Queens and More

Flushing Commons project to be certified

2010-01-14T09:23:00.002-05:00

Queens Courier - After nearly two years on the sideline, one of the biggest development projects in Queens is on the verge of taking a crucial step forward.

The Queens Courier has learned that Flushing Commons, a more than 1 million square foot, mixed-use development project at the site of the Municipal Lot 1 in downtown Flushing, will be certified by the Department of City Planning (DCP) on Monday, January 25, kicking off the seven-month Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

“After a great deal of work in recent months to ensure that the Flushing Commons development plan will be an unqualified success and a positive addition to the Flushing community, we are excited and proud to be beginning the land use review process on January 25,” said Jamie Van Bramer, a spokesperson for Flushing Commons – a partnership of TDC Development and the Rockefeller Group.

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City to pursue public approval of Flushing Commons

2009-05-14T17:25:00.004-04:00

The city said it will move ahead with plans to redevelop Flushing’s municipal lot by the end of the year, raising hopes for the revival of a project considered by many to be dead in the water since it was announced by the mayor in 2005.

Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Lieber told Flushing leaders last Thursday that the city is committed to dusting off and starting the public approval process on its Flushing Commons project, an announcement that caught several in the room, most notably City Councilman John Liu (D−Flushing), by surprise.

Muss lands huge BJ's Wholesale Club lease

2009-04-29T10:12:00.001-04:00

Send in the big boxes. Members-only warehouse-style retailer BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. just signed on for 121,000 square feet at Muss Development’s sprawling shopping center at Sky View Parc on College Point Boulevard in Flushing, Queens. The asking rent for the 20-year ground-floor deal was not disclosed, but real estate sources say asking rents in the area are typically around $40 a square foot.

The store is expected to open by November. It will join other large retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy and Target, at the 800,000-square-foot center. Chain restaurant Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar also recently signed on to lease 6,500 square feet at the shopping center, where the eatery plans to open in the spring of next year. The center is now 70% leased.

“BJ’s is going to be a big generator of retail traffic,” said Dave Brickman, vice president of development at Muss Development. “Customers coming to shop there will overflow to our other retailers.”

More than 750,000 would-be shoppers live within three miles of the project, which will include six towers—with a total of 1,100 residential condominiums, 140 of which have already been sold—and a rooftop park.

John Hanlon of Ripco Real Estate Corp. negotiated the BJ’s and Applebee’s transactions on behalf of Muss Development. The tenants were represented by their in-house teams.

At a time when many retailers are scaling back, BJ’s is aggressively expanding in the New York area. The Natick, Mass.-based club recently signed for a site in Canarsie, Brooklyn, that was formerly leased to Home Depot and is also planning outposts in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and Pelham Manor, Westchester. In March, BJ’s posted an 8.5% jump in same-store sales of merchandise, compared with the year-earlier period, while rival Costco’s same-store sales declined 2%.

Property Details

Crain's New York.

A Star is Born - Susan Boyle

2009-04-21T09:16:00.003-04:00

The full version of the Susan Boyle Video

Leap to Track. Rescue Man. Clamber Up. Catch a Train.

2009-03-18T16:45:00.005-04:00

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times - Chad Lindsey, 33, near the subway tracks where he lifted an injured man to safety as a train approached on Monday. Then he went on his way.

Nice to report a story like this.

Subway heroes, as they are inevitably tagged even before the grease from the tracks is rubbed off, come along every now and then — indeed, as the story of Chad Lindsey suggests, perhaps more often than we know.

Minutes after rescuing a man who had fallen onto the subway tracks at the Penn Station stop on Monday, Mr. Lindsey managed to melt back into the anonymity of the city, escaping the notice of the police, paramedics and subway workers.

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The Reverse Gear

2009-03-18T09:40:00.004-04:00

Reverse mortgages can save the day for many older people.

GETTING credit is no simple task these days, even under the best of circumstances — just ask anyone who has applied for a mortgage. But it can be even more problematic for those who are retired, with many facing the triple whammy of declining income, falling home values and dwindling savings from Wall Street’s meltdown.

Looking for a way around the continuing credit crunch, more older people are exploring reverse mortgages, which allow homeowners 62 or older to borrow against their equity. With reverse mortgages, lenders and brokers generally don’t consider credit history. Instead, they look at the applicant’s age, any existing mortgage and the home’s value.

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Image from the New York Times.

New York Landlords Fight as Rent Refunds Loom

2009-03-17T14:09:00.003-04:00

Looks like alot of renters may be getting money back.

The real estate industry in New York City is mobilizing with an intensity not seen in years as it faces an almost unheard-of possibility: a court order that it may have to return hundreds of millions of dollars in rent.

The state appeals court decision bars New York City landlords from deregulating apartment rents while receiving a popular tax break meant to encourage building renovations. Industry officials say the decision could affect as many as 80,000 apartments in the city, trigger widespread defaults on loans, eliminate construction jobs and reduce property tax revenues for the city.

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Image from the NY Times.

Open 311 May be Coming Soon

2009-03-11T09:10:00.008-04:00

Getting the information straight to the people is the way to go.

Personal Democracy Form - Tech President -

The Daily News' Erin Einhorn is reporting that members of the New York City Council want to open up the city's immensely popular 311 system. "Eliminate the middleman," says Speaker Christine Quinn, and put the information the non-emergency line's operators use online and on iPhones and the like. Mayor and technophile Mike Bloomberg calls it "a brilliant idea." The members didn't make clear if under their proposal citizens might feed information -- like details on potholes, broken street lights, or flooding -- back into the database. Press release after the jump:

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
March 8, 2009
Release # 018-2009

311: The Next Generation
Speaker Quinn, Council Member Brewer Propose New 311 Mobile Application

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Image from MobiGates on Flickr.com

At Foreclosure Auction, Houses Sell, in a Frenzy

2009-03-10T09:20:00.003-04:00

The auctioneers have high energy but think of the poor people who are being foreclosed on. They're probably home with the blanket over their heads.

New York Times - In rapid-fire speech that resembled a horse-race announcer’s, an auctioneer introduced the first of the day’s 375 properties: a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Roselle, N.J., with an estimated value of $565,000 and a starting bid of $129,000. (Final sale price: $245,000.)

On the floor, four men called the bids, screaming, blowing whistles, thrusting their arms into the air and using their fingers to signal how much more was being offered over the last bid.

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Image from the New York Times.

Paired Houses, but One Is Abandoned

2009-03-05T09:25:00.004-05:00

Slate Magazine - In Camden, N.J., perhaps the poorest American city I regularly visit, I photograph what I call paired houses: two dwellings, side by side, one occupied, the other empty. Those living in the occupied home often have their lives made more difficult by what happens on the other side of a shared wall. If I see a neighbor or meet the resident of one of the occupied houses, I ask how they're coping. They tell me that people throw trash in the front and back yards of the vacant unit, causing foul smells and attracting rats. Physical problems in the empty shell cause accelerated decay in the occupied house. Water may be left running in the unoccupied unit, causing moisture to migrate next door. In cold weather, pipes burst. Joists rot and collapse, tearing bricks out of the shared wall. And if the empty dwelling is not properly sealed, prostitutes and drug addicts may break in and start fires.

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Image from Slate Magazine.

Amazon releases Kindle iPhone application and ebook readers rejoice!

2009-03-05T09:04:00.006-05:00

ZD NET - I was reading my Twitter feed and stumbled upon a post by Rene announcing the new Kindle for iPhone application that you can now download for free (iTunes link) from the Apple App Store. Folks, this is BIG news for the ebook industry and came MUCH faster than I ever anticipated given that the Amazon Kindle 2 (check out my review) just started shipping last week. My Kindle 1 is now up for sale on ebay and it looks like my iPhone will now be a regular part of my gear. With the Kindle 2 and Whispersync technology the iPhone and Kindle 2 will make a perfect pair.

I can read with the Kindle 2, but for those times when I am out and about the iPhone will fill the void and keep my place in every book I buy from my Kindle 2 or the Amazon store. You can buy Kindle books from your Mac, PC, iPhone via web browser, or your Kindle 1/2 and then have them wirelessly transferred to your iPhone/iPod Touch.

I think the Amazon Kindle and ebook store just far surpassed the Sony Reader for true mobile reading on the go and is now the one to beat. I do still think that there is a place and market for the Kindle 2 device since the reading experience is better and the battery lasts a LONG time on the device, but the convenience of always having your books with you on the iPhone is a MAJOR bonus.

Stay tuned for an image gallery and video of the iPhone application and Kindle 2 side-by-side with a video showing how Whispersync works and how you can purchase books.

image from Flickr.com, Meghan A.

CUNY law school offering immigrants advice

2009-03-04T16:13:00.003-05:00

Legal advice available but you must make an appointment in advance.

Queens Courier - Due to a lack of money many people do not seek needed legal advice.

Now a free legal assistance program for Queens immigrants will provide lawyers who will give advice about immigration issues and help them with the necessary application forms for citizenship and residency.

Councilmember James Gennaro, who represents the communities of Jamaica, Fresh Meadows and Forest Hills amongst others, and the CUNY Law School’s Community Legal Resource Network launched a four-month-long, weekly program that will offer the legal advice at the Ebenezer Pentecostal Church, located at 145-15 Jamaica Avenue. The program will be free, open to the public and available in both English and Spanish.

You’re Dead? That Won’t Stop the Debt Collector

2009-03-04T11:18:00.003-05:00

Eric Frenchman, an online consultant, said a DCM agent inquired about his late father’s $50 Discover card balance before the bill was even due. Since Mr. Frenchman had been planning to pay it anyway, he emerged from the experience vowing never to get a Discover card himself.

New York Times - The banks need another bailout and countless homeowners cannot handle their mortgage payments, but one group is paying its bills: the dead.

Dozens of specially trained agents work on the third floor of DCM Services here, calling up the dear departed’s next of kin and kindly asking if they want to settle the balance on a credit card or bank loan, or perhaps make that final utility bill or cellphone payment.

The people on the other end of the line often have no legal obligation to assume the debt of a spouse, sibling or parent. But they take responsibility for it anyway.

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Image from the New York Times.

Time Warner Goes Over the Top

2009-03-03T17:09:00.003-05:00

New York Times - Just as soon as Time Warner has divested itself from the cable business, Jeff Bewkes, its chief executive, is preparing to stab the cable industry in the back.

That’s what I read in the interview with Mr. Bewkes in Advertising Age Monday talking about a concept the company calls TV Everywhere. Most of the article positions Time Warner, a major programming supplier, in agreement with Comcast and the newly independent Time Warner Cable, over plans to let people watch cable networks on the Internet.

