Stone Street

Beautiful wrought-iron fire escape on the back of a 19th century brick commercial building on Stone Street in lower Manhattan.

Will Guiliani Run?

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that the Kings County Republican Party is trying to draft former mayor Rudolph Guiliani to run for governor.

At this year's annual Lincoln dinner, Chair Craig Eaton of Bay Ridge touted Giuliani’s experience, leadership and results, to applause from Republicans who see Guiliani opening the door for them to take back the state legislature in 2010.

Eaton, who is lobbying GOP leaders statewide to draft Guiliani, sees the governor's job as easy pickings in the wake of Spitzer/Paterson.

Former congressional representative and Staten Island borough president Guy Molinari said the state needs Guiliani, who, according to Molinari, would "clean up the mess" in Albany -- like he did here.

But the real issue for Republicans may be attrition: in 1988 there were 14 Republican representatives in Congress -- and now there are 3. Eaton and Molinari think Guiliani would change that.

According to the New York Times, Guiliani will decide within a couple of months whether he's going to run. Giuliani, 65, would face either Governor David Paterson or Andrew Cuomo. Pollsters put Cuomo nearly ten points ahead of Giuliani, with Giuliani trouncing Paterson. Republicans think Giuliani could close the gap and win.

The article from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Bring It On!

Although New York Magazine sees Democratic front runner Bill Thompson going the way of Freddy Ferrar in the race against Michael Bloomberg this November -- it finds intriguing the fact that Thompson, outspent thirteen to one by Bloomberg, has still managed to pull within 10 points of the Mayor in the polls.

How could Thompson win an upset victory? The magazine has some advice:

• Because he needs to win at least 1/3 of the white vote and term limits resonates with white voters, flogging the mayor's imperialist tendencies is a reliable bet;
• With 55 percent of New Yorkers saying Bloomberg doesn’t deserve a third term, Thompson should stick to redefining Bloomberg rather than tell his life story (although he is a Trekkie);
• The party-jumping Bloomberg could easily be shackled, ideologically, to the right wing;
  
• With the rise in property taxes, sales taxes, water rates, subway fares and unemployment, Thompson can credibly argue that the city has become unlivable for middle-class New Yorkers;
• Because Latinos are the largest ethnic population of public-school students, expect Thompson to attack the mayor -- as in fact he has -- on education;
• Thompson could use Bloomberg's anger-management problem against him by getting him to lose it on camera -- like if Bloomberg shows up at the mayoral debate.

The article from New York Magazine.

Primary Push for Skaller

I am posting the following at the request of Raul Rothblatt:

"The primaries are coming up in just over two weeks. There are a couple of [opponents of Atlantic Yards] running, but there is one candidate who has not only shown unshakable conviction in the fight against Forest City Ratner but also created a stellar campaign based on grassroots organization and exceptional fundraising: Josh Skaller.

The Skaller campaign has reached the maximum amount of matchable contributions under the Campaign Finance rules (through small donations, and without taking a dime from developers).

Now we need to go beyond our comfort zone of friends and reach out to all of our acquaintances in the 39th district to make sure that they are motivated to vote for Josh. There are a lot of informed and intelligent voters who don't realize that Josh is the best candidate.

If the election were held today, I think Josh would win. Unfortunately, the final weeks of the campaign are when the big guns will be out supporting other candidates.

If we don't win this, the whole city will know that we don't have electoral clout; if we do, the Ratner supporters will be shakin' in their boots!

Work with the Skaller Campaign

The Josh Skaller City Council campaign has specifically asked anti-Atlantic Yards activists to help them on two mornings canvassing at the subways and two evenings canvassing door-to-door with a new piece of campaign literature devoted to development issues.

The details:

Tuesday, September 8 from 5 - 8:30 PM Wednesday, September 9 from 5 - 8:30 PM
Tuesday, September 8 from 7 - 9:30 AM Wednesday, September 9 from 7 - 9:30 AM

The campaign would like volunteers to come to the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats' (CBID) office, 548 10th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues) at 5 PM on both Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th to go out and knock on doors and talk about why Atlantic Yards is their issue and Josh is their candidate. The canvassing will be done at approximately 8:30 PM.

The campaign is also going to place people at the following subway stations from 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM.

F train:Bergen/Carroll 4th Avenue/7th Avenue
R train:Union Street

As you all know, Josh is a true, principled opponent of Atlantic Yards. Let's help him get into the City Council.

If you can volunteer for any of these times, in this last push for the campaign, PLEASE contact Dan Campanelli at: d.campanelli@skaller09.com or 718-568-9699.

This email represents my personal opinion. I am not representing DDDB or any non-profit.

Thanks and hope to see you out there on the streets!"

Demolition-by-Neglect Talk at HDC

The Historic Districts Council will present a free breakfast talk by Landmarks Preservation Commission Deputy Counsel John Weiss on Monday, September 14 at 8:30AM at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 East 11^th Street, Manhattan.

Some city landmarks protected under New York’s Landmarks Law are being left to fall down -- an offense known as demolition-by-neglect. The Landmarks Preservation Commission has the authority, when things get bad enough, to take the owners to court.

