Gotham Gazette's Reading NYC Book Club discussed historic preservation and urban development at its meeting on February 28, 2007. Two guest authors joined the meeting: Kevin Walsh, whose book Forgotten New York (based on his Web site by the same name) is a tribute to the city's historic sites, and Roberta GRATZ, author of two books about urban development “ The Living City and Cities Back From the Edge – and one of the commissioners on the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The following is an edited transcript.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: Mr. Walsh, how did you come up with Forgotten New York? How did you get started with it?
KEVIN WALSH: Well, I'm happy to be here in the Jefferson Market Library, formerly a women's prison – well, actually this was the courthouse; the prison was across the street. This is my first time in the building, but I've been up in the clock tower during Open House New York. You go up in the tower, and you can see all of Greenwich Village.
Anyway, to the point at hand, I started Forgotten New York in 1998. But I think it was an event that happened in my life in 1963 that led to its genesis. I was living on 6th Avenue and 83rd Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. I was a kid, although I would continue to live there until the early 1980s. Across the street they tore down everything to build the Gowanus expressway, which was the on-ramp to the Verrazano Bridge. I saw the bridge built, and I'm very happy about that. It's a landmark and hopefully it will be there for 1,000 years.
But to do that, they had to tear down everything across the street from me. They did that in 1958 or 1959, and they left it empty for years. My father took a camera and took photos of it, documented it. It's on my Verrazano Bridge page.
In 1963, they also eliminated all the cast iron lampposts on 6th avenue. These lampposts dated back to 1910. Overnight, they were wiped out. Even at that young age, I had been filling notebooks with drawings of these cast iron lampposts, in all their different designs.
Those two events put a kernel in my head: you better get stuff on camera before they destroy it. Much to my regret, I didn't do anything about it until 1998. Imagine if I had done that all those years.
With the onset of the Internet, I got the idea of doing a Web site called Forgotten New York about all the things that you see in the street that are unusual, unnoted, that people don't look at or don't see.
In New York everybody's rushing around. They're not looking up, they're not looking down. They just want to get where they're going. But I took a slow walk around, and took a bicycle, and looked at the painted ads on the side of buildings. Some of these things go back to the 1880s. There's one on 17th street and 6th avenue that talks about Victorian carriages and trotters for horses. We call them Wall Dogs ads, because the guys who used to paint them were called wall dogs.
I took photographs of all this ephemera – all these things that people had not noticed. I got a critical mass of 50 pages together, and I set up the Web site. We have been around for eight years, and we've got four million hits so far. So it's been moderately popular.
In 2003, Harper Collins approached me. I didn't have to go through the normal things that authors go through – agents, book proposals and all that. It was easy. They came to me and said how would you like to do a book. I thought about it for two seconds, and said, "of course I'd like to do a book." And here it is, and I'm proud of it.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: Can you go through some of your favorite forgotten places?
KEVIN WALSH: Well, there are some places that I took pictures of for Forgotten New York that are not there anymore. Now, the only place they exist is in photographs:
Trylon Theater: This is a mosaic representation of the Trylon: the symbol of the 1939/1940 World's Fair. Up until 2005, this was part of the ticket booth at the Trylon theater. This is the last mosaic representation of the World's Fair Trylon. It was built the same year as the World's Fair. A few years ago they decided to renovate the theater, and they hammered it into oblivion. |
Flessels Restaurant: This is Flessels restaurant. It was one of the last beer gardens left in New York City. There is one left, the Bohemian Hall in Astoria. But this was another one that had been in existence since the late 19th Century. I moved into Flushing in 1993. This building was still active and serving drinks until 1997. To my eternal regret, I never got the chance to go in there. Then I heard they were going to tear it down, so I ran over there and took a picture of it before they could destroy it. |
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The Thuderbolt: This is the Thunderbolt roller coaster in Coney Island. When the city developed Keyspan Park in 2000, the developers thought it was an eyesore. Admittedly it had fallen into decrepitude, but it should have been preserved, should have been saved. |
Williamsburg Bridge: When they renovated the Williamsburg Bridge a couple of years ago they got rid of these beautiful wrought iron WB symbols on the pedestrian rails. These rails were on the approach ramps on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan sides. This one is seen in place in 1998. The last time I saw one of these was in a junkyard on Houston Street. Most of them are gone now. |
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McHale's: This is the old McHale's Bar and Grille Restaurant on 8th Avenue and 46th Street. This was also demolished so they could build a huge luxury apartment building. When I last saw one of these signs it was in a thrift store on 24th Street. Hopefully somebody bought one and took it home. Maybe they hooked it up. |
That's what I've been doing in Forgotten New York. I photograph these things before people who are unaware of history – or who don't care about history – can come in knock it down and destroy it. We have the Landmarks Preservation Commission but it doesn't save everything. I guess it can't save everything. So I'm here with my camera.
BOOK CLUB MEMBER: Have you been though the entire city? Are there sections you haven't been to yet?
KEVIN WALSH: I've been to virtually every part of the city. There are some parts I haven't spent much time in – Hunts Point, Jamaica. I've only been to City Island a few times. I'm never going to be done with the research. There will always be little corners of the city that I haven't been to, although I hope I get to everything.
BOOK CLUB MEMBER: When you come across an unusual object, how do you go about researching it, and finding its history?
KEVIN WALSH: I have had to buy four bookshelves since I started Forgotten New York to house the books I get. Every time a new book about New York comes out, I'm on it. I'm always out looking for old books about New York, too. I'd love to get the Iconography of New York.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: Ms. Gratz, how did you get involved in historic preservation? What are some of your favorite spots in the city?
ROBERTA GRATZ: I was born in the Village. Where Bobst Library now stands is where I grew up. Somewhere along the line my interest in the city emerged, and I started writing about neighborhood fights for the New York Post, before Rupert Murdoch. People take landmarks for granted now, but when I was writing about them in the late 1960s and 1970s people were asking me why I was bothering.
I wrote a big series in 1973 about the weakness in the landmark law, which won all sorts of awards and helped change the law. When it was passed in 1965, the law only functioned for six months out of every three years. Everybody forgets that. For six months every three years the commission could designate landmarks, and in between the bulldozer worked overtime. You see a lot of references to Penn Station and the 1965 law as if it saved everything, but it was very weak. Aside from the limited time the commission worked, there were no interior designations, and no requirement that the city save its own buildings.
Even now, the Landmarks Preservation Commission only puts out a report; we can't force them. But it's pretty obligatory at this point. Of course, if you say things are weak now, you won't get any argument from me, even though I sit on the commission.
I write about urbanism from the bottom up, the local level. I don't believe I'm a critic of planners. I'm a critic of top-down planning. My books are all about success stories, things that worked out well because they were started by citizens.
One of my favorite places is the piers in Red Hook that were saved, restored and reinvigorated by Gregory O'Connell, a former cop. It's one of my favorite stories. When he was a cop, he would park his truck down by the waterfront to do his bookkeeping, and he would look at these warehouses, owned by either the Port Authority or the city, I forget which. Either way, owned by someone who didn't know what to do with this. They wanted to demolish them and build high rises that would be accessible to Wall Street by ferry. So O'Connell basically started buying these properties. He made them available to small businesses. He created a park out of recycled material. He made space available for community activity in the summer. He's an extraordinary developer-citizen, the perfect model. This is where the local Fairway opened, a deal he brokered in his space, and made sure that local jobs were available. It's the perfect example of what a civic-minded developer can do, while still making money.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: You have written how historical preservation is one part of an overall urban development strategy. Specifically, you write about Soho. Can you talk a little about how historical preservation was used there?
ROBERTA GRATZ: Soho emerged out of the fight against the Lower Manhattan Expressway. I write about this in my book Cities Back From The Edge, as a tribute to Jane Jacobs. She fought against that expressway, and in the process helped change the way that the country, and even the world, uses cities. That whole area was condemned by none other than our now-reconsidered Robert Moses. One of my commitments to Jane before she died was that I would put a few nails back into his coffin.
Moses designated that entire neighborhood for demolition for the expressway, killing the neighborhood. That neighborhood had industrial uses; there was real business there. But whenever you condemn a neighborhood for another use, you're effectively killing it. Nobody is going to move into it, none of the owners are going to invest in their property, and anybody on a lease is going to leave when the lease is over.
So the area was emptied out for the expressway. Artists moved in because landlords had empty space and nothing they could do with it. The landlords then took cash on a month- to-month basis under the table from artists. Step by step the artists got institutionalized, condoned even though their residence was illegal. When the expressway was killed, that's when artists started buying property or signing long-term leases. At the same time, art was changing, and they needed big spaces. Soho emerged out of all that.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: Since there is more demand now for space in the city, I would be interested in hearing about which areas both of you think are most threatened right now?
ROBERTA GRATZ: Everywhere.
KEVIN WALSH: Well, I did a page called "My Flushing is Gone", where I document the changes in my neighborhood. I moved there in 1993, and the pace of change has accelerated in recent years. Perfectly nice two-family buildings that were built around 1920 are all being torn down by developers who want to plan multi-family houses that are not designed very well. The new developers don't like grass or trees; they like cement. So everything is being cemented in Flushing.
Now, these buildings being supplanted are not historic buildings per say. But they are representative of a regime in the 1920s in which there were still some aesthetic values when they were building relatively affordable housing. Now affordable housing is awful stuff.
ROBERTA GRATZ: The same trends are happening everywhere. In areas like Queens, there were areas that grew up around the streetcar. So they are modest scale family housing within a ten or fifteen minute walk of the streetcar. One of the things that has happened in this city for the last ten or fifteen years that has been extraordinary is the influx of immigrants. It's the reason for our rejuvenation. Queens is one of the greatest examples of this. So you have a lot of pressure on neighborhoods. There is not a neighborhood in this city that is not feeling this.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: But if a neighborhood has been built around a streetcar that no longer exists, for instance, isn't that neighborhood going to have to change physically to meet its demographic makeup?
ROBERTA GRATZ: No. Soho did not change physically, even though it changed totally. It has since had new construction and things added on, but the buildings haven't changed. Only the occupancy has changed.
The houses that Kevin is talking about are perfectly useable. It's a matter of taste, and the dominance of the car. People now want urban housing with parking garages. To me, this is an oxymoron.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: So that's true in every case? The city doesn't have to change physically to meet its changing population?
ROBERTA GRATZ: No. The city needs to physically change, but there are ways to fit new development in with infill, adaptation, and expansion of existing buildings.
That's the significance of the West Village Houses, that emerged from the fight that Jane Jacobs was instrumental in. The theme in that fight was 'not one sparrow displaced.' What they did was design housing to be built in empty or underutilized sites. Nothing was taken away. There is not a neighborhood in the city that doesn't have such sites.
In Soho, the commission is approving new, sizable buildings all the time. They are either replacing nondescript buildings, or parking lots. But not one historic building is being lost in that project. Every week at the landmark commission we see the kind of incremental development that is never recognized as making a big change in the city. Every week we are getting requests for rooftop additions, backyard additions, and improvement of parking garages, conversions of commercial structures to residential and so on. It represents enormous investment. But in historic districts, it also protects the physical nature of the area, which is all the landmarks commission can do.
I think the city can expand, upgrade and change without losing its historic fabric.
DEBBIE ZANONI:
Why are there so many banks popping up, and why is it allowed? It seems like the green grocers have disappeared, the smaller, affordable restaurants have disappeared, and I find myself looking on a street corner, and there are four major banks, one on every corner. Is that just so people can get mortgages for all the condos? I don't understand how the city is allowing it, because it's becoming unlivable.
ROBERTA GRATZ: I don't know the answer, but I share in your feeling about it. This comes up at Landmarks Commission, where we are at least able to control signage in an historic district. The twist is that we can't control what happens on inside the windows. So every window inside has a sign.
SANDY MALTER: The institutions on the Upper West Side on Central Park West are pleading to be able to build high-rise condos on their adjacent properties. How do you feel about that?
ROBERTA GRATZ: The first thing on my agenda when I joined the landmarks commission was to make sure that Shearith Israel did not get its tower. That was my first of very few victories.
The historic district of the Upper West Side has a zoning overlay that dictates brownstone heights. I fashioned a compromise for that block because on that block are two 1920s apartment houses that are nine stories, one of which is next door to the Shearith Israel site. I said I could respect the nine stories because the precedent was there.
The Historical Society is going to be a huge fight, on two levels. One is a preposterous proposal to change the façade of the historical society itself under the erroneous idea that if they add windows so you can see inside, then you'll come in. Right across the street is the Museum of Natural History. There isn't a window in there, but somehow the crowds are never scarce. The historic society has also had huge crowds, like with the slavery exhibition. Among the commissioners, everybody feels that this is outrageous.
The tower [that the Historical Society wants to build] will eventually come up, and that will be a very interesting fight. I gather there are three developers in the final finish for the tower, one of who is Dan Doctoroff's best friend, Steve Ross. The mayor is for it, and this is going to be huge.
NORMAN SCHERER: What is going to happen with the Lower East Side and all the parking lots down there?
ROBERTA GRATZ: It's amazing how many small high rises are going up down there, eight or nine stories, of all styles imaginable. And I think that's fine. What you'll have is a real mix. It's not an historic district in an architectural sense, although it's very much an historic district in the urbanistic sense. I write about this in the epilogue of Living Cities, that the Lower East Side is the ultimate urban neighborhood, because of its absorption of immigrants, serving as a jumping off point for immigrants of all kinds. I watched the neighborhood go from Jewish to Chinese, and then Asian of all kinds. I don't know who will be the next group.
The Lower East Side is a good example of a place where you pick certain buildings as individual landmarks – the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the Jewish Daily Forward Building, the Education Alliance, maybe one or two bank buildings. Then you can at least call on this history of the neighborhood, while change takes its course around it. We do need additional density, and there are ways to add that density without losing essential buildings. That is one neighborhood that will see it happen.
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The Pentagon had its $640 toilet seats. The New York City Department of Education has its infuriating bus routes.
During the Reagan administration, the furor over the Pentagon’s purchase of pricey hammers and toilet seats, to say nothing of the $2 billion B-2 Stealth bomber, led to outrage over a Defense Department that had grown fat, lazy and wasteful on years of multibillion budgets.
Now in New York City, the school system’s awarding of a $16 million contract to management consultant Alvarez & Marsal has fueled protests that the education department operates without the accountability it expects of its own teachers and principals. It is only one of thusands of contracts awarded every years by the New York City government and various agencies. But for anyone seeking to go after the Bloomberg administration, Alvarez & Marsal offers a tempting target. Reporters discovered the firm had previously advised St. Louis to slash its bus routes – sending children along sometimes unsafe streets – while the highly paid consultants took cabs for trips of only a few blocks.
When New York’s education department hired the firm to offer suggestions on improving efficiency, it reportedly charged the city $500 an hour for one of its employees working on the deal. “There is a disturbing irony here,” City Comptroller William Thompson has said, “namely that a consultant hired to eliminate waste is being paid almost six times the statutory salary of the mayor.”
Some observers have gone so far as to predict that the controversy over the contract – and over Alvarez’s recommendation that the city sharply reduce school bus routes -- could help spell the < ahref=http://www.nysun.com/article/49636'>beginning of the end for mayoral control of schools.
Overall, the city government gave out more than $11 billion in contracts in fiscal year 2006, the majority of which involved some kind of competition. Some of the city contracts went for goods, but the largest chunk -- more than a third -- paid for social and health services, such as job training and administering foster care programs. Substantial sums also went to construction related contracts, for goods, and for what the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services calls other services, such as environmental protection.
This $11 billion does not include an estimated $4.5 billion in education department contracts for an array of goods and services, including busing for students, cafeteria food, and textbooks. Only $27 million of those contracts, according to Thomson, were awarded without competition.
As government by contract has become standard operating procedure, the practice continues to grow. But some critics question whether contracting procedures have improved to keep up with the increased demand and with change in technology. Beyond that, contracting raises a number of fundamental issues. What should government do itself and what should it contract out. How should contracts be awarded? And how can the city government prevent contracts from becoming tools for waste, fraud and abuse?
Contracting occurs when the government hires a private entity – either a nonprofit organization or a business – to provide the government with specific goods or services.
The practice in New York dates back to the 19th century when the city government hired contractors to clean the streets. That arrangement ended because the contractors did not get the job done, according to Columbia University professor Moshe Adler. When contractors cleaned the street, Adler said, “there were vigorous complaints by the [City] Council members that they were unacceptably filthy and, in almost all cases, the contracts were abrogated…When the streets were cleaned by government employees, in most instances there were no complaints at all about the cleanliness of the streets.”
Despite its checkered past, contracting gained steam in the 1990s as part of a general push to bring more competition to government, purportedly to reduce costs and improve efficiency. While privatization involves contracts – the private organization taking over a private school, say, or running Central Park signs a contract with the government -- contracting and privatization are not the same thing. “In privatization, the government usually sells off or otherwise completely abandons functions that it believes belong more properly in private hands,” Seth Forman wrote in Gotham Gazette. “In contracting, the government maintains a fair degree of control, setting out specific requirements for the contractors and, in theory at least, monitoring their performance.”
The practice of contracting has received increased scrutiny and attention lately, and not just on the city level. During the Bush administration, federal contracts, which totaled about $207 billion in 2000, have almost doubled, reaching about $400 billion in 2006. Some of this has been fueled by the conflict in Iraq, which has introduced a new concept: war by contract. Nearly as many contractors -- 120,000 -- as U.S troops work in the war zone, doing an array of tasks normally handled by soldiers, including watching prisoners, guarding buildings, cooking meals and analyzing intelligence. By the end of 2006, 769 of these civilians had died in the war.
The reliance on contracts has increased in New York City as well. In 1996, contracts accounted for about 8 percent of the city budget. Ten years later, city contracts make up about 23 percent of the budget.
The city government gave out more than 46,000 separate contracts adding up to more than $11 billion last year. The Administration for Children’s Services awarded the most contracts of any city agency covered (i.e. not including the Department of Education, the Health and Hospitals Corp. or the City University), with more than $1.8 billion. Many of these went to private agencies for foster care. In fact, according to the Center for City Law at New York Law School, of the 100 largest contracts awarded by the city in 2006, 30 were for foster care services.
The largest single contract -- worth more than $470 million -- went to the Medical and Health Research Association of New York, an independent nonprofit corporation that focuses on the health needs of underserved New Yorkers. Under the contract, the association manages the federal Ryan White CARE program providing health care and medication to people with AIDS and HIV, and delivers other services to people with HIV. The second biggest contract – about $465 million – went to a quasi public entity – the New York Economic Development Corporation – which in turn would hand out construction contracts for projects such as the High Line in Manhattan and the Flushing Meadows Pool and Ice Rink.
The third largest contract is perhaps more what people think of when, or more accurately if, they think about government procurement. It was a $380 million deal with Hewlett-Packard to provide and improve various emergency response systems including 911.
A number of contracts went to firms that get rid of our garbage. Fourteen of the top 100 contracts involve transporting municipal wastes to distant, mostly out of state sites, where the garbage gets put in landfills or otherwise disposed of, City Law found.
Since many contracts involve competition – some considering price alone, others taking additional factors into account as well – contracting is intended to save money while still letting government provide needed services. With employee salaries, health benefits and pensions accounting for a rising share of the city budget, contracts give the government a way to maintain or even increase what it does without adding staff. They also afford government the flexibility to bring in people who may only be needed for the short term.
But there are risks as well. Contractors, who can soon move on to another project and another city may not have the commitment to city services that full-time staff does. The contractors’ main concern, particularly if it is a private business, is making money. This prompted Harry Truman, then a senator, to observe in 1941, “I have never found a contractor who, if not watched, would not leave the government holding the bag.”
The system can lead to questionable deals if not outright corruption, with contractors giving money to public officials hoping to win business, a system known as pay to play. According to a report (in pdf format) by the city Campaign Finance Board, 22.3 percent of campaign contributions for the 2005 municipal election cycle came from people or entities that do business with city officials, including contractors.
Many contracting successes or failures rely not so much on the abstract idea but in how well the procurement program is run. New York State government gets fairly high marks in this area. Its “contracting and purchasing processes are far more rational than in the majority of states,” the Government Performance Project concluded. The project praised the state for initiating a program that gives contractor incentives to finish work on time or even early.
The project did not consider city government.
In the city, contracting got a big push during the Giuliani and some credit the practice, part of an overall privatization effort, for saving the city billions of dollars.
But there were problems in how the city awarded and monitored some of those contracts.
In 2000, Mayor Giuliani gave a $104 million contract to social service company Maximus to manage New York City's welfare-to-work program. Maximus was the nation’s largest company of its kind, and it also had ties to Jason Turner, Giuliani’s commissioner of human services. Calling the arrangement "corruption, favoritism, and cronyism," Alan Hevesi, then city comptroller, tried to block it. But an appeals court ruled the comptroller was overstepping his authority.
Through all this, the Manhattan district attorney's office probed Maximus' hiring of several people with close ties to the city administration and relevant officials balked at testifying about the matter before City Council. "I saw an amazing amount of corruption, unnecessary bureaucracy, and political games," Kathryn Freed, then chairwoman of the council's contract committee, said at the time.
During the Giuliani administration, New York City “was notoriously poor at monitoring the hundreds of contracts with non profits providing unemployment and training services,” Mary Bryna Sanger, then with the Brookings Institution, wrote in 2001.
The have been few reports of such improprieties during the Bloomberg administration. Much of the focus on contracting during Bloomberg’s tenure has been on how to make it operate more quickly and economically.
On average, it takes 125 days for a city contract to go from being put out for bid to being awarded. Agencies vary greatly in their speed, City Law discovered. It takes the Department of Sanitation 58 days to complete awarding a contract while the Department of Human Services needs 339 days.