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Image from Flickr.com, CJC4454.

Supreme Court Enters the YouTube Era

2009-03-03T16:44:00.006-05:00

Watch the video and be the judge.

New York Times - The Supreme Court is entering the YouTube era.

The first citation in a petition filed with the court last month, for instance, was not to an affidavit or a legal precedent but rather to a YouTube video link. The video shows what is either appalling police brutality or a measured response to an arrested man’s intransigence — you be the judge.

Such evidence vérité has the potential to unsettle the way appellate judges do their work, according to a new study in The Harvard Law Review. If Supreme Court justices can see for themselves what happened in a case, the study suggests, they may be less inclined to defer to the factual findings of jurors and to the conclusions of lower-court judges.

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Jobless Woman Headed For Texas On Horseback

2009-03-02T17:22:00.008-05:00

This lady is homeless; lost her home and her job. She's travelling with what she has left, her two horses.

NPR NEWS - On roads teeming with motorcycles, pickup trucks and 18-wheelers, it isn't too hard to spot a woman on horseback.

So Donna Byrne is attracting a lot of attention. After she lost her job as a ranch hand in Arcadia, Fla., the 44-year-old couldn't afford her rent, so she decided to ride her horses, Jay and Tonto, to Texas — maybe even Montana — in search of work as a cowgirl.

In the first few weeks of her journey, Byrne has already received a large showing of goodwill. She says every day people stop to ask about her journey and offer a hand.

"She loaded up her horses and all her worldly goods and hit the road," says Daniel Skidmore, who pulled over on U.S. Route 301 in Wildwood, Fla., after reading about Byrne in a local newspaper. "I don't know many women [who] would do that."

At a rest stop up ahead from where Skidmore found her, Byrne ties Jay and Tonto to a handicapped parking sign, and they gulp down five buckets of water. Byrne pats them on the neck, nuzzles them and scolds them when they start drinking too sloppily. She says Tonto has a nice demeanor — that is, until someone tries to ride him.

"Then he wants to buck," she says, which is why she's designated him as her packhorse.

And as for Jay, "She gets one of them temperaments," Byrne says. "She wants to go, go, go, go — you've got to hold her back."

The horse's personality is not unlike her rider's. Byrne was a truck driver for many years, and that road mentality has stuck. She has no family, so when work didn't pan out in Florida, Byrne says, heading west was the best solution she could think of.

"It's been a dream of mine to do this ride," she says. "Lost a house, lost a job. Had to do something quick. I figured right now'd be the best time to do it."

Byrne spent the first few nights of her journey sleeping outside, until two local newspapers picked up her story — The Tampa Tribune and the Bradenton Herald. And that's when people started looking for her. Drive-by benefactors pulled over and donated cash. Some people offered their homes and their stables. A vet gave the horses roadside shots. A farrier gave them a new set of shoes.

In these tough economic times, something about Byrne's old-fashioned earnestness seems to strike a chord with people. In some ways, it's almost as if she rode straight out of a John Steinbeck novel.

"Owning a log cabin house," she says, longingly describing her dream life in Montana. "Having my own piece of property. Doing my own ranching. Mountains all around it."

But of all the people who are helping Byrne, horse lovers seem to be especially galvanized.

"Horse people are kind of a stick-together bunch," says Lisa Pannell. "So you know you kind of help out somebody if you can."

Pannell was at the receiving end of an elaborate phone chain to find lodging for Byrne in Wildwood. She let Jay and Tonto stay in her paddock, while Byrne slept at Sandy LeNoir's house down the road.

"I just think she's trying to hang onto her horses, which is, for a lot of us, that's our sanity," LeNoir says. "And she's hanging onto them and going after her dream. She's got nothing to lose."

Members of a Florida chapter of Cowboys for Christ, a national organization, have started a Web site for Byrne, and they've been making calls on her behalf. They're trying to connect her with people through Florida and even on to Texas. Nobody's really thinking beyond that yet.

That is, nobody except for Byrne. She says the word is that there isn't much more work in Texas than Florida.

"It's tough all the way around. It really is," she says.

And if she finds the Lone Star State lacking in job prospects?

"Just keep on riding," she says.

And that's exactly what she's doing — every day. After the horses slurp their last bit of water, Byrne ties the bucket to Tonto's pack and hoists herself onto Jay. She tips the floppy brim of her cowboy hat, and the three head on down the asphalt trail.

http://www.cowgirlsjourney.webs.com/

New Yorkers Cutting Back on Cable TV Service

2009-03-02T14:58:00.003-05:00

New York Times - For most New Yorkers, moving into a new home means calling Con Edison, Verizon and the cable company. But some younger New Yorkers are no longer paying for cable television and instead watching their favorite shows, movies and videos online and from on-demand delivery services like Netflix. These early adopters are taking advantage of a growing number of Web sites like Hulu and software including Boxee, which stream many programs available on Cablevision, Time Warner Cable and Comcast, often at no charge.

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Image from Flickr.com, Reflection717.

7 train track rehabilitation behind - weekend service halts set to end

2009-02-27T10:36:00.004-05:00

Weekend commutes on the 7 train will soon be back to normal.

New York Daily News -A nine-week-long track rehabilitation on the No. 7 line that halted weekend service between Queens and Manhattan is set to come to a close this weekend, transit officials said.

That was music to the ears of flustered commuters, who have been at the mercy of free shuttle buses between Queensboro Plaza and Hunters Point Ave.

Before the project began, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority rejected pleas for shuttle buses to Manhattan - adding to a long list of complaints against the agency among local leaders.

"This has just happened too many times," said Community Board 2 Chairman Joseph Conley. "We don't disagree that the work needs to be done, but it needs to be better coordinated."

Apartment Buyers Abandoning 6-Figure Deposits

2009-02-27T09:44:00.004-05:00

People are now walking away from six-figure deposits to get out of deals. That would be too big of a sacrifice for me.

New York Times -THE real estate market in Manhattan has become so unnerving to buyers that some are forfeiting six-figure deposits rather than close on deals they have made.

At 304 Spring Street, a sleek condominium building in SoHo with stunning Hudson River views, the buyer for the duplex penthouse recently decided he would not go through with the deal and walked away from a $780,000 deposit.

At 1120 Park Avenue, a classic prewar co-op filled with multimillion-dollar apartments, it appears that a buyer forfeited a deposit of as much as $1.1 million.

Real estate agents representing buyers of at least three other multimillion-dollar properties also report clients who knowingly left deposits of more than $1 million or hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table.

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Image from Flickr.com, Ben Heine.

And Do I Hear $2 Million? No? $1 Million? Sold!

2009-02-26T13:49:00.003-05:00

Developers are going back to a tried and true method of moving real estate, the auction.

New York Times - As housing prices around the country began to tumble about three years ago, the New York market kept rising, and only in the last year did it begin to show some weakness.

But now sales in the city have slowed so significantly that worried developers are planning to auction off some luxury condos in the spring for around half of what they were asking just a year ago.

Developers who are awash in unsold inventory see auctions as a tactic to jolt a paralyzed public to life.

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Image from Flickr.com, Peter Tsai Photography

Humpback Whale Is Stuck Off Sandy Hook

2009-02-25T17:29:00.006-05:00

2-27-2009 - The whale has been set free.

See video of some of the activity.

2-25-2009 - I hope they're able to help this poor whale. Recently I posted a beautiful story about a whale that did get help...Humpback Whale Rescued by Divers

New York Times - A humpback whale has become entangled in fishing gear about eight miles offshore in New York waters, the Coast Guard said on Wednesday. Until the team from Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in New England arrives at the spot, near Sandy Hook, N.J., on Thursday, the Coast Guard has established a 500-yard safety zone around the stranded whale, which it announced via Twitter.

The Coast Guard boat first arrived at the scene around 12:30 p.m., which is close to the approach to the Ambrose Channel. It is not clear when the whale became entangled. The whale is about 25 to 30 feet long, and reportedly visible on the surface and breathing, said Barbara Patton, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said. However, the entanglement could be considered life-threatening.

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Image from the New York Times.

Flushing Home Sales Statistics

2009-02-25T10:08:00.005-05:00

The New York Post has a chart that shows how prices peaked and then began to decline for home sales in Flushing. Currently prices are down to the 2007 level. If current predictions of the down economy continue, this chart will go even lower. I'll check back on it to see if there is significant change or not. If there's significant change, I'll repost.

My First Book of Urban Planning

2009-02-25T08:56:00.003-05:00

If we have children thinking about the urban landscape from an early age, maybe we'll see some real improvements once they come of age.

ARCHITECTS may need only to point at a building to explain to their children what they do.

Planners aren’t so lucky.

In fact, unless airplane windows are involved, it’s probably a struggle to describe how they map out roads, stores and homes to form neighborhoods.

A new children’s book may help shed light at a time when interest in the field seems to be growing.

“Where Things Are, From Near to Far” (Planetizen Press, $19.95), by Chris Steins and Tim Halbur, depicts a mother and son on a stroll through a city and its surroundings.

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Image from the New York Times

Moove Over - CowParade is Coming to Flushing

2009-02-25T08:47:00.004-05:00

Some of the first cows to arrive are presently located at the Queens Crossing building on 39th Avenue in Flushing.

Image from Morton Fox on Flickr.com

A Sharp Drop in Home Prices at End of Year

2009-02-24T11:55:00.003-05:00

The forecast for housing prices is that they will continue to drop. This bleak news is scary as well.

New York Times - Home prices in the United States plunged at the fastest pace on record in December, a sign that housing is likely to continue declining in the months ahead as the economy sinks deeper into recession.

Single-family home values in 20 major metropolitan areas fell 18.5 percent in December compared with a year earlier, according to a data released Tuesday by Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller home price index. Housing prices dropped 2.5 percent from November to December.

Nationwide, housing prices in the last three months of 2008 sank to their lowest levels since the third quarter of 2003.

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Image from the New York Times

Willets Point repave shocks biz owners

2009-02-23T12:06:00.006-05:00

DOT was recently out repairing streets at Willets Point. This was a surprize to business owners but they were happy about it.

Your Nabe.com - In the warped reality of Willets Point — where the sight of roosters prancing through mangled auto parts is not out of the ordinary — little shocks the business owners and workers of the area.

But late last week, several bore witness to something they said they have not seen in the area in more than a decade: a road crew.

The city Department of Transportation spent several days during the last week filling potholes and repaving sections of Willets Point as part of what a spokeswoman for the agency called “routine maintenance.” Most of the streets at Willets Point resemble those in a war−torn city — gaping potholes and cave−ins littered among patchy asphalt, gravel and dirt — but the work upgraded the roads facing the new Citi Field stadium.