Weiss will talk about the legal process the LPC follows in such cases and the potential legal outcomes of such cases, including an overview of some high profile demolition-by-neglect cases the LPC is currently handling.

Because space is limited, reservations are required. For more information, contact Lauren Belfer, HDC community coordinator, at (212) 614-9107 or lbelfer@hdc.org.

The post from the HDC Blog.

Baby Parrots Get Time to Fledge

More than a year ago, Brooklyn Parrots posted an item about the pending renovation of Lief Ericson Park, expressing concern that the wild Quaker Parrots living there would be subjected to nest removal during breeding season, when eggs or baby parrots might still be in the nest.

Fortunately, those responsible for the renovation listened, consulted with the wild parrot experts, and postponed nest removal until September.

Brooklyn Parrots gives props to City Councilman Vincent Gentile for negotiating a compromise allowing the project to proceed on schedule without harming the birds.

The article from Brooklyn Parrots.

More about the Bay Ridge Parrots here.

Thompson: "I'd Fire Klein"

Democratic mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson said, in a recent statement, that if he were mayor, he would fire New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and replace him with an educator who could see beyond test-taking.

On the same day that a recent audit report released by Thompson's office called the city’s graduation rate intentionally inflated, Bloomberg spokesperson Howard Wolfson issued a statement accusing Thompson, who headed the city's former Board of Education, of having a “failed record on education".

Bloomberg's Department of Education had apparently been readying an attack against Thompson for more than a year in the event he ever criticized the DOE.

The post from Gotham Schools.

Opponents, What Opponents?

According to Staten Island Live, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he's not running "against anybody" in this year's mayoral election.

He's running on his record.

If that's the case, why is the billionaire mayor using every tool in the box to attack what he calls the "failures" of Democratic front-runner Bill Thompson?

Last week, the Bloomberg campaign launched a media offensive accusing the famously cautious, deliberate Thompson of "mismanaging" the municipal pension system.

Why would Bloomberg, if he has no opponents, bother running a negative campaign against Thompson?

At a recent Democratic primary debate, Thompson and Democratic rival Tony Avella spent most of their time going after Bloomberg, who refused to show up because, well, Thompson and Avella don't exist.

The fact that his Democratic rivals aren't really there didn't stop Bloomberg from scorning them for wasting their time criticizing him instead of proving their existence.

Bloomberg claimed he didn't even bother watching his imaginary rivals debate, because he's just not that curious about them, even with a general debate coming up.

The Democratic primary on Sept. 15 will decide which of the invisible men will run against Bloomberg in the November election.

The article from Staten Island Live.

Cat Adoption Event at Lee's

Lee's World of Pet Supplies, on the corner of 74th Street and 5th Avenue, will sponsor a Cuddley Cats and Kittens Rescue adoption event on Saturday, August 29th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Please stop by.

Rooftop Film This Weekend

On Friday, August 28th, at 9:PM, Rooftop Films will screen David Lowery's debut feature, St. Nick, called a pre-teen Badlands, a "lush and visceral young American drifter tragedy with astonishing imagery, evocative soundscapes, heartbreakingly smart and subtle performances, and a story that reveals layer after layer of complexity -- a masterpiece of introspection and exploration."

The film will be screened on the roof of the Old American Can Factory, 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. in Gowanus/Park Slope. (F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.)

Tickets are $9-$25 at the door or online.

City's Unemployment Highest Since 1992

City Comptroller William Thompson reports that, according to statistics released by the New York State Department of Labor, more than 400,000 New York City residents are unemployed, the city's highest number since 1992.

But the recession goes deeper than lost jobs. During the first half of 2009, some 170,000 New Yorkers were involuntarily working part-time, up 70% from 2008.

Women, according to Thompson, account for most of the increase in involuntary part-time workers. It is unclear why women have been so hard-hit.

There are 130,000 New Yorkers still looking for work after more than 6 months, up 128% over 2008.

According to Thompson and the Fiscal Policy Institute, African-American male unemployment, including those who have given up looking for work and those involuntarily working part-time, is 26.9%.

In July, the city’s overall unemployment rate was 9.6%, topping the national rate for the first time since November 2007.

The article from Crain's New York.

Apartment for Rent

A friend down the block has an apartment for rent, available September 1.

The apartment is a spacious, bright 2 bedroom 1 bath floor-through -- the entire 3rd floor of a Bay Ridge rowhouse -- just 3 blocks from the Bay Ridge Ave stop on the R train, close to shops and restaurants on 3rd and 5th Avenues.

The third floor has its own private front entrance, foyer and stairway.

The living room, pictured at right, has a bay window and opens through pocket doors into an additional living-dining room.

There is a large bedroom at the rear of the building and second smaller bedroom that could also be used as a den or office.

The kitchen and bath have been recently remodeled.

There is lots of storage space.

The owner is asking $1,700.00 a month but would negotiate with the right tenant. A couple or two working adults would be ideal.

Map: (google map) (yahoo map)
Pets allowed.
$25 credit check fee.

Contact the owner directly:
E-mail: velyob@aol.com
Mobile: 347-302-8089

Bloomberg a Bitch?