Such delays can create problems for government and contractor alike. In 2002, the Citizens Budget Commission issued a report concluding that “the city’s rules and procedures governing procurement create a challenging environment in which to deliver services,” with contract purchasing taking as long as four to eight months to complete. The report recommended the city make its procurement process more centralized and move to an electronic procurement system. This, the group said, could save the city a minimum of $135 million a year – and this was in 2002, when the city had fewer contracts than it does today.
In 1993, City Counci offered 13 recommendations to make the city government's purchasing more efficient. The council passed a bill on the matter, which centering on using electronic procurement. The proposed system, an aide to City Councilmember Gale Brewer said, would be like “an eBay for government.” A vendor would go on-line to see what service or product the city is seeking. Unlike on eBay though, where the highest bidder gets the goods, here the lowest bidder wins the prize: a city contract.
According to Brewer’s office, the city conducted a pilot e-procurement project but has not moved beyond that.
While the Department of Education has the largest budget of any city agency, it is not subject to some city government requirements for contracts. Education officials and Bloomberg administration lawyers agree that schools are technically a function of the state, meaning some municipal laws do not apply to them. Few dispute the legality of this contention, but many find it ironic since Bloomberg readily proclaims that he – not the governor – controls the city’s public school system.
David Ross, director of the department’s division of contracts and purchasing said that the absence of city jurisdiction in some areas does not mean the department operates on its own. The office is guided by state education law and by municipal law, he said, adding “we adhere to the laws that apply to us. ” And he continued, even without legal requirements, competitive bidding would be “the gold standard we would always try to achieve…. I’ve been in public procurement for a while and I don’t need to be told that competition is a good thing.”
But Ross said competition, desirable though it may be, is not always possible. In some cases, only one provider may exist, a grant or City Council action may require the schools to deal with one particular contractor, or there may simply not be time to put a contract out for bid.
Some think the department may be too quick to resort to no bid contracts. According to Comptroller Thompson, the number of no-bid contracts mushroomed after the Board of Education was abolished and the Department of Education created. It has since gone down somewhat, and now the department lets about $25 million in no bid contracts a year.
City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum also thinks that mayoral control has made it easier for the department to award contracts without competition. “The dissolution of the school board in 2002 has weakened the system of checks and balances that made it difficult for the administration to circumvent the standard bidding processes for education-related contracts,” she has written.
Thompson is proposing that the state pass a law making the education department subject to the same contracting rules as any other city agency.
While apologizing for the bus route fiasco – and reinstating some of the routes, Klein has stood by the decision to work with Alvarez & Marsal. “The reason you bring in consultants is to look at all these issues and see where you can do a better job,” he told City Council.
The department is currently awarding contracts related to its latest plans to make teachers and principals more accountable and to give schools more autonomy. After what Ross called “a robust competition,” the department awarded IBM the task of developing an $80 million system to provide detailed information about student performance and schools.
And officials at Tweed are reviewing 36 proposals from private groups seeking to become so-called Partnership Support Organizations – private groups that will provide support and assistance to the newly autonomous schools.
As they review these proposals, education department officials are confronted with a constant reminder of the pitfalls of government by contract. They occupy the Tweed Courthouse, a building that remains a monument to contract corruption run amok. The courthouse, the project of Tammany boss William Marcy Tweed, was 5000 percent over budget when it was completed. Much of that money went to Tammany members in the form of kickbacks from contractors who were then able to gouge the city for the goods and services they provided.
“$460,000 went for lumber later estimated to be worth $48,000. Then $350,000 went for carpeting—an overcharge, The New York Times estimated, of $336,821. Cuspidors cost the city $190 each…. “Brooms, etc.” cost $41,190. Plastering cost $2.87 million, including nearly $1.3 million for “repairs” before the building even opened,” Peter Baida wrote in American Heritage.
The project paved the way for the Tweed Ring’s decline and to Tweed spending much of the rest of his life in jail.
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New York City is in the midst of a construction boom, say city officials and representatives from the building industry. The city is issuing residential building permits at near record numbers and a recent wave of mega projects, such as Atlantic Yards (see related story), approved by city, state and federal agencies marks the city's most ambitious economic development agenda in decades.
• The major construction sites around New York City. • The continuing fight over Atlantic Yards • The city's efforts to reverse the increase in deaths at building sites |
It is a fever that has gripped the city -- reflected, perhaps in the sudden proliferation of master builder Robert Moses revisionism that seeks to rehabilitate one of many New Yorkers' favorite villains.
The demand for construction is so high that businesses are worried about finding enough people to do the work -- without sacrificing worker safety (see related story on construction deaths). "I think you probably would have to go back to the late 1930s to see anything like that," said Daniel L. Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development.
But that is not the reason why so much of New York City seems in the midst of...becoming. Construction can take a very long time.
Here are some of the major construction sites around New York City.
--For a discussion of the continuing fight over Atlantic Yards, including a movie on the project, go here.
--For a discussion of the city's efforts to reverse the increase in deaths at building sites, go to In Danger: Men At Work.
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• IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GETTING OUR MONEY FROM ALBANY • UPSTATE, NOT NEW YORK CITY, MUST BE ALBANY'S PRIMARY CONCERN • STATE AND CITY BUDGETS SINCE THE FISCAL CRISIS |
In a time-honored tradition, Mayor Michael Bloomberg headed to Albany earlier this month to complain about how the state is shortchanging New York City with its proposed budget. True to form, the mayor decried one of Governor Eliot Spitzer's budget proposals, saying it "would produce an enormous hole" in the city's budget. But Bloomberg also departed from the usual fare of recriminations, praising the governor for "righting a historic wrong" – the state's chronic underfunding of city schools.
For decades, New York City and New York State have had a tenuous relationship; the organizers of a recent forum at Baruch College described it as "odious and oppressive." New York City has felt that it was being abused by Albany. It was not alone. Many local governments have been blaming the state government for failing schools and soaring labor costs and property taxes.
"It's not just that New York City does not get the support and attention of Albany and does not have a good relationship with the state – nobody does," said former State Comptroller Carl McCall at the Baruch forum. "New York City is just one of the victims." But it's the one that's been bitching the loudest, and the longest.
From the looks of it, things are changing. This raises two major questions. First, will Governor Eliot Spitzer really change the way Albany works? And secondly, will reform in Albany mean that New York City gets what it wants from the state government?
One thing is certain: Spitzer has shaken things up in the state capital. When State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (caricatured as one-half of the two-headed monster in the illustration above) presented the new governor with a bouquet of roses last week for Valentine's Day, he was riffing on how loveless Albany has been be so far in 2007.
In his first six weeks in office, Spitzer has gone to war with the Democratic-led Assembly over the comptroller issue (punishing Carl McCall in the process), and presented a budget that alienated some of the state's most powerful political interests. Even as Bruno was handing him flowers, Spitzer was reportedly hatching a "secret plan" to strip the senate leader of his power.
Spitzer says that all this confrontation will lead to the end of "business as usual" in the state government, which has come under intense criticism as a dysfunctional body. When the new governor talks about reform in Albany, he is generally referring to making state government more accountable to its constituents through changes in campaign finance reform and redistricting laws. This will lead to a more sensible approach to spending public money and a more open legislative process that is not so tightly controlled by legislative leaders or so beholden to powerful special interests, according to reform advocates.
City officials have a large stake in Albany's efficiency, because they must rely on state action to enact many of their own ideas. After 9/11, for instance, city officials wanted to borrow money to pay for operating expenses, and later raise property taxes to help plug huge deficits in its budget. The state signed off on both. Similarly, both Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to extend a homeowners tax rebate and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's idea to create a tax credit for renters must go through Albany.
"When we talk about the state helping the city, it's really granting the city permission to help itself," said Diana Fortuna.
City officials squirm under these requirements, especially since there practically every political observer agrees that New York City's government is run much better than Albany's.
If held to account for their actions, state officials would presumably be less inclined to sweeten pension deals with municipal unions, leaving the city to foot the bill, or set expensive Medicaid policies while requiring local governments to share the cost. A favorite example of policy wonks railing against such abuses is the state's repeal of the commuter tax, when Democratic assembly members from the city agreed to eliminate a measure that brought hundreds of millions of dollars into city coffers in order to gain a political advantage in a special election. Despite such arguably destructive decisions, state lawmakers are almost never voted out of office.
Many concede that there is bound to be consistent tension between Albany and City Hall, reform or not.
Spitzer's budget illustrates this, said Fortuna of the Citizens Budget Commission. The city and the state immediately reached an agreement on the Campaign for Fiscal Equity – a seemingly intractable lawsuit concerning school funding – with both Spitzer and Bloomberg committing to increase funds for education.
But Spitzer also left New York City out of a program called revenue sharing, through which the state gave unrestricted funding to cities that needed it.
Bloomberg immediately objected to being cut out. But former deputy mayor Mark Shaw argued that from Spitzer's perspective not sending money to New York City, which has a $4 billion surplus this year, could be seen as a reform.
"He looks at revenue sharing and says, 'you know, this is a program that I want to transform to go to distressed cities that really need it. And you know what? New York City doesn't need it right now."
Diana Fortuna – Citizens Budget Commission
Is the relationship between New York State and New York City odious? Is it oppressive? I wouldn't judge that according to how it is so often framed: what I call the giving and getting perspective. This is when you look at the state budget, and say, "Is New York City getting a good deal? How much does it give in to the state coffers, and how much does it get out of the state budget?"
Mayors tend to cite those numbers, and depending on how you count, you can say that the city contributes between 40 and 48 percent of the revenues to the state budget. The difference is how you count what commuters who live in the suburbs but work in the city pay in taxes. I don't think that this is the right framework because state government is not in existence in order to collect a certain amount of money from certain of its residents and then turn around and give the exact same amount back.
But if you do look at what Albany does for the city – to the city – there are still plenty of places to judge it woefully inadequate: Medicaid, education, transportation, employee benefits such as pensions. It's really deeply dysfunctional, and in many ways New York City suffers from its relationship with Albany.
In terms of Medicaid, you have the unprecedented situation of the state requiring its counties to pay roughly one quarter of the cost of its program. That has been somewhat blunted the last few years by policy changes, but it's very unfair to have the places that have the poor people to turn around and finance services for poor people. This is mainly a New York City issue, because two-thirds of Medicaid expenditures are in the city.
In terms of education, we have close to 40 percent of the students, including many of the neediest students. But the share of the pie has been determined totally politically. The state is not letting sensible formulas run in the education arena.
In municipal employee pensions, New York has a weird, bifurcated system where employees are allowed to make end runs to the state legislature after the collective bargaining negotiations with the city have concluded.
In the public arena it is always good to put responsibility for making decisions in the same place where the responsibility lies for paying for those decisions. These are cases where that is not true. New York State gets to decide, for example, "let's put a pension sweetener," but New York City has to pay the bill. Albany gets to decide what the Medicaid program looks like, but New York City gets to foot a good part of the bill. That's part of where the dysfunction comes from.
New York State is not unique because of its powers over the city. Generally speaking local governments are creatures of the state, and there's no power that New York State has over New York City that is unusual compared to the other 49 states. But it is unusual in other ways. Part of this is the size and sophistication of New York's government and population. I don't think another state comes close to having a city that is 40 percent of its population.
I would also assert that since the fiscal crisis, New York City has had fairly good government – sophisticated, held to very high standards, professional, and held to a pretty high standard. I would submit that over the same period of time New York State's government has deteriorated for a number of reasons to where it is not performing professionally enough or driven by what's right. We are all talking about that a lot now, and it's possible we are going to see a change. It makes you think: Couldn't New York City do this better on its own?
Alfonse D'Amato – Former United States Senator, New York
The relationship of New York City to New York State is dynamic, and constantly changing. There was once a body of thought where the rest of the state said, "We'd love to have New York City go on its own. We're doing everything for it." Those who come from the suburban communities – Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, and the upstate communities – probably could have made a good argument that they are just sending money to the city to support a broken welfare system, a broken educational system, a system that is tuned in to nothing but political graft, corruption, and cronyism. That was a very prevalent, dominant thought going back to the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Things have changed dramatically. The city, as a number of major urban centers, has come to life, while the once powerful suburban and upstate communities have not enjoyed a similar revival. Indeed, in some cases these communities have almost gone into a state of depression. Buffalo, once the Queen City, with a population of over half a million people, has shrunk in half. The thriving steel industry off the Great Lakes is gone. Rochester, the home of Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, another great entrepreneurial base, has been reduced to half of its population. In Syracuse, General Electric alone employed over 30,000 people when I was a student there. Not one person, I don't believe, is employed by GE there today.
This is the deterioration of the upstate economy. It's easy to blame it on politics, on one governor or another. But they have nothing to do with it, except at the margins. You're not going to influence the real process of whether these areas are going to thrive. You can try to create a climate to attract people. Still, there are a number of reforms that would help bring construction or development projects, and I believe the new governor will look to implement such reforms.
On the broader scale, how does upstate redefine itself? What strengths can it build on? What hope is there? You don't just throw up your hands in despair. That's probably a tougher job than dealing with New York City, which has so much going for it.
We can build on its academic strengths, making centers of destination: the Finger Lakes, Lake Placid, Saratoga. Rebuild the infrastructures of these cities.
But without there being some basic reform, you cannot have legislators carrying on as they are now. The finance of this state will collapse altogether. The pension system is out of control; if you run for public office you can't say that, because you will have every single major union turn against you. But you have to change it. This is a system that cannot sustain itself. You can't have people retiring after 25 years, breaking the bank. You don't take away the benefits of those who already have it, but you set up a new system for the new employees. But don't talk about that – you'll be running for dogcatcher.
It the relationship between the city and the state odious? No, I think the pendulum swings back and forth. At one time, it was considered to be an odious relationship by those outside the city. Now, I think some of the people inside the city consider it to be an odious relationship, because the city is booming. It is prosperous. But it is a prosperity that is short-lived unless there are some fundamental reforms that can be undertaken. I believe the new governor really wants to bring about change, so I think it is a great opportunity to deal with these problems in a significant way. Not just at the margins.
Mark Shaw – Former Deputy Mayor, NYC
The modern relationship between the state and the city in New York dates back to the fiscal crisis in the 1970s. A lot of the odious and oppressive nature that people feel about state government as it relates to the budget has to deal with the system put into place in the 1970s to deal with that crisis. The city had a terrible accounting system, it was doing a lot of things it shouldn't be doing with its money, both in terms of how it was getting its money and how it was spending its money. The city almost went bankrupt, the state had to step in.
The story surrounding the Daily News headline FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD has gotten some attention recently because Ford just died. But that was the sidebar story. The real story was the state taking over the city's finances in many ways. The senior colleges of City University, for example, were taken over by the state of New York. People still think of CUNY as a city institution, but the fact is that the senior colleges get 100 percent of their funding from Albany (the community colleges are split 50-50).
These fiscal relationships are important, and people need to understand them.
In order to figure out where New York City and New York State should be going, we need to deal with the fiscal crisis structure that was set up.
The truth is that New York City now has a far superior system than New York State. Governor Spitzer is trying to do now is to treat the state budget a little more like the city budget. This year, for instance, he came up with a four-year plan for the first time. This is a planning tool, but it is also useful in making decisions about how to spend money. These decisions are how you, as governor, affect people.
At the end of the day, the budget is what drives policy in government. Governments raise money from people through taxes and then find ways to spend this money, and a lot of money is at play. Budgets are about choices. Since government is run by politicians, and politicians are very smart people, they are going to make choices that will get them reelected.
In order for these issues to play out in the political framework, I think the media needs to come up with a better way to cover them, so that people out in the streets have a better understanding about the decisions that are getting made. The budget is a large document, and very few people read it. It is complicated, and reporters have a hard time understanding it. It's a terrible story to put on television. That means that it is a very difficult story to put out in the media. But the reality is that it is a very important story to put out.
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In Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s view “This is a great time for New York an encouraging, optimistic time” when our “magnificent city” faces a future of limitless promise.”
No doubt Council Speaker Christine Quinn loves New York too. But her State of the City portrayed a slightly different city than the one the mayor described in his annual address last month. In her address on Thursday, Quinn spoke of those New Yorkers who are not cashing in on the economic boom. “President John F. Kennedy said a rising tide lifts all boats,” Quinn said. “But I’m worried that if we don’t do something, this rising tide is going to push a lot of boats right out into the Atlantic Ocean.”
While Bloomberg and Quinn have by all accounts forged an amicable working relationship in the year that she has been speaker, Quinn took advantage of the pageantry and pomp of the State of the City to distance herself from the mayor’s education policies and to seek to take his tax and housing moves a step further.
Quinn’s speech ended the yearly winter ritual of “state of” speeches that began in New York with Governor Eliot Spitzer’s first State of the State speech in early January, and continued with President George W. Bush, the mayor and all five borough presidents. While the specifics may vary, the addresses – from president of the United States to president of Staten Island – have much in common: The speaker lavishes praise on allies and heroes, recites a litany of accomplishments and then rattles off a list of plans for the coming year. But as the tacit dispute between Bloomberg and Quinn indicates, underneath the salutes to hometown heroes and rhetorical excesses, these speeches can feature serous policy proposals, accords and disagreement.
After being introduced by her father Daniel Quinn before a packed council chamber, Speaker Quinn went on to praise Bloomberg and to single out dozens of individual City Council members by name. But as the speech went along, the differences between her and the mayor emerged.
While Bloomberg addressed the problems poor New Yorkers in his speech – and in the anti-poverty proposals announced last year – he paid little attention to the middle-income city residents who were the focus of much of Quinn’s address. “There is a growing sense across the boroughs that the day s coming when the men and women who protect us, who teach our children, who take care of our parents and who serve our coffee won’t be able to afford to live in New York City,” Quinn said.
In his State of the City Bloomberg proposed a reduction in the property tax rate, which would benefit homeowners. These were, he said, “the New Yorkers who made sure that the city's recovery from 9/11 exceeded our wildest dreams and who we want to continue living, working, and investing in New York.”
For her part, Quinn wants a $300 credit for renters. “Two-thirds of our residents rent their homes, and for too long they’ve been forgotten and ignored when it comes to tax relief,” she said. Quinn called for the state to return responsibility for rent control to the city, for laws to protect tenants from harassment by landlords, and for the city to repair buildings when landlords will not and then charge landlords for the work. She would also like to see the city expand a program that provides financial hope to people trying to make a town payment on their first home.
The mayor’s office has been noncommittal on the tax credit but said it would work with the City Council on may to boost hone ownership.
Bloomberg’s State of the City set out yet another reorganization of the school system the mayor took over and reorganized during his first term. But Quinn chided the mayor for rushing headlong into the latest program without more consultation. “What the Department of Education is doing to involve and inform parents just isn’t working,” Quinn said. “Parents are sometimes confused, frustrated or too angry because they don’t know where to turn for help.”
The State of … in 2007 |
With an embattled president, a new governor and a new round of jockeying for position underway in New York City’s political ranks, city residents have an array of state of speeches form which to choose. Click on the politician’s name below to read what he or she has to say about the state of things in 2007. • Governor Eliot Spitzer (in pdf format) • City Council Speaker Christine Quinn • Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz • Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion • Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer |
Here too the mayor indicated he would work with the City Council but there is room for skepticism. Virtually since mayoral control became a reality, Bloomberg and the Department of Education have been reluctant to consult City Council on changes in the public school system, preferring to go ahead with its plans, whatever they might be and explain them to a sometimes irate education committee later on.
Some saw Quinn’s speech as presenting a not so hidden agenda. Commenting that the speech “sounded as much like a blueprint for a potential mayoral campaign as an outline of her agenda for the coming months,” Diane Cardwell wrote in the New York Times that the speaker’s initiatives came in the “major areas that opinion polls suggest voters care most about.”
George Washington delivered the first state of the union speech on January 8, 1790. In it, he hailed North Carolina’s signing of the Constitution, called for a “uniform and well-digested plan” to make the country self-sufficient in military supplies, and said the nation should encourage “the introduction of new and useful inventions from abroad.”
The U.S. Constitution requires that the president “shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Over the years and with the advent of television, it has acquired a series of rituals: the stentorian introduction, careful counting of the length and frequency of interruptions for applause and a televised response by an opposing politician (this year freshman Senator James Webb of Virginia).
Before the 2007 State of the Union speech, commentators saw it as one of President George W. Bush’s last chances to redeem his foundering presidency. “Bush arrived at the Capitol at his lowest point in public-opinion polls, facing new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate and lame-duck status,” wrote Dan Balz in the Washington Post. Afterward many thought Bush had failed, or as John Dickerson put it in Slate, “he did nothing in his speech to change the political dynamic.
The stakes for Helen Marshall or James Molinaro are probably not so high. And given the limited clout of borough presidents, one can easily dismiss their speeches as Andrew Wolfe did in 2003. “Since the charter revision of the late 1980s, the city’s five borough presidents have had little power and even less to do, “ Wolfe wrote. “That’s probably why they have seized on gimmicks like holding an annual â€State of the Borough’ address.”
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer confronted that attitude head on. “I promised to take the office of borough president, an agency many viewed as powerless, and use it to empower every Manhattan neighborhood,” Stringer said in his first state of the borough speech. “Some people smirked when I said that, but I don’t think they’re laughing anymore.” He went on to describe his ongoing effort to give more clout to the borough’s community boards.
A Record of Accomplishment
In general, the presidents laud the great progress their borough has made – “the Bronx is back,” Bronx borough president Adolfo Carrion intoned more than once – in public safety and well-being. They recite a list of jobs created and development projects completed. Helen Marshall of Queens hailed the Rockaway as Hamptons West, but “more convenient and affordable than the Hamptons,” while Carrion touted “520,000 square feet of shiny new office space at the Hutchinson Metro Center.” Brooklyn’s Marty Markowitz praised the mammoth Atlantic Yards project as “part of an even grander vision for Brooklyn” – a statement that undoubtedly sent terror through some borough residents.
