The Price of Bertha Lewis' Silence
How much does it cost to buy Bertha Lewis’ support? According to this week’s Brooklyn Papers, half a million bucks. At the end of an article detailing the racial rifts in the debate (which we think are actually more class differences that happen to fall along racial lines), we learn that for all Ratner’s lip…
How much does it cost to buy Bertha Lewis’ support? According to this week’s Brooklyn Papers, half a million bucks. At the end of an article detailing the racial rifts in the debate (which we think are actually more class differences that happen to fall along racial lines), we learn that for all Ratner’s lip service to affordable housing, if he ends up not keeping up his end of the bargain to make half the units “affordable”, all he has to do is pay Lewis’ organization, Acorn, $500,000. A drop in the bucket to buy the silence of a woman who could have been a real thorn in his side.
Race War on Yards [Brooklyn Papers]
Berta Lewis = Moron [No Land Grabd]
…and actively particpated to promote this development? Yeah, I read that!
You read that now the anti-AY or at least DDDB is calling for boycott of Brooklyn Beer because owner dared to disagree with their opinions?
Yes, I am familiar with a subway map. The way the system is designed, hundreds of thousands of fans will have easy access to the arena once it’s built. And, no, I don’t think it’ll be only people from this area, that’s why I mentioned the other areas. Denial of reality is your strong point.
Hardly dumb and not a driver. And while it may be convenient for those closer in to Atlantic Ave, did you ever look at a subway map? Do you think only people in this area will fill that place? I think not. Where they converge is not the problem- it’s where they don’t. But then I have always found people who can’t disagree civilly are usually those without the smarts to frame a good argument.
And while David I stand corrected (although I actually do know that bleachers are in ball parks I couldn’t figure out what to call the cheap seats in the arena. And yes I know that tailgate parties are for football, but I have been told that in other places people do the same thing for other sports in the parking lot of an arena.
As for thinking a project is good- thanks anon 4:39-Lincoln Center for one. I also think (from personal experience) TwelveTrees tries harder to work with the community and I have liked what they have done. But I don’t have to justify myself to anyone. I believe in responsible development- not private development fostered by ego, taxpayers money and eminent domain. If you don’t want to believe me that’s your ill-informed perogative. You may think it’s ok for a private developer to run roughshod over the community, but considering how AY will impact them,and the fact that tax breaks and incentives go to them, big developers should be made more responsible.Because when they’re done and go off to their big fancy suburban estates, it’s the community that’s left to deal. Big is not necessarily better but I have come to the conclusion that these big developers seem to equate the size of their projects with the size of their ______(fill in the blanks). It isn’t about captialism- it’s about greed- pure and simple. So when they come to take your house by declaring eminent domain I guess you’ll just up and say- Of course I’ll be happy to give up MY house for the greater good of having this (mall, arena, swimming pool….) here. Right- I just bet you would. Is anyone so naive to think that Ratner only has Brooklyn’s best interests at heart? I have a bridge I can sell you.
I’d say that, for all its faults, Lincoln Center was a good development.
Anon – thanks for putting inaccurate words in my mouth…..
As for tailgaters and bleachers – you have the wrong sports – bleachers are baseball and tailgating is football but you miss the point…
No matter what % of people take public transportation to AY – it will be significantly higher than if you build (or keep) an arena in virtually any other location – since AY is one of the most convenient locations for public transporatation.
You can say you are in favor of development all you want – however in practical terms you oppose virtually everything but I am willing to be proven wrong – please tell me one large scale development built in the last 50 years that you think is good
“The Bklyn subway system is hardly a dense network of track. It isn’t easy to get around- especially if you have to take the train and then a bus (or vice versa).”
That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. The subway is extremely easy to get around, and, as has been pointed out countless times, converges at the proposed arena site. From East New York to Coney Island to Bay Ridge to Flatbush, the subway is a convenient way to get to Atlantic and Flatbush. The above statement sounds like something spoken by a person who primarily drives.
I don’t know- it seems most of us are in agreement about developing the Atlantic Yards. We differ on the details though.
It would be difficult to imagine agreement for this discussion when David has basically stated in earlier threads that he’d accept anything that Ratner proposed on that site (because ANYTHING is better than what’s there now).