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Image from the New York Post

Partitioned Apartments Are Risky, but Common in New York

2009-02-23T09:34:00.003-05:00

New York Times -The woman on the first floor hung a sheer white curtain across the middle of the room, to divide the space with the bed from the space with the table and chairs.

Guadalupe and her husband, Pedro, pay $650 a month for the illegally partitioned room they call home in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

The room where she and her husband live is about 23 feet long and 11 feet wide. They pay $650 a month, plus electricity. Their room has been illegally converted into living quarters in a three-story apartment building in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

According to city records, the building’s certificate of occupancy allows for five families in five units. But with rooms in the basement and other floors rented out, 9 to 12 families live there. The woman, Guadalupe, 49, asked that her last name and address not be published, for fear of being forced out of the place she and her husband, both immigrants from Veracruz, Mexico, have called home since November.

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Image from the New York Times.

City torn on mortgage plan: Debate rages if it will save economy or kill it

2009-02-20T11:29:00.005-05:00

People from this area have strong opinions and fears as to whether or not the bailout is a good idea.

New York Daily News - Debate over the mortgage bailout swept the city, the airwaves and the Internet yesterday, with New Yorkers divided on whether it's a necessary lifeline or a foolhardy handout.

One TV reporter threatened to lead a tax revolt, while a community group announced plans to form human chains around foreclosed houses to stop evictions.

It seems like everyone - even those who don't own a home - has an opinion about whether the country should spend $75 billion to let strapped homeowners refinance at lower interest rates.

Image from New York Daily News

Trapped in Their Own Homes

2009-02-20T09:20:00.004-05:00

It seems that sellers would be better off dropping their prices significantly right away, so that they can sell the home and move on. By moving the price down incrementally, the process is very long and unsatisfying as the buyers don't bite. Of course dropping the price significantly is a hard pill to swallow and I understand the sellers bewilderment with this option.

New York Times - ON May 1, 2007, a very different economic era, Janet Faello put her former marital home on the market for $829,000. She and her husband were divorcing.

It seemed like a good price for the house, a six-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath ranch in Dix Hills. But it didn’t sell at that price, or at $750,000, where it landed six months later, or at $699,000, where it stands now.

“It’s not the Taj Mahal, but it’s a nice, well-maintained home,” said Ms. Faello, a 53-year-old massage therapist with two daughters in college who remains in the house, which she and her ex-husband still jointly own. Her ex-husband lives elsewhere. “I haven’t been entertained once with an offer, and I’m still not getting any bites.”

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Image from the New York Times.

New home construction drops to record low

2009-02-19T14:33:00.002-05:00

All parts of the country showed big declines in building activity

MSNBC News - Construction of new homes and applications for future projects both plunged to record lows in January as all parts of the country showed big declines in building activity.

Analysts are hoping that a boost from government programs, including new efforts to stem foreclosures, will help stop the slide.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that construction of new homes and apartments dropped 16.8 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 466,000 units. That's well below the 530,000 units economists expected, and was the slowest pace on records dating back a half-century.

Image from flickr.com (Dean Terry)

More Housing Details Are Pending, but First Some Answers

2009-02-19T10:10:00.002-05:00

New York Times - The Obama administration’s housing plan aims to help millions of homeowners who fall into two categories: either they have been struggling to pay their mortgages or they have been shut out of the refinancing market.

The initiative gives lenders incentives to modify the mortgages of the three million to four million homeowners on the brink of foreclosure or who cannot make their monthly payments. The goal is to reduce the payments to levels they can afford.

The plan also aims to help the four million to five million homeowners who have been unable to refinance their mortgages because their home values dropped, erasing much or all of their home equity. Some of them would have a fresh shot at refinancing.

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Image from the New York Times

Some Americans, Underwater but Ineligible, Are Riled Up

2009-02-19T09:44:00.002-05:00

Wall Street Journal - President Barack Obama's new foreclosure-prevention plan is already sparking outrage from some Americans who won't qualify for federal aid -- and from those who resent having to foot the bill for those who do.

"What do you expect from the government?" said David Newton, 46 years old, proprietor of DJN Management LLC, which owns 232 rental apartments in the Atlanta area. "The government isn't out there to help people who obey the law and follow the rules."

Mr. Obama "told everybody, 'I'm going to spread wealth around,' and that's what he's going to do," Mr. Newton said.

Moove Over - Flushing CowParade is Coming

2009-02-18T11:09:00.009-05:00

At tomorrow's Flushing Chamber of Commerce Meeting there will be a presentation regarding Flushing CowParade. Here's a preview of the video that will be shown:

Teaming up with community leaders, local businesses and cultural organizations, Flushing CowParade is a public art initiative organized by Crossing Art at Queens Crossing, Flushing BID, and Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts. Flushing CowParade will present a number of public art events that lead up to the unveiling of colorful, life-size cow sculptures to be exhibited throughout the streets of Flushing this summer. Fueled by these events, Flushing CowParade will draw residents, tourists and neighbors and emphasize the cultural diversity that the community of Flushing continues to welcome and embrace.

Questions or comments can be directed to:
Jennifer Junkermeier of Crossing Art - 212-359-4333

Obama Plan on Housing Said to Push on Lenders

2009-02-18T10:13:00.003-05:00

Image: Vowing to fight eviction, Frank Torres barricaded himself in his foreclosed house in Carson, Calif., for several hours last week.

President Obama wants to help people who are in danger of losing their homes even though some observers feel that the home owners made poor decisions and should have to live with those decisions.

New York Times -

WASHINGTON — President Obama's plan to reduce the flood of home foreclosures will include a mix of government inducements and new pressure on lenders to reduce monthly payments for borrowers at risk of losing their houses, according to people knowledgeable about the administration’s thinking.

The plan, to be announced Wednesday, is expected to include government subsidies for reducing a borrower’s interest rate, which a lender would have to match with its own money.

But officials cautioned that subsidies for lower interest rates would not in themselves help many troubled homeowners, because lenders were still likely to view many of those borrowers as bad risks and refuse to restructure their loans. As a result, they have been casting about for sticks as well as carrots to persuade the lenders to take part.

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Image from the New York Times.

Bankrupt builder burns buyers

2009-02-18T09:33:00.003-05:00

Expert: Steve McLinden is a

Real Estate Adviser
for the New York Daily News.
Here's one of his Q&A's:

When a builder files for bankruptcy, it's only the beginning of bad news for buyers.

NY Daily News -

Dear Steve,
Our new home is near completion, but we just found out the builder went bankrupt! Now, they want us to close ASAP. What are the things we need to add to our contract to protect ourselves?
-- Soumya

Dear Soumya,
This is happening all over the country. I hate to sound the alarm bell, but you need to find a real estate attorney and quickly, before you even consider closing. There are several worries here, including the very real possibility that your down payment may be in jeopardy or at least be tied up in a protracted bankruptcy case where you'd become just another on a long list of creditors. Know there's also a chance you could end up wrangling with the lender that holds the builder's note.

Another concern is whether the builder paid the subcontractors in full. If not, that could put you on the hook for added expenses. In this recession, it hasn't been uncommon for struggling builders to use a new customers' money to cover bills on other properties, often at the expense of those "subs." The uncompensated subcontractors would then put a lien on that unsuspecting new customer's home.

Moreover, because the builder has gone bankrupt, your home may no longer be insured! Normally, the builder has insurance to cover incomplete homes, but insolvent builders may let it lapse. Hence, your nearly complete home may be bereft of any coverage whatsoever. Better get to the bottom of that quickly.

Also in jeopardy is any home warranty that may be negotiated with the builder and inserted into the contract before closing. In a worst-case scenario in a builder bankruptcy, warranties are typically honored only if they've been purchased through a third-party warranty company.

As you can see, it may be difficult, or at least unwise, for you to move ahead until these issues get settled. While it's true that most builder contracts at least lightly cover such bankruptcy contingencies, albeit with a scale that tips in the builder's favor, all bets are off in many bankruptcy cases.

Your lawyer will need to scour the contract for terms such as "breach," "remedies" and "arbitration clause" to see what your legal rights are. There are also some minimal protections by law for customer-deposited, down-payment funds.

But either way, you're going to need prompt legal representation. Good luck.

Image from the New York Daily News.

City and Developer Spar Over Coney Island Visions

2009-02-18T09:12:00.005-05:00

There are three main players in the re-build Coney Island story...The City, the developer Joseph J. Sitt and the Municipal Art Society. Each has it's own idea on how to proceed.

New York Times -

Coney Island was once known as the world’s largest playground, where millions of working- and middle-class New Yorkers prowled an anarchic, pulsating bazaar of bathhouses, freak shows, dance halls, carousels, roller coasters, chop suey parlors, hotels, hot dog stands and game booths tightly packed across two miles of beachfront.

But that was more than 45 years ago.

In the latest in a long line of efforts to revamp or revive the onetime resort, the Bloomberg administration recently introduced its plan to develop a year-round amusement and entertainment destination, with a special 9.4-acre amusement district, as well as new housing, shops and parks. And in keeping with the waterfront’s contentious history, a prominent civic organization and a developer, who has spent over $100 million buying up property in the area, have put forward competing visions of how to best preserve the soul and mythology of Coney Island.

Read More

Image from the New York Times.

Living In Corona Queens - Everyday is Moving Day

2009-02-17T13:11:00.003-05:00

The Park Side is a very nice restaurant to eat at while visiting Corona.

New York Times - CORONA PLAZA, the heart of the central Queens neighborhood of Corona, is an overwhelming welter: pedestrians, pigeons, busy storefronts and restaurants, and traffic jams along Roosevelt Avenue, all under the shadows and shrieking brakes of the elevated No. 7 line.

Peppered throughout this scene are white moving vans — labeled “mudanzas,” Spanish for “moves.” And if one word could sum up the story of Corona, “mudanzas” might be it.

Parked in valuable spaces, the ubiquitous vans are a nuisance to civic leaders who wish to revitalize this commercial strip and promote its many foreign-born small-business owners. But they are a boon to the immigrants constantly arriving to stay with family, then saving up and finding apartments of their own.

Read More

Image from the New York Times

The Optimists' Club

2009-02-17T13:02:00.003-05:00

New York Times - AS apartment prices plunge and sales hit a standstill, real estate agents may be giving bankers a run for their money as the city’s most maligned profession.