New York Magazine found confirmation, in the recent New Yorker interview with Michael Bloomberg, of the fact that Mayor Bloomberg is "kind of a bitch".

In addition to the now-famous incidents where Bloomberg called a reporter a "disgrace" for asking about term limits and hissed at a handicapped journalist who couldn't turn off his tape recorder fast enough, the article cites the following example of the Bloomberg 'tude:

Q: Mayor, can you respond to Anthony Weiner's criticisms of you this morning?

A: I didn't hear what Anthony Weiner said, so it's kind of hard to respond...

Q: If I could just read you a quote that he said this morning?

A: I just said that I didn't hear him, and I'm not going to respond, so if you want to waste your question, you've just done it ...

Q: Would you like us to read what he said?

A: I don't have any interest in reading. I've got enough things to read...

Q: We would read it to you...

A: ...Well, that would show that you could read.

The article from New York Magazine.

The Young and the Republican

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, headed by Bay Ridge resident Jonathan Judge, has issued its first public policy agenda.

The Young Republicans are looking to take back the borough from the Democrats, who now outnumber them 7 to 1, by revving up the party's base.

As one would expect from the party of law and order, public safety is at the top of the Young Republicans' platform agenda.

Next is a call for more charter schools, pay-by-the-numbers, school vouchers/tax credits, and something called "agenda-free education".

On the social services front, the Young Republicans want “work first” Welfare reform to continue.

Their economic agenda repeats the GOP mantra of "low taxes", no congestion pricing and no tolls.

The YRs want to keep marginal income taxes down and audit city agencies (which are audited by the city comptroller) and privatize anything the private sector can do cheaper than city workers.

The YRs favor term limit changes only through initiatives or referendums, and redistricting by a nonpartisan independent redistricting commission -- not gerrymandering. (Did they run that one by Marty Golden?)

The article from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Four Now?

During his weekly radio appearance last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- who's seeking a politically-engineered third term and has promised to stop there -- let slip that he's thinking about a fourth term.

In an interview with WOR Radio host John Gambling, Bloomberg touted his new "Gateway to the Middle Class" campaign plan to generate 120,000 community college graduates by 2020.

The slip came when Bloomberg said:

"We did it as part of something where I was trying to lay out in the campaign [what] you would do in a fourth term, which I think you have a responsibility to do."

Bloomberg spokesperson Stu Loeser and Bloomberg himself have denied -- twice -- that the mayor wants a fourth term.

Well, but, didn't Bloomberg once say he'd never seek a third term?

The article from the Daily News.

More from Gothamist.

Moses Redux

Jarett Murphy riffs, in Huffpost, on the New York Post article about the New Yorker interview where Mayor Michael Bloomberg compares himself to Robert Moses -- and concedes Bloomberg's point. 

With all his administration has proposed, planned and built, no one has tried harder than Bloomberg to put his stamp on the physical city since Moses.

Who but Bloomberg has whipped up this level of public protest, of resistance to his development policies, since Moses?

Like Moses, Bloomberg will leave behind a massive bricks and mortar legacy: the new Yankees and Mets stadiums, Gateway Mall in the Bronx, tens of thousands of new "affordable housing" units, and the mass rezonings that have turned such unlikely places as the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront over to "luxury" development.

And there's more in the pipeline: Columbia University's West Harlem campus, Willets Point in Queens, Hudson Yards in Manhattan, and Brooklyn's bitterly-contested Atlantic Yards.

Three museum exhibits featuring Moses during 2007 may have rehabilitated his legacy during Bloomberg's second term and resulted in an exhibit at the Municipal Art Society in 2008 re-examining the seminal work of Moses' nemesis, urban theorist Jane Jacobs.

Moses and Jacobs could not have been more different in their approach to urban development: Moses was a bureaucratic dictator, Jacobs a populist who favored creating networks of public opinion.

New York's community boards, which rose in significance as a result of the pioneering work of Jacobs and others, have been circumvented or outright ignored during the Bloomberg era -- even as massive rezoning and development have physically reshaped the city. Bloomberg tried this year to cut the budgets of all 59 of the city's community boards.

The Bloomberg administration skirted the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) for its failed West Side stadium, and excluded the community boards from any meaningful dialogue about Atlantic Yards.  Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, a Bloomberg ally, fired all of the members who had voted "no" after Brooklyn Community Board 6 cast an advisory vote against Atlantic Yards.  

But the city's community boards, an important outgrowth of the Moses era, still provide a means of checking and tempering the overbearing ways of bureaucratic despots like Robert Moses.

The article from Huffpost.

More from DDDB.

Nipple Face

As if those big posters in the "R" station of good-looking androids with their stainless steel rib cages exposed weren't creepy enough, this one has a kid's face popping out of his nipple.

Ugh.

Brooklyn Public Library Bans TinTin

According to the Daily News, the chief librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library, after a borrower complained that it was "racially offensive", has ordered the comic book classic Tintin Au Congo banned from all local branches -- because it depicts black people as "monkeys".

