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]
So your response to what Ratner’s broken promises were amounted to a one line definition from Wikpedia that says, Critics claim? that’s not very good proof if you ask me.
Here are a couple, from Wikpedia:
Critics also claim that many of the promises of the project have already been broken. For instance, the six acres (24,000 m²) of landscaped “public” space will in fact be owned by the developer, and he will refuse any activity against his liking. (Later it was changed to be defined as “publicly accessible space.”) This is similar to one of his other major projects in Brooklyn, MetroTech, which does not allow advertisements or deliveries by neighborhood businesses. The park on the arena’s roof was originally promised to be public, but as of fall 2005, it will be a private facility. Supporters of the project often site the promise that 50% of the 4,500 apartments will be low-income. A few days after announcing that figure, the number of apartments was raised to 7,300, and the definition of “moderate income” was set at $109,000 per year. The average income in Brooklyn is $35,000, and the number of apartments that will supposedly be available for residents who make less than that will be 900. Of those 900, many of them will not be on the main Atlanitc Yards site, thus segregating the new residents by income. City Councilmember Charles Barron has asserted that the project will be “instant gentrification.”
Woodside Al,
What specific promises has Ratner broken in the past? I’ve heard this accusation leveled ad naseam, but have yet to see a shred of evidence to back it up.
If I’m wrong, I’ll admit it, but please show me some concrete proof. An article, a link, etc.
Geez – I can remember when intimations of an interracial romance was enough to titillate folks.
I’d pay money to see Jeannine Pirro kissing Hillary Clinton.
By the way, to the poster who doesn’t like Patty Hagan and Dan Goldstein. The real issue is the misuse of eminent domain- one that every homeowner should be concerned about. If it’s ok to take someone’s house to give to a private developer,no one’s property will be safe. And that’s a fact.
I have to agree with Shahn- about the AY project- I think something should be built there but not Ratner’s project. It’s a nightmare. I also believe Ratner’s proposal will be changed enough as it goes along so that there will not be “affordable” housing built there. I think his project as it stands now is disastrous for the area- not simply because of its size, or design, but because I think it drastically changes the area in terms of traffic and services as well. As has been documented, there seem to be no plans for improving transportation and subway services. The design will close off a huge chunk of Pacific St.- in a project of that size how do you think Fire Trucks and emergency ambulances will be able to respond in the area, let alone to these projects? I also think it will create an enormous city within a city, closed off from the surrounding neighborhoods. It will cut off access between neighborhoods both physically and psychologically. And it will cause huge traffic jams in all surrounding neighborhoods.
I am also very much against declaring eminent domain for this. Ratner will get huge benefits, mostly on taxpayer’s dimes. This is not a neighborhood project, this is the creation of a whole neighborhood in itself,open only to those at a certain financial level. Bertha Lewis notwithstanding- do you really think people will buy luxury housing in the same projects as low income housing? Rich people buy places to cocoon themselves and “protect” themselves. They not only buy their housing, but their environment. Ratner has been playing everyone against each other. I believe Ms. Lewis was trying to do the right thing but there’s that little line in the agreement about building affordable housing off-site. I would be very surprised if they didn’t use that to build low-income and affordable housing elsewhere, whenever and wherever they get around to it. Probably after they finish the Atlantic Yards- years from now. It certainly won’t be a priority.
Or what if Tish James was kissing Jeaneane Pirro?
I know, wouldn’t it be way hotter if Gifford Miller was kissing Tish James?