THE SUNNY SIDE "I’m coming into this thing like nothing's going to stop me," says Kendra Elise Tomas, a newly licensed real estate agent. She is also a fashion designer.

Yet despite the worst residential market downturn in a generation, hundreds of New Yorkers still want a piece of the action — or whatever’s left of it.

In the waning weeks of 2008, the state administered more than 700 licensing exams to aspirants looking to join the ranks of agents.

Read More

Image from the New York Times.

Downturn could yield affordable housing

2009-02-17T11:49:00.005-05:00

The Real Deal - Developers turn to rent-to-own, hostels, student housing to move units -

Every gray cloud has a silver lining, and the current downturn in the New York real estate market is no exception.

Experts predict the current conditions could ultimately lead to a new era of affordable housing, driven by the market rather than government incentives.

Developers are already slashing prices and, in the case of the Decora and Northside Piers in Williamsburg, offering rent-to-own options that, if priced right, could be attractive to first-time buyers otherwise unable to scrape together a down payment.

Countless condominium projects across the city are facing foreclosure, putting banks in the driver's seat. Experts said lending institutions would be even more aggressive than developers in moving these units, expanding affordable housing options.

And some recent reconfigurations indicate the possibility for creative solutions besides the typical rent or rent-to-own scenario. Lotta Condominiums in Harlem has become a successful youth hostel; 10 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side was sold to Touro College for student housing; and in Bay Ridge, the developer of the controversial Green Church site may unload his land to the city to create a much-needed elementary school.

Jon Gollinger, co-founder of Accelerated Marketing Partners, which specializes in marketing campaigns for distressed properties across the country, said one of the advantages of New York City is it entered the downturn later than the rest of the country.

"New York is going to look at what's going on throughout the country and use the best solutions, and be creative about it. That's been my experience in New York," he said. "Developers and banks and equity will be very quick to take their lumps and capitulate."

Increasingly, as developers struggle to pay their debtors on projects that aren't selling or have yet to begin construction, banks will begin forcing solutions.

"Banks are looking to get out without too much pain but are still willing to accept some pain. And by pain, I mean selling [the project in bulk] for less than a dollar on the dollar," said Justin Stern, managing member of Manatus Development Group, an affordable housing developer.

"Unfortunately for many, these are some of the harsh realities of the development business. Poor timing equals the shirt off your back," he said. "Hopefully we'll be able to turn these negative situations for some into positive access to affordable housing for many working-class citizens of New York City."

Stern said apartments in projects his firm could take over would be priced low rather than depend on government incentives for affordability. "There are currently no government programs in place to provide bailouts for those untimely developments that went into the ground a year ago, or rushed into the ground to beat the June 30 421-a deadline, in fringe neighborhoods where the backup rental scenarios are now unachievable," he said.

Even without bank intervention, experts said prices will continue to plunge.

"You are going to see prices decline dramatically as you get further from the core," said Gollinger. Particularly in oversaturated areas like Williamsburg and Long Island City, prices could drop in the 30 percent range, he said. "It's gotta find a bottom somewhere where it's pretty unacceptable to everyone … but eventually it will get to a price level where it's just too compelling not to buy."

That goes for rents, too.

Tatiana Harris, head of business development for Harlem Lofts, said that after her firm introduced the rent-to-own option at Harlem's 764 Saint Nicholas Avenue, it reduced rents up to 20 percent before all the units were occupied. "Everybody who is renting right now is on a rent-to-own option," she said. As for developers, she said, "All my clients are looking for a rent-to-own option."

David Maundrell, president of aptsandlofts.com, said that without much push, his firm has been seeing two or three rent-to-own contracts a month.

The scenario only works with buildings that have closed sales and immediate occupancy, he said, and it is more successful when developers keep renters' needs in mind. For example, he said some brokerage firms put a premium on monthly rents — say, a $4,000 monthly apartment priced at $5,300 — which isn't attractive to renters.

One 14-unit building Maundrell is marketing, the Decora at 165 North 10th Street in Williamsburg, is offering a one-bedroom, $530,000 apartment for $2,850 per month, with the option to put that money toward a down payment. He said he's signed two other rent-to-own deals in the building so far.

Given the sheer volume of condominiums that were planned or entered the market during the boom years, it's not surprising that they are not all successful now that the market has turned.

In Harlem, Harris said she views youth hostels, like the new L-Hostel that replaced Lotta Condominiums, as "the next big thing to make money." Profits are maximized because several beds crammed into a single room rent at $40 per night, and there's always demand for cheap accommodations in New York.

A Manhattan broker, who asked not to be named, said he's seeing more apartments converted into nightly and extended-stay hotel rooms, however unpleasant that may be for the few condo owners there.

He pointed to the new Web site for M127, a luxury condominium in Midtown South that sold just two units but now boasts five-star accommodations starting at $385 per night.

"It's kind of a shady subject because sometimes in the offering plan there are rules [against] this," he said. For the two people who own in the building, "I'm sure it's not pleasant for somebody to be using their building as a hotel."

Although a deal between a Brooklyn Cohousing group and the developer of Carlton Mews, a planned condo and townhouse project in Fort Greene, fell apart at the last minute, one of the group's founders, Alex Marshall, said its only challenge now is "sorting through all the opportunities to find the ones that are right for us."

This summer, The Real Deal featured Marshall's group — which aspires to build a community of private homes that have shared common spaces and decision-making, similar to a condo or co-op but more intimate — when it was having greater difficulty negotiating with developers. Now, the market is on the group's side.

"We are looking at projects that are completely finished but are sitting empty or near empty; projects that are half built; and projects that have not begun construction. There is a lot out there," he said, adding that his group is focusing its attention on the Prospect Park area.

Not all "creative solutions" have proved successful.

Horizon Global had difficulty selling its six-unit, 12-story project on the West Side Highway, Hudson Blue, so the developer converted it into one huge, glassy mansion with a $22 million asking price. The property has not sold, and a lis pendens was filed against the developer in August.

Developers' best-laid plans stymied by recession

2009-02-17T11:33:00.008-05:00

The Real Deal - ... Selected Queens Projects Stymied

Fusion by the Roe Corporation, 4251 Hunter Street in Long Island City, 24 units. Half the building has sold; the developer is marketing the rest of the units as rentals. (StreetEasy)

The View at East Coast by Rockrose, 4705 Center Boulevard in Long Island City, 184 units. As of December, only 18 units had gone into contract since they hit the market last summer, despite a 110 percent buy-back guarantee if the owner decides to sell after five years. Now, according to a broker on the blog OuterB, Rockrose is testing the rental market with 30 units. (OuterB.com, Jan. 11, 2009)

View 59 by Crescent Street, 24-15 Queens Plaza North in Long Island City, 35 units. After 19 months on the market, the developer had sold 27 units, then in May decided to offer the remaining 11 as rentals. (The Real Deal, July 1, 2008)

image of Sky View Parc from Curbed.

Mets fans will have to deal with Citi Field as name of stadium, says Rep. Barney Frank.

2009-02-13T15:22:00.003-05:00

NY Daily News - WASHINGTON - Citi Field it will be, and Mets fans will just have to live with the name of a tapped-out bank slapped on top of their new stadium, a key House member said Friday.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), head of the Financial Services Committee, said Treasure Secretary Tim Geithner had rejected congressional demands to cancel the naming rights deal. Some lawmakers were outraged because $45 billion in taxpayer bailout money had been pumped into Citigroup last year.

Image from New York Daily News.

Citifield

2009-02-12T18:13:00.009-05:00

Today some friends of mine took a tour of Citifield. Here are some pics from their tour. They also came back with the schedule of payments for season tickets. Season ticket prices range from $1,550 per seat to $18,325 per seat. Some seats have Club access included and Restaurant access too.

It doesn't seem like the average Joe can afford season tickets. It's just too far out of reach.

Humpback Whale Rescued by Divers

2009-02-12T15:44:00.005-05:00

From what I can see on the internet, this story has been around for a while. I can see why. It is a beautiful story.

If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her.

A very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her. When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

The man who cut the rope out of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and he will never be the same. May you, and all those you love, be so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will swim with you in the deep waters that may engulf you, and who will help you become untangled from the things that bind you. And, may you always know the joy of giving and receiving gratitude.

Story and image from janefonda.com.

Flushing CowParade is Coming

2009-02-11T12:04:00.008-05:00

Have you heard of CowParade? Well it’s the world’s largest public art event and it’s coming to Flushing. The Flushing CowParade will involve lifesize sculptures of cows which will be given to artists to use their creativity to paint with their own unique inspirations, as seen through their own cultural lens.

Painting of all these lifesize cows will take place during April and May at the Flushing Mall, which will be set-up as an Open Studio where you will be able to watch the artists paint the cows live.

The organizers of this event are Crossing Art (located in the Queens Crossing building), Flushing BID and the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts. Presently Crossing Art has issued its Call for Entries. Artists are being invited to submit their artwork, by a medium of their choice (sculpture, painting, new media, video etc.). The final artists will be chosen from these submissions.

Don’t miss the Baby CowParade Event this Spring. The Flushing Mall will also be host to this event in which children and parents from the community will participate in festivities and paint their own cow statues in a fun setting.

Other highlights of Flushing CowParade will be an art exhibit called – ’09 Oh Cow!, an Opening Reception, the exhibit itself and then an auction at the end to benefit some local charities including the Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts and the Queens Museum of Art.

For more information visit the Flushing CowParade site.

Bank on Change

2009-02-10T09:44:00.006-05:00

Activists on the lawns of CEO's who caused the down economy. Way to go!

A new kind of street warfare is breaking out against Wall Street titans - and it's happening on their lawns and outside their lobbies too.

A corps of agitators - financed, ironically, with federal-stimulus millions - is making the rounds of suburban mansions and posh co-ops of Wall Street bankers and CEOs, haranguing them for their errors in the housing crisis.

"When you take our homes, we're going to your homes to make you accountable," said activist Bruce Marks, following a sunny weekend of marching with 350 angry protesters at two high-profile targets.

Image from New York Post.

Gillibrand Talks to Students About Guns

2009-02-09T16:38:00.008-05:00

It seems that Kirsten Gillibrand is trying to position herself firmly against illegal gun trafficking which seems to diverge from her 100 percent rating from the National Rifle Association.

New York Times - In an emotional meeting on Monday morning with classmates of a Brooklyn high school student killed by gunfire, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand vowed to go after illegal gun trafficking. Ms. Gillibrand had been invited to the school, Nazareth Regional High School in East Flatbush, by the principal, Barbara Gil, who had been sharply critical of the senator’s past opposition to gun control as a member of the House of Representatives from upstate New York.