TinTin Au Congo has the distinction of being the only book in the city library system banned from public view. The popular Belgian comic is kept behind locked doors on the third floor of the Brooklyn central library, viewable only by appointment.

The New York Civil Liberties Union has called the library out for censoring artistic expression.

Critics of the comic say that, because TinTin violates the "sensitivities" (read political will) of the Brooklyn community, it should be locked up.

In my opinion, banning books -- even highly offensive ones -- is never a good thing. Better to air that stuff out and invite debate than keep it festering in secret.

The article from the New York Daily News.

BRFC Alive and Well

I was happy to read in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that the Bay Ridge Food Co-op (BRFC) is moving forward to an opening date.

BRFC members packed a general meeting last week to set membership terms and co-op policies. With a membership system now in place, the co-op can begin enrolling members.

David Marangio, Greg Bernardi and Dylan Jones are acting as administrators for the BRFC, a labor-based cooperative in which each adult member will invest time and equity in exchange for an ownership share, as with the Park Slope co-op.

The BRFC's next meeting will be on Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Details at foodcoopbayridge.com.

Front Yard Grotto

Thompson on Preservation and Development

The Villager reports that, at a candidate forum on August 12 sponsored by a coalition of preservation groups, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, the Historic Districts Council, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Landmark West and the Municipal Art Society, City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, a Democrat, responded to questions on a broad range of issues, including development and preservation.

About development, Thompson said that although the city is expected to grow by a million new people by 2030 and development is inevitable, we don't need any more dangerous, haphazard construction.

Responding to a question about delays in demolishing the Deutsche Bank building at the World Trade Center site, Thompson said the city had "dropped the ball" by continuously failing to provide adequate oversight and ensure site safety.

Asked what he would do to improve the city's education system, Thompson said he supports continued mayoral control, but that the system currently relies too heavily on standardized testing.

Questioned about how the Department of Buildings could be improved, Thompson said that the DOB workforce -- particularly construction site inspectors -- should be professionalized.

On the issue of urban planning, Thompson cited the need for thoughtful, neighborhood-based planning and smart growth, taking people -- and not just developers' profits -- into account. Rather than giving large development projects over to one big developer, Thompson favored using multiple developers.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission should be adequately funded, said Thompson, who advocates addressing the problem of anticipatory demolition by ensuring better linkages between the LPC and other city oversight agencies such the Department of Buildings and the Department of City Planning.

Thompson agreed that the LPC should give equal attention to preserving historic buildings in all of the city's neighborhoods, not just those most visible to tourists.

Thompson said that community boards, which he called "a reliable source of information about our neighborhoods", should be fully funded -- and their members trained.

Waterfront access and open space for public recreation is a part of the balance of private-public development, Thompson said.

The forum sponsors have issued a “2009 Citywide Preservation Platform", signed onto by more than 100 organizations citywide, calling for the adaptation and reuse of old buildings, including city-owned buildings; expanding state and city tax-credit programs for landmarked properties; and the creation of a task force to come up with better ways to preserve and maintain historic church properties.

The preservation agenda also supports funding for more LPC staff, improved linkages between city oversight agencies, and an emergency protocol for city agencies when landmark buildings are threatened.

The article from the Villager.

Thompson Opens Brooklyn Headquarters

Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson will open his Brooklyn headquarters at 955 Nostrand Avenue on Saturday, August 22 with a reception hosted by Ingrid Lewis-Martin from 12-2 PM.

Brooklyn neighbors are invited to drop by.

If you have questions, call the campaign at 347-533-7392 or 347-533-7393.

Rooftop Films This Weekend

At 9:00 PM on Friday, August 21, Rooftop Films, a NYC nonprofit organization and summer film festival, will present the American premiere of Rock Heart Beijing, a documentary about a Chinese punk rock band on its first European tour, on the roof of the Old American Can Factory, 232 3rd St. @ 3rd Ave. in Gowanus/ Park Slope (F/G to Carroll or M/R to Union).

Tickets are $9-25 at the door or online.

Ticketing Link: http://newyork.going.com/event-624892;Rooftop_Films_Rock_Heart_Beijing

On Saturday, August 22, Rooftop Films and The Fledgling Fund will screen The End of the Line, a documentary about the exhaustion of the earth's ocean fisheries, at 9:00 PM on the Beach at Governors Island, just West of the Ferry landing.

Ferries leave every 15 minutes from the Slip #7, Battery Maritime Building, next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan.

Tickets are $12.

Ticketing Link: http://newyork.going.com/event-624772;Rooftop_Films_The_End_of_the_Line_on_Gov_Isle

Thompson Smeared

Howard Wolfson, campaign spokesperson for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, smeared Bloomberg's chief rival, Democratic city comptroller Bill Thompson, in the New York Times today, citing what Wolfson called Thompson's "record of failure".

The assault on Thompson was two-pronged, the first prong being a prominently-placed article in the New York/Region section attacking Thompson's oversight of the city's $80 billion municipal pension system.

Over the past 7 years, 4 of the city's 5 city pension funds have underperformed similar funds nationally, while the city has tripled the number of money managers it uses and the fees they earn.