Building for the Future
Then they set out ways to make the good situation even better. Most wanted new schools –Markowitz envisioned a high school focusing on advertising and marketing for Brooklyn, while Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro saw his borough as particularly suited for a school focusing on health and the environment.
Many of Molinaro’s ideas have a nautical theme. He plans to install installation of two giant saltwater fish tanks, “home to 800 colorful fish,” in the waiting area of the ferry terminal and to establish a new children play park in South Beach with a carousel of seahorses and giant spinning clamshells.
Health and the Environment
Marshall of Queens focused on health care, saying that while New York City overall might have a surplus of medical facilities, many Queens residents still had to go to Manhattan for treatment.
And Adolfo Carrion of the Bronx put a particular emphasis on environmental protection. The borough already insists that all new building be constructed “with environmentally friendly material and [be] efficient in the use of energy, he said, and now the city needs to expand on that by giving manufacturers tax breaks for making environmentally sustainable products.
Reducing Congestion
While many of the proposals, pronouncements and promises in one speech resembled those in the others, the borough presidents did stake out different and sometimes conflicting approaches to traffic congestion. Carrion and Marshall both want more and better transit in their boroughs, with Marshall calling on the Long Island Rail Road to “finally reopen the more than 20 stations closed in Queens.” But rather than get people out of their cars, Molinaro wants more roads and detailed a list of proposed turn lanes and other traffic moving measures.
Stringer would like even stronger measures to get people out of their vehicles. ““With federal funds available, we should seize the opportunity to study congestion pricing, he said. “This issue is too important to be held up by political expediency by elected officials’ time-honored fear of going out on a limb.”
But Marshall disagreed. “I believe without alternative mass transit already in place, congestion pricing will have an unintended negative impact on Queens and Brooklyn, she said, adding there are many other “opportunities to greatly reduce the volume of cars driving into Manhattan.”
With the mayor, Speaker Quinn and four of the five borough presidents all set to leave office at the end of 2009 because of term limits, it was hard to ignore politics in this year’s addresses.
Certainly, Carrion, widely expected to make a bid for mayor in 2009, seemed to have his eye on the future. Early in his speech, he declared, “As we begin 2007 – by the way, we have 2 years, 10 months and 19 days remaining, but who’s counting.”
Markowitz started his address by introducing two “calendar girls.” “Besides being easy on the eyes — I invited the lovely calendar girls as a reminder that I have three years left as borough president,” he said.”
After he went on to pledge fealty to his diet and his wife (“Jamie — I’m yours now, that’s what matters”), Markowitz ended by inviting speculation about what he might do when those three years are up. “what about my future?,” he asked. “I guess there’s only one way to find out: If it’s good for Brooklyn, it’s good for New York City!”
This cryptic statement prompted some to speculate that Markowitz might want, above all, to deliver the 2010 State of the City speech as mayor.
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Good morning. Members of Congress, the state legislature, the City Council, District Attorney Johnson, my fellow Borough Presidents, community board chairs and managers, Bronx community leaders and friends welcome to the 2007 State of the Borough Address. This is our sixth address on the State of our borough.
I’m very pleased to be here at the historic Hostos Community College. Please join me in thanking our host today, my friend and the President of Hostos, Dr. Delores Fernandez. Thank you and thanks to the entire Hostos family for working so hard to make this event possible.
Eugenio Maria de Hostos!!!! Let me tell you a little about Hostos, he lived from 1839 to 1903, was a Puerto Rican philosopher, pedagogue, writer, sociologist, journalist, abolitionist, freedom fighter, proponent of women’s rights to education and until his dying day in Santiago of the Dominican Republic, a believer in education as the path to emancipation. Hostos argued that reason has no gender”…he fought for Cuba, Puerto Rico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, against slavery…. So if Eugenio Maria de Hostos could somehow come back and be with us today, I believe he would smile with his big 19th century mustache outstretched beyond his chiseled cheek bones and say thank you. My friends, this college was born of the spirit of Hostos. That fighting spirit was alive from its first class of 623 students in 1971, to when it was slated to be consolidated with another school during the fiscal crisis and closed, and this community said no, Hostos will live on, and it has. So here we are today, Hostos has 4800 students and partners with Columbia University in a national scholars program... the Congressman Serrano Scholars Program. That fighting spirit led the Hostos men’s basketball team to be 2005 National Juinor College Div III Basketball Champions – they currently rank 1st in the CUNY Men’s Basketball standings. That fighting spirit led the Hostos women’s basketball team to be 3-time CUNY Athletic Conference basketball title winners. This school, this community, this borough continues to defy the odds and birth champions.
And, so I chose Hostos this year, because this school, like the Bronx, has a fighting spirit and like the Bronx, has experiencedenormous success in the past decade. It is this drive for excellence, this desire to be the best that is reflected in the students here at Hostos and in the residents of the Bronx.
While we can probably find and recruit the next point guard for the Knicks or NY Liberty here today, we’re really here because Hostos is at the epicenter of a new wave of development. I told you last year that the Bronx was at work…that we are building a stronger Bronx and by extension a stronger City…I’m proud to say that it’s not just words…we’re doing it. The Bronx is back.
We’ve seen a revitalization of small businesses along 149th St. and the groundbreaking of the new HUB retail and commercial space, the new Gateway Center at the old Bronx Terminal Market, and the new Yankee Stadium.
We’re building a new Grand Concourse for the 21st Century. In fact, the Bronx is now seeing the greatest amount of growth and change since the 1920s and 30s. Hey…after all, this is the home of the Yankees, not the Red Sox.
Over the past five years, I’ve heard your hopes and dreams, as well as your frustrations. This has happened at hundreds of meetings and community events, as well as hearing you on Ask the Borough President on News 12 The Bronx. Please help me thank the team at News 12 The Bronx for providing such an important service for 5 years… I am more committed than ever to improving the Bronx so that we can lay the foundation for an even brighter future.
Our progress is the result of our work. I have not done any of this alone. Let me say thank you to my colleagues in government who have put time, energy and support behind their words. Our political leader, Bronx County Democratic Chairman and Assemblyman Jose Rivera, Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, who is Chair of the Assembly delegation and all members of the Bronx Assembly delegation, the Bronx delegation of the State Senate…and by the way, let us all today congratulate the new Deputy Minority Leader of the State Senate, Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein… Council Member and Chair of the Bronx City Council delegation Maria Baez and the entire Bronx City Council delegation, and our three members of Congress, members Serrano, Crowley and Engel. Let me also take this moment to make a special recognition of one of our own who has ascended to the third most important position in our new governor’s administration. She’s from The Bronx, she’s an exceptional leader in our community and has served us on the NYS Board of Regents and in many more ways…my good friend and the new Secretary of State of the Great State of New York, the Honorable Lorraine Cortes-Vasquez.
All of these leaders and all of you have been enormously helpful in getting us to where we are today. Of course we are far from finished with our work. I can tell you with certitude that it is not easy...but it’s a whole lot of fun. Sometimes we have our disagreements. But in the end, this isn’t about our interests it’s about what’s best for the Bronx and the City.
I’m happy to declare with confidence that yes, the Bronx is back!!!. The State of our beloved Bronx is better than it was in 2002, when we started our tenure.
As we begin 2007 – by the way, we have 2 years, 10 months and 19 days remaining, but who’s counting - we have made great progress in economic development and job creation, in housing production, in improving the environment, in improving health conditions, in fighting crime, and small but important gains in education.
Now that the Bronx is Back…a new chapter will be written.
Here’s what it looks like. In five years, we’ve created more private sector jobs in the Bronx than any other borough. 10,000 new private sector jobs have been created during my administration. 30,000 people have found jobs and unemployment was cut by more than 50%...from 11.3% to 5.4%. And, 13,000 fewer people are living in poverty. Last year, the Bronx ranked 3rd in the state and 1st in the city in Personal Income Growth.
Those of you who’ve been following the Bronx story remember we launched the Bronx at Work and Buy Bronx/Buy New York campaigns. The message was and continues to be...”IF YOU DO BUSINESS IN THE BRONX…YOU MUST DO BUSINESS WITH THE BRONX”. The chapter you’ve written created 1700 construction related jobs since 2002. Many businesses moved to the Bronx, we’ve lent $12 million to bring in new manufacturers, we created a $6.75 million fund to help businesses become environmentally responsible, in 2006 alone we lent $137 million to 50 businesses that created 2200 jobs and helped another 2000 businesses cut through red tape.
As a result of major development projects like Yankee Stadium, the Gateway Center, and other projects that are on the way, the next big wave of growth is in construction, service and retail jobs. Since the historic groundbreakings last August, we’ve processed 1300 job applicants…these and the many more who will come will be channeled into the 8900 construction jobs and 3100 permanent jobs at these projects alone.
With the great leadership of the Bronx City Council delegation and the participation of a community based working group we crafted two historic community benefits agreements that committed at a minimum, 25% of the construction contracts and 25% of the construction workforce to these projects. On the Yankee Stadium Neighborhood Redevelopment Project alone - look at this - 37% of the construction contracts have gone to Bronx businesses. And at the Gateway Center at the old Bronx Terminal Market 51% of the construction contracts have also gone to Bronx businesses.
As part of the Buy Bronx/Buy NY Campaign we’ve held workshops and talked to 400 businesses about procurement opportunities for major development projects.
Now the Bronx is the place for your corporate office. This has been the year of the groundbreaking, sometimes even days apart…800 new office buildings, with an investment of nearly $2 billion in five years. And, soon there will be 520,000 square feet of shiny new office space at the Hutchinson Metro Center. And for my friends in the trades, we will work out a deal with the developer to ensure that Bronx construction trades help build this new complex. The 170,000sf HUB Retail and Office Center that broke ground last winter, will be neighbor to a 500,000sf office, retail and housing complex right here in the South Bronx.
In order to continue to attract investment that creates jobs and opportunity we must continue an aggressive investment in infrastructure – we need to build and rebuild roads, bridges and better public transportation. Let me tell you what’s happening:
We’re reconstructing the Grand Concourse, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Jose Serrano who secured the federal funds.
We will build a new ramp off of the Hutchinson River Parkway, into the Bay Plaza Shopping complex, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Joe Crowley.
Improvements to are being made to Fordham Road, the Major Deegan Expressway and we’ve invested nearly $900 to re-build and renovating 8 bridges throughout the borough- including every bridge that connects the Bronx to Manhattan over the Harlem River.
We took the MTA to task on the condition of the subways and are finally seeing results. In the last year 27 elevated stations were renovated. 32 more stations need to be redone…14 elevated and 18 underground. I look forward to working with the new head of the MTA, Lee Sander, a good friend, to finish this very important work.
As we continue to grow we will improve our commuter rail lines. We’ve had nine Metro North stations redone and will build new stations in Williamsbridge and Woodlawn, including the new station near the new Yankee Stadium that will be underway by 2009. I look forward to working with Assembly Members Peter Rivera, Michael Benedetto and Ruben Diaz, Jr., and our federal officials to extend commuter rail service to the east Bronx…new stations in Hunts Point, Parkchester and Co-op City.
We know that good housing that’s reasonably priced is hard to come by. At least seven of ten constituent requests and complaints we get are related to housing. Since 2001 nearly 28,000 units of housing have been built. That’s 28,000 units of housing and it’s still not enough. This required an investment of $2.4 billion. I have partnered with the Bronx City Council delegation and the Bloomberg administration. For our part, we have invested $34 million in capital funds to build housing.
Five years ago we set out to increase homeownership opportunities in the borough. More than 7500 families became homeowners during that period. This is the result of an aggressive strategy that includes an annual homebuyers fair and workshops that have attracted several thousand families who learned to simply how qualify for a mortgage and finance their first home. In order to build on our recovery and sustain our growth we must hold on to the middle class. The way we do this is by providing opportunities for young families, as they enter the middle class, to own a piece of the American Dream right here. This is why we’ve built 1,000 residential units of co-ops and condos for young families in the past five years.
Mitchell Lama housing has made it possible for thousands of working families to find quality affordable housing. Since my first election, we created the Bronx Mitchell Lama Task Force whose mission is to preserve and retain 35,000 units of affordable housing and hold owners accountable for their developments. And we’re still not done with housing, we’ll continue to build.
Our effort to create a better place to live means we’ve taken up the fight to clean up our environment. I don’t mean to give another plug to Al Gore’s film, an Inconvenient Truth, which if you have not see you should, we have known anecdotally and more and more based on evidence that our planet is showing signs of warming. On our 44 square miles of God’s good earth called The Bronx, with a population of nearly 1.4 million, we have done what I believe this city and cities around the world should do. We’ve started a Green Roof Program that helps to fund the creation of green roofs…these green roofs reduce heat by 27% to help to retain heat during the winter and cool during the summer, capture and use storm water, and can serve as community gardens. We’ve coupled this with insisting that new development is sustainable…buildings that are built with environmentally friendly material and efficient in the use of energy, including solar panels and reuse of storm water. And, now we need to pass legislation that will give manufacturers tax breaks for making environmentally sustainable products right now in our city. While reducing our fossil fuel consumption and the pollutants in our environment, we will begin to improve conditions for future generations and still be competitive. Green can and must mean good for the environment and good for the pocket book.
I commend Mayor Bloomberg for beginning the overdue process of a 25-year plan for the future of New York. Our City must lead this nation and the world in innovation, as it does in so many other areas
Our daily living environment requires that we create parks that provide a place for exercise and recreation. As a result of a deal that was struck with the City and State, under the leadership of our state legislators and city council members, we are now investing more than $400 million in Bronx Parks. One of the new parks that will be created is the new 24.5-acre park at the site of the old Yankee Stadium. This park will include 4 baseball fields, a soccer and football field, with lights and stands, basketball courts, a 400-meter running track, tennis courts near the river, and a multiplicity of passive multi-use areas.
Over the last 5 years we’ve begun the important work of improving and protecting our waterfront. From the Hudson to the Sound efforts are continuing. The cleanup and restoration of the Bronx River, ensuring access to the water alongside historically industrial sites, like the opening of Barretto Point Park in Hunts Point. Help me say thanks to the work of the 20 plus community based organizations that comprise the Bronx River Alliance. This work, coupled with green development and the introduction of hybrid electric commuter shuttles into the industrial zones in the South Bronx will set the standard for how we should manage our affairs citywide.
Let me talk a little about the healthcare and wellness challenge. We are known as the borough of hospitals, parks and universities. However, we also have the unfortunate distinction of having some of the worse indicators as it relates to wellness. You and I know the reasons for this are complicated and varied. This, however, does not mean that making it better is beyond our reach. We’ve turned many areas of life around in the Bronx and I believe that working together we will turn this around. I’m happy to report that in the last 5 years 71,000 Bronx residents have enrolled in health insurance programs through aggressive outreach efforts by many of you. Please help me thank the Director of the Bronx Health Office, Dr. Jane Bedell for her stellar work in improving health outcomes in the Bronx. I’d also like to recognize someone who just two weeks ago received the highest honor any civilian can receive from the US Surgeon General. This wonderful man, who has served the South Bronx as a community physician for more than four decades received the Surgeon General’s Medallion for the Urban Health Plan, a community health center he founded, now one of the nation’s premier community health centers…please recognize my friend Dr. Richard Izquierdo.
I want to thank every health care worker, from hospital presidents to nurses. We’re still plagued with serious health problems…HIV/AIDs, heart disease, cancer, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Every elected official from the Bronx is involved in addressing these challenges. From our budget, we’ve complemented your work with $7 million in funding to hospitals and health centers. Despite our efforts, every week nearly 100 Bronx residents learn they have cancer and up to 40 die from it. We need to redouble our efforts and my friends, continue to fight against initiatives like the proposed closing of Westchester Square Medical Center and other so called cost-cutting measures that put our community in further danger. And so I pledge to you today that I will join members of the City Council, the Chair of the Health Committee, Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera and the Bronx delegation, as well as members of the State legislature to fight these cuts as we enter this year’s budget discussion. Please count on me to testify before your respected bodies and help you make the case for the people of the Bronx and the City.
If there is a war that must be declared and won it’s the war against chronic disease and poor health. Here’s where we really need more troops.
I want you to know my parents are here…Papi and Mami thank you. You and I owe a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and worked hard to pass on to us and their grand children a better city. Some people refer to them as seniors, but I like to refer to them as seasoned or older adults. Our small attempt to pay a debt to them has translated into $15 million dollars for 18 housing projects to create 1,800 residential units and about $1 million in renovations to older adult centers. Five years ago, we were funding 53 older adult programs, today we are funding 86 of those programs all around the Bronx. Let me assure you that we will continue to fight against cuts to services for older adults and will work to build more housing.
I want to especially thank those elected officials who either chair or sit on committees that address these issues…Council Members Maria del Carmen Arroyo and James Vacca, and State Senator Ruben Diaz…thank you for your advocacy and for the resources you have fought for in the budget.
Thanks to each of my colleagues who hold special events and fund programs in your respective districts. Last year, we held the 3rd Annual Bronx Week Big Band Brunch where we hosted 800 older adults…let me tell you, these people know how to party and have a good time. So for Valentine’s Day we’re having the first ever Bronx Sweetheart Luncheon for couples who are married 50 years or more. Believe me, it will be a great party.
One of the fundamental elements necessary for our form of government and our free market to work is safety and security. Crime rates in the Bronx have plummeted to historic lows, now we must remain ready and vigilant to ensure there is no return to the days when crime swept through and destroyed many neighborhoods. Crime fighting must take the form of smart/targeted community policing, as well as providing positive options and outlets for our youth. It’s no mystery that if young people’s lives are filled with positive activities and challenges, they are less likely to make bad choices. And, you know, this is our problem. This means the solutions must be ours.
Part of the solution has to be using alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenses. When a kid gets involved in a petty crime we should demand a great deal of the kid and the family, let’s provide options that teach responsibility. And to the parents, coddling destructive behavior under the guise of “not my kid” or the system is responsible for how my kid turns out, this is simply absolving ourselves of the awesome responsibility of raising our own children. At the same time, as we demand more of ourselves and our families we must also demand more of government and the corporate stakeholders in our village. That is to say that if you do business in our City you should invest in the future of our City. This means that getting involved in a school, giving to a fund that helps with after school programs, helps with little league, helps with a chess or music program, that it’s not charity, it’s our responsibility.
And since we’re talking about improving public safety and reducing crime, we need to pay our police officers fairly. We need to pay a living wage to the good men and women who put on a uniform everyday to serve and protect us. It’s absolutely ludicrous that we’re paying a new police officer a starting salary of $25,000, and the same goes for firefighters. Let’s raise the starting pay of police officers and firefighters to what they’re worth to us. Unless we do this we will keep training police officers in our academy and shipping them off to the surrounding counties where they get paid right. Mr. Mayor, this must be addressed immediately.
If we pay more we will demand more. Whether its teachers or cops…or anyone else who is entrusted with our children and families. We will support you, we will fight for you to be treated with respect and dignity…and we expect the same. Our top cop in the Bronx gets this and works hard to help us create a safe community for our families. I want you to help me to once again publicly thank my friend and fellow Bronxite, Assistant Chief Tom Purtell. Tom thank you and all the men and women who do the job right…God bless you and keep you safe… I’d like to pause and take a moment to commemorate Police Officers Eric Hernandez and Eric Conception, who were both killed last year. These two deaths remind us of the great sacrifices our police officers make daily.
This past year, Sergeant Jason Manzari and Police Officer Norkiss Andino from the 49th Precinct recovered a baby that was abandoned in Pelham Parkway. The story doesn’t end there, Police Officer Andino went well beyond the call of duty. After bringing the baby to Jacobi Medical Center she learned that the baby would have to be put up for adoption…so she went ahead and adopted the child. You are indeed New York’s finest.
Another critical part of our safety net is those who fight fires and other dangerous conditions. This past year two of our bravest lost their lives fighting a fire at a store right here on Walton Avenue. Lt. Howard Karpluk and Fire Fighter Michael Riley…these are the heroes our children should look up to…to their families who are here…the words thank you cannot capture the magnitude of our gratitude and the depth of our sorrow. So please remember their families in your prayers and let’s all thank our Bronx Fire Chief James Esposito for leading these brave men.
Our Bronx fire fighters show their heroism day in and day out. Just three weeks ago, Lt. Sean McNally and Fire Fighters Thomas O’Meara, Daniel Keating, Patrick Lenihan and John Shurina of Ladder 49 attempted to save four trapped people in a daring ladder rescue from the roof of a home. In the end the home was destroyed, but everyone was rescued and no one was hurt. You are indeed our bravest. Thank you.
I want to again this year thank two outstanding Bronx legislators, Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera and Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson. They accepted the challenge of chairing the Bronx Legislative Task Force to Combat Domestic Violence. Assemblywoman Rivera introduced and passed legislation this year that takes away parental rights from a parent who has murdered his or her spouse. This is a smart and tough law that protects children and families…congratulations. We’ve added a new tool to continue to address domestic violence…we are now staging a traveling play in the borough with Pregones Theater, to dramatize the problem and encourage women to report abuse. I’m also glad to give special recognition today to Council Member Maria Baez who secured $1 million in the City budget last year to create the Bronx Family Justice Center. Working with our office and the Mayors Office to Combat Domestic Violence we will open this center to provide a full spectrum of services to victims and their families. Thank you to all of you and the colleagues who supported your efforts.
The persistent bad news is that poverty and all its related issues remains a problem that grips still too many in our community. You and I know that this is the result of decades of bad public policy and the absence of a sensible urban agenda for our country. We can’t keep throwing money at a housing policy that concentrates poor families in massive housing projects and hopes for the best. We can’t keep wishing kids into success by simply declaring that no child will be left behind. We must stop treating the poor as laboratory subjects that we tinker with in our pricey think tanks and universities. We will eradicate poverty by investing in our most important asset…our children and families.
