tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8601356.post115098719689477913..comments2007-08-18T17:43:48.266-04:00Comments on CB9M Chairman's Blog 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2007: Columbia, gem of West HarlemGrey Wolf-6http://www.blogger.com/profile/09643980718721701671noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8601356.post-1151028560155784632006-06-22T22:09:00.000-04:002006-06-22T22:09:00.000-04:00From: BFrappy24Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:06:14 EDT...From: BFrappy24<BR/>Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:06:14 EDT <BR/>Subject: Re: Columbia, gem of West Harlem <BR/>To: reysmont@yahoo.com <BR/> <BR/>Jordi,<BR/>This is an excellent letter - well thought out and organized. At the <BR/>bottom you write "published on June 19". Does that mean the Daily News published it, or just that you sent it out for their publication. Usually they don't print anything but 3 or 4 sentences though I read the Post and Times each day, not the News, so I may not know. <BR/><BR/>You should send it over to Ben Rosen at Wright's office cause they are writing a letter too. As a matter of fact, I will just do that now. <BR/>Tom<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>In a message dated 6/22/06 10:06:30 AM, reysmont@yahoo.com writes:<BR/><BR/><< Dear Editor:<BR/><BR/> Thank you for this June 19th editorial "Columbia the gem of West Harlem"Kingmonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519693057559523457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8601356.post-1151015711921045312006-06-22T18:35:00.000-04:002006-06-22T18:35:00.000-04:00Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:56:07 -0400 To: Reysmont...Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:56:07 -0400 <BR/>To: Reysmont <BR/>From: "Tenant" <BR/>Subject: Columbia, gem of West Harlem <BR/> <BR/>When I started reading this reply to an editorial, I first thought it was the New York Times, famous for calling areas dowdy, shopworn and so on, and which affectations have less to do with the reality or appearance of an area than with the agenda of the paper. Well it's the News, not the Times.<BR/><BR/>Either way, the first thing they do to destroy a neighborhood is devalue it. The perception of junk shops is that they need to tear it down to save it. If it has no value, then it has less worth and importance to the suits downtown and all the Democratic club hacks around the city.<BR/><BR/>That's what they did (and continue to do) with the West Side. Then they change it's name. No longer Hell's Kitchen or Manhattanville; enter Hudson Yards and Amanda Burden Square. They even stole Jane Jacobs legacy and made it a parody under the guise of "New Urbanism." It's like calling Joe Lieberman a real Democrat!<BR/><BR/>Then they try to get someone ... usually a city council member, state senator or assembly member, who by their very nature is easily snookered ... to try to make a deal ahead of time, give up all leverage, promise dog runs, or fake affordable housing (community boards and Borough Presidents fall for that one). Or they promise jobs for minorities. Remember Al Sharpton, Charlie Rangel and Keith Wright all bought into the notion of jobs of selling hot dogs at the Jets stadium. You will hear phrases like "revitalize," or "inducify," or "24/7 destination" along with "world class institution for a world class city."<BR/><BR/>It's what they call Community Benefits Agreements, made famous by Bertha Lewis and Acorn in Atlantic Yards where they people who were the most important stakeholders were left holding the bag by Astroturf groups paid off by Bruce Ratner. <BR/><BR/>Or they could create another Hudson Yards Alliance, created to help Christine Quinn run for speaker, make it appear they were against the stadium while she was collecting piles of developer money to build 28 skyscrapers. They're attempting to take credit for an alleged 30% of affordable housing in the Hudson Yards plan. Except they're not telling people that a large part of that housing was promised back in the 1970's, it's on city land, or that developers will get huge bulk bonuses for it. Nor are they telling people that they methods they are using often results in a net loss of affordable housing.<BR/><BR/>Same thing is happening in Williamsburg courtesy of CM David Yassky and Brad Lander of Pratt Bulldozing Company.<BR/><BR/>The idea of CBA is to cover the ass of politicians, so they can stand up and declare victory while the community suffers their political prospects bloom. Developers just love Democrats like that. I have no doubt that Scott Stringer is already leaning on those who will cover his ass on this one.<BR/><BR/>The residents and shops go away. In come the soccer moms.<BR/><BR/>So it's important for the community groups (the real ones, not the ones created by politicians), and those who have done the heavy lifting and educated many about Columbia's plans, they should be the ones telling the politicians what to do, not the reverse. And let's hope the community board members are more in touch with the local residents than with Stringer's office.Kingmonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519693057559523457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8601356.post-1151015617462429372006-06-22T18:33:00.000-04:002006-06-22T18:33:00.000-04:00Subject: RE: Columbia, gem of West Harlem Date: T...Subject: RE: Columbia, gem of West Harlem <BR/>Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2006 10:35:55 -0400 <BR/>From: Theodore Kovaleff <BR/>To: "J Reyes-Montblanc" <BR/> <BR/>Good show!Kingmonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519693057559523457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8601356.post-1151004633155061692006-06-22T15:30:00.000-04:002006-06-22T15:30:00.000-04:00My concern with Columbia University as a neighbor ...My concern with Columbia University as a neighbor (besides the controversial expansion) is their commitment to illegal germ warfare research against all international accords. They have a nice Homeland Security name for the 'research' they do on their Morningside Heights campus but its like putting lipstick on a pig.<BR/><BR/>As far as being a 'gem' of a neighbor perhaps they would, in a neighborly fashion, disclose their radiological accidents and inform the community on just what amounts of radiological waste they are storing at their facilities and what plans they have to stop storing highly toxic contaminated substances. <BR/><BR/>see <A HREF="http://prop1.org/prop1/radiated/ny0rept.htm" REL="nofollow">US Radiation Sites, NY</A>Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13057142663260372864noreply@blogger.com