The Times article implies that Thompson is to blame for the performance lag, and that Thompson, in so many words, sold access to the funds by accepting $500,000 in campaign contributions from money managers hired by the funds' trustees.

Thompson has denied that he or money managers could manipulate the process to that degree.

The median annual return for large public pension funds for the past 7 years was 4.5 percent, during which period, 4 of the 5 city pension funds performed below median. The fifth and smallest fund, the Board of Education Retirement System, was at median.

Under Thompson’s predecessor Alan Hevesi, who left office in 2001, the median annual return for large public pension funds was 12.16 percent, with 4 of the city’s 5 pension funds delivering returns above median.

You don't have to be an economist to see that the money market during Alan Hevesi's term in the late 1990s and the money market since 2002, when Bill Thompson took office, are apples and oranges: comparing them can only lead to false conclusions. Why would the Times do that?

The Times article goes further. It asserts that, while each city pension fund has its own trustees, appointed by city officials, including the comptroller and major municipal unions, the comptroller, not the the trustees, is responsible for the rate of return, because, reasons the Times, the trustees take advice from the comptroller's staff. Reaching? I think so.

Since 2002, Thompson's office, following the lead of other pension managers, has adopted a more aggressive investment strategy than its predecessors. Investments in private equity and real estate have accordingly risen from near zero to 7.5% last year.

The strategy offers potentially higher returns but drives up costs, because private equity managers charge higher rates and diversification of funds requires a higher number of money managers. The number of money managers has accordingly risen from 74 in 2004 to 229 last year, while investment expenses, mainly fees to money managers, rose from about $102 million to $310 million.

The Times article implies that, because some money managers have contributed to Thompson’s campaign, Thompson is, in so many words, on the take.

The second prong of the Bloomberg attack is a Times City Room post in which Howard Wolfson accuses Thompson of "mismanaging" the city's $80 billion pension fund, implying that Thompson is not only incompetent as city comptroller, but was incompetent as president of the city's now-defunct board of education in the 1990s.

Wolfson's brutal attack on Thompson marks a 180 degree shift for Bloomberg, who has praised Thompson as perhaps the best comptroller the city has ever had.

Citing to the article in the New York/Region section, Wolfson implies that Thompson is, in so many words, crooked because he accepted $500,000 in campaign contributions from employees of investment managers doing business with the city.

Wolfson called it "wrong" of Thompson to accept donations from investment managers, a practice allowed under the city's current campaign finance rules.

Thompson’s campaign manager Eddie Castell, surprised by Wolfson's sudden attack, defended Thompson as a "stellar success" and called the smear tactics "unfortunate" and "shameful".

Mayor Bloomberg himself appoints trustees to the boards of each of the city's 5 pension funds, said Castell.

Echoing Thompson's own proposals, Bloomberg's campaign says it would end political contributions from city contractors, especially investment managers.

Castell pointed out that the mayor, who is exempt from the city's campaign finance rules, would not be affected by any of the reforms he is proposing.

Bloomberg's ability to tap his own vast financial reserves to finance his extravagant campaigns would seem to pose a greater risk to the city's campaign finance rules than donations by financial managers.

The mayor advocating for campaign finance reform, said Castell, is like Michael Vick advocating an end to animal cruelty.

Vicious Vick Reinstated

A friend forwarded an e-mail message asking people to call the Philadelphia Eagles and let them know how they feel about Michael Vick's conditional reinstatement.

The number for the Eagles is 215-463-2500. The automated attendant will transfer you to voice mail and you can leave your message.

Vick spent over 10 years in the brutal "sport" of dog-fighting, which he described as "fun to watch".

As an owner, Vick shot, drowned, hung and electrocuted dogs, throwing pet dogs with their mouths taped shut into the ring as bait for his most vicious fighters.

Be a voice for the innocent animals Vick tortured and killed.

What Took Him So Long?

The Post reports that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has laid claim to the mantle of Robert Moses, saying that, in the wake of 9/11, his administration set out to transform the city on a scale not seen since the days of the "Master Builder".

In an interview in The New Yorker magazine, Bloomberg compares himself favorably to Moses, saying that what his administration has done in the past seven years "makes more sense" than what Moses did.

In the New York City of the 1930s to the 50s, public works titan Moses created 658 playgrounds, more than 400 miles of parkway and 13 bridges, including the Verrazano.

In so doing, Moses ruthlessly destroyed entire neighborhoods and rent the very fabric of city life.

The article from the New York Post.

Foreclosures Surge 15%

The city's rising rate of unemployment is driving an increase in the number of foreclosures.

According to lister Realty Trac, 2,517 city homes were in some stage of foreclosure in July, a 15% jump over the previous month and last year.

A new state law requiring lenders to give homeowners an extra 90 days notice before starting foreclosure proceedings slowed the pace for a while, but the effect of the law is now wearing off.

Queens leads the city in foreclosures overall. Staten Island has the highest foreclosure rate. Even co-op and condo-dominated Manhatten, with the city's fewest foreclosures, saw a five-fold jump of at-risk owners compared to July 2008.

Citywide, default notices -- a precursor to foreclosure -- surged up 17% from June and 31% from July 2008, meaning more bad news for homeowners down the road.