In spite of bad public policy The Bronx has succeeded in chipping away at the cycles of poverty that plague so many American cities. Today there are 23,000 fewer people on public assistance in The Bronx than there were five years ago. With so many more people working, so many off the welfare rolls, we are moving in the right direction. You may want to tell that to the New York Times, and all the reporters that simply dwell on the negative.
Let’s again…together…not let anyone make excuses and overanalyze the problems we face…let’s continue to find solutions that work.
So what we need to do is invest in our children and families. As most of you have heard me say, I believe our most important responsibility as Americans is the education of our children. Let me put this into context. Education does not begin at 8am and end at 3pm. Education is a 24/7 proposition. This means that every one of us is responsible for the education of our children in our communities. This means that whether you’re a teacher, a preacher, a merchant, a train operator, a police officer, a doctor…whatever you do…you are in the education system. So that, we have to conceive of the education continuum as one that is seamless and endless. This work then requires a different approach. You know, I’m tired of hearing the public arguments about resources and contracts without the commitment of heart. I believe that to do this right we cannot watch the clock. I believe we must keep the doors of the schoolhouse open before 8 and well after 3 and on the weekends. I believe that we need to incorporate civics, and, social and personal responsibility into the curriculum. I believe no cost is too great for rigorous academics, supported by organized sports, arts and culture, and a fully functioning school library. This will require sacrifice…not complaining that it’s not our job description and is not included in our contract. Our contract is a moral and social contract with the future of this republic. If this is going to work we must set aside the immediate for the larger gain.
We know that our youngsters will do well, or not, depending on how much we support them. We’ve invested $20 million in building and renovating youth centers since 2002. In the time we have left we will get started building a new Y in Co-op City, a new West Bronx Boys and Girls Club on University Avenue, youth programs and schools at the Kingsbridge Armory, a new Mount Hope Youth Center, a new youth center in Parkchester, and new centers in Morrisania and Pelham Parkway.
Our commitment to the schools is real and serious. With my colleagues and with the advice and advocacy of school leaders in our community we’ve provided $13 million dollars for school improvements, like the 50 portable science labs in 50 schools around the Bronx…and 100 new schools where attendance and graduation rates are higher than ever before. Working with Cablevision we’ve provided free high-speed internet to 200 Bronx schools, and fought a tough fight, led by Council Member Arroyo and colleagues in her district to ensure that a planned new school campus would be designed and built correctly on an environmentally sensitive site.
This year we will launch an Education Task Force, not to publish studies or reports but to build connections for schools with philanthropy, with business and any partner willing to help. Beginning this year we will work with Randi Weingarten and the UFT in a partnership with the Council for Unity to address gang violence in every Bronx neighborhood. If we can prepare them early…then we can send them off to college or work prepared to succeed.
As many of you know, the current five-year capital plan calls for the addition of 17,000 new school seats in The Bronx. This is the crux of my message for this year: We can build another 20,000 seats, we can place a computer on every child’s lap, we can shrink class size, and we can try new brands of social engineering techniques that the next generation of academics suggests will turn things around…but none of this will make a difference without leadership. I believe the only way to address the crisis of 3 out of 4 Bronx eighth graders not reading at grade level…3 out of 4 eighth graders not performing math at grade level and the same proportion not graduating with a regents diploma is by providing leadership. Well, let me tell you what brand of leadership I’m talking about. It’s the kind of leadership that understands the neighborhood because it’s immersed in neighborhood life. It’s the kind of leadership that arrives at school early, leaves late, visits parents at home if necessary, supports good teachers but demands as much, works and plays with the kids on evenings and weekends, creates a high expectations environment, respects the community it serves, and loves the children…not offering up paternalistic, self-aggrandizing pity…but a genuine love for the kids. Well, just last week, such an education leader was featured in a NY Daily News story. In three years he and his team of teachers who were more than willing to buy in to a new way of doing things turned a failing school around. Here’s what he said: "The idea is to address the home-school connection, to show [parents] that they are welcome here"…"Come in the morning, come in the afternoon, just come sometime." Well, last March, the school was removed from the state's list of failing schools, and the percentage of 5th graders able to perform math at grade level jumped from just 8.2% in 2003 to nearly 54% last year.
So today I want to recognize Paul Cannon’s leadership and can-do attitude. Paul is the principal of PS140. I’m glad to tell that I commit $100,000 to fund a laptop computer for every 3rd, 4th and 5th grader at PS140. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a testament to every teacher, administrator, and parent who has stepped up for their children. We need to reward success and hard work.
If we do this right, every college president who is here will be ready to receive and prepare the next generation of leaders at their college campuses. Then the $2.2 million dollars that my office contributed last year for science and technology at Bronx colleges will be a drop in the bucket, compared to your invaluable contribution of leadership.
Our office will continue to do what we do every day…help the residents of the Bronx solve their problems. We did this 1600 times this year. We will continue to do the best job we can, working with our community boards and their managers to make this borough and this city better. We will repair the step streets; clean up graffiti; spruce up commercial strips; help the disabled to find jobs and housing, ensure the safety and placement of foster children, and we’ll continue to hold town hall meetings…like the one we just held in Parkchester several weeks ago. To serve Bronx veterans I will turn part of my office into a “One Stop Veterans Referral Service”. Latisha Lemott, of my staff, she’s an army veteran, will head this initiative. Help me recognize the Bronx Veterans Advisory Council and the members of the Bronx’s own 773rd Transportation Company who are currently on active duty…they’ve served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. We will work tirelessly to serve the Bronx.
Now let me close with this:
With the 2 years, 10 months and 19 days we have left, thanks to term limits this is what we will do to complete our work and hand over to the next generation a better Bronx.
We will build the Children’s Museum of the Bronx…a board is being formed, elected officials and community leaders support it, the CMOM is involved, and philanthropies are lining up…
We will build a Hotel and Conference/Convention Center…
We will work to convince City Hall and the Police Department that instead of building a jail in the South Bronx, at Oak Point, we should build the new police academy here and leverage the existing businesses in the area by building a state of the art recycling business that will serve as a place of science, innovation and career opportunities.
We will build a Hip-Hop Museum where West 149th Street meets the Bronx River, and attract tourists who are increasingly interested in this global phenomenon called hip-hip. Cleveland has the Museum of Rock â€n Roll, the Bronx will have the Museum of Hip-Hop….why not?
We will rebuild the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market. This market feeds 22 million people every day, employs 10,000 people, and generates $2 billion in fruit and vegetable sales every year. For this we will need the commitment of every level of government, especially City Hall. We must do this, and with your help we will.
We will create second chance schools…for those 16 to 24 year olds who have dropped out of school and are getting in trouble. They need a second chance…finish basic education and get the skills they need to move into higher education or a job… and a little tough love.
We will put plans in place for the Bronx Center for the Arts…a performing arts center that will house, the Bronx Opera Company, the Bronx Symphony Orchestra, the Bronx Dance Theatre, a Bronx Ballet and other performing arts groups.
And, let’s get ready to play host to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game that will be played at Yankee Stadium. Every restaurant and cultural institution will be part of a national marketing campaign to host this special event in The Bronx.
We’ve got our work cut out for us and little time remaining. As you know, after I’m done serving as borough president, I will continue serving our city in one capacity or another. So, over the next few years, in addition to all the good work we will continue to accomplish here, you will hear me chime in with more regularity on the issues that affect every borough of the greatest city in the world. The city that gave my family a very special opportunity. So I’ll be talking about the need to keep our finances in order and pay as we go, and not give our generations’ burden to future generations. I will be talking more about the fact that we cannot continue to have this imbalance with the State and Federal governments, where we send them almost $22 billion more than we get back every year. I’m going to talk about our need to continue to be a city of opportunity where people from all parts of the country and the world come seeking opportunity and a better life and they can find it. I’m going to tell the Bronx story.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Every one in the Bronx should stand up and take a bow. The Bronx is Back…!!!!!!!
Thank you very much…and God Bless You.
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Good evening. I would like to thank you for coming this evening.
Let me thank the staff of the Center for the Arts and the College of Staten Island, and most especially College President Marlene Springer.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor for this evening: SI Bank & Trust.
They are represented tonight by Frank Besignano, Josephine Savastano and Alan Fishman, whose vision and leadership have made SI Bank & Trust and Sovereign Bank one of the Island’s leading corporate citizens.
I would like the SI Bank & Trust team to stand and be recognized.
I am pleased to announce that the State of the Borough is moving forward on the right track.
My office is working on many issues.
Some are completed, some are in progress, and some are for the future.
I am determined to complete the projects I have started, and to “get the shovel in the ground” on several new exciting initiatives.
I would like to begin with one of our top priorities for 2007: ensuring that all Staten Islanders have quality health care.
Last year, the parent company of Saint Vincent’s filed for bankruptcy.
This raised questions and concerns about the future of Saint Vincent’s on Staten Island.
But by working with the community and other elected officials, Bayonne Medical Center was able to acquire Saint Vincent’s.
And just this month, a new hospital was born –Richmond University Medical Center.
I am confident that Staten Islanders will be in good hands under the care of the new management team.
At this point, I would like to underscore the importance of cooperation between our two hospitals.
I have spoken with both directors. They have agreed to study the health care needs of Staten Island and to avoid duplication of services.
I would like to welcome Richard Salhany, Chief Operating Officer for Richmond University Medical Center, and I would like to congratulate Anthony Ferreri, the President of Staten Island University Hospital, for his leadership and vision on this issue.
This kind of cooperation between our hospitals has already been successful.
As you may recall, in 2001 we were able to open the Heart Institute on Staten Island. It is operated by both Staten Island University Hospital and Richmond University Medical Center.
From the very beginning, it has been consistently ranked at the top of its field in New York State.
That is something to be proud of.
The men and women who fought for this country and defended our freedom are entitled to the best health care available, and I was proud to play a role in bringing the Veterans Community Health Center to Staten Island.
For many veterans, this Center is their hospital, and I would like to take a moment to recognize our strongest VA supporters: James Farsetta, and John Donnellan Jr.,
Over a year ago, the Salvation Army came to me for help with finding a location for a Kroc Community Center. I immediately suggested the former Bayley Seton site.
After an intense competition with other cities, Staten Island was selected as the site for the $70 million dollar world-class Kroc Community Center.
The new Kroc Center will be a “beacon on a hill” for thousands of Staten Islanders of all ages. There will be three swimming pools, a full-size gymnasium, an educational center, and a five-hundred-seat performing arts theatre.
And here’s more good news: At my request, the Salvation Army has agreed to include an indoor track!
I would like to thank the Salvation Army for working with me.
I am always seeking ways to help children with special challenges.
Over the last three summers, hundreds of children with special needs have been helped by a horseback riding program.
It is a very successful program that is forced to close for the winter because it does not have an indoor arena.
So tonight, I am announcing that I have dedicated $750,000 for an indoor riding facility at South Beach State Park.
My office is working closely with the State Department of Parks to move this project forward.
Tonight, I am also announcing that I have allotted $400,000 toward the construction of the Mount Sinai Community Center on Jersey Street.
This project is the vision of Dr. Reverend Victor Brown, and I am proud to support it.
Since 2002, I have allotted over $10 million to fund improvements in our schools. These include libraries, gymnasiums, auditoriums and security systems.
I am especially proud to have provided over $5 million for new computers in over 30 public schools and in every public library on Staten Island.
I was also proud to fund our newest marvel -- a Mobile Science Lab.
Last year, my office was the first to fund innovative “smart boards” for our public schools on Staten Island.
I recently visited P.S.5 to see one in operation.
As you may have noticed, we have placed a “smart board” in the lobby so you can get a close look at the blackboard of the 21st Century. Instead of students writing with chalk, they have the whole world of the internet at their fingertips.
Based on this huge success, I am now committing $1 million to purchase 200 “smart boards” for our schools.
We have several school construction projects well under way, which will create nearly 3,000 new school seats for Staten Island.
As part of my plan for Charleston, the City has set aside 15 acres for the Department of Education.
In the spirit of Mayor Bloomberg’s challenge to plan ahead -- I have asked Chancellor Klein to work with me on a vision for this school property.
I would like to see a “Health and Environmental Studies” school at this site. As “The Borough of Parks,” Staten Island is the ideal place for a school with an environmental focus.
I also strongly believe children should learn more about health and fitness in this age of computers and video games.
Now that’s moving forward on the right track for education.
Seniors are a top priority of mine, and I continue to work with our City agencies on my Senior Retirement Village in Charleston.
I would like to see it opened before I leave office in 2009.
Bringing new businesses and jobs to Staten Island has also been one of my top priorities. As we stand now, Staten Island has the lowest unemployment rate and the highest median income in New York City.
In Charleston, we have taken one of the Borough’s largest vacant properties and turned it into a dynamic retail complex.
All these stores are thriving and helping to keep Staten Island shoppers here in our Borough.
Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, the Home Port redevelopment project is making great progress.
There will be housing, retail shops, and a sports complex, all linked by a new waterfront esplanade.
I am working closely with Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and City Planning Director Amanda Burden, and I would like to thank them for their cooperation.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the role of Staten Island Bank & Trust, a division of Sovereign Bank. They are making a tremendous investment of time, funding and leadership in the Stapleton community.
VISY Paper is a success story that really needs to be told and re-told.
Ten years ago, VISY was looking for locations in the tri-state area. The Borough President’s Office convinced them to locate here, on Staten Island.
VISY has recycled over one million tons of curbside paper and employs over two hundred workers.
And they are in the process of expanding, and will create many more jobs for Staten Island.
Yet another success story is the New York Container Terminal, which went from closure in the 1990’s to being the largest container port in New York State.
They have added four new cranes and increased their total warehouse space to 500,000 square feet. They now handle over 420,000 containers per year.
Thanks to this operation, Staten Island is no longer shut out of our port economy. We are a major player, and we’re here to stay. A major expansion, which will create more jobs and revenue, is right around the corner.
The container operation is linked directly to the next subject – the return of freight rail operations to Staten Island.
Last year, on October 4th, , I rode the first locomotive across the newly renovated Arthur Kill lift bridge from New Jersey to Staten Island.
This was an historic day for commerce. It is estimated that the restoration of freight rail service will create 330 permanent jobs and $200 million per year in tax revenue by 2010.
And it will have a dramatic positive effect on traffic.
Let me explain.
Presently, thousands of containers received by New York Container Terminal, or shipped from VISY Paper, which must be shipped by rail, are transported by truck over the Goethals Bridge to the New Jersey Express Rail Yard.
Soon, our new freight railroad yard will link us to the Nation’s rail network, and the containers will be transferred directly from ship to rail, right here on Staten Island.
This will eliminate up to 90,000 trucks going over the Goethals Bridge per year.
Now that’s moving forward on the right track.
We are bringing that same focus to restoring passenger service on the North Shore Railroad.
As you know, the Borough President’s office saved the existing North Shore Railroad right-of-way from being sold to developers.
My office, along with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, is working closely with our good friend Senator Charles Schumer to obtain funding for a second study. This will allow the City to apply for Federal transportation funding.
I want to thank Senator Schumer for his hard work on this issue, and also for his continued support of the one-way toll.
One of my chief goals over the next three years is to keep the renaissance of St. George moving forward.
My vision for St. George is clear: It should be Staten Island’s official “downtown,” a hub of business, government, cultural and tourist attractions, and a great place to live.
While visiting down in Florida, I witnessed for myself how the cultural and arts community transformed downtown Sarasota into a bustling, vibrant area.
I am confident the same can happen in St. George.
I am proud to have played a role in bringing new life to the St. George Theater, which has run 90 events in the past year.
I provided over $1.6 million to repair the St. George promenade for public use.
And I am working with the New York City EDC to redevelop the former Coast Guard base for housing, shops, restaurants and a home for the National Lighthouse Museum.
I also want to welcome the new management team of the Staten Island Yankees: Mandalay Sports. You have our support to make 2007 your best season ever!
The St. George Ferry Terminal renovation is also a great success, and I applaud the work of the DOT and EDC.
We’ve transformed a drab-looking institutional terminal into a bright, welcoming transportation hub.
Tonight, I am pleased to announce my next project to brighten the ferry terminal: The installation of two giant saltwater fish tanks in the waiting area.
I was inspired by the use of fish tanks throughout the country in other large public places.
Here are some images of the tanks under construction.
Each tank will be 14 feet long by 5 feet wide, and will sit on a 40 inch tall base.
They will be home to 800 colorful fish.
This project is funded by my office. The tanks will be maintained by the Staten Island Zoo and sponsored by Richmond County Savings.
Like the dolphin fountain at South Beach and the sea turtle sculpture at Midland Beach, the St. George Aquarium will become a widely recognized icon of Staten Island.
Preserving our natural spaces and improving our parks have been priorities of my administration from day one.
Last year, I allotted $3 million from my capital budget toward the purchase of several acres of the Goodhue Center.
This property could one day provide a major link in creating a â€North Shore Greenbelt.’
The protection of Staten Island’s sensitive land is the best present we can give to our children and grandchildren.
To that end, last month, I announced the formation of a not-for-profit corporation to purchase sensitive property for preservation
It’s called The Staten Island Community Preservation Conservancy.
The Conservancy will raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations and other charitable organizations.
I would like to recognize the Board Members: Ken Saccaro, Jay Chazanoff, Ruth Lasser and Vincent Pitta. Thank you for agreeing to serve on the Board of the Conservancy.
And I would also like to thank our very first donor: Randy Lee, who contributed $200,000.
None of these exciting projects throughout the Island would be viable without a safe City.
Thanks to our Police Department, Staten Island has the lowest crime rates in the City.
In helping our police do their job, I am pleased to announce that I have provided $1 million to improve conditions in our police precincts in the coming year.
I am also assisting the Fire Department, purchasing new vehicles such as a Major Emergency Response Vehicle, and a Marine Rescue Craft.
And with safety in mind, I purchased a new salt spreader for the Department of Sanitation. So we can all be safer when it snows.
I want to thank our uniformed services for the quality of life that we all enjoy, and I’d like to recognize Police Borough Commander Al Girimonte, Fire Borough Chief Thomas Haring, New York City Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, and Sanitation Borough Chief Daniel Ambrose.
Just as our uniformed services protect our quality of life, so do the actions of everyday citizens.
As you know, each year my office honors a Staten Islander with the prestigious Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award.
My 2006 Maniscalco Award honorees are two ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things purely out of love for their fellow man.
They created and maintain Angels’ Circle in Grasmere, a heavenly sanctuary that honors our lost loved ones from 9/11.
They are Wendy Pellegrino and Fred Ariemma and we will honor them at an official ceremony at Borough Hall on March 29th .
Staten Island’s waterfront should be its greatest asset. That is why we have been revitalizing the waterfront in many parts of Staten Island. The renaissance at South Beach is the one I am most proud of.
Let’s go to the videotape.
Video presentation – Renaissance at the Boardwalk
There is no doubt that the Boardwalk is a great success story. And this year we will be making further improvements, such as new benches, railings and litter baskets.
Recently, I conducted a survey among users of the Boardwalk. Many agree that we need more activities for children.
So tonight, I would like to outline my next major project.
We are going to establish a “children’s play park” just off the Boardwalk between Freedom Circle and the new artificial turf soccer field.
Take a look at our conceptual illustration.
It will be a beautifully landscaped area, with an ocean-front atmosphere.
All the rides will be designed for children under the age of 12.
And working with our designers and the Parks Department, every ride will be imaginative and educational.
Instead of a carousel of horses, there will be one of seahorses.
Instead of spinning teacups, there will be spinning clam shells.
Instead of a Ferris wheel, we will have a Staten Island ferry wheel.
Other small rides will be in shape of sea turtles, dolphins and flying fish.
And with the revival of railroads so much a part of my address tonight, I am happy to say that the property will have a kiddie train to take families from one end to the other.
There will be an old-fashioned ice cream parlour…An indoor facility for parties...A scenic lighthouse…and lots of fun spilling out from every corner.
Most importantly, the Play Park must have a reasonable admission price, and include programs that reflect the educational as well as entertainment value of the Park.
Therefore, I have requested that the Play Park be operated by a not-for-profit organization, just like the Carousel in Willowbrook Park.
And we will be looking for corporate sponsors to help make this a success.
So there you have it. The next step in our continuing renaissance at the Boardwalk…the “Children’s Play Park”.
Let me now turn to Land Use and Traffic.
Mayor Bloomberg, by creating the Growth Management Task Force, has produced a better quality of life for our residents.
As we move ahead with the Growth Management Task Force, I have several agenda items for them to consider.
First, I want to have the Task Force look at what defines a BSA “hardship case”. I think this is a term that has been abused.
Hardships should be considered only when the hardship was caused by government action, not when they are self-created by the developer.
For example, if the government allows someone to build a catering hall across the street from my house – then I can legitimately claim a “hardship.”
But if a developer buys a piece of property knowing that he cannot build on it, and asks the City for reconsideration, this is not a hardship.
That’s like a man who shoots and kills his parents, and then goes before the judge asking for mercy because now he’s an orphan.
We also need to adopt new rules for gas stations that have been retrofitted as convenience stores and coffee shops.
These establishments are springing up at many intersections, and they are having a negative impact on traffic.
Look at this picture of Clove Road and Victory Blvd.
DOT was forced to put “quick-curbs” in the roadway to prevent dangerous turns into and out of the gas station.
So my office will be working with the Task Force to create new guidelines.
We must create more onsite parking and better traffic circulation -- so these locations are safer and less congested!
Staten Island has 5% of New York City’s population, but 17% of the registered vehicles in the City.
And that doesn’t count all the vehicles that are registered in Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania by Staten Islanders
Knowing that traffic will continue to increase at 2–3% each year, we need to think “outside the box.”
