The City Council approved 39-9 the rezoning that will allow Jed Walentas to build a controversial 17-story
tower next to the Brooklyn Bridge. Here is a statement from Kristan Roebling, a descendant and spokesperson for the family of John A. and Washington Roebling, the designers and builders of the Brooklyn Bridge. She lives in Brooklyn.
“I am writing today to express my utter shock
and befuddlement at the passing of Two Trees Management’s proposed
high-rise condo abutting the Brooklyn
Bridge on
Dock Street , and to
also express my horror at the manner in which this travesty was allowed to
happen. As has now become completely clear to anyone with an interest in
perusing the now publicly available documents in regards to Two Trees’s
Dock Street project, certain municipal servants whose solemn responsibility it
is to uphold the rule of law for the benefit of every New Yorker have
essentially been bought and paid for so that a structure which vandalizes the
Brooklyn Bridge can be built.”
“This is not just a tragedy for the
architectural legacy of one of the world's great national monuments; it is also
a devastating tragedy for the fair and balanced execution of the Democratic
process in our city. Just like when the Brooklyn
Bridge was first built, the ghost of
Boss Tweed once again presides over New
York 's political machine, and a new and insidious
Tammany Hall has shown its face through these proceedings. Shame on the
business people and politicians who allowed this to happen.”
“For those of you who fought so hard to see to
it that the will of New York City was heard in
regards to this proposed development, you can comfort yourself by knowing that
you are on the right side of New York 's
history, and that this moment represents the loss of a battle more so than an
entire war. The alarming evidence of impropriety in the vetting of this project
must be thoroughly investigated, before a single stone is allowed to be
set. Just as the destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station
resulted in the establishment of a sweeping move to preserve America's
architectural treasures, so too can this current travesty become a battle cry
that inspires New Yorkers to see to it that their city's remaining treasures
are treated with the respect that they deserve, and that morally bankrupt, or
simply ineffectual, politicians are drummed out of office at the voting polls
by a democratic process that will not allow our quality of life to be
determined by backroom deals.”
Brooklyn Bridge Polaroid by Bruce E. Huston
Face it: Mass media determine who becomes mayor. Big business (which includes the mass media) gained tremendous control over city government in 1989 when they argued against replacing the old Board of Estimate, “empowered” the city council, and de-fanged the borough presidents. But few city council members today can survive without supporting the mayor, who can deny them access to commissioners, and the council speaker, who controls their committee and leadership assignments, which augment their salaries. So the mayor rules.
We need to do enough grass-roots organizing to convince the governor, the assembly, and the state senate to actually change the structure of NYC government. Unfortunately, from what we’re hearing from Albany about mayoral control of the schools, they don’t seem quite ready to do that.
We need to join political clubs and civic associations, support community boards (even though they’re imperfect), demand a real role for parents in school governance, and tell legislators that their reelection depends on whether they support the community’s priorities. Blogs such as this one are a great start!
Every time we weaken a political club, a community education council, a civic association, or a community board, we increase the role of mass communications in deciding who gets elected. This means that money counts more than ever, so that those who can make big campaign contributions — such as major developers — get their way more and more.
Is there any way to fight this?
Thanks.