie/Freddie to ST-PCV tenants enables a tenant led purchase that will deliver tenant led ownership and self governance.

Garodnick and the TA hype their "tenant led purchase" without mentioning they are diverting Fannie/Freddie, ST-PCV ownership and ST-PCV governance to Brookfield. The only way any tenant will ever own anything is after buying what trickles down from Brookfield.

Anonymous said...

This article pisses me off. Enough with the abusive misuse of trending terms to push agendas. Getting rid of landmarks in the name of "Affordable Housing" doesn't fly when there exist many other solutions which preserve landmarks.

Anonymous said...

"No point in being naive about this. Most politicians going on record means next to nothing."

AGREE!

Anonymous said...

Emphasis on "Business" is why it is disturbing and a violation of public trust when politicians go to the REBNY gala fundraiser or use their government offices for Business transactions. Helping REBNY make money off New Yorkers is not the role of government. Businesses make plenty money on their own. Government is supposed to help and serve people, not help pillage from people like has happened here these recent years. Even a neutral do-nothing government would be better then this REBNY bought NY government. I liked the quote someone shared last year reminding us we can and should expect our politicians to work for us. The politicians are employees of ours. Right now they are acting like employees of REBNY because we aren't demanding it too. They write laws for REBNY and pass them swiftly or I should say they let REBNY write laws they then pass swiftly. Last year all we heard was "well it's legal so the landlord can do it" - a phrase I am sure was never said to REBNY who wanted a law changed that was hurting them or inconveniencing them.

"I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we - we own this country. We - we own it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours."
Clint Eastwood

Anonymous said...

LOL. REBNY member Adelaide Polsinelli, senior director at Eastern Consolidated we are looking forward to you cleaning house at 215 East 68th Street, REBNY honoree the Rudin Management Company’s high rise.

Anonymous said...

8:51 PM Not trying to be pro-Schumer or pro-anybody. Schumer made a pretty definitive statement with not much wiggle room.

The thing with the city is not quite the same. When it was announced by Keys, CWC was saying it was all hot to auction us off, but now it looks like they're gonna be around for another 3-6 years so the need for speed is gone.

As a side note. From the vantage point of now, that 3-6 year time frame is, IMO, not good at all.

Anonymous said...

January 17, 2015 at 1:28 AM
Exactly right.

Anonymous said...

Who is Keys?

Anonymous said...

What a big disappointment.

Anonymous said...

Anyone following the chobani scandal er I mean story, sees how fast Schumer and Gillibrand and NY politicians can move when they want....the first paragraphs of this article lays out their unprecedented speed of action for chobani

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/chobani-yogurt-land-spot-11b-federal-lunches-article-1.1404907

Schumer and Gillibrand are fantastic at helping their buddy's business interests reap billions of dollars. The last paragraph sums up what motivates this crew.
"Meanwhile, you can bet the ranch, or dairy farm, that a grateful industry will share its good fortunes with contributions to the elected officials who provided ample help."

Schumer and Gillibrand expertly use government to help business buddies but don't use government as adeptly to help people.

This corrupt deal was done in the usual name dropping -- in the name of "job creation" that did not happen, in the name of "kids" with a billion dollar program taxpayers are funding, any exploitation they could find, they used for the betterment of chobani, a scandal-laden deal for a scandal-laden company that grew by billions overnight as suspiciously as our rent roll's explosive growth.

The politicians only care about the business interests of PCVST and not a care for any of the tenants, not the MR or the RS.

To these politicians everything is a business to be done in the name of the people but not at all for the people.

I know they cannot be trusted. But we are stuck with them in office for a few more years.

Here is an idea. If Schumer worked HALF has hard for people's interests as they do for business interests people wouldn't be struggling. If they worked EQUALLY as fast and hard, people would be flourishing. If they did their job as defined, in the interest of people first and only, there would be less corruption and little to no inequality.

For those garodnick trolls ready to jump on me with your name calling and keyboard commando offenses, yes I am a stay at home dad with plenty of time to use the internet to fight for the people.