The meeting lasted less than an hour. She told the student she would name legislation targeting illegal gun traffickers for Nyasia Pryear, 17, who was killed in a gang-related shooting at a student gathering in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Jan. 17.

Read More

image from the New York Times.

Your $400 Check Might Be in the Mail Soon

2008-11-19T09:27:00.003-05:00

New York Times - City Room - It turns out Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg does not have the power to halt the $400 homeowners’ rebate checks, the city’s top budget official grudgingly admitted on Monday under questioning from the City Council. Any elimination of the popular rebates requires City Council approval, the budget director, Mark Page, acknowledged. And council members, who have been flooded with calls from angry residents looking for their checks, declared the mayor’s idea to cut them “dead on arrival.”

Read More

Image from AmyMichelle on Flickr.com

Willets Point and Positive Council Vote

2008-11-14T10:31:00.006-05:00

There were two votes yesterday and both were positive regarding the re-development of Willets Point. Early in the day the Land Use Committee voted 19-2 in favor and later in the day the full council voted 42-2 in favor with one abstention.

Yeah!

Image from NYC-EDC.

Why I'm glad I sold my Willets Point property to the City

2008-11-14T10:11:00.005-05:00

As the current businesses begin to move on, we can begin to imagine how the new Willets Point will look.

For more than 20 years, my family business, Flushing Towing, has been operating at Willets Point, Queens, where the city wants to clean up the land and build housing, parks, hotels and stores.

The City Council is set to vote Thursday on whether to move forward with the city's plan to develop the site - the area right next door to the new City Field and close to LaGuardia Airport. Willets Point has been polluted and dirty since I can remember - even before I started my business here.

Image from NYC-EDC.

Willets Point Development - Some Positives

2008-11-11T10:03:00.005-05:00

Over at the Never Forget '69 blog is a great article on the positive effects of developing Willets Point. Here's an excerpt:

But transforming the Iron Triangle into a posh location will certainly give fans a reason to come by the Mets ballpark even in the dead of winter. What Mets fan would not want to take a ride over to Flushing on a cold winter’s day, dreaming of the days of summer while dining at Planet Hollywood or some other trendy eatery at Citi Field? Then walk across 126th street and take in a movie or browse the latest baseball books at a Barnes and Nobles.

Assistance Slated For Willetts Point Workers

2008-11-05T11:42:00.004-05:00

The Queens Gazette - While rezoning at Willets Point still hangs in the balance, one aspect of the controversial plan is set to go. Seth Bornstein, assistant dean for economic development at LaGuardia Community College, said he anticipates moving the Willets Point Workforce Assistance program forward after final approval of the plan.

"We are in a holding pattern," he said at the October meeting of Community Board 7 in Flushing. A vote by the City Council is expected next week.

LaGuardia Community College has been designated to administer the $2.5 million workforce assistance program under its Division of Adult and Continuing Education.

Read More

image from gmpicket at Flickr.com

NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO PROVIDE ADVANCED AUTO-RELATED TRAINING PROGRAMS AT NO COST TO WILLETS POINT WORKFORCE

2008-11-03T17:45:00.004-05:00

Release #430 from Mayor Bloomberg's Office

Paragraph 1: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, Greater New York Auto Dealers Association Chairman Brian Miller, and Consortium for Worker Education Executive Joseph McDermott today announced new auto-related training and job placement programs that will be free to all workers at Willets Point. The new initiatives expand the Willets Point Workforce Assistance Plan, coordinated by LaGuardia Community College, which is designed to provide training and job placement opportunities for the workers who may be affected by the remediation and redevelopment of Willets Point. The Greater New York Auto Dealers Association will develop a program tailor-made for those currently working at Willets Point to help prepare them for opportunities in car dealership service departments, including training in green, hybrid automobile technology. The program designed by the Consortium for Worker Education will allow workers to participate in more than 500 courses, including automotive and truck repair, as well as non-auto-related classes in computer operation and repair and pre-vocational training. Participants will also have access to the Consortium’s network of job placement and job referral services.

Contact information:

Willets Point workers interested in learning more about the Willets Point Workforce Assistance Project can visit CUNY on Wheels in Willets Point or contact:

Linda Barlow, Director

Willets Point Workforce Assistance Plan at LaGuardia Community College Division of Adult and Continuing Education:

29-10 Thomson Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101

Tel: 718 482-5337

Stu Loeser/Andrew Brent (212) 788-2958

David Lombino/Joe Pally (EDC) (212) 312-3523

Nick Crispe (Greater NY Auto Dealers Assoc.) (212) 560-9494

Randy Fader-Smith (LaGuardia Comm. College) (718) 482-5985

City now owns over 40% of Willets Point after latest buy

2008-11-03T16:45:00.002-05:00

New York Daily News - The city has gobbled up another chunk of Willets Point in Queens as Mayor Bloomberg pushes his plan to transform the gritty industrial zone near Shea Stadium.

In the biggest land deal to date in the neighborhood, the city persuaded Indian food distributor House of Spices - the second-largest landowner at Willets Point - to sell its 4 acres, city officials told the Daily News.

The deal is expected to be announced Monday along with an agreement for a third of an acre owned by another company.

Safe Trick-or-Treat at the Queens Crossing Building

2008-10-24T18:47:00.003-04:00

The ghosts and goblins at Queens Crossing are waiting to see you on Halloween. If you're between 3-12 years of age, be sure to stop by for candy, refreshments, clowns and more. Costume competition will also be part of the event. Pictures will be taken of all trick-or-treaters and emailed to mom and dad.

Group Spent City’s Money, but Has Not Shown How

2008-10-19T22:30:00.003-04:00

New York Times -A Queens community group that is under investigation for possible political work on behalf of Councilman Hiram Monserrate could not produce paperwork to show how it spent nearly $250,000 in city money that the councilman had directed to it in recent years, city audits show.

The group, Libre, which was overseen by Mr. Monserrate’s chief of staff, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds from the councilman over the past five years to provide English language instruction, job placement assistance and other services to the immigrant and Latino community in the Corona area of Queens.

Image from the New York Times.

Alaska Inquiry Concludes Palin Abused Powers

2008-10-11T20:01:00.002-04:00

New York Times - Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to try to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, an investigation by the Alaska Legislature has concluded. The inquiry found, however, that she was within her right to dismiss her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who was the trooper’s boss.

A 263-page report released Friday by lawmakers in Alaska found that Ms. Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, had herself exerted pressure to get Trooper Michael Wooten dismissed, as well as allowed her husband and subordinates to press for his firing, largely as a result of his temperament and past disciplinary problems.

Read More

Price tag a sticking point in Willets Point project

2008-10-08T13:42:00.003-04:00

New York Daily News - As the Bloomberg administration attempts to sell its plan to redevelop Willets Point, the price tag for the controversial project has become a major sticking point for the City Council.

Mayor Bloomberg earmarked $400million in this year's fiscal budget for Willets Point, but the city has refused to provide details about the five land deals it has inked at the gritty industrial zone near Shea Stadium.

The city also has rejected a Daily News request under the Freedom of Information Law seeking information on the deals, saying it would harm ongoing talks.

Bill to end term limits introduced in City Council, paving way for Mayor Bloomberg to run again

2008-10-07T18:31:00.003-04:00

True to his word, the Mayor has introduced a bill to extend the number of consecutive terms to be served to three.

New York Times - The bill introduced Tuesday by Mayor Bloomberg that could up-end city politics is just one page long - and would permanently extend the tenure of elected officials to three terms from two.

It repeats the current law's declaration that "it is hereby declared to be public policy of the City of New York to limit" the length of time elected officials can serve.

But it changes the length of time from "not more than eight consecutive years" to "not more than three full consecutive terms."

Image from New York Daily News.

Markets Plunge Despite Hint of Rate Cut

2008-10-07T18:22:00.004-04:00

On Wall Street, the fear refuses to go away.

Read More

Image and story from the New York Times.

Willets Point - Two Hearings and the City Council Vote are Coming Up

2008-10-07T10:14:00.007-04:00

Some important dates are on the horizon. The City Council will vote on the proposed redevelopment of Willets Point on November 12, 2008. Over at the Iron Triangle Tracker the tentative dates of two preliminary hearings are listed as October 17, 9:30 a.m. and October 20, 10 a.m. These will be public hearings.

Image from Staightedge217 on Flickr.com.

The Future of Willets Point (Video)

2008-10-06T14:58:00.005-04:00

The Flushing/Willets Point/Corona Local Development Corporation has produced a great pro-Willets Point Development video. Take a look:

Video originally from YouTube.com.

Lauder Opposes Mayor on Change to Term Limits

2008-10-06T06:42:00.005-04:00

image is of protest yesterday (Sunday) against extending term limits. Also billionaire Ronald Lauder is for extending term limits but for one time only. If the term limits law is to be made permanent, he will be against it. Civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel is also considering opposing extending term limits.

New York Times - Ronald S. Lauder, the billionaire cosmetics heir and term limits champion, said Sunday night that he would vigorously oppose a plan, outlined by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City Council members, to permanently change the city’s term limits law to allow 12 years in office rather than 8.

His opposition jeopardizes a carefully constructed alliance that was considered key to Mr. Bloomberg’s bid for a third term.

Mr. Lauder, under pressure from friends and Mr. Bloomberg himself, said early last week that he would agree to a temporary revision of the term limits law, which would allow current officeholders to serve three four-year terms.

Image from New York Times.

Bloomberg Says He Wants a Third Term as Mayor

2008-10-05T21:45:00.003-04:00

In spite of the positive vote (to keep term limits) on two referendums in the 1990's, Mayor Bloomberg will attempt to gain a third term.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Thursday that he would abandon his earlier opposition to changing the term limits law and seek a third term as mayor, arguing that the economic crisis buffeting the nation called for continuity in municipal leadership.

“The good news is that we have planned for a slowdown in New York, but we may well be on the verge of a meltdown,” Mr. Bloomberg said, “and it’s up to us to rise to the occasion.”

He added that a third term “is a challenge I want to take on for the people of New York.”

Image from the New York Times.

Willets Pt. owners fear eminent domain threat

2008-10-04T13:11:00.004-04:00

This story is about one of the businesses at Willets Point that hasn't been able to strike a deal with the city thus far.

The Queens Chronicle - The Bono family has been in the sawdust industry for 75 years — most of that time in Willets Point — and fears that if the city has its way, it will go out of business.

“If we get thrown out through eminent domain, then who’s to say you’re not next?” asked Jack Bono, who now heads Bono Sawdust Supply Co., with his son, Jake. “This kind of thing is done in other countries, not here.”