The article from the Daily News.

Not Their Forte

Crain's reports that Goldman Sachs and developer Clarett Group are bailing on the 30-story 108-unit luxury condo development Forté near BAM -- in what has been hyped as downtown Brooklyn's new "cultural district".

Manhattan-based Clarett Group is negotiating the surrender of the property to development lender Eurohypo, Germany’s largest real estate bank. Eurohypo owns approximately $41 million in debt on the tower. Goldman Sachs, with a 75% stake, is the major equity investor.

Only 37 of the 108 units have been sold -- after two years of marketing. Brooklyn-based Developers Group has taken over Forté’s marketing from the developer.

Apartment sales in northwest Brooklyn, including downtown and Fort Greene, have fallen 42.8% during the second quarter over last year, according to one report.

Units in the high-rise, once sold for an average of $681 per square foot, are estimated to be worth about $350 per square foot now.

The Clarett Group was the builder of luxury residential towers Montrose and Chelsea House in Manhattan and the 51 story 491 unit Brooklyner at 111 Lawrence St in Brooklyn.

The article from Crain's.

Fundraiser for 3rd Avenue Fire Victims

Via Bay Ridge Talk and Beehive Hairdresser:

There will be a fundraiser for the victims of the fire at 6805 Third Avenue, Saturday, August 22, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the parking lot at the Guild for Exceptional Children, 260 68th Street, Bay Ridge.

The organizers are also seeking donations of assorted household goods, and clothing for men, women and children.

For additional information, e-mail Linda Feeley at lnfee2@aol.com.

Bloomberg Ridge?

Local Brooklyn Daily Eagle columnist Tom "Citizen" Kane reports that on August 4, Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosted a "Thank You" breakfast at City Hall for a group of his influential Bay Ridge supporters -- folks with big Rolodexes.

Among those invited were the Eagle's Larry Morrish and Chip Cafiero, Lutheran Medical Center's Tom Edwards, Xaverian's alumni director Rob Oliva, St. Anselm's Senior Program's Alice Fitzgerald, Arab-American leader Habib Joudeh and Third Avenue Merchants' Courtney Sessa.

Historic Water Street

I caught a glimpse inside this 19th century brick rowhouse at 90 Water Street -- the only one of its kind still standing on this stretch of eye-numbing highrises -- as I walked by on my way to work.

The building, which, until this year, had housed a funky old fragrance shop that made its own knockoffs of brand-name perfumes, is being prepared for demolition.

In the 19th century, Water Street, lined with waterfront dives and boarding houses, was one of the roughest neighborhoods in New York City -- a place right out of Gangs of New York.

I try to imagine the colorful characters -- sailors, prostitutes, thieves and blackguards -- that may once have climbed those wooden stairs.

Paterson Threatening McMahon's Re-Election?

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports that Democratic Congress Member Michael McMahon, whose district includes Staten Island, Bay Ridge, Gravesend, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights, wants to dump fellow Democrat David Paterson, whose approval ratings have bottomed out, and tap another Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 -- maybe Andrew Cuomo.

Freshman McMahon, a moderate in a largely conservative district, is worried that a ticket topped by Paterson will spoil his chances of re-election.

Bay Ridge and Staten Island Republicans are expected to make an all-out effort to take back McMahon's seat, which was in their possession for 30 years, by mounting a "prime" candidate -- maybe a rehabilitated Vita Fossella, dumped in 2008 after a drunk driving arrest exposed his secret second family.

Fossella's possible return in 2010 has fueled rampant speculation.

McMahon's congressional district, the 13th, which includes Bay Ridge and Staten Island, is traditionally hard for Democrats to win.

Paterson says he intends to run in 2010 and doesn't see his campaign hurting other Democrats, but if Republican former mayor Rudy Giuliani runs against Paterson, with the backing of the Kings County Republican Party, he could help sink McMahon’s re-election hopes.

The article from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Linares Joins Bloomberg Campaign

When he was knocked off the ballot last week as the replacement for disgraced former City Council member Miguel Martinez, former city Council member and Immigrant Affairs commissioner Guillermo Linares was drafted by the Bloomberg campaign as senior adviser on the Latino vote.

Linares will be Bloomberg's Latino strategy and outreach guy, carrying the mayor's message in Spanish and whipping the Latino base into shape city-wide.

The Bloomberg campaign has been hotly pursuing the critical Latino voting bloc, canvassing, phone banking, buying TV and radio ads and endorsements, and getting Spanish language coverage in papers like Al Día, El Especialito, Impacto Latin News, El Corrreo and the EcuaTimes.

Bloomberg appointed Linares, a Dominican immigrant from Washington Heights, as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs in 2004. Linares left the post earlier this year.

In 1991, Linares became the first Dominican to hold public office in the U.S. when he was elected to the City Council.

In 1999, Bill Clinton appointed Linares chair of the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

During the 1980s, Linares, who immigrated from the DR in 1966 and worked his way through CUNY, was a school teacher and education advocate in Washington Heights. Married to a public school principal, Linares recently got a doctorate in education from Columbia Teachers College.