With the cooperation of DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall, we were able to implement a number of common sense traffic improvements, including…
• More turning lanes and left-turn signals.
• And “common sense” street signs that are so successful they were implemented all over the City.
I have also introduced blinking stop signs that run on solar power.
Tonight, I am pleased to announce that they will be installed in 5 new locations.
The new stop signs help improve safety, and I hope to add many more in the coming years.
Another project that I announced during my first term was a new entrance to Miller Field at Father Capodanno Boulevard. Construction on the new entrance should begin in April.
By this time next year, motorists traveling on Father Capodanno will no longer have to travel through neighborhood streets, around Hylan Boulevard, and down New Dorp Lane, in order to enter Miller Field.
Rather, they will be able to enter directly into the park.
The hundreds of cars using this new location will no longer be crowding our neighborhood streets or the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane, which we all know is way too crowded already.
This is a realistic traffic improvement that will give us real results.
We have also continued to improve crucial intersections.
We placed new left turn lanes and left turn signals at Amboy Road and Seguine Avenue, which is working beautifully, and we will do the same with Victory Boulevard and Travis Avenue.
And this year, I am pleased to report that DOT will install new left turn bays and left turn signals at four key intersections on Hylan Boulevard – Cleveland, Fieldway and Chesterton Avenues and on Buffalo Street.
I would like to thank Mayor Bloomberg, DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall, and Borough Commissioner Tom Curitore, for making these great traffic improvements possible, and I know we will be seeing many more as a result of the Mayor’s Traffic Task Force.
At my request, DOT, the Buildings Department, City Planning, and other agencies meet more often on growth management and traffic issues.
We have more cooperation and communication among City agencies than ever before.
That is a positive step forward.
Let me show you an example of what happened when inter-agency communication was not as good.
This is an aerial view of Englewood Avenue in Charleston.
As you can see, this warehouse was built right up against the street line.
Normally, DOT would have asked for a setback.
But without checking with DOT or the Fire Department, the Board of Standards and Appeals permitted the development to go forward.
So the warehouse stands there, permanently affecting the width of the street.
Today, we have changed the process for the better.
I have requested that the Board of Standards and Appeals notify the Borough DOT Commissioner, the Fire Department, and the Borough President’s Office whenever there is a request for a change in the status of a street.
Here’s an example.
Rivington Avenue is mapped from Park Drive North to Richmond Avenue.
But as you can see from this picture, the road ends before Richmond Avenue at Jennifer Court.
Under the new way of doing business, DOT was informed of a waiver application to build on this vacant piece of property, which lies in the bed of the mapped street.
After reviewing the request, DOT has opposed the waiver and asked that the developer complete the connection to Richmond Avenue as mapped.
So with better communication, we are seeing better results for Staten Island.
Now let me turn to another issue.
With all the vacant land that we had at our disposal, how did we wake up one morning with this traffic mess?
This should not have happened. And it’s not very complicated why it happened. In fact, it’s really very simple.
It happened because of waivers, waivers, waivers, being given over and over.
You might ask -- what is a waiver?
Let me show you an example.
Here is Amboy Road at Clark Avenue, where the street is built out to its full mapped width.
This next photo shows garden apartments that were built with a front lawn that extends into the mapped street. The developer was given a waiver so he did not have to widen the street to its full width.
This is an aerial view of Amboy Road just north of Richmond Avenue. You can see the two shopping centers on either side. These properties have wide sidewalks and parking lots because of waivers.
If not for waivers, we could have Amboy Road built with two lanes in both directions, including turn lanes. Traffic would move so much better.
But today this is a traffic nightmare. And we all suffer today because Amboy Road was only built to half its mapped size.
At my urging, the Department of Transportation has implemented a new waiver policy, where waivers are the exception, not the rule.
All waiver requests are now reviewed in coordination between DOT, Department of Buildings, and the Fire Department.
As a recent example, a project on Manor Road was denied a waiver, so that Manor Road could one day have a widening. We did not “give away” the width of the street.
We are also seeing better cooperation between developers and the DOT to make intersection and roadway improvements.
As an example, the owner of a new Dunkin Donuts, at his own expense, will widen Victory Boulevard at the intersection of Richmond Avenue, and a new dedicated right turn lane will be created.
This is another crowded intersection getting long overdue attention – thanks to smart planning!
Now take a look at these photos of our Mid-Island roads. The traffic jams here are incredible.
In this shot, you can see one motorist is so frustrated that he is driving in the opposite lane of traffic to try to get to the turning lane.
The same thing is happening in this next photo of Forest Hill Road.
Look at this photo. The Parks Department has to actually close down the road just to prune the trees along the street.
Why are we making our motorists endure these conditions? The roads are way too narrow and unsafe.
The DOT is planning to widen Forest Hill Road to two lanes in each direction, and Rockland Avenue will be realigned and widened from its current width of 22 feet to 45 feet.
Tonight, I strongly urge the City to proceed with these road improvements, and for Staten Islanders to be supportive of these initiatives.
It is obvious. Why are we studying this to death? It is ridiculous to inconvenience and endanger the safety of Staten Islanders with these inadequate roads.
For safety’s sake, let’s improve Forest Hill Road and Rockland Avenue now!
Going forward, one of my top priorities is the reuse of the roads in Fresh Kills.
Back in 2001, I hired a consultant to analyze the landfill roads.
We knew that this was the first time in 50 years that we actually had the room and the opportunity to design and build the roads properly.
City Planning has included the plan in its designs for Fresh Kills Park.
But we must go much further than just opening the roads to the public.
I have given testimony and written letters, clearly stating that these roads must be under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Transportation, and they must be two lanes in each direction.
To do less would fly in the face of the Mayor’s Traffic Task Force.
A one-lane road for Fresh Kills does not even meet the present needs of Staten Islanders, let alone future needs. By the time such a road is open to the public, it would already be insufficient.
My fear is that “the architects of yesterday’s failures claim to have the solutions to today’s problems.”
Will these roads be heavily traveled?
Last year, my office asked Bed, Bath & Beyond in Charleston to record the zip codes of recent shoppers. They did, and the results are telling.
Roughly 50% of shoppers came from the Mid-Island area.
If they were available, they would use the roads through the landfill.
And they would not be driving through New Springville and Travis or taking the Korean War Veterans Parkway to get to Charleston – a convoluted route.
The most direct route – would be the landfill roads. It’s just plain common sense!
Nowhere is the need for major road improvements greater than on the growing South Shore.
Recently, my staff did an extensive study on current and potential development in Charleston.
According to our estimates, over 4 million square feet of commercial and retail space either exists or will be developed in the next ten years.
These developments bring with them a requirement for 12,000 parking spaces.
That’s a lot of vehicles.
Based on these facts, it should be obvious to everyone that the private sector is moving forward, very quickly.
Now we need the public sector to also move forward, with smart planning.
Over a year ago, I proposed a $100 million traffic plan that calls for improving a number of roads on the South Shore.
I am pleased to report that the City will widen an eight-mile section of Arthur Kill Road, from Bentley Street to Richmond Avenue. DOT has increased the budget for this project by $15 million and is fast-tracking its construction by two years.
Now that’s a good start.
I am now asking the City to build the already mapped Kent Street, an important North-South road that will connect Englewood Avenue to Sharrotts Road.
We should then extend Kent Street south through the future school site. This will provide a vital connection through Bricktown Center to the community
Now looking ahead, we need to map and complete Englewood Avenue, and widen and complete Sharrotts Road. These are important East-West roadways, that connect to existing overpasses.
Looking at this aerial, you can see that most of the residential population for the Charleston Center is east of the Expressway.
What do we expect them to do – jump across?
If we don’t complete these streets, the existing streets are useless, and that’s unacceptable.
This is about sensible planning for our residents. Let’s move forward with completing these roads!
That’s just part of the issue. We also need to improve highway access on the South Shore.
So tonight I am announcing several recommendations.
First, in the Woodrow section of Staten Island, we have service roads off Bloomingdale Road which just end. They don’t connect with the rest of the service road network. That’s just bad planning.
So I recommend completing the service roads between Bloomingdale Road and Woodrow Road on both sides of the West Shore Expressway.
In this picture, you can again see that the service road ends. It goes nowhere…it’s useless.
This is also the site where Lowes plans to open a new store. They asked for a waiver, and it was denied.
I then gave them a choice: either build the service road in front of the property as mapped, or you can’t build your store.
So after Lowes completes their portion of the service road, I will work with the State DOT and State Parks to complete this vital connection.
We should have continuous service roads – it’s just plain common sense!
Take a look at this photo.
Here is the West Shore Expressway, the Korean War Veterans Parkway, and here is the Bricktown Center.
Currently, our residents have a tough time, navigating around the roads and highways in this area.
And in the summer, they have to compete with all the traffic heading to New Jersey.
There is only one narrow exit ramp from the West Shore Expressway to Bricktown, and it is far too dangerous to cut across traffic from the Korean War Veterans Parkway.
So here are my recommendations.
I am proposing new elevated ramps that will connect the West Shore Expressway, and the Korean War Veterans Parkway, to Bricktown and to Page Avenue. This is the safest and most efficient way to handle the traffic in the area.
We can also provide better access to Arthur Kill Road by extending the ramp to North Bridge Street.
In this way, we can separate the traffic heading to the Outerbridge Crossing from the motorists wanting to visit Charleston or Tottenville.
These proposals, along with sixteen others, have been presented to the New York State DOT, and we are working closely with them to finalize these plans.
The residents of the South Shore deserve to have efficient roads to help them travel in their own neighborhoods! We can’t have a situation where traffic is backed-up for miles because we have failed to put the proper infrastructure in place.
This plan offers solutions, and we have already started a dialogue with the State of New York. We have put the matter on the table, and I am confident we will move forward.
Obviously, the commercial developments in Charleston will be here well before the road improvements are made.
But why? Why is it possible to build an entire shopping center in one year, but simple road improvements take eight years?
Let me give you an example.
There is a dangerous curve on Todt Hill Road. You may be familiar with it. It’s near the intersection of Willow Pond Road, not far from St. Francis Seminary.
Often, traffic backs up from Circle Road all the way up to Willow Pond Road. This is a very unsafe condition.
Back in 1997, I saw the opportunity to straighten out this dangerous curve.
The Borough President’s Office negotiated with the State during the purchase of St. Francis Woods.
As a result, we set aside a portion of State land for the re-alignment of Todt Hill Road.
My office then produced a “Preliminary Design” for improving the road – which you see here on-screen.
We then submitted it to the City.
Now let me outline what has happened since, and this underscores the problem with ULURP.
Take a look at this graphic. This is a standard timetable for the ULURP process, which we have broken down in three sections for you.
From the time of inception, in 1997, the project went through a preliminary agency review for over four years.
Then the agency conducted what is called a Preliminary Design Investigation. That took two more years.
Then, a consultant was hired to study my office’s study.
After two more years, they recommended basically the same plan that my office gave them eight years before.
Finally in 2006, the project reached the final design phase.
This year, it will finally start the ULURP process at City Planning – ten years after we started!
Now, if you look at this next chart, you will see that between the “Initial City Planning Meeting” and “Certification”, there are the words: “no specified time limit.”
That means just getting to Certification can take another year or more – before the formal ULURP timetable even begins!
After Certification, the ULURP timetable calls for a 150-day public review.
This includes public hearings with the community boards, the Borough President’s Office, the City Planning Commission and the City Council.
By the time the project is given final approval by the City, it is under-funded.
So we have to renegotiate the budget, which often takes months.
Then the bidding process begins. By the time the bid is drawn up, sent out, received and awarded, another year has passed.
Now construction can FINALLY begin.
Has anyone ever analyzed what we are doing to ourselves? How do you accomplish anything?
Let me make the point more simply. The Empire State Building was built in just 13 months.
Yet a simple road improvement can take over 13 years!
Something is wrong.
So before I leave you tonight, I want to take a few moments to make a case for common sense.
As you leave, my staff will be giving you a book called â€The Death of Common Sense”. I would encourage you to sit down and read it. In fact, it should be required reading in the 7th grade of every school.
I think you will be amazed at how much more efficient and responsive government can be, if we work together to find common sense solutions to problems.
Maybe we can start the first chapter of a new book, “The Re-birth of Common Sense.”
Take a look at this property on Rockland Avenue. It sticks out into the road. Would you believe we would have to go through the ULURP process to remove this. Why are we not taking this property, compensating the owner, and making the road safer and better?
Look at this hydrant on Forest Hill Road. It makes no sense that this hydrant should be jutting out into the street. This is an unacceptable condition.
This next photo is of Forest Hill Road and Travis Avenue.
Four years ago, I asked DOT to install a left-turn lane at this intersection.
DOT reviewed the intersection, measured the width, and the improvement was a “go”
That is, until DOT was forced to conduct an EIS for the entire Forest Hill Road Corridor.
Is this efficiency? Should one, simple left-turn lane be delayed year after year for endless studies?
I therefore propose that we change the ULURP process.
I propose that left turn lanes, and other simple traffic solutions be fast tracked and not held up by the much broader review process of an EIS.
And I propose that ULURPs have different levels of timetables.
If an entire road system is under consideration, a ULURP of 18 months may be necessary.
But should the same amount of time be spent on a single, small road improvement?
Why not have a 3-month ULURP or a 6-month ULURP based on the scope of the project?
It’s just plain common sense!
Let’s look at it this way. Any projects that Mayor Bloomberg or I undertake in the next year, if a ULURP is required, we have no chance to complete them by the time we leave office.
We must fast-track ULURP, so we can improve our Mid-Island roads and make so many other improvements that our residents desperately need.
We must open the roads through Fresh Kills with two lanes in each direction. We’re talking 40 additional feet. Why are we quibbling over 40 feet, when the landfill is over 2,200 acres in size? Or put it another way – 94-million-square-feet.
We should connect the service roads on both sides of the West Shore Expressway.
In an age of traffic jams and security concerns, we need our service roads available to community residents and emergency vehicles.
As I often say, “Common Sense can prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past…”
That’s my key message tonight.
That’s how we can move forward on the right track.
The good news is that we have Mayor Bloomberg and his Administration working with us to correct these problems.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Growth Management allowed us to improve zoning regulations.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Traffic has allowed us to make historic progress on road improvements.
And the Mayor’s leadership has sparked a successful redevelopment plan for the Stapleton Home Port and so many other initiatives.
I am hopeful that working with Mayor Bloomberg, we can continue to employ “common sense” to achieve the goals I have outlined tonight.
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Good afternoon.
Thank you for joining me today.
I want to especially thank Mayor Bloomberg, who is doing such a great job for the city –and council Speaker Quinn ,who has provided the council with truly outstanding leadership.
Thank you both for hosting us today.
I also want to thank Manhattan’s City Council delegation, my fellow elected officials, many of whom are in Albany today, and Manhattan's Community Boards for their collaboration with me during my first year in office.
This is an extraordinary time to be part of Manhattan’s transformative struggles and achievements.
One thing that unites New Yorkers is the magnitude of our dreams. That’s why, every day, people arrive here to paint their ambitions on our landscape.
It’s why New Yorkers continue to build and Manhattan continues to grow.
Today, the city’s growth is truly something to brag about.
After the 2001 terrorist attacks, predictions for New York City’s future were dire.
No one could foresee the stupendous comeback we’ve made, or the extraordinary development that’s taken hold here.
The city’s resurgence has brought about prosperity, including almost four billion dollars in public surplus it’s a boon to every resident.
It has made it possible for more people to live and work here.
But while our success is incredibly exciting, it is also a bit difficult to absorb.
Record numbers of tourists make us proud, reminding us that we live in the world’s greatest city, but we fight them for space on our sidewalks.
We enjoy the new shops and entertainment venues, but businesses we love are priced out of existence.
We want and desperately need more housing, but our streets can seem like one big construction site.
And, as Manhattan entered the new millennium, our population continued to grow, but our middle class began to shrink.
It’s no wonder we sometimes fear that the borough we love might well disappear.
Growth always involves stress. We know that.
But while we want the development that will keep us the world’s most exhilarating city, we also want to be the most livable city on Earth.
That means every resident must have a say in our shared future.
Manhattan residents are the famous, and the faceless, the most powerful and the most vulnerable, the flamboyant, and those who live in the shadows.
While they come from every nation and speak every language, they live here because Manhattan speaks to them, as it speaks to us all.
As the official elected to serve all of Manhattan, I promised to take the office of borough president, an agency many viewed as powerless, and use it to empower every Manhattan neighborhood.
I’ll be honest ,some people smirked when I said that, but I don’t think they’re laughing anymore.
When I took office, Manhattan’s Community Boards were a withered shadow of local government.
Chronic vacancies and perpetual inaction were the norm.
When it came to reforming Manhattan’s Community Boards, I was told, flat out, it couldn’t be done.
But I knew that only reform could make the Boards effective.
So we created an independent screening process that appointed board members based on their qualifications, not politics.
The panel consists of leading organizations, everyone from the league of conservation voters to the league of women voters, the citizens union to the women’s city club, the NNACP, the Hispanic federation and other key groups. To signal the start of a new day, I made sure that every board member got conflicts of interest training.
In my first year in office, through a process supported by every council member, Manhattan’s Community Board vacancies went from 25 percent to less than 2 percent.
Now, remember, the whole point of reform was to empower Manhattan’s residents.
So, to give neighborhoods a greater role in development decisions, we created a class to teach people about zoning and land use, and took it on the road.
Zoning is the paradigm for determining what gets built in New York City today.
Those who don’t understand that paradigm will be left behind.
That’s what led to my first conversation with Amanda Burden, our wonderful City Planning Commissioner.
I told Amanda I wanted copies of the City’s zoning 101 handbook, so I could give one to every Community board member.
She said, “Scott, they’re $22 each.” I said “I’ll take 600 for $12.”
That was my first negotiation with City Planning.
But not the last.
Not by a long shot.
Today, from Washington Heights to Battery Park, and from the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side, Manhattan’s newly-empowered Community Boards are hard at work and accountable to every neighborhood.
This is essential, because planning that affects millions of New Yorkers should reflect the wisdom of the community.
So, following Woodrow Wilson’s advice, I not only use all the brains I have, but all that I can borrow.
The first brain trust we created was the Manhattan Planning Fellowship Program.
We paired each Community Board with a top-notch Urban Planning graduate student to help them carry out projects they’ve wanted to do for years.
This is a priceless contribution to neighborhood empowerment, and to Manhattan’s future.
Some of the planning fellows, among the brightest young minds in New York City, are here today. I’d like to ask them to stand.
From Rutgers, Hunter, Columbia, NYU and The New School, these graduate students are the cream of the crop.
And guess where they want to work when they graduate? In the world’s greatest cities, London, Paris, Rio and, of course, right here in New York.
Their experience with our Community Boards is giving these future planning leaders a perspective that will influence their work for decades to come, the perspective that inclusion, collaboration and consensus, can achieve spectacular results, unprecedented development, that is anchored in our common good.
That is the vision I promised to promote.
The results, all over the borough, speak for themselves.
Plans for Uptown New York, a large-scale development in East Harlem, were created with little neighborhood input.
Not surprisingly, residents saw nothing that reflected local needs.
When I ran for office, I promised to help neighborhood residents work with developers and City government to build consensus that would address local needs, and that’s exactly what we achieved.
Working with the mayor’s office, Community Board 11, Harlem residents, and Council Member Mark-Viverito, new guidelines were written for development of the East Harlem site.
Those guidelines now include cultural space, space for local businesses, and affordable housing.
On the Upper West Side, the proliferation of skyscrapers jammed in among buildings they dwarf illustrates the problem of unplanned development.
Such projects block light, air and views, strain facilities like parking and schools, and understandably fuel residents’ wrath.
That’s why, for the rezoning that will take place from 97th to 110th Street ,I am working with city planning, Community Board 7, and council members Dickens and Mark-Viverito to see that new construction promotes rational development which preserves the neighborhood’s beauty and character.
In Midtown, almost a decade ago, the city rezoned part of the theater district, allowing developers to transfer air rights and build more densely along Eighth Avenue.
In exchange, money was to be set aside to benefit the theater district.
When I came into office, I learned that no benefit was ever applied for.
Working with Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Community Board 5, and City Planning, funds are now being set aside and in November we negotiated our first benefit - a deal that will create new office space for nonprofit theater companies.
Many people don’t know that what we now call Tribeca was one of Manhattan’s oldest residential neighborhoods.
In the mid-19th century, textile houses took over the area, chasing away families and replacing the neighborhood’s houses with factories of classical design.
The 20th century conversion of those factories gave the neighborhood a new name and a new incarnation as a residential and cultural community.
In the 21st century, Tribeca residents are once more experiencing the stress that comes with rapid change.
Last year, Tribeca residents were up in arms about development that would have permanently cut them off from their riverfront.
With the support of Community Board 1, Speaker Quinn and Council member Gerson, my office designed a rezoning to move the development forward while preserving residents’ light, air and waterfront views.
Another win for community-based planning.
I will continue to make sure that residents have a strong say in the future of their neighborhoods.
Whenever possible, new development should achieve a significant public benefit, whether affordable housing, space for nonprofits, significant job creation, or some other tangible benefit.
So I will fight for open space and waterfront access on the East Side Con Edison site.
Along Sherman Creek, I will push for rezoning that creates more affordable housing.
Residents of West Harlem and Hamilton Heights have waited far too long for access to their waterfront.
Take Me to the River is a catchy name, but the name alone won’t take us anywhere.
So I have dedicated a planner to work exclusively on reviving this dormant plan to help bring those communities waterfront access of their own design.
Harlem residents will have a major say in Columbia’s planned expansion.
I support Columbia’s desire to grow to meet its 21st Century educational and research goals.
The university’s expansion will create jobs and has many potential benefits for our city.