The Bonos own one-quarter of an acre on 127th Place and rent another quarter acre nearby for their operation that specializes in turning sawdust into a sweeping compound used in the construction trade and for animal bedding used by local stables, race tracks and the circus. It is the only such business remaining in New York City, they said.

Read More

Image from the Queens Chronicle.

O. J. Simpson Found Guilty in Robbery Trial

2008-10-04T09:33:00.006-04:00

Jail time was a long time coming for O.J. but he is finally behind bars. The Goldman family is thrilled.

New York Times - Las Vegas - O. J. Simpson was found guilty late Friday on all 12 counts stemming from a confrontation in a hotel room last year, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

O.J. Simpson, left, hugged his friend Thomas Scotto after he was found guilty at his trial in Las Vegas. His sister Carmelita Durio is at right.

The verdict, which comes 13 years to the day after Mr. Simpson was acquitted in the highly publicized murders of his ex-wife and her friend, concluded a four-week trial that many have seen as a proxy for those unsatisfied by that 1995 outcome.

Mr. Simpson now faces 15 years to life for the kidnapping charge as well as a minimum of at least another 10 years in prison on the other charges. His attorney, Yale Galanter, said he would appeal.

Image from MSNBC News.com.

Workers rally outside mobile classroom

2008-10-04T09:15:00.006-04:00

What a sad state of affairs this is. A rally against educational opportunities led by Arturo Olaya, President of the Willets Point Defense Committee. Four protesters actually boarded the bus and harassed people from LaGuardia Community College.

New York Daily News - The city's ballyhooed push to retrain Willets Point workers got off to a chaotic start Wednesday as a swarm of angry protestors sparked a verbal clash inside a mobile classroom.

Carrying signs that read "Relocation, not Retraining" and "Retraining is an insult," a horde of furious workers surrounded the classroom on wheels shortly after it rolled into the gritty industrial strip near Citi Field.

"I got an education already," said Wilmer Tepan, 28, of Maspeth, one of more than 25 workers who showed up to rail against LaGuardia Community Colletge, which won a bid to run the $2.5 million job-training program.

Image from the New York Daily News.

Willets Point - Letter to City Council Members

2008-10-01T09:31:00.008-04:00

This image is of a pro Willets Point Redevelopment Letter which was sent to all the City Council Members yesterday. Here's the text of the letter along with the names of those who signed it.

Dear Council Members:

We are writing to urge you to support the City's plan to remediate and redevelop Willets Point, Queens. As citizens, community leaders, elected officials, merchants, environmentalists, urban planners, business leaders and union members, we all have a vested interest in the quality of life of our city. Many of us participated in the 2002 public meetings tht urged action at Willets Point and led to the current plan. Ensuring the long-term stability of our neighborhoods, environment and economy is our collective goal.

The City's proposal for Willets Point is our best chance to transform a degraded section of New York into an engine for environmentally sensible growth and community development. Combined with its wonderful existing entertainment and cultural attractions, the addition of a new convention center, diverse new retail and restaurant options, as well as modern and affordable housing, all built on green environmental principles, Willis Point will become a one-of-a kind destination tht will draw milions of new visitors to Queens.

Redevelopment also offers an opportunity to tap into the dynamic communities surrounding Willets Point and create a new connection between our neighborhoods. As you know, Queens has become one of the great melting pots of the world; and those who come to Willets Point to shop, eat and spend the day can also visit nearby Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona to taste the cuisines of Central and South America; or enjoy the Lunar New Year Parade and other cultural offerings in Flushing.

In this way, a redeveloped Willets Point will provide unprecedented benefits for the Queens economy and add to the city's economy as a whole. In addition to the billions of dollars in new tax revenue, it will create thousands of new construction and quality permanent jobs, translating to meaningful new work opportunities for the local community and beyond.

The environmental benefits of this project offer perhaps the greatest return: the rehabilitation of a 60 acre brownfield which has been abused for decades into a sustainable 21st century LEED community. The redevelopment of Willets Point will also lead to the clean up and renewal of the Flushing River.

And make no mistake, we are keenly sensitive to the businesses, oproperty owners and works located on the site now, and we believe this project can be a win-win opportunity for them as well. The City is negotiating with existing businesses, large and small, to relocate or to buy their land and has begun to make strong progress in this effort. We must all care about the workers at Willets Point, and their future must be considered, so we will closely monitor the City's workforce assistance program to ensure that they have new, meaningful opportunities.

In conclusion, after more than 50 years of unsuccessful attempts the clean-up of Willets Point is at hand and we as community leaders face a historic opportunity: we can transform a long underused and polluted swath of land into a cornerstone of the City's future. We can create new jobs, new housing, build an environmentally sustainable community that generates better paying jobs and substantially more economic activity that it does today. As council Members, you hold the key to the future of Willets Point, and we ask you to vote for the project and ensure it comes tru.

We look forward to working with you to make this a reality.

Signed by:
Claire Shulman, President & CEO FWC LDC, Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President, Joseph Crowley, US Representative, 7th District, NY, Joseph Farber, Farber, Rosen & Kaufman; Joseph Ficalor, New York Community Bank; Joel Miele, P.E.Sr., Miele & Associates; Peter Magnani, Queens Library; Vincent L. Riso, The Briarwood Organization; Carol Conslato, Flushing Town Hall; Joseph Ciampa, The Ciampa Organization; Thomas Chen, Crystal Windows; Pat Edwards, Citi; Eduardo Giraldo, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens; Steve Goodman, Samuel Field YM & YWHA; Myra Baird Herce, Flushing Chamber of Commerce; Marilyn Hoyt, New York Hall of Science; Peter Koo, Flushing Chinese Business Assiociation; Stanley Markowitz, Michael Meyer, TDC Development; Stephen S. Mills, New York Hospital Queens, Terrence Park, Ramah; Al Pennisi, Queens Chamber of Commerce; Mark Schienberg, Greater New York Automobile Dealers Asso; Keith Samaroo, Paulus, Sartor & Sokolowski; Nettie Mayerson, New York State Assembly; Serf Maltese, New York State Senate; Margaret Markey, New York State Assembly; Rory Lancman, New York State Assembly; Robert D. Yaro, President Regional Plan Asso.; Andrew Darrell, VP, Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund; William Solecki, Director, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities; Alan Weinstein, President, American Institute of Architects, Queens Chapter; Jeff Aubry, New York State Assembly; Mark Weprin, New York State Assembly; Barbara M. Clark, New York State Assembly; Marcia Bystryn, Executive Director, New York League of Conservation Voters; Dr. Yan Zheng, Director, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Professor Geochemistry, Queens College, City University of New York; Susan Lacerte, Executive Director, Queens Botanical Garden; Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer, Executive Director, Queens Council on the Arts; William Rudin, Chairman, Association for a Better New York; Steven Spinola, President, Real Estate Board of New York; Bruce Bendell, Major Automotive Companies; Fred Fu, President, Flushing Development Center; Ruben Pena, President, Corona Action Network; Arthur Murray, President, Northern Blvd., Merchants Association; John Ferreira, President, Junction Blvd., Merchants Assoc.; Kathy Wylde, President and CEO, Partnership for New York City; Richard T. Anderson, President, New York Building Congress; Chris McShane, Editor, Develop Willets Point website; Amy Peterson, President, Non Traditional Employment for Women; Earle Walker, Executive Director, Regional Alliance for Small Contractors; Lina Gottesman, Vice President, Professional Women in Construction; John Park, President, Korean American Community Empowerment Council; James Galloway, Director, LeFrak City Merchants Association; Jasmmy Chee, President, American Asian Cultural Society; Kris Ram, Executive Director, Hindu Temple Society of North America; Dennis Shi, COO, Quo Corporation; Drew Manger, Con Edison; Dr. Annie Martin, Trustee Emeritus, American Red Cross of Greater NY, Labor Laison; Ernest Curry, Treasurer, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens; Harry Wells, Executive Director, York College Small Business Development Center; James Heyliger, Executive Director, Association of Minority Enterprises of NY; Howard Dai, President, Zhe Jiang Business Association; Robert Young, Commerce Bank; Joseph Ramaglia, Business Manager, IUPAT District Council 9; Gary LaBarbera, President, New York City Central Labor Council; Edward Molloy, President, Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO; Stuasrt Applebaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; George Miranda, Secretary-Treasurer, IBT Local 210; Bruce Both, President UFCW Local 1500; Peter Ward, President, New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council; Edward F. Ott, Executive Director, New York City Central Labor Council; Mike Fishman, President, Local 32BJ, SEIU; Harry Farrell, President, Local 1-2 Utility Workers Union of America; James Conigliaro, Directing Business Rep., IAMAW District 15

Palin on which newspapers she reads: ‘Um, all of them.’

2008-10-01T08:58:00.003-04:00

Think Progress is reporting that Sarah Palin had trouble answering questions from Katie Couric regarding which newspapers she reads. She couldn't name even one news source. See transcript and video.

Image from etchasketchist at flickr.com.

Bloomberg Called Ready to Announce Third-Term Bid

2008-09-30T17:13:00.005-04:00

New York Times - After months of speculation about his political future, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to announce on Thursday morning that he will seek a third term as mayor, according to three people who have been told of his plans.

The extraordinary move promises to upend New York City’s political world.

Right now, Mr. Bloomberg is barred by law from seeking re-election. But he will propose trying to revise the city’s 15-year-old term limits law, which would otherwise force him and dozens of other elected leaders out of office in 2009, the three people said.

Image from the New York Times.

In Bailout Vote, a Leadership Breakdown

2008-09-30T10:27:00.006-04:00

Our elected officials are a disappointment, at this time.

New York Times - Washington - The collapse of the proposed rescue plan for the teetering financial system was the product of a larger failure — of political leadership in Washington — at a moment when the world was looking to the United States to contain the cascading economic crisis.

From the White House to Congress to the presidential campaign trail, the principal players did not rally the votes they needed in the House. They appeared not to comprehend or address in a convincing way an intense strain of opposition to the deal among voters. They allowed partisan politics to flare at sensitive moments.

Image from psycho milt at flickr.com.

Vote on the $700 Billion Bailout

2008-09-30T10:10:00.004-04:00

Yesterday the House of Representatives voted against the $700 billion bailout. This is how our elected officials voted.

How the House voted

Yes

Democrats	140	95
Republicans	65	133
Total	205	228

Dow plummets record 777 as financial rescue fails

2008-09-29T17:37:00.007-04:00

My mouth is hanging open like these guys. It's unbelievable.