The article from Gotham Gazette.

Shore Road Park at 79th Street

I was at the park on Tuesday evening handing out literature for the Thompson campaign when I took these photos of little boys playing with misting frogs.

There was drama at the park.

First, a squat, dark-haired lady who identified herself as the organizer of the concert called the cops on us. About an hour later, a motley crew of geezers drove up in an auxiliary police car and talked to our volunteer coordinator. It took about 30 seconds for them to confirm that it's not illegal to leaflet in the park.

Funny, nobody called the cops on Conservative City Council candidate Bob Capano when he strutted into the concert with his campaign literature. (His opponent, Democratic incumbent Vinnie Gentile, rolled up to the park a bit later.)

Second, a thirty-something Muslim woman in a robe and hijab came storming up to us at the entrance to the park, followed by her two school-aged kids on their bikes. She was visibly angry and upset.

It turned out some middle-aged morons -- the kind that sometimes mouth off on the local message boards about "those people" -- had harassed her when she and her kids tried to take their seats among a group of other -- non-Muslim -- concert goers.

Wasn't she as good as they were? Hadn't she been born in this country? Hadn't she lived in this community all her life? She asked.

"Of course", we said. "Don't let them do that to you. Go back in there and claim your space."

She said it wouldn't be any fun for her now, though her kids looked like they might still have had a good time.

"This is America", I said. "Everyone here is different, but everyone is the same, too. What happened to you was wrong.Why not write a complaint letter to State Senator Golden, who sponsors this concert series?"

She said she would do that, thanked me for listening to her, and walked home with her kids.

No concert for them.

39th District Candidate Forum

39th District City Council candidate Josh Skaller will team up with Comptroller candidate John Liu for a candidate forum on Wednesday, August 12 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at CBID headquarters, 548 10th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in Park Slope.

Attendees can question and listen to the two candidates, who have been endorsed by the CBID.

Everybody is welcome and refreshments will be served.

Learn more about John Liu at www.liunewyork.com
Learn more about Josh Skaller at www.skaller09.com

RSVP by calling 718-788-3409 or emailing Lucy Koteen at lucy.koteen@gmail.com

Josh Skaller's son's private school makes the news.

Billy Seeks the Ballot

Green Party mayoral candidate Rev Billy Talen reports that his Vote Rev Billy Block Party at NYC Summer Streets was fantastic.

The Rev has gathered 12,000 signatures so far, but needs 4,000 more in the next 7 days in order to get on the ballot.

The Rev recently hit the subway for the Rev. Billy on the A+ Schools for All of Us Whistle Stop Tour on the A train, soaking up people's anger about Mayor Bloomberg's education policies.

Read Rev Billy's education Counter Proposals here.

This Saturday, August 15, the Rev will once again hold a Summer Streets block party at campaign headquarters on Lafayette Street in Manhattan from 10-1. All are welcome.

The campaign seeks volunteers to help reach its goal of 16,000 signatures by Tuesday, August 18.

For more information and to volunteer, click here.

Upcoming Rooftop Films

At 9:00 PM on Friday, August 14th, Rooftop Films will screen Home Movies, a series of shorts capturing moments in time, on the lawn of the Automotive High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Before and after, there will be live music by the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players and an open-bar reception.

Live Jazz at the Brooklyn Lyceum

Each week, the Brookyn Lyceum is presenting two live jazz sets -- ranging from traditional to avant garde -- on Wednesday and Sunday nights.

The Wednesday night sets, at 8 and 9:30 PM, are MCd by Joe Phillips. The Sunday night sets, at 9 and 10:30 PM, are MCd by Chris Komer.

The price of admission, including both sets, is $10.

Upcoming highlights include:

• Akiko Palvolka’s 10 piece band House of Illusion (Sunday 8/30);
  
• Adam Kolker (Sunday 9/13)whose recording Crazybird was in the top ten on the CMJ air play charts;
  
• Grupo Los Santos (Wednesday, 9/16) mixing Afro-cuban and Brazilian styles, chosen as one of the top 5 Latin Jazz releases of 2008 by All About Jazz;
  
• Kelly Fenton’s Bottomless Cup Orchestra (Wednesday September 23rd) ”Listening to Kelly's music is like downing that first shot of espresso in the morning -- first, a burst of rich, concentrated flavors... then the caffeine kicks in…a delight in the sensual pleasures of small-scale gestures,” says composer Darcy Argue.
• Chris Dingman Quartet (Wednesday 9/30) “Dingman gives even the most skeletal constructions the right amount of harmonic flesh"says David Adler from JazzTimes;
  
• Ted Kooshian who still runs with the Ed Palermo Big Band brings his standard orbit quartet (Sunday 10/4).

August listings include:

Wed, Aug 12: 8:00 and 9:30, $10: Awakening Orchestra;
Sunday Aug 16: 9:00 and 10:30, $10: Joe Magnarelli;
Wed Aug 19: 8:00 and 9:30, $10: Chris McNulty and Paul Bollenback;
Sunday Aug 23: 9:00 and 10:30, $10: Gary Fisherwed;
Aug 26: 8:00 and 9:30, $10: Jean Rohe;
Sunday Aug 30: 9:00 and 10:30, $10: Akiko Pavolka

Saturday, August 29th
"Hopestock: Music to Bail Out Your Soul" 8 PM $25

Known for her solo work as well as a member of the group LaBelle, Nona Hendryx has gathered the group of talented musicians called "Hopestock", providing an inspiring antidote to the recession.