However, projects of this magnitude have swept away entire neighborhoods, something that must never again be imposed on any Manhattan community, especially not this one.
Columbia’s expansion must add value to the entire neighborhood.
I will be a driving force to bring people together and forge consensus for this project.
Another place where great, forward thinking is badly needed is the area around Penn Station.
It is absolutely essential to move Madison Square Garden.
This will allow us to transform Penn Station into a magnificent gate-way to the heart of Manhattan and develop its vast air space into something worthy of its extraordinary location.
A new Moynihan Train Station will diminish crowding, improve the look and feel of the area, and help lay the foundation for the comprehensive transportation planning our region desperately needs.
This project is vital to our future and it must not become a political football.
While density defines Manhattan Island, Governors’ Island is an open frontier.
Most New Yorkers are unaware of the island and its remarkable history, which includes roles in every American fought war from the revolution through World War II.
The vast open space surrounding the island’s monumental forts is a magnet for a space starved city.
But, especially given its historic significance, we must get the development of Governors’ Island right.
That’s why I wanted a public advisory board to review all development proposals.
I am pleased that the City agreed to that process, which will give us development that reflects the creative vision of civic minded New Yorkers.
Thank you Dan Doctoroff.
Adjacent to East Harlem, off Manhattan’s east coast, lies Randall’s Island, where Jesse Owens ran the 100 yards that sent him to the 1936 Olympics.
New Yorkers have a fundamental problem with the privatization of public parks.
So when the city decided to hand over 50 ball fields on Randall’s Island for private use for 30 years! I refused to play along.
I am well aware that I have only one vote on the city’s franchise review board.
I also understand the need for compromise, and I know how to make a deal.
But we haven’t yet reached the right compromise over the ball fields.
Because a raw deal is no deal at all, and privatizing the use of public land is a raw deal.
So I will continue speaking out until we have an agreement that keeps the playing fields available to the public and benefits residents of East Harlem and the South Bronx communities that sorely lack ball fields for kids.
Now, we all know that Manhattan needs more affordable housing.
Even with the state’s new minimum wage law, decent housing is out of reach for many New Yorkers.
The accelerating loss of Mitchell-Lama housing is helping to push our affordability crisis into overdrive.
On March 3rd I will host a citywide conference with one goal, finding ways to preserve this bedrock of affordable housing.
And, especially with our affordability crisis, we must make the most of the opportunities we have.
That’s why last summer, with the grassroots organization Picture the Homeless, I conducted the first comprehensive inventory of Manhattan’s vacant buildings and empty lots.
When Boston did a survey and encouraged owners to develop vacant sites, abandoned housing decreased by 76 percent in less than a decade.
Other cities have achieved similar results, why shouldn’t we?
Our survey identified properties throughout Manhattan that could be developed.
As much of it as possible should be used to create affordable new housing, and I will work with the administration, local developers and our Community Boards to make that happen.
Now, both vacant properties and construction sites are magnets for ugly, illegal advertising.
For years I have fought the proliferation of illegal ads on buildings, sidewalks, construction sheds, you name it. So I’m delighted that we started the New Year with a great victory on this issue.
In January the Buildings Department pledged to cover up all illegal ads that are not taken down by their owners.
Thank you, Patricia Lancaster
Another way I promised to help make Manhattan more livable was to jumpstart the development of green building projects, an area where New York seriously lags behind.
I am proud to support projects that will include the largest green roof in the entire Northeast, environmentally sustainable affordable housing, and a net zero energy use site, a building that will actually create more energy than it uses.
Now, how cool is that?
Welcoming new environmental technologies will fuel Manhattan’s economy while helping us clean our waterways, soil and air.
And while it seems that all of us breathe the same air in Manhattan, the truth is that some communities suffer far worse pollution than others.
Today, conditions uptown reflect decades of environmental racism. Six of Manhattan’s seven bus depots are sited above 96th Street, making the area a major dumping ground for air pollutants that are among the most deadly to breathe.
Today, I am proud to announce a new project “Go Green East Harlem” which will improve the environment of that neighborhood in partnership with local leaders, businesses, non-profits and government agencies.
Untreated asthma is the number one reason why Manhattan’s children miss school, and I’m going to fight to put a stop to that.
Go Green will identify ways to decrease local truck traffic, make buildings less polluting, green streets, encourage recycling and give residents access to healthier food.
This will be a self-sustaining program to improve East Harlem’s environment and showcase ideas that can be adopted in other neighborhoods as well.
While air-quality uptown is a decades-old problem, after the 2001 terrorist attacks, air quality downtown evoked city-wide concern.
When we asked for an assessment of air safety in lower Manhattan after 9/11 the Federal Government dropped the ball.
Two years later, the EPA admitted its failure, but it was a lifetime too late for those who were exposed to the toxic fumes, including school children, first responders and those who volunteered for months at the site.
Amit Friedlander, who is here with us today, was a student at Stuyvesant High School.
Less than a month after the attacks, Amit was sent back downtown to school, where students had to walk by piles of smoking rubble just to get to class.
Last year, Amit was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma –which may well have been caused by the federal government’s insistence that it was safe to reopen his school.
Just months ago, another former classmate was diagnosed with leukemia that may be connected to the toxic fumes.
Amit and his former classmate, Lila Nordstrom have joined concerned parents and local residents as tireless advocates for New Yorkers affected by the federal government’s failure to monitor New York’s air quality.
Amit, Lila, please stand.
Join me in giving these young people a round of applause.
Representatives Nadler and Maloney have sponsored legislation to responsibly fund treatment for New Yorkers injured by the toxic fumes from the World Trade Center Site. I will not rest until federal dollars are allocated to meet these obligations.
When it comes to our schools, we have arrived at a critical moment. While the DOE pumps resources into small new schools, nothing is done about the thousands of classrooms throughout the system that are severely over-crowded.
In fact, some schools are so overcrowded that children don’t have desks, don’t have a lunch period or can’t use the library.
Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on radical changes to the reading curriculum, national assessments show that since 2003 the number of New York City fourth graders who are proficient in reading has been stuck at 22 percent and more than 40 percent of our fourth graders are failing reading.
As for high school, even by the DOE own assessment, graduation rates are horrendously low.
What is going to happen to these kids?
The department of education needs to hear what parents, teachers, administrators and advocates are saying.
And right now, those with the most at stake in the system are frustrated and confused.
We know what parents care about, and for good reason, smaller class size, skilled, dedicated teachers, curricula that engage and challenge their kids and a system that welcomes parental input.
It is my hope that DOE will provide leadership, which is badly needed ,to reduce class size, to restore enrichment programs that have been cut ,and to support the vital work of teachers in the classroom. Those are the reforms that will result in the education all of us want for our children.
Our kids also need more after school options. 3 to 6 PM on school days is prime crime time in New York.
Kids need safe places to go after school, and healthy activities to engage them. Quality after school activities encourage academic performance and keep kids away from drugs and gangs, but almost half a million children in our city attend no after school program.
That’s why I’m thrilled that the Youth Sports League I promised to create is up and running with the help of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and the Police Athletic League.
More than 1,000 Manhattan kids will be served by my Sports League in its very first year, and I promise to keep that number growing.
Now, I want to address an issue that profoundly affects both children and adults: domestic violence.
No society that tolerates domestic violence can consider itself civilized or humane.
As an assemblyman, I helped pass laws to protect victims of domestic violence.
As Borough President, I want to help every victim get the protection and services they need.
With a $900,000 dollar grant from the Justice Department, last month I launched a new project with District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, Harlem Legal Services, the NYPD, and the advocacy group CONNECT.
With new technology, we’ve given police officers instant access to information about households where they are called to a domestic dispute.
And we’ve given advocates and service providers immediate access to police reports ,so they can quickly reach out to those who have been abused.
Helping victims to rebuild their lives, and increasing successful prosecutions, that is our mission.
When it comes to New York City’s future, few issues are more important than transportation, which affects every aspect of our lives.
Transportation is not an issue where we can afford to pit one borough against another, or city residents against suburbanites.
Transportation Planning today must involve all five boroughs and the entire metropolitan region. That’s why, In October, I convened 500 policymakers, activists and concerned citizens from across the city to examine our current crisis and brainstorm solutions.
Two months later, in December, Mayor Bloomberg outlined a series of proposals to accommodate the million-plus population growth we expect over the next twenty-five years.
He called for planning extensive repair of roadways and subways, and expanding the City’s transit system, all important work that must be carried out.
But we can’t stop there. We must dramatically decrease traffic on our streets as well.
Traffic congestion costs New York City more than five billion dollars a year, even without taking the incalculable health costs into account, traffic congestion also threatens life and limb.
Manhattan’s traffic-clogged intersections are increasingly dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists too often we are forced to weave among closely-packed, exhaust-spewing vehicles just to get across the street.
A study by my office over a nine-hour period counted more than 3,000 cars blocking the box at Manhattan’s 10 busiest intersections.
Guess how many received tickets? Not one.
This is an example where simply enforcing the law would make crossing the streets much safer.
This year I will work to see the City’s common sense law against blocking the box enforced, as it hasn’t been for years.
Cities around the world have shown us what a comprehensive transportation agenda can do.
London imposed congestion pricing on its economic center and added more bus service.
Traffic plummeted, mass transit use increased, and the city’s business district was reborn.
In Copenhagen, bus and bike lanes changed the way people get around.
Their streets became fluid in a way we have never seen here.
The one sin we must not commit is to take any idea off the table without rational discussion.
We need to have those discussions, and we need to have them now.
That’s why, with Federal funds available, we should seize the opportunity to study congestion pricing, because if we refuse to study the impacts, we will never know what they are.
This issue is too important to be held up by political expediency by elected officials’ time-honored fear of going out on a limb.
As Borough President, I aspire to nothing less than to help make Manhattan a model of successful urban life, open to everyone who wants to build their dreams here.
But no one can do this work alone, and aspirations mean nothing without rational policy, expert planning and the ability to achieve results.
So policy, planning and collaboration will remain my guideposts in office.
In the 1930s, photographer Berenice Abbott focused the attention of the entire world on New York City’s exploding architectural innovation, cutting edge urban design, and the 19th century city it was fast replacing.
Describing the frenetic pace of life here Abbott said, “The tempo of the metropolis is not of eternity, nor even time, but of the vanishing instant."
Those vanishing instants are the realm of every New Yorker the fleeting moments of life on our streets that fill us with wonder crystallize our pride and bind us to each other.
This job has given me the ability to amplify those moments to fully appreciate our common path to raise the profile of each Manhattan neighborhood and the voice of the entire borough in the debates that will determine our future.
I am grateful for that opportunity and proud to serve everyone with a stake in the future of this great borough.
Thank you. Â
GOOD MORNING! WELCOME TO YORK COLLEGE AND THE 2007 REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE BOROUGH. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING OUR HOST, DR. MARCIA KEIZS. UNDER HER CREATIVE LEADERSHIP, THIS COLLEGE IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE PREMIER INSTITUTIONS OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
LET'S TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF OUR DISTINGUISHED GUESTS WHO HAVE JOINED US HERE TODAY:(NAMES) .
2007 HAS JUST BEGUN, AND ALREADY IT IS A VERY EXCITING YEAR.
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, CONGRESS HAS NEW LEADERSHIP AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, OUR HOUSE SPEAKER IS A WOMAN, AND BETTER YET, A GRANDMOTHER! AT THE STATE LEVEL, OUR NEW GOVERNOR HAS OUTLINED AN IMPRESSIVE AGENDA OF REFORMS.
AT THE CITY LEVEL, WE HAVE A FORWARD THINKING MAYOR, WHO IS NOT ONLY TAKING CARE OF TODAY'S PROBLEMS, BUT IS ALSO PLANNING FOR THE WELL-BEING OF OUR GREAT CITY FOR DECADES TO COME.
HERE IN QUEENS, WE ARE MAKING OUR OWN HISTORY WITH A CONTINUING FAITH IN THE UNIQUE CHEMISTRY OF WHO WE ARE---THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTY IN THE NATION. THIS YEAR, WE WILL CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF AN EVENT THAT OCCURRED IN THE DISTANT PAST, BUT WHICH CONTINUES TO DEFINE ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEALS OF OUR NATION.
LED BY JOHN BOWNE, 350 YEARS AGO, A GROUP OF CONCERNED FLUSHING CITIZENS, SENT A LETTER TO THEIR GOVERNOR, PETER STUYVESANT, PROTESTING HIS INTOLERANCE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. AND SO, THE FLUSHING REMONSTRANCE, WAS BORN MAKING QUEENS THE BIRTHPLACE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM INAMERICA AND SET THE STAGE FOR THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT IS HOUSED AT THE STATE LIBRARY IN ALBANY. SINCE IT WAS WRITTEN IN QUEENS, IT BELONGS IN QUEENS. THAT IS WHY I HAVE ARRANGED FOR IT TO COME HOME TO THE FLUSHING LIBRARY FOR DISPLAY DURING THIS ANNIVERSARY YEAR. THIS IS PART OF MY EFFORT TO BRING IT HOME PERMANENTLY.
ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE ALLOCATED FUNDING TO MAKE THE MESSAGE OF THE REMONSTRANCE PART OF THE CURRICULUM IN ALL QUEENS SCHOOLS. AND, JUST AS JOHN BOWNE OPENED HIS HOUSE TO THOSE NEW AMERICANS - INCLUDING BLACKS IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM, IRONICALLY, NOW THREE AND A HALF CENTURIES LATER, QUEENS REMAINS THE GATEWAY TO AMERICA . I HAVE CREATED THE QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO EXPLORE THE RICH EXPERIENCE OF OUR FANTASTIC DIVERSITY. THOSE MEMBERS INVOLVED TELL ME THAT IT HAS TAKEN THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE TO ANOTHER LEVEL. THEY HAVE NAVIGATED THE WORLD AT BOROUGH HALL'S CONFERENCE TABLE. I AM PROUD THAT MY IMMIGRATION TASK FORCE BRINGS TOGETHER MORE THAN 100 SERVICE PROVIDERS, WHO GUIDE NEWCOMERS ON THEIR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP.
TO HELP HONOR THE FREEDOM WE ENJOY IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY, AND THOSE WHO PROTECT IT, LET US TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER THAT QUEENS HAS LOST 17 OF ITS SONS IN THE WAR IN IRAQ .
(moment of silence)
WE PRAY FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND THE SAFE RETURN OF THOSE STILL SERVING. ALSO, WE SALUTE OUR CITIZEN SOLDIERS WHO ANSWER THE CALL TO SERVE. Let's recognize THE 77TH REGIONAL READINESS COMMAND ARMY RESERVES, REGULARLY DEPLOYED FROM FORT TOTTEN IN BAYSIDE, MANY OF WHOM DO MULTIPLE TOURS IN IRAQ .
They join us here today. (pause)
AS I BEGIN MY SIXTH YEAR AS YOUR BOROUGH PRESIDENT, I AM PROUD TO REPORT OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE PAST YEAR, AND SHARE MY VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF QUEENS.
HEALTH
OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE MORE THAN 27,000 CHILDREN WHO WERE BORN IN QUEENS LAST YEAR AND THEIR FAMILIES. THAT'S WHY I AM COMMITTED TO ENSURING ACCESSIBLE QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE.
KNOWING THAT THE STATE BERGER COMMISSION ON HEALTH CARE WOULD RELEASE ITS REPORT IN DECEMBER, I HIRED THE RESPECTED FIRM OF PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS ON YOUR BEHALF TO HELP CREATE A VISION FOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN QUEENS.
OUR STUDY UNCOVERED SOME SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES:
- THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOSPITAL BEDS IN QUEENS TO SERVE OUR POPULATION.
- GAPS IN SERVICES RESULT IN RESIDENTS LEAVING THE BOROUGH TO SEEK CARE.SHOCKINGLY, WITH TWO OF OUR NATION'S BUSIEST AIRPORTS, OUR BOROUGH DOES NOT HAVE A CERTIFIED BURN CENTER. WHEN CIVILIANS, AND HEROIC FIREFIGHTERS WHO SAVE LIVES, ARE BURNED, THEY SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATE BURN TREATMENT AND NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL INTO MANHATTAN. IN FACT, AS I SPEAK TO YOU TODAY, 1400 QUEENS RESIDENTS ARE LYING IN HOSPITAL BEDS OUTSIDE THE BOROUGH. IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR US TO BE TOLD, "GO TO MANHATTAN"!
- AND, THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN QUEENS IS NOT FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE. COUNCILMEMBER HELEN SEARS AND HER WORK ON THE CITY COUNCIL HAS HELPED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS PROBLEM AS WELL.
BUT, THERE ARE WAYS TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION AND OUR REPORT PROVIDES FOUR CRITICAL STEPS TO DO IT.
1. PRESENTLY NEW YORK CITY IS INCORPORATED INTO ONE HEALTH REGION, THOUGH DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICES IS NOT EVENLY BALANCED AMONG THE BOROUGHS. THE POPULATION OF QUEENS IS 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE. WE HAVE 1.4 BEDS PER THOUSAND. MANHATTAN HAS Only 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WITH 7.4 BEDS PER THOUSAND. THIS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT QUEENS SHOULD BE ITS OWN HEALTH REGION.
2. AS THE BERGER COMMISSION STATED, THERE MUST BE ONE, NEW, STATE-OF- THE-ART HOSPITAL BUILT IN The ROCKAWAYs. BUT, I SAY ANOTHER MUST ALSO BE BUILT IN WESTERN QUEENS. BOTH OF THESE AREAS ARE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES. SOON THERE WILL BE MORE THAN 10,000 UNITS OF NEW HOUSING BUILT IN THESE TWO COMMUNITIES ALONE--- AND SORELY NEEDED MEDICAL SERVICES MUST BE PART OF THAT PLAN.
3. SPECIALTY PHYSICIANS SHOULD BE BROUGHT INTO QUEENS. QUEENS RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LEAVE THE BOROUGH FOR MORE COMPLEX PROCEDURES AND SERVICES.
4. TO ATTRACT NEW PHYSICIANS TO QUEENS, A CLINICAL CAMPUS FOR THE SOPHIE DAVIS SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL EDUCATION SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED ON THE CAMPUS AT QUEENS HOSPITAL CENTER. THE NEED IS GREAT AND THE LAND IS AVAILABLE --- WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?
TO HELP US ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, I AM ESTABLISHING A HOSPITAL TASK FORCE COMPRISED OF HEALTH CARE LEADERS IN QUEENS.
THE COMMISSION IGNORED ITS OWN REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE's RECOMMENDATION TO EXPAND CAPACITY AND INCREASE ACCESS TO NEEDED SERVICES IN WESTERN QUEENS. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE COMMISSION'S REPORT TO EXPAND MOUNT SINAI OF WESTERN QUEENS, OR TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR COMPLEX CARE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS GROWING SECTION OF THE BOROUGH.
I AM PLEASED THAT THE COMMISSION CALLED FOR 40 ADDITIONAL BEDS AT QUEENS HOSPITAL CENTER. WHILE THE BERGER COMMISSION GAVE US THESE ADDITIONAL BEDS HERE, IT PROPOSED THE ELIMINATION OF MORE THAN 400 BEDS IN FOREST HILLS AND ON THE ROCKAWAY PENNISULA. LET ME SAY IT EMPHATICALLY - I AM OPPOSED TO THE LOSS OF ANY HOSPITAL BEDS IN QUEENS.
BUT, WE HAVE MADE IMPORTANT STRIDES IN HEALTH CARE:
FREE STANDING HEALTH FACILITIES SUCH AS
- THE UNIQUE JOSEPH P. ADDABBO FAMILY HEALTH CENTER OPENED ITS NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY IN FAR ROCKAWAY, CONTINUING ITS MISSION OF PROVIDING PREVENTIVE CARE FOR THOSE WHO COULD LEAST AFFORD IT.
- QUEENS HOSPITAL CENTER OPENED THE DOORS TO ITS NEW AMBULATORY CARE PAVILION. THE HOSPITAL NOW HAS THE MOST MODERN CAT SCANNER… A POWERFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL.
- THE RENOVATED ELMHURST HOSPITAL CENTER CLINIC AT JUNCTION BOULEVARD IN CORONA PROVIDES FAMILY MEDICINE AS WELL AS PRIMARY CARE. LAST WEEK THE HOSPITAL PERFORMED ITS FIRST ELECTIVE ANGIOPLASTY.
- JUST THINK, NOT TOO LONG AGO, A PRIOR MAYOR TRIED TO PRIVATIZE OUR PUBLIC HOSPITALS. I WAS VERY MUCH PART OF THE FIGHT AGAINST THAT PROPOSAL. LOOK AT HOW THESE FACILITIES HAVE FLOURISHED AS PREMIER HOSPITALS!
- THIS SPRING, PENINSULA HOSPITAL CENTER, IN COLLABORATION WITH ITS AFFILIATE, THE LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER, WILL OPEN THE FIRST CARDIAC CATHERIZATION LAB ON THE ROCKAWAY PENINSULA.
- MEANWHILE, MARY IMMACULATE HOSPITAL AND ST. JOHN'S QUEENS HOSPITAL EMERGED FROM BANKRUPTCY. BOTH HOSPITALS CONTINUE TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.
HERE IS SOME MORE EXCITING NEWS NEW YORK HOSPITAL QUEENS WILL SOON BREAK GROUND ON ITS MAJOR MODERNIZATION PROJECT. THIS WILL ADD 80 ADDITIONAL BEDS, A NEW AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTER, FIVE NEW OPERATING ROOMS AND A NEW PARKING GARAGE.
