Marty Talks Growth, New Projects
Marty Markowitz’s final state of the borough address in Red Hook last night was apparently chock full of the boosterism that everyone expects from Brooklyn’s cheerleader, but the borough president also mentioned a few interesting new initiatives he intends to push for during his last year in office. A video monitor projected images of the…
Marty Markowitz’s final state of the borough address in Red Hook last night was apparently chock full of the boosterism that everyone expects from Brooklyn’s cheerleader, but the borough president also mentioned a few interesting new initiatives he intends to push for during his last year in office. A video monitor projected images of the beep showering at Hotel Le Bleu (yum!), according to the Daily News, as Markowitz noted that tourism to the borough rose 10 percent in 2006 (there’s some fresh data for you!) and is primed to rise more over the coming years. Marty said that he wants to establish a board of directors to take over the New York Aquarium in Coney Island (the facility is currently run by the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society); provide funding for a GLBT community center in Downtown; and push for the restoration of Coney Island’s parachute jump. Although the borough president received a standing ovation and a lot of support from the crowd, Atlantic Yards Report’s Norman Oder notes that Markowitz only mentioned the borough’s biggest development project twice over the course of his 70-minute speech, and it didn’t elicit applause either time.
Tourism, Growth a ‘Brooklyn Story’ Says Beep [NY Daily News]
City to do the Light Thing for Coney Landmark [NY Post]
AY Gets Mention But Not Applause [AY Report]
Photo from Borough President Office’s website.
To all Friends of Marty – If our BP acted in a professional, non-corrupt and fair way (and I notice that no one disputed that part of my commentary) we would not be in the position we are today. A mad and wasteful project (AY) in our midst. I did not mention Bloomberg, Pataki or any other “friend of Ratner” (Yassky anyone) as this post is on Marty. His backroom ways contributed to this mess. Stop with the platitudes. They are not deserved.
10.02
Perhaps the “images of the beep showering at Hotel Le Bleu” stunned the crowd into silence. Or convulsions.
I didn’t see the BCAT broadcast, so when will it be aired? Either way, I think that an alleged lack of applause means nothing, as 9:40’s comment astutely notes:
“It is surely a sign that the Anti-AY crowd is down to their last breaths if they are counting the AY applause lines in Marty’s speeches.”
I was at Marty’s speech and I didnt applaud b/c AY isnt tall enough or dense enough.
For those wondering whether my account of no applause can be believed, well, I taped Marty’s speech, and it was broadcast on BCAT.
Norman Oder
Final state of the borough address?
Unless the BP is on a different schedule, he’s not term limited until the ’09 elections. Which means one extra year of Marty, and one more (2009) state of the borough address.
(And I’ll sign on with the love Marty camp – he has made the BP a relevant position by virtue of his cheerleading. And behind all of that cheerleading is some effective policy making.)
Just for the record, I didn’t (need to) mention Atlantic Yards — 9:46
10:09, I second 10:09’s statement.
Don’t give the BP so much credit for making this project happen – even his corrupt appointee had to recuse herself on planning commission votes! Marty couldn’t have stopped this even if he wanted too.
Amazes me that all the venom the anti-AY spews is toward Markowitz. He may have been a cheerleader but boro pres is too powerless a position to say he ‘sold us down a river ‘-Boro pres can’t approve squat and can’t sign squat –
that would take Albany and Bloomberg – but somehow Bloomberg still comes out smelling like roses. Or anti-AY is too afraid of Bloomie.