The Huffington Post - NEW YORK — Wall Street's worst fears came to pass Monday, when the government's financial bailout plan failed in Congress and stocks plunged precipitously _ hurtling the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 780 points in their largest one-day point drop ever. Credit markets, whose turmoil helped feed the stock market's angst, froze up further amid the growing belief that the country is headed into a spreading credit and economic crisis.

Read More

Image from the Huffington Post.

Bailout failure throws banks into disarray

2008-09-29T17:20:00.004-04:00

So the house voted against the bailout plan. Personally, I was for the plan. In discussions with people I know and respect it was determined that the bailout is the way to release the flow of money, otherwise the economy is tied in a knot. I guess the next few days will tell us if this is true or not.

What are your thoughts on this crisis?

MSNBC News.com - The failure of a massive $700 billion bailout financial plan Monday removes a critical firewall intended to keep the credit market collapse from spilling over into the global economy.

But even if the plan is somehow revived, cracks are beginning to widen in the foundations of the global banking system.

Aftershocks from the ongoing credit crisis struck again Monday, with the forced marriage of Wachovia and Citigroup and the nationalization of several European banks.

Letterman: McCain made me feel like 'an ugly date'

2008-09-26T13:07:00.005-04:00

Here's a link to the New York Daily News page, "Race for the White House 2008". If you get a chance, read through that page. The constant verbal assaults on John McCain from David Letterman are priceless. John McCain seems to be making alot of mistakes and dropping the Letterman show was one of them.

Willets Plan Approved But Opponents Hang In

2008-09-25T10:27:00.005-04:00

The Village Voice has a good summary of the local papers publications which came out after the positive vote yesterday at the City Planning Commission.

The Village Voice - Despite yesterday's approval of the City Planning Commission, the Mayor, and the local community board, the plan to redevelop Willets Point retains significant opposition, and both the New York Sun and the New York Daily News report an ongoing struggle to defeat it.

The Willets Point Industry and Realty Association issued a statement yesterday, calling the plan a "$1 billion plus waste of taxpayers’ money" and expressed "confidence" that "the City Council will continue to stand up to the Mayor as he pressures them to approve his flailing plan."

Image from crackerCAM at flickr.com

Obama rejects McCain call to delay debate

2008-09-25T09:13:00.005-04:00

Barack Obama has said no to cancelling the debate but President Bush has called both Barack and John McCain to Washington for today at least.

MSNBC News - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama rejected Republican Sen. John McCain’s dramatic call Wednesday to delay Friday’s presidential debate because of the economic crisis. The McCain campaign said McCain would not show up for the debate unless a deal to address the crisis was reached.

The Commission on Presidential Debates and the University of Mississippi, the scheduled host of Friday night’s first debate, said the debate would go forward. They did not say what they would do if McCain failed to show up in Oxford, Miss.

Read More

Image from MSNBC News.

McCain Seeks to Delay First Debate Amid Financial Crisis

2008-09-24T16:10:00.003-04:00

This is an extreme move and points to the extreme problem our national leaders are dealing with. An interesting quote from the article is, "Although Mr. McCain was the first to emerge on Wednesday afternoon and announce a change in campaign plans, Mr. Obama apparently began the exchange with his Republican rival hours earlier."

New York Times - Senator John McCain said Wednesday that he would suspend campaigning on Thursday, and seek a delay in this week’s planned presidential debate, so that he could return to Washington to try to forge a consensus on a financial bailout package.

A short time later the Obama campaign issued a statement saying that the two presidential candidates had spoken on the telephone Wednesday morning about issuing a statement on the financial difficulties facing the nation, but did not address cancelling the debate.

Read More

Image from the New York Times.

Ex-Councilwoman becomes District Leader by a mere 18 votes

2008-09-24T13:26:00.006-04:00

Now this was a close race. 18 votes made the difference.

New York Times - It was a dozen years ago that Julia Harrison, then a city councilwoman from Queens, created a stir with remarks she made regarding the influx of Asian resident in her district, which was centered in Flushing.

In an interview at the time, the councilwoman, who is white, blamed the growing Asian population in Flushing for increased crime and higher real estate prices. The remarks prompted an outcry in the community culminating in a demonstration at City Hall. Ms. Harrison apologized for her remarks. But they have come to represent something of a signature event in her public profile.

Image from the New York Times.

City Planning Commission says Yes to Willets Point Development

2008-09-24T12:44:00.009-04:00

Here's Mayor Bloomberg's announcement regarding the City Planning Commission's vote on Willets Point and Hunters Point South:

Note: NY1 is reporting there was one disenting vote, which was that of the Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. Betsy also spoke against a positive vote on her blog yesterday.

“The plan for Willets Point enters month six of the seven-month public approval process, having been reviewed and approved by the local Community Board, the Borough President and now the City Planning Commission. At each step of the process, the plan has been refined based on extensive input from the public and from officials, and each time, the conclusion has been unmistakable: this plan must go forward. The environmental contamination that exists at Willets Point cannot stand, and the opportunity to create new housing, parks, office space, retail amenities and more than 5,000 permanent jobs should not be passed up. The plan will continue to be refined as City Council Members review the plan, ask questions and provide input. I am confident that, at the end of the day, they too will choose to address the challenges that have plagued Willets Point for decades and act to create new economic opportunities for all Queens residents.

“The Planning Commission’s approval of our Hunters Point South plan to transform vacant waterfront property in Queens into 5,000 units of housing, 60 percent of which will be reserved for moderate- and middle-income residents, is just as significant. This week, we announced that we have reached the midway point in our $7.5 billion plan to build and preserve affordable housing for 500,000 New Yorkers. One of the most vital projects of our historic plan is Hunters Point South, which will create housing affordable for 3,000 moderate- and middle-income families, including our police officers, nurses, teachers and public employees.”

Image from Straightedge217 on flickr.com.

Planning Commission To Vote On Willets Point Redevelopment

2008-09-24T11:14:00.003-04:00

NY1 - The City Planning Commission is voting today on plans to redevelop the mostly-industrial Willets Point area in Queens, replacing auto repair shops and scrap yards with new commercial development, a convention center, and affordable housing.

If approved, the plan would then go to the City Council, where it could be met with strong opposition. Thirty-three members of the council have come out against the plan.

Planning Commission To Vote On Willets Point Redevelopment

Critics are concerned the plan does not address what types of public subsidies will be used and that property owners are being forced out.

The mayor's office has announced an initiative to provide training and job placement for displaced workers.

The project could uproot as many as 260 businesses.

No, Really, How Much Is $700 Billion?

2008-09-24T09:44:00.007-04:00

I don't know about you, but for me this kind of money does not compute. This article says $700 Billion is worth about 12 Bill Gateses or 381 Titantic movies. The Titanic movies kind of puts it in perspective for me. That's alot of money.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urged Congress Tuesday morning to authorize a $700 billion bailout of struggling financial institutions. Although the congressional leadership has indicated its willingness to get onboard with the plan, rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties are balking at what's been called the largest bailout in U.S. history. Just how much is $700 billion?

A lot, or not that much. There are about 300 million men, women, and children currently living (legally) in the United States, so the bailout is equal to roughly $2,300 per person. That's right around what we each paid, on average, for gas and oil in 2006 ($2,227) and a bit less than our average personal tax burden ($2,432).

Image from Slate.com.

Driver: I didn't know boy was alone

2008-09-24T05:37:00.004-04:00

It appears that the bus driver didn't just abandon the boy but instead dropped him off with other children to a group of waiting people. It raises the questions should policies be changed so this doesn't happen again and why was no one there to meet him?

New York Daily News - The school bus driver who dropped off a 5-year-old child - even though there was no parent to pick him up - followed proper procedures, her bus company said Tuesday.

An Atlantic Express official put the blame on Public School 111 in the Bronx, for mistakenly putting the child on the bus in the first place.

"Our driver tells us that all proper procedures were followed," said Atlantic spokeswoman Carolyn Daly. "There is zero tolerance for leaving children unattended in any circumstance. Our information is that this didn't occur."

Image from NY Daily News.

Slacker Uprising by Michael Moore

2008-09-23T21:38:00.004-04:00

SlackerUprising.com - Michael Moore's new movie is available for free.

New York Times - Michael Moore, the political provocateur behind the films “Fahrenheit 9/11” and "Sicko" is releasing a new film Tuesday. But you will not be able to find “Slacker Uprising” at any theater. Instead he is placing the film on the Internet for free viewing, at SlackerUprising.com. Mr. Moore said the unorthodox rollout is a gift to his fans and a rallying cry for the coming election.

“At times there’s nothing wrong with preaching to the choir,” he said in a telephone interview from his office in Traverse City, Mich. Liberals have been “pretty beaten down over the last 28 years.”

Image from Brave New Films at flickr.com.

Stay or Go? Bloomberg's Options

2008-09-23T17:28:00.004-04:00

The Associated Press is looking at Mayor Bloomberg's options with a sense of humor. They suggest he make his ring tone, Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Associated Press - Mayor Michael Bloomberg has suddenly managed to make speculation about his future look like a tug of war — stay four more years and guard the city against financial ruin or leave now and do the same for the nation.

In recent days there have been pleas for the billionaire businessman to go in opposite directions. One has him changing New York's term-limits law to run again and stay in office as the fallout from the financial crisis threatens the city. The other envisions him going to Washington to head the Treasury Department in the next presidential administration, become an economic czar or sit on an oversight committee to supervise the Bush administration's bailout plan.

Image from nycjournal on flickr.com.

Programs for Willets Point Workers

2008-09-23T16:47:00.006-04:00

Today Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Lieber and New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council President Peter Ward announced an unprecedented hospitality job program as part of the Willets Point Workforce Assistance Plan. Normally this program is offered to union members for job placement and career advancement in the hotel and hospitality sector. The training center, launched in 1969, now has the capacity to train 1,000 people each year and is opening it doors to non-members currently working in Willets Point. The Willets Point population has unique needs and the workers who elect to participate in the initiative will be taught in specialized classes.

"Willets Point workers who accept our invitation will be fully qualified for quality jobs in the hospitality industry anywhere in New York City," said Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward.

LaGaurdia Community College also has a program for Willets Point workers through its Division of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE). This program will include English language classes, vocational assessment, job readiness skills, placement services and cash incentives for participation. It will be an 18 month program.

Folks, that's two great programs to help the Willets Point workers begin new and, hopefully, improved lives. Their time of working in a place that doesn't have a sewer is coming to an end and a door to a new future is being opened for them.