Nona brings with her an eclectic line-up of NYC-based artists, including Grammy-nominated indie soul sensation Maiysha, Canadian-born baritone Giuseppe Spoletini, Kiki Hawkins and her Ki Ki Experience, and singer-songwriter Beth Arentsen with her piano-cello-drum trio. The genre-bending a cappella group Sirens of Shrine will also lend their voices to the evening.

More info and tickets at www.brooklynlyceum.com or call 718-857-4816.

The café at the Brooklyn Lyceum is open to the public daily and offers free wireless access.

Green Church Bulletin

The Methodist Sunday School is no more.

I took this photo on my way to work this morning. In it, you can see the backhoe that had been parked on the lot for weeks finishing off the ground level as a worker trains a hose on the dust cloud rising from the site.

Other coverage from Brownstoner.

In Our Backyards

The Neighborhood Preservation Center at St. Mark's, 232 East 11th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue) is hosting a free networking event with ioby.org on August 11 and 12 at 6:30 PM.

In Our Backyards (IOBY) is the first online micro-philanthropy to support local environmental action.

IOBY seeks to foster environmental knowledge, innovation, service and action at neighborhood level. On May 1, 2009, IOBY launched a citywide pilot featuring 50+ community-based projects.

The two consecutive events will highlight IOBY's project initiatives and include time for informal discussion. On Night One, the focus will be on open space and health. On Night Two, the presentation will be on green energy and green building.

RSVP is required: 212-228-2781 or info@neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org

Brighton Beach

Brighton Jubilee

The Brighton Neighborhood Association will sponsor its 33rd Annual Brighton Jubilee along Brighton Beach Avenue from Corbin Place to Coney Island Avenue on Sunday, August 30th, from 9 AM to 7 PM, rain or shine.

There will be live music and entertainment on multiple stages, including Bay Ridge's own Frankie Marra and his band, onstage at Brighton 14th Street.

For more information about the event, call 718-891-0800.

Thompson Snags DC 37

With 125,000 active members and 50,000 retirees, District Council 37 is the largest city workers union. Four years ago, DC 37 backed Mayor Michael Bloomberg for mayor, but insiders say that the union, in an upset move, will endorse Democrat William Thompson for mayor this fall.

The endorsement would not only boost Thompson's underfunded campaign by supplying campaign volunteers, it would also open the door for other city unions, like the UFT and Teamsters Local 237 -- both of which are now negotiating contracts -- to at least use the threat of defection at the bargaining table, if not actually defect.

Over the past year, union bosses say, the relationship between DC 37 and the Mayor has soured. The union bought subway ads this spring saying the city wastes $9 billion a year privatizing jobs city workers could do.

Bloomberg took a blow from labor last month when the union-backed Working Families Party endorsed Thompson.

Thompson and Bloomberg are now running about neck-and-neck in union endorsements, yet another indicator that there's more game in the mayoral race than predicted.

The article from the Daily News.

More from the New York Times.

The endorsement is announced, from the Daily News.

Slush Puppy?

According to the Daily News, Michael Bloomberg's aides, from 2002 to 2006, funnelled $1.1 million in city discretionary funds to Agudath Israel of America Community Services and just over $400,000 to Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, in violation of city contracting rules, which require that the mayor award the funds only at the request of a City Council member or borough president.

But Simcha Felder, the City Council member to whom it was later attributed, didn't ask for the money.

Agudath Israel and Ohel are politically powerful within the city's Orthodox Jewish community, a constituency the Mayor is actively courting. Bloomberg, since taking office, has personally given $200,000 to Agudath Israel, and the Mayor's former top aide is now an Ohel lobbyist.

The Bloomberg administration says that Felder, a Bloomberg ally, requested the discretionary funding, but Felder denies ever asking for the money. The Bloomberg administration says Felder is wrong, but it can't prove it.

Agudath Israel says it went directly to the mayor’s office, which was not supposed to distribute discretionary funds without Felder's request, for the money.

The mayor’s slush fund, which operates like the City Council discretionary fund, is still uncharted territory. Until the fund was shut down in 2008, the Bloomberg administration had given nearly $20 million to more than 500 groups on behalf of more than two dozen council members -- most of them close political allies of the mayor.

Felder, the biggest winner, got almost $6 million over 6 years.

The Mayor's office has acknowledged a "lack of transparency".

The article from the New York Times.

Link Roundup

Irish tenor to perform at St. Michael's in Sunset Park in November.

City Council incumbents who supported term limits extension are now in campaign trouble.

Bloomberg and Thompson spar on "affordable housing".

The Bloomberg administration is airlifting the homeless out of the city.

Somebody tell Michael Bloomberg that Carpenters Union boss Michael Forde is a crook.

Closing the city's landmarks loophole.