Update: 7:15 p.m., 9/23
Crain's New York Business.com is reporting that city workers are at odds over Willets Point Retraining. Basically, many feel they already know the automotive business and don't want the retraining.

There's no perfect answer nor easy solutions to the issues regarding Willets Point.

Some streets pose dangers to pedestrians

2008-09-23T11:52:00.004-04:00

I thought I'd see a street near where I work but, thankfully, it wasn't there.

Image is of police investigators looking at the backpack belonging to 12-year-old Nisha Chowdhury, found last Wednesday at the scene of the hit-and-run on Rockaway Blvd.

New York Daily News -Queens Boulevard gets a lot of attention as the "boulevard of death," but some of the borough's other streets are also dangerous spots for pedestrians, according to a report issued by doctors at Elmhurst Hospital Center.

They looked at 998 patients who ended up in the hospital's emergency room because they were struck by vehicles while trying to cross busy borough streets.

Image from New York Daily News

Bozo bus driver abandons kid alone in middle of nowhere

2008-09-23T10:37:00.004-04:00

Why did the bus driver let this kid off by himself?

Actually, I don't think there can be a good explanation.

New York Daily News - A Bronx first-grader was left to wander the streets alone after he was wrongly loaded onto a school bus - and the dopey driver booted him out at the end of the line.

Lost and abandoned, 5-year-old Jaeden Vasquez had to ask a stranger to help him get back to his Eastchester home, 2 miles away.

"You just let a child off a bus when no one's there for him?" said the boy's mom, Aileen Bonilla. "You don't know what could have happened."

Image from the New York Daily News.

New York now has a Home Contractor Complaint Site

2008-09-23T10:22:00.005-04:00

Ever wish you knew more about your contractor before you hired him. Kind of like, "If you knew then, what you know now, you never would have hired him in the first place." Well our Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo is now making that type of information available. The Associated Press has reported the site address as:

www.nyknowyourcontractor.com

Image from MathTeacherGuy at flickr.com.

New York City May Raise Property Tax

2008-09-23T09:40:00.005-04:00

This quote is towards the end of the article:
"...the mayor has referred to the need to find new revenue sources at least three times in the last week..."
If new revenue sources would reduce the tax burden on home owners then we should all be encouraging the mayor to move in that direction. I would like to hear more about what his ideas are regarding this.

New York Times - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, worried about the effects of the global financial crisis on New York City’s economy, said on Monday that his administration is considering imposing a 7 percent property tax increase on homeowners in January.

Mayor Bloomberg, speaking on Monday at Kennedy Airport, said a tax increase, which would require the City Council’s approval, could mean an additional $600 million for the city next year.

The mayor said the move, which would generate an additional $600 million in revenue next year and require City Council approval, would help the city weather a worsening fiscal situation.

Image from concholakeaz at flickr.com.

Eminent Domain

2008-09-22T17:43:00.005-04:00

A New York Sun article,Victorious Senate Democrats Could Target Eminent Domain, has some interesting summaries on this topic:

New York's City Council is considering legislation proposed by Council Member Hiram Monserrate that would require the inclusion of more detailed financial impact statements for projects the city is considering that require the use of eminent domain.
Mr. Monserrate said his legislation could serve as a partial blueprint for changes at the state level.

Mayor Bloomberg has repeatedly stated the need for the use of eminent domain in certain instances, and any legislative change would also likely require the approval of the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver. A spokesman for Mr. Silver declined to comment on whether he would support such changes.

A spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg, Andrew Brent, said in a statement: "The Bloomberg Administration has a clear track record of consenting to the use of eminent domain only when it is absolutely needed for an important public purpose, and even then, as a last resort. If and when those situations arise though, it can be an essential mechanism to allow the city to create a safe environment, develop sustainable communities, and prepare for growth."

A senior attorney for the Institute of Justice, Dana Berliner, said that while she felt the timing of eminent domain alterations was ripe, she was skeptical that it would be tied to the Democratic takeover of the Senate.

Quinn says she and her staff are NOT asking Council Members about Term Limits

2008-09-22T17:23:00.005-04:00

Over at the New York Observer, Azi Paybarah is reporting that Christine Quinn had a "harsh reaction" to a question about whether her staff had contacted City Council members to find out what position they would take on an extension of term limits. This image seems to represent her overall reaction to the question.

Image from the New York Observer.

Willets Point Workforce Development Program

2008-09-22T16:29:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow the Deputy Mayor, Robert C. Lieber, will join with the New York Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward to announce a historic Workforce Development Program for Willets Point Workers. The announcement will take place at 12:30 p.m. at:

NY Hotel Trades Council & Hotel Association of New York City Inc.
Industry Training Center
37-01 Queens Blvd.
Long Island City, New York

You can expect to also see the President of LaGuardia Community College - Gail Mellow and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall at this event.

Image from crackerCAM at flickr.com

NY Daily News in favor of Third Term for Mike Bloomberg

2008-09-22T15:54:00.005-04:00

Let's pretend it's January 1, 2010. Who will the mayor of New York be?

Term limits conversations come up daily in newspapers and blogs. Heard some conversation about it in my office also. While other options are opening up for the mayor (see my post below), continuing on as mayor may be his favorite.

New York Daily News - Michael Bloomberg must stand for reelection to a third term as mayor in 2009. Run, Mike, run.

New York is only beginning to weather the damaging effects of the worst financial crisis to hit the U.S. since the Great Depression. Severe aftershocks of lost jobs and shrinking tax revenue will present the occupant of City Hall with huge and unprecedented challenges.

New Yorkers deserve to select the person they feel is best qualified to pull the city through the crisis from among a full field of candidates.

Image from the New York Daily News.

Mayor Suggests Openness to Federal Post

2008-09-22T09:10:00.004-04:00

The mayor seems to be keeping his options open. A federal job could be the answer if term limits are not extended.

The New York Sun - WASHINGTON — Mayor Bloomberg is signaling he is open to taking on a senior federal post to help the government implement its unprecedented bailout of the financial markets.

The mayor, in an appearance yesterday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press," was asked about a recommendation by the billionaire investor Warren Buffett that Mr. Bloomberg be tapped to head a new agency charged with buying up bad assets that are now dragging down the nation's top financial firms.

Image from National 911 Memorial on flickr.com.

Queens pols see Mayor Bloomberg pressing for support on Willets Point

2008-09-22T09:00:00.005-04:00

This article talks about the NYCEDC drumming up support for the redevelopment of Willets Point. It also mentions, "the City Council is set to take a make-or-break vote on the project in November". However, it neglected to mention that the City Planning Commission should be voting on this project on September 24 -- that's this Wednesday.

New York Daily News - For seven years Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) requested a meeting with the city Economic Development Corp. president to discuss traffic congestion caused by the College Point Corporate Park.

And for seven years, the agency refused.

But the agency came calling last week - yet all its president, Seth Pinsky, wanted to talk about was whether Avella would support Mayor Bloomberg's controversial plan to develop Willets Point.

With the City Council set to take a make-or-break vote on the project in November, some members of Queens' Council delegation say the administration is starting a full-court press for support.

Image from crackerCAM at flickr.com.

Queens house is an unlikely 'Ugly Betty' co-star

2008-09-21T13:17:00.004-04:00

The owners of the "Ugly Betty House" in Jackson Heights get $5,000 for each shoot at their house. Sweet deal.

New York Daily News - The filming of "Ugly Betty" has switched from Los Angeles to New York this season, but the Suarez clan has always called Jackson Heights home.

The Queens house where Betty and her fictional family dwell really exists in the borough - and has been seen on the show since the pilot episode.

Real-life owner Francois Guerrier remembers when a location scout first asked if he'd allow his home to double as Betty's base back in 2006.

Image from New York Daily News.

New Doubts Over Palin's Troopergate Claims

2008-09-20T19:08:00.003-04:00

ABC News obtained an internal government document which which does not support some of Sarah Palin's statement. Good job ABC News.

An internal government document obtained by ABC News appears to contradict Sarah Palin's most recent explanation for why she fired her public safety chief, the move which prompted the now-contested state probe into "Troopergate."

Fighting back against allegations she may have fired her then-Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan, for refusing to go along with a personal vendetta, Palin on Monday argued in a legal filing that she fired Monegan because he had a "rogue mentality" and was bucking her administration's directives.

"The last straw," her lawyer argued, came when he planned a trip to Washington, D.C., to seek federal funds for an aggressive anti-sexual-violence program. The project, expected to cost from $10 million to $20 million a year for five years, would have been the first of its kind in Alaska, which leads the nation in reported forcible rape.

Image from ABC News.

Charlie Rangel on hot seat for labeling Sarah Palin 'disabled'

2008-09-20T07:39:00.004-04:00

Over at the Daily News they're reporting that Charles Rangel has labeled Sarah Palin as disabled. It seems Mr. Rangel can't get himself out of the negative press spotlight.

New York Daily News - Rep. Charles Rangel already in trouble for overdue taxes, dug a new hole for himself Friday after he dissed Sarah Palin as "disabled."

The powerful Democratic chairman of the House Way and Means Committee, asked by WCBS-TV to comment on the Republican vice presidential nominee's appeal, responded with a politically incorrect putdown.

"You got to be kind to the disabled," Rangel, 78, told political reporter Marcia Kramer.

Image from Brenizen at flickr.com.

Congressman Pays Back Tax on Dominican Republic Villa

2008-09-20T07:23:00.004-04:00

It looks like Mr. Rangel is moving as fast as he can to correct his "mistake".

Representativ Charles B. Rangel has delivered six checks, totaling $10,800, to New York State and to the I.R.S. to pay the back taxes he owes from rental income on his Dominican villa, his legal team announced on Friday.

Mr. Rangel acknowledged this month that he had failed to declare $75,000 in rental income from his beachfront villa on both his tax returns and financial disclosure forms. Mr. Rangel’s lawyers said he owed back taxes for at least three years and had hired a forensic accounting firm to review his records dating back 20 years to search for additional omissions.

Image from New York Times.

Todd Palin Refusing To Testify In Troopergate

2008-09-19T18:44:00.004-04:00

Although originally she wanted to be "held accountable" for the Troopergate problem, she and her husband are no longer discussing the issue at all.

The Huffington Post - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's husband has refused to testify in the investigation of his wife's alleged abuse of power, and key lawmakers said Thursday that uncooperative witnesses are effectively sidetracking the probe until after Election Day.

Todd Palin, who participates in state business in person or by e-mail, was among 13 people subpoenaed by the Alaska Legislature. Palin's lawyer sent a letter to the lead investigator saying Palin objected to the probe and would not appear to testify on Friday.

Image from The Huffington Post.