- AS QUEENS RESIDENTS, WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH LAST YEAR, AS HAVING NEW YORK'S BEST SUCCESS RATE FOR ANGIOPLASTY. THIS YEAR, LIJ WILL COMPLETE THE FIRST PHASE OF ITS EXPANSION PROJECT wITH 40 ADDITIONAL BEDS FOR CARDIAC PATIENTS, AND AN EXPANDED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
- SCHNEIDER'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, AT LIJ, WAS RANKED AS THE SECOND BEST PEDIATRIC INSTITUTION IN THE NEW YORK METRO AREA. HOW ABOUT THAT?
- LAST YEAR, FOREST HILLS HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT HAD THE BUSIEST YEAR IN ITS HISTORY. THIS YEAR, IT WILL ESTABLISH A MUCH-NEEDED ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL WITHIN ITS FACILITY.
- JAMAICA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER IMPLEMENTED A 24/7 EMERGENCY CARDIAC ANGIOPLASTY PROGRAM. THIS YEAR, CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN ON A SKILLED NURSING FACILITY TO REPLACE THE OLD TRUMP PAVILION NURSING HOME.
- FLUSHING HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER FULLY IMPLEMENTED ITS COMPASSIONATE HOSPICE PROGRAM. THIS YEAR, IT WILL BEGIN PROVIDING MRI SERVICES ON SITE.
- THE MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL OF QUEENS OPENED A NEW IMAGING SUITE WITH AN MRI AND A POWERFUL CAT SCANNER. THIS YEAR, IT WILL ADD A MUCH-NEEDED DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY UNIT.
- LAST YEAR, ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL SOUTH SHORE CELEBRATED ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY AND RAISED FUNDING TO RENOVATE ITS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
IN THE WAKE OF THE BERGER COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION, THE NEW PARKWAY HOSPITAL IS NEGOTIATING WITH A MAJOR HEALTH SYSTEM TO CONTINUE ITS MISSION TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO THE RESIDENTS OF FOREST HILLS.
POLICE/CRIME
KEEPING OUR CITIZENS SAFE FROM PHYSICAL HARM IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS HEALTH CARE. BUCKING THE CITY-WIDE TREND, MURDERS IN QUEENS DECREASED BY 11% IN 2006. BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO REDUCE MAJOR FELONY CRIME. IN QUEENS SOUTH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE TROUBLING INCREASE IN ROBBERIES AND RAPES. IN QUEENS NORTH, FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK NOW HAS THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF BEING THE MOST DANGEROUS PARK IN THE CITY, WITH 44 CRIMES IN 2006, INCLUDING 12 BRUTAL ATTACKS AND ONE MURDER SINCE NOVEMBER.
WITH ITS PREMIER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND WORLD RENOWNED SPORTS FACILITIES ATTRACTING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, A POLICE PRESENCE IN THE PARK IS LONG OVERDUE.
SINCE THE CITY HAS CONSISTANTLY REFUSED TO PLACE A PRECINCT IN THE PARK, I CALL ON THE MAYOR AND POLICE COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY TO IMPLEMENT THEIR PLAN FOR A NEW POLICE ACADEMY TO BE IN FLUSHING MEADOWS PARK. WHY NOT?
WE OWN THE LAND AND IT WOULD GIVE US THE PROTECTION WE DESPERATELY NEED THERE.
AS YOU KNOW, LAST NOVEMBER A YOUNG MAN WAS SHOT BY UNDERCOVER POLICE OFFICERS AND DIED WITHIN HOURS OF HIS PLANNED WEDDING. WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE DETERMINATION OF A GRAND JURY, WHICH BEGAN HEARING EVIDENCE YESTERDAY,
WE MUST ENSURE THAT SEAN BELL'S DEATH WILL RESULT IN MEANINGFUL CHANGES.
POLICING IS A TOUGH PROFESSION THAT REQUIRES SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS. AS SUCH, I BELIEVE THAT THESE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS ARE BEST MADE BY OFFICERS WHO ARE WELL TRAINED IN POLICING AND DIVERSITY. LET'S START TREATING POLICING AS THE PROFESSION IT SHOULD BE.
IT IS DISTRESSING TO ME THAT INVARIABLY WHEN I SPEAK TO NEW RECRUITS WHO WILL PATROL THE STREETS OF AMERICA'S MOST DIVERSE BOROUGH, I FIND THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY ARE NOT CITY RESIDENTS. WE NEED TO CREATE INCENTIVES THAT WILL INSPIRE MORE CITY RESIDENTS TO JOIN THE RANKS OF NEW YORK'S FINEST.
THESE INCENTIVES INCLUDE:
- RAISING THE ENTRY SALARY FOR POLICE OFFICERS SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
- RE-ESTABLISHING THE CUNY CADET PROGRAM AT JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE THAT PREPARED COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS IN THE NYPD. THE CUNY CADET PROGRAM ATTRACTED CITY RESIDENTS. COMBINED WITH THE VALLONE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES HALF THE COST OF TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS WHO MAINTAIN AN AVERAGE OF B OR BETTER, THIS PROGRAM ALSO AWARDED ADVANCED STANDING IN THE NYPD FOR ITS GRADUATES WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST OFFICERS ON THE STREETS TODAY.
I BELIEVE THAT POLICE OFFICERS WHO KNOW THE YOUTH, SENIORS AND MERCHANTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS CAN'T HELP BUT BE MORE EFFECTVE IN CRIME PREVENTION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE TIME TO REESTABLISH COMMUNITY POLICING IS NOW. ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR'S MANAGEMENT REPORT OF FISCAL YEAR 2006 WE HAVE LOST MORE THAN 1100 OFFICERS SINCE FISCAL YEAR 2002. OUR POLICE FORCE HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY CUT. I URGE ALL CITIZENS TO DEMAND NOT ONLY RESTORATION OF THE POLICE FORCE, BUT AN INCREASE IN ITS RANKS.
CESAR BORJA, ONE OF NEW YORK'S FINEST WHO WORKED 16-HOUR SHIFTS FOR MONTHS AT GROUND ZERO IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER WAITING FOR A LUNG TRANSPLANT. HE IS A BAYSIDE RESIDENT, WHO NEVER MISSED A DAY OF WORK IN 20 YEARS AS A CITY COP. PLEASE, LET'S SPREAD THE WORD THAT OFFICER BORjA AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS CAN BE SAVED THROUGH ORGAN DONATIONS.
EDUCATION --
THE BEST CRIME PREVENTION TOOL IS A QUALITY EDUCATION. AS A FORMER EDUCATOR AND NOW AS THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT I CONTINUE TO WORK TO ENSURE THAT THOSE 27,000 CHILDREN WHOM WE WELCOMED INTO THE WORLD LAST YEAR, AND THOSE THAT PRECEEDED THEM, WILL RECEIVE THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT IS THEIR BIRTHRIGHT.
AMERICA IS THE GREATEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD. AND A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT REQUIRES THE PARTICIPATION OF ITS CITIZENS, WITHOUT WHICH IT CANNOT SURVIVE.
THAT IS WHY I CREATED THE FIRST PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL WITH A MISSION TO GIVE EVERY PARENT A MEANINGFUL VOICE IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION.
DIALOG TAKES PLACE BETWEEN PARENTS AND EDUCATORS INCLUDING DR. GERALDINE CHAPEY, THE QUEENS MEMBER OF OUR NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF REGENTS, WHICH DETERMINES EDUCATION POLICY FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW YORK. MICHAEL FLOWERS, MY QUEENS APPOINTEE TO THE PANEL ON EDUCATION, co-CHAIRS THE COUNCIL with me. GUEST SPEAKERS HAVE INCLUDED CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN -THREE TIMES AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF EDUCATION FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK - DENNIS WALCOTT.
LAST YEAR, WE OPENED THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR CONSTRUCTION TRADES, ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE WITH ALMOST 1,000 SEATS. UPON GRADUATION, ITS STUDENTS WILL BE READY LITERALLY TO SHAPE OUR CITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
WE ALSO OPENED A SCHOOL ADDITION IN THE CITYLIGHTS BUILDING AT QUEENS WEST, AND TWO NEW SMALL SCHOOLS THAT OFFER QUEENS STUDENTS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.
MEANWHILE, ANOTHER 12,000 SEATS ARE IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. WHEN I LEAVE OFFICE, EVERY CHILD IN QUEENS WILL EITHER HAVE A SEAT OR A SEAT ALLOCATED FOR THEM IN THE CITY'S CONSTRUCTION PLAN. BOY DOES THAT MAKE ME HAPPY!
THE FIVE CUNY INSTITUTIONS IN QUEENS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO A VERY DIVERSE STUDENT BODY.
IN HER FIRST YEAR HERE AT YORK COLLEGE, DR. KEIZS HAS INCREASED FRESHMAN ENROLLMENT STANDARDS, CREATED THE YORK COLLEGE/FDA HONORS PROGRAM, AND HAS WON APPROVAL TO INITIATE A BACCALAURATE OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN AVIATION MANAGEMENT. HOW'S THAT FOR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP!
AT QUEENS COLLEGE, I WORKED WITH DR. MUYSKINS TO BOLSTER ITS PROGRAM FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS SEEKING AN EDUCATION. RECENTLY, I WORKED WITH COUNCILMEMBER DAVID WEPRIN AND DR. MARTI TO DEDICATE THE NEW KUPFERBERG HOLOCAUST RESOURCE CENTER AT QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE GENEROSITY OF THE KUPFERBERG FAMILY IS STUPENDOUS.
LAST FALL, I JOINED DR. MELLOW TO OPEN THE NEW YORK DESIGN CENTER THAT LITERALLY TRANSFORMED A FACTORY BUILDING INTO THE REGION'S FIRST BUSINESS INCUBATOR FOR THE DESIGN INDUSTRY AT LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
AT CUNY LAW SCHOOL, WE WELCOMED A NEW DEAN, MICHELLE ANDERSON. CONGRATULATIONS TO HER FOR ALREADY INCREASING THE SCHOOL'S BAR PASSING RATE.
YES, YOU TOO CAN BECOME A LAWYER - AT CITY COLLEGE TUITION RATES!
I AM KEEPING MY PROMISE TO THE LATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN PAULINE CUMMINGS TO ESTABLISH A CUNY PROGRAM IN THE ROCKAWAYS.
ON MY MANY TRIPS TO THE PENINSULA, I ALWAYS ADMIRED THE BEAUTIFUL OLD COURTHOUSE AT ITS GATEWAY. AFTER EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES, I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT NEXT YEAR, WE WILL BEGIN TO TRANSFORM THAT ABANDONED COURTHOUSE INTO CUNY-BY-THE-SEA.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR NEW STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER, MALCOLM SMITH, ASSEMBLYMEMBER AUDREY PHEFFER, CONGRESSMAN GREGORY MEEKS, CITY COUNCILMEMBER JAMES SAUNDERS AND DR. GAIL MELLOW TO MAKE THIS A REALITY.
MEANWHILE, ALSO UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. MELLOW, WE ARE LAUNCHING CUNY-ON-WHEELS WHICH YOU PASSED ON YOUR WAY IN TODAY, AND WHICH I WAS HAPPY TO FUND. IT WILL OFFER INFORMATION ON CREDIT AND NON CREDIT PROGRAMS, CUNY ADMISSIONS COUNSELING AND registration. AND YOU CAN TOUR IT TODAY!
LIBRARIES --
IN ADDITION TO SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS THE LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE WORLD... WITH 17 MILLION ITEMS.
SINCE BECOMING BOROUGH PRESIDENT, I HAVE PROVIDED MORE THAN 30 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR OUR LIBRARIES. LAST YEAR ALONE, I ALLOCATED ALMOST 7 MILLION DOLLARS TO UPGRADE SEVERAL BRANCHES, INCLUDING FAR ROCKAWAY, REGO PARK, KEW GARDENS HILLS, ELMHURST AND JACKSON HEIGHTS. WE HAVE OPENED A NEW BRANCH IN CAMBRIA HEIGHTS EQUIPPED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WITH ITS ARCHITECTURAL STYLE ENHANCING LINDEN BOULEVARD. MANY OF OUR BRANCHES NEED TO EXPAND, AND WE ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE THEM WITH NEW, LARGER FACILITIES.
NEXT YEAR, WE WILL BREAK GROUND ON THE CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER AT THE CENTRAL BRANCH IN JAMAICA . FUNDED WITH 8 MILLION DOLLARS BY MY OFFICE AND SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, THIS UNIQUE FACILITY WILL BRING TOGETHER MY GREATEST PASSIONS -- CHILDREN, SCIENCE AND LIBRARIES.
I AM DETERMINED TO BUILD A NEW LIBRARY AT QUEENS WEST.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE TOLD MAYOR BLOOMBERG THAT THE 5 MILLION DOLLAR PENALTY LEVIED AGAINST METLIFE FOR PULLING JOBS OUT OF QUEENS MUST BE ALLOCATED FOR THIS LIBRARY.
PARKS --
WHILE OUR LIBRARIES EXERCISE OUR MINDS, OUR PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES EXERCISE OUR BODIES.
SINCE BECOMING BOROUGH PRESIDENT I HAVE ALLOCATED 62 MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.
THIS PAST YEAR, I WAS PROUD TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO UPGRADE QUEENSBRIDGE PARK IN LONG ISLAND CITY; SOUTHERN FIELD IN OZONE PARK; MARTIN'S FIELD IN FLUSHING; BROOKVILLE PARK IN ROSEDALE; CUNNINGHAM PARK IN FRESH MEADOWS AND TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR A NEW BOATHOUSE IN FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK. WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCILMEMBER JIM GENNARO ON VON DOHLEN PARK IN JAMAICA , COUNCILMEMBER TONY AVELLA ON THE NEW SPORTS COMPLEX IN COLLEGE POINT, AND COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS WHITE ON THE RENOVATION OF BAISLEY PARK IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS. WE ALSO DEDICATED A NEW FIELD FOR THE BAYSIDE RAIDERS FOOTBALL CLUB WITHIN THE KISSENA PARK CORRIDOR. I JOINED THE TEAM AS AN HONORARY MEMBER.
A NEW CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN IN THE HISTORY OF FORT TOTTEN WHEN state senator padavan and i OPENED THE RENOVATED HISTORIC STRUCTURE'S BATTERY. WITH THE HELP OF 850,000 DOLLARS FROM MY OFFICE, THE FORT'S MUSEUM WILL SOON BE TRANSFORMED INTO A WELCOME CENTER. TO TRANSPORT VISITORS AROUND THE BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT GROUNDS ON THE FORT, I HAVE ALSO PROVIDED $300,000 FOR TWO ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ELECTRICALLY POWERED TRAMS.
RECENTLY, WE TOPPED OFF THE INDOOR POOL AND RINK IN FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK, THE LARGEST RECREATION FACILITY EVER BUILT IN A CITY PARK. IMAGINE, NINE MONTHS FROM TODAY, QUEENS RESIDENTS WILL SWIM IN THE PARK'S OLYMPIC SIZE POOL OR SKATE ON ITS NHL HOCKEY STANDARD ICE RINK. THIS WILL SERVE AS A YEAR-ROUND RECREATIONAL FACILITY.
WORK HAS ALSO COMMENCED AT RAINEY PARK LOCATED IN LONG ISLAND CITY FOR A NEW TODDLER PLAYGROUND. IN LATE SPRING, WE WILL SEE THE CREATION OF A NEW 3 MILLION DOLLAR SPORTS COMPLEX AT VICTORY FIELD IN FOREST PARK.
BUT THE PROJECT THAT HAS PROBABLY ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION THE MOST IS THE NEW BALLPARK FOR OUR METS. "CITIFIELD" WILL BE A SPECTACULAR NEW FACILITY AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT RACHEL ROBINSON WAS ON HAND AS IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE STADIUM'S CENTRAL ROTUNDA Will HONOR THE LEGACY OF HER LATE HUSBAND JACKIE ROBINSON. WE BROKE GROUND FOR THIS 45,000 SEAT STADIUM IN NOVEMBER AND I WILL BE THERE FOR THE START OF A CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON ON OPENING DAY IN 2009!!!
MEANWHILE, AS CHAIR OF THE CITIFIELD ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I HAVE INVITED COUNCILMEMBER AND QUEENS DELEGATION LEADER LEROY COMRIE TO CO-CHAIR THE COMMITTEE WITH ME.
ASSEMBLYMEMBERS JEFF AUBRY AND JOSE PERALTA, STATE SENATOR JOHN SABINI AND COUNCILMEMBER HIRAM MONSERRATE ARE ALL PART OF THE TEAM.
OUR TASK IS TO ENSURE EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN CONSTRUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL SECTORS OF THE QUEENS BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND MINORITIES. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO MITIGATE ANY POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ON THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
HOUSING --
MY HUSBAND DONALD AND I MOVED TO QUEENS FIVE DECADES AGO. WE MOVED TO QUEENS BECAUSE THIS WAS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE OUR CHILDREN.
TODAY, QUEENS IS STILL AN AMAZING PLACE DEMONSTRATED BY HOW OUR POPULATION CONTINUES TO GROW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS ADEQUATE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR EVERYONE.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY ADMINISTRATION, I HAVE ASKED DEVELOPERS AND THE CITY TO INCLUDE AFFORDABLE AND MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING IN NEW PROJECTS. I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MAYOR BLOOMBERG HAS MADE INCLUSIONARY ZONING HIS PRIORITY. AND THIS IS HAPPENING IN SEVERAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS.
WE CONTINUE TO TRANSFORM THE FANTASTIC BEACHFRONT IN THE ROCKAWAYS INTO THE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY THAT IS TODAY.
FROM THE BEGINNING, MY REACTION TO THIS SPECTACULAR WATERFRONT WAS TO DUB IT " HAMPTONS WEST," BUT IT'S MORE CONVENIENT AND AFFORDABLE THAN THE HAMPTONS.
" ARVERNE EAST" IN THE ROCKAWAYS IS MOVING FORWARD WITH 1600 UNITS OF MIDDLE- INCOME HOUSING AND MORE THAN 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
COMBINED WITH ARVERNE-BY-THE-SEA, WE WILL HAVE A NEW WATERFRONT COMMUNITY WITH ALMOST 4,000 UNITS OF NEW HOUSING, NEW COMMERCIAL SPACE, A HOTEL, SCHOOL, A YMCA AND EVEN A MOVIE THEATER.
AS BOROUGH PRESIDENT, I REALIZE TIMES ARE OFTEN HARD AND IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE ENDS MEET. PROPERTY TAXES CAN ESPECIALLY BE TROUBLESOME. I AM PLEASED THAT THE MAYOR WILL SOON MAIL TAX FORMS TO FAMILIES WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR EARNED INCOME TAX CREDITS, YET NEVER CLAIMED THEM.
RECENTLY, I DISCOVERED THAT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 QUEENS PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE. OUR CALCULATIONS INDICATE THAT QUEENS RESIDENTS MIGHT BE PAYING MORE THAN 28 MILLION DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAXES THAN NECESSARY.
WE'RE GOING TO HELP!
WE ARE LAUNCHING A PROPERTY TAX INITIATIVE TO ENROLL EVERY ELIGIBLE QUEENS HOMEOWNER BEFORE MARCH 15TH IN THE STAR PROGRAM. IT IS A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS THAT CAN PUT MONEY IN YOUR POCKET SO DO IT.
APPLICATIONS ARE IN THE LOBBY -- DON'T FORGET TO PICK ONE UP.
RECOGNIZING THAT HOMEOWNERS IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS WERE PARTICULARLY TARGETED BY PREDATORY LENDORS, MY OFFICE HELPED PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES, LOAN PROGRAMS, COUNSELING AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION. WE HELPED MANY HOMEOWNERS AVOID FORECLOSURE ON THEIR HOMES.
WE ALSO ADDRESSED THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT AN ALL-DAY CONFERENCE AT CITIBANK. SHORTLY AFTER, I JOINED THE MAYOR FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NEW YORK CITY WAS PURCHASING 25 ACRES AT QUEENS WEST IN LONG ISLAND CITY TO BUILD UP TO 5,000 UNITS OF MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING.
IN FLUSHING, I ALSO WORKED TO ENSURE THAT THE HISTORIC MACEDONIA AME CHURCH WILL BE THE DEVELOPER OF APPROXIMATELY 140 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS PART OF THE MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT 1 DEVELOPMENT.
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER JAMAICA FAMILY COURT BUILDING, WITH ITS CREATIVE DESIGN, WILL PRESERVE THE OLD BUILDING'S FACADE AND CREATE 350 NEW UNITS OF HOUSING. APPROXIMATELY 70 percent OF THESE UNITS WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE AND MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING.
AT EDGEMERE, CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN ON THE NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL ENABLE THE BUILDING OF ADDITONAL, AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN 2008.
WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, WE WILL DEVELOP A JOB RETENTION AND BUSINESS RELOCATION PROGRAM AS WE TRANSFORM THE 55 ACRE WILLETS POINT AREA INTO A VIBRANT ENCLAVE. IT WILL RECONNECT FLUSHING TO ITS WATERFRONT AND INCLUDE HOUSING, RECREATION, RETAIL, RESTAURANTS AND A NEW CONFERENCE CENTER, LONG-REQUESTED BY OUR QUEENS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LONG AWAITED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE RKO KEITH SITE, THE GATEWAY TO FLUSHING, WITH 200 RESIDENTIAL UNITS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESTORE THE LANDMARKED INTERIOR WHICH WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE SIDEWALK THROUGH A GLASS CURTAIN WALL. WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE PARTNERED WITH COUNCILMEMBER JOHN LIU TO ENSURE THE SITE WILL INCLUDE A NEW SENIOR CENTER.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT --
OUR TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCIAL HUBS-- FLUSHING, JAMAICA AND LONG ISLAND CITY-- ARE UNIFORMLY MARKED BY CONSTRUCTION SITES, MACHINERY AND SCAFFOLDING. THESE ARE SIGNS OF PROGRESS AND GROWTH. IT TAKES TIME FOR ZONING CHANGES, MARKET CONDITIONS AND ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES TO CONVERGE, BUT INDEED, THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THESE AREAS.
WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR DOWNTOWN FLUSHING. THE TDC/ROCKAFELLER DEVELOPMENT TEAM WILL BREAK GROUND NEXT YEAR ON MUNICIPAL LOT #1 TRANSFORMING IT INTO FLUSHING COMMONS. IT WILL INCLUDE A ONE-ACRE TOWN SQUARE, A HOTEL, 500 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, COMMERCIAL SPACE, COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL FACILITiES AND PARKING.
IN A FEW MONTHS, QUEENS CROSSING, A NEW RETAIL AND OFFICE BUILDING - INCLUDING COMMUNITY SPACE - WILL OPEN AT MAIN STREET AND 39TH AVENUE. WITH ITS SETBACK DESIGN, IT WILL MAXIMIZE VISIBILITY OF THE NEW OPEN SPACE AT FLUSHING COMMONS FROM MAIN STREET.
ON THE BANKS OF THE FLUSHING RIVER, MUSS DEVELOPMENT IS PREPARING THE FORMER CON ED SITE FOR THE FLUSHING TOWN SQUARE PROJECT THAT WILL INCLUDE 800,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL, PARKING AND MORE THAN A THOUSAND NEW HOUSING UNITS.
LONG ISLAND CITY IS SEEING RAPID RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
LAST FALL, WE TOPPED OUT THE SECOND CITICORP TOWER AND SHORTLY, WE WILL DEDICATE THE NEW U.N. FEDERAL CREDIT UNION BUILDING.
PLANS ARE ALSO BEING FINALIZED TO TRANSFORM QUEENS PLAZA AND JACKSON AVENUE INTO ENTICING GATEWAYS TO OUR BOROUGH. WE CAN THANK CONGRESSWOMAN CAROLYN MALONEY FOR 19 MILLION FEDERAL DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THIS TRANSFORMATION.
RESIDENTS OF LONG ISLAND CITY, INCLUDING QUEENSBRIDGE AND RAVENSWOOD HOUSES, WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO LEAVE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THEIR BANKING NEEDS. THE FIRST AMALGAMATED BANK WILL OPEN ON 21ST STREET, IN WHAT IS NOW THE THIRD STATE BANKING DISTRICT IN QUEENS.
THESE DISTRICTS REPRESENT AN INVESTMENT OF STATE AND CITY GOVERNMENT DEPOSITS, ENCOURAGING BANKS TO OPEN IN AREAS NOT PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED BANKING AREAS. OUR FIRST STATE BANKING DISTRICT, WHICH MOVED FORWARD WITH MY APPROVAL, WAS CARVER BANK LOCATED ON ARCHER AVENUE IN JAMAICA, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DEBORAH WRIGHT. THE SECOND DISTRICT, UNDER COMMUNITY BANK, LED BY JOE FICALORA, IS IN CORONA.
THIS NEW DISTRICT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF MY OFFICE, COMPTROLLER BILL THOMPSON AND STATE BANKING COMMISSIONER DIANA TAYLOR, AND THE CHAIR OF THE ASSEMBLY BANKING COMMITTEE AT THE TIME, CATHY NOLAN.COUNCILMEMBER ERIC GIOIA AND BISHOP MITCHELL TAYLOR HAD ALSO BEEN LONG-TIME ADVOCATES FOR THIS BANK.
NOT TOO FAR AWAY, SILVERCUP STUDIOS HAS OBTAINED FINAL APPROVAL FOR ITS PLAN TO BUILD EXPANDED STUDIO SPACE. INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT ARE 1,000 UNITS OF NEW HOUSING, COMPLEMENTED BY COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL SPACE AND A WATERFRONT ESPLANADE. THE SUNA BROTHERS WILL ALSO PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY 150 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
JAMAICA --
IN JAMAICA , THE FORMER DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, NOW KNOWN AS THE LANDMARK PROJECT, WILL OPEN THIS FALL AS A PREMIER MULTI-USE PERFOrMING ARTS THEATER, EXHIBITION SPACE AND BUSINESS CONFERENCE CENTER. THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER COMRIE FOR YOUR HELP ON THIS PROJECT.
THE INTERNATIONAL MERCHANDISE MART WILL BE A KEYSTONE PROJECT IN THE UPGRADING OF THE JAMAICA STATION TRANSIT HUB. THIS BEAUTIFUL CRYSTAL TOWER, WITH AN ATRIUM INTERIOR HOLDING DISPLAY SPACE FOR WHOLESALERS, IS BEING PLANNED WITH THE GREATER JAMAICA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
OTHER PLANS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE THE AIRTRAIN/JAMAICA STATION AREA WITH BEAUTIFUL OPEN PUBLIC SPACES, PUBLIC AMENITIES, NEW SHOPS, UPDATED LIGHTING AND IMPROVED TRAFFIC FLOW--- ALL OF WHICH WILL GENERATE ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
INFRASTRUCTURE --
ALL OF THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL REQUIRE THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF SEWERS, ROADS AND PARKING. NOT SEXY BUT VITAL. THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED STORM SEWERS TO RELIEVE THE CHRONIC FLOODING IN THE LOW LYING AREAS OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS TO TAKE STEPS TO LOWER THE WATER TABLE WITH INCREASED PUMPING FROM MORE WELLS. THE DRAINAGE PLANS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE AND THE TIME TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOW.
LAST WEEK, I MET WITH DEP OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY BOARD REPS FROM BOARDS 8, 9, 10, 12 & 13. WE LEARNED THAT THIS MAJOR PROJECT WILL TAKE SEVERAL DECADES AND AN ESTIMATED COST OF ONE BILLION DOLLARS. I SAID THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I SUGGESTED THAT WE TAP OUR QUEENS CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO ASSIST US WITH FUNDING. I CONTACTED THE HONORABLE JOE CROWLEY, MY CONGRESSMAN, WHO INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH THE QUEENS DELEGATION IN RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM.
THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL REQUIRE ENERGY THE KIND THAT KEEPS NEIGHBORHOODS LIT 24 HOURS A DAY. THEREFORE, WE ARE WORKING WITH CON EDISON TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT-CAN-BE-DONE- WILL-BE-DONE TO AVOID ANOTHER BLACKOUT THIS SUMMER. CON ED REPORTS THAT IT HAS INVESTED 89 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE, PERMANENT REPAIRS, AND ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE LONG ISLAND CITY NETWORK.
OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES CANNOT ENDURE ANOTHER 10-DAY BLACKOUT.
I CONGRATULATE MAYOR BLOOMBERG FOR HAVING THE FORESIGHT AND VISION TO INITITIATE THE 2030 PROJECT. AND, I THANK HIM FOR ANNOUNCing this project IN QUEENS, WHERE ALL THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OUTLINED ARE SO READILY VISIBLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM TO RESTORE OUR ENVIRONMENT, TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND HOUSE OUR PEOPLE.
THERE WILL BE MANY CHALLENGES AHEAD. ONE OF WHICH WILL BE HOW TO LIMIT CARS ON THE EAST RIVER CROSSINGS. SOME HAVE RAISED THE SPECTER OF CONGESTION PRICING. i BELIEVE WITHOUT ALTERNATIVE MASS TRANSIT ALREADY IN PLACE, CONGESTION PRICING WILL HAVE AN UNINTENDED NEGATIVE IMPACT ON QUEENS AND BROOKLYN.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GREATLY REDUCE THE VOLUME OF CARS DRIVING INTO MANHATTAN. WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE SUNNYSIDE RAILROAD STATION, PART OF THE JUST-FUNDED EAST SIDE ACCESS PLAN, IS MAXIMIZED BY MAKING IT A TRULY INTERMODAL FACILITY WITH DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO THE NEARBY SUBWAY LINES.
IF WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT RELIEVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION BY 2030, WE MUST FINALLY REOPEN THE MORE THAN 20 STATIONS CLOSED IN QUEENS BY THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD. THE RAILROAD MUST FINALLY TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND TO PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDIES.
FERRIES ARE GREATLY UNDERUTILIZED IN NEW YORK CITY. WE FOCUS ON FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN MANHATTAN AND NEW JERSEY, BUT NEGLECT TO TAP THE WATERFRONT RESOURCES RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD. WHEN IS THE CITY FINALLY GOING TO HEED THE CALL FROM MYSELF AND COUNCILMEMBER JOE ADDABBO AND ASSEMBLYWOMAN AUDREY PHEFFER TO APPROVE FERRY SERVICE FROM THE ROCKAWAYS TO MANHATTAN?
THE RESIDENTS OF THE PENNISULA HAVE BEEN WAITING ON THE PIER FOR MORE THAN A GENERATION! WE ALSO NEED OUR FERRY SERVICE FROM LONG ISLAND CITY TO MANHATTAN RESTORED.
AVIATION --
THE BOROUGH OF QUEENS IS A TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR THE ENTIRE world. OUR TWO AIRPORTS PROVIDE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF JOBS. ALONG WITH THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS COME SOME COSTS, INCLUDING, AIR POLLUTION, NOISE AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION. WITH A NEW GENERATION OF AIRCRAFT ON THE HORIZON, WE NEED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES now.
AS A MEMBER OF THE CITY'S AIRPORT BOARD, MY POSITION IS CLEAR. WE NEED AIR MONITORING AT THE AIRPORTS, A RESIDENTIAL SOUND PROOFING PROGRAM, AND IMPROVED AIRPORT ACCESS. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY AND THE CITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. ADDITIONAL HELP WILL COME FROM THE 100 MILLION DOLLARS FOR QUEENS PROJECTS FROM THE RE-NEGOTIATED LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE PORT AUTHORITY.
OUR AIRPORTS CONTINUE TO SEE MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. AT KENNEDY, OUR QUEENS-BASED NEIGHBOR JETBLUE AIRWAYS IS CONSTRUCTING A NEW 26-GATE PASSENGER TERMINAL BEHIND THE LANDMARKED TWA FLIGHT CENTER, WHOSE UNIQUE WING DESIGN MANY OF YOU REMEMBER.
AT LAGUARDIA, AIR TRAFFIC WILL NO DOUBT BE MORE EFFICIENT AND SAFER WHEN WE BREAK GROUND THIS YEAR FOR ITS NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER, THANKS TO THE LEADERSHIP OF CONGRESSMAN JOE CROWLEY.
ALSO, A 15 MILLION DOLLAR STUDY WILL BEGIN THIS YEAR TO PLAN IMPROVEMENTS AT THE AIRPORT. FAR FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN 1939, LAGUARDIA HANDLED MORE THAN 25 MILLION PASSENGERS LAST YEAR.
COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS --
KEEPING OUR STREETS ATTRACTIVE AS PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SHOP IS IMPORTANT TO ME. THAT IS WHY I CREATED MY COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR PROGRAM. UNDER THE PROGRAM, MORE THAN 1,000 TREES HAVE BEEN PLANTED ALONG WITH OTHER IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPING ALONG MAJOR SHOPPING THOROUGHFARES THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH.
WORKING WITH COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN AND THE QUEENS DELEGATION, GREENSTREETS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN DOUGLASTON, ALONG BEACH CHANNEL DRIVE AT 71ST STREET, CROSS BAY BOULEVARD AND NEW ENTRIES TO QUEENS AND YORK COLLEGES.
WE HAVE PLANS TO DO SIMILAR WORK IN SUNNYSIDE, BAYSIDE AND RIDGEWOOD.
AND, THANK YOU COUNCILMEMBER PETER VALLONE JR. FOR YOUR RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF GRAFFITI VANDALS.
IN 2006, REZONINGS FOR SEVEN QUEENS NEIGHBORHOODS WERE APPROVED. AS WE SPEAK TWO MORE REZONINGS ARE NEARING FINAL APPROVAL.
MY ZONING TASK FORCE WILL CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING UNTIL EVERY QUEENS NEIGHBORHOOD IS ZONED APPROPRIATELY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WORK ON THE JAMAICA REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS UNDERWAY.
THE 368 BLOCK PLAN INCLUDES THE AIRTRAIN STATION, THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR OF DOWNTOWN JAMAICA , AND SEVERAL LOWER DENSITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY PLANNING, WE WILL ENSURE THAT ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL BE APPROPRIATE, COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND PROVIDE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INCREASED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT. BUT, I AM ALSO GLAD TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF SOME OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK SO HARD TO MAINTAIN THEIR COMMERCIAL AREAS.
CULTURAL/TOURISM
OUR BOROUGH IS BLESSED WITH A WIDE SPECTRUM OF CULTURAL VENUES, UNIQUE PLACES OF INTEREST, AND VISITOR ATTRACTIONS. INDEED OUR MANTRA IS "VISIT QUEENS AND SEE THE WORLD."
I AM PROUD THAT QUEENS HAS BECOME A PROMINENT TOURIST DESTINATION CAPTURING A BIGGER SHARE OF THE RECORD 44 MILLION TOURISTS WHO CAME TO NEW YORK CITY LAST YEAR.
EVENTS SUCH AS THE U.S. OPEN, THE METS PLAYOFF SERIES, JAMAICA JAMS, THE HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT RACES AND THE ROCKAWAY KITE FESTIVAL CONTINUE TO ATTrACT INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES AS WELL AS LOCAL FANS.
OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS CONTINUE TO ATTRACT TOURISTS. THE NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE SET A RECORD FOR ITS ATTENDANCE LAST YEAR. IT IS NOW THE CITY'S LARGEST PROVIDER OF GRADUATE, PROFESSIONAL AND METHOD COURSES IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. WITH A 2.7 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM MY OFFICE, THE HALL IS PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A SCIENCE PLAYGROUND FOR PRE-SCHOOLERS.
ANOTHER 12 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM MY OFFICE WILL ALLOW THE QUEENS BOTANICAL GARDENS TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES AND BUILDINGS PROJECT. WITH ITS WATER RECAPTURE AND RE-USE FEATURES, CRAIN'S NAMED THE GARDEN "AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN GREEN BUILDINGS."
QUEENS MUSEUM OF ART, WITH THE SUPPORT OF A 21 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM MY OFFICE, RELEASED ITS SPECTACULAR DESIGN PLANS FOR ITS LONG-AWAITED EXPANSION THAT WILL LITERALLY DOUBLE ITS SIZE. THE MUSEUM'S WORLD-FAMOUS PANORAMA IS SET TO REOPEN AFTER UNDERGOING AN UPGRADE THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE WAY VISITORS EXPERIENCE THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND TREASURE. iF ANYONE HERE HAS NOT SEEN THE PANAROMA, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND SEE THIS UNIQUE MODEL OF NEW YORK CITY WHERE YOU CAN EVEN FIND YOUR OWN HOME.
THE HISTORIC HOUSE TRUST MUSEUMS IN QUEENS HAD A VERY ACTIVE YEAR. KING MANOR IN JAMAICA AND KINGSLAND HOMESTEAD IN FLUSHING INTRODUCED NEW EVENTS. QUEENS COUNTY FARM MUSEUM DREW CROWDS OF ALMOST A HALF MILLION PEOPLE. OPERATING SINCE 1697, THIS SITE IS THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY FARMED PARCEL OF LAND IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW YORK.TO PRESERVE ITS PAST AND PROTECT ITS FUTURE, MY OFFICE IS WORKING WITH OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS TO FUND ITS MASTER PLAN.
THE TRUST IS ALSO PARTNERING WITH MY OFFICE TO BRING THE HOME OF NOTED AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR, LEWIS H. LATIMER, WHO WORKED WITH THOMAS EDISON TO INVENT THE LIGHT BULB FILAMENT, UNDER ITS UMBRELLA. THE TRUST WILL ALSO BRING THE JOHN BOWNE HOUSE IN FLUSHING, UNDER ITS UMBRELLA, AS WE RENOVATE IT AND OPEN IT AS A MUSEUM.
WHILE IT PLANS ITS MAJOR EXPANSION PROJECT, THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE LAUNCHED ITS OPEN COLLECTION DATABASE THAT WILL PUT THE MUSEUM'S ENTIRE 125,000-ARTIFACT COLLECTION ONLINE. DID YOU KNOW THAT BEN HUR'S CHARIOT IS ONE OF THOSE ARTIFACTS?
FLUSHING TOWN HALL BEGAN ITS PROGRAM THAT EXCHANGES DANCE COMPANIES AND VISUAL ARTISTS WITH TAIWAN. THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT HAS CHARACTERIZED THIS PROGRAM AS A "NATIONAL MODEL FOR BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH ART."
QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK CELEBRATED THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS LATINO CULTURAL FESTIVAL. THE THEATRE, WHEN EXPANDED NEXT FALL, WILL FEATURE A FULL SERVICE CAFE, EXPANDED PERFORMANCE SPACE, AND A SPECTACULAR NEW LOBBY WITH THE SUPPORT OF AN 8.6 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM MY OFFICE. QTIP WILL RIVAL ANY BROADWAY THEATER!
P.S.1 CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER CELEBRATED ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY. ALSO WITH A GRANT FROM MY OFFICE, IT IS PLANNING A NEW VISITORS CENTER THAT WILL ALSO MARKET THE MANY ARTS VENUES IN LONG ISLAND CITY.
QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY/IMMIGRATION TASK FORCE –
AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE TAKEN GREAT PRIDE IN CREATING A QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS CAN LEARN ABOUT ONE ANOTHER AND THEIR CULTURES. MY QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE MORE THAN 70 CIVIC LEADERS OF DIVERSE RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES ABOUT LIVING IN THE MOST MULTI-ETHNIC COUNTY IN THE WORLD.
I AM PROUD THAT MY IMMIGRATION TASK FORCE BRINGS TOGETHER MORE THAN 100 SERVICE PROVIDERS, WHO GUIDE NEWCOMERS ON THEIR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP.
SENIORS/YOUTH/HUMAN SERVICES --
THE SACRIFICES AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR SENIORS HAVE HELPED TO BUILD OUR GREAT BOROUGH. SO WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN PROGRAMS THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR OLDER RESIDENTS. I HAVE ONCE AGAIN PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION DOLLARS TO SUPPORT OUR SENIOR CENTERS, ADULT DAY CARE PROGRAMS, TRANSPORTATION, MEALS-ON-WHEELS AND OUR SENIOR FILM SERIES AT THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE-- A PROGRAM THAT GREW OUT OF MY TOURISM SUMMIT BETWEEN OUR SENIOR DIRECTORS AND THE DIRECTORS OF OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND WITH A FUNDING BOOST FROM MY OFFICE, THREE SENIOR CENTERS WILL BEGIN EXPANSION PROJECTS THIS YEAR - - SNAP OF EASTERN QUEENS IN GLEN OAKS, ELMCOR IN EAST ELMHURST, AND THE PETER CARDELLA SENIOR CENTER IN RIDGEWOOD.
WHILE WE PROTECT AND EXPAND SERVICES FOR SENIORS, WE ALSO FOCUSED ON OUR YOUTH-- 22% OF OUR POPULATION AND 100% OF OUR FUTURE. THIS PAST YEAR, WE INITIATED THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT'S YOUTH BOARD, COMPRISED OF YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE BOROUGH. THEY PUT TOGETHER OUR FIRST YOUTH CONFERENCE, AND DEVELOPED AN AGENDA TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR THEIR PEERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SCHOOLS. IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS!
THE CHILD CENTER OF NEW YORK, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MY OFFICE, RECEIVED A HALF MILLION-DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE STATE FOR MY YOUTH INITIATIVE IN QUEENS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WILL LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD AND PROVIDE A VENUE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER QUEENS TEENS.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING. I AM WORKING WITH THE CITY TO BRING A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS TO QUEENS TO PUBLICIZE WAYS TO ACCESS GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE FUNDING FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS. QUEENS IS THE HOME OF 17 PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
ONE WAY THAT WE CONTINUE TO BETTER THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS THROUGH SPORTS AND EDUCATION. MY TENNIS PROGRAMS AT NYCHA, TOGETHER WITH SCOUTING PROGRAMS, TEACH CHILDREN THE VALUES OF TEAMWORK, PHYSICAL FITNESS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. AND, TO MAKE PLAYING TENNIS A FREE, YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITY FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, I HAVE ALLOCATED FUNDING FOR A TENNIS BUBBLE OVER THE COURTS AT ROY WILKINS PARK.
THIS SUMMER, OUR BOROUGH WILL BE PROUD TO HOST THE AMERICAN TENNIS ASSOCIATION NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. THIS IS THE COUNTRY'S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN SPORTS ORGANIZATION AND THEY WILL MEET RIGHT HERE IN QUEENS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1946!
IN ROCKAWAY, I HELPED FUND AND BREAK GROUND FOR THE NEW YMCA THAT WILL GIVE CHILDREN FROM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY A NEW FACILITY IN WHICH TO EXERCISE THEIR MINDS AND BODIES.
WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCILMEMBER MELINDA KATZ TO EXPAND THE JEWISH CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION IN FOREST HILLS. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH COUNCILMEMBER DENNIS GALLAGHER TO TRANSFORM THE CATALPA "Y" INTO A MODERN FACILITY FOR RECREATION.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
LAST YEAR, I EXPANDED MY ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITH NEW COMMITTEES ON EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH SERVICES, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.
LAST OCTOBER, MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE ATTENDED MY ANNUAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONFERENCE. THAT CONFERENCE, HELD HERE AT YORK, FOCUSED ON THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN. I THANK JEAN PHELPS, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES AT YORK, FOR HER DEDICATED SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS ON THIS EFFORT. AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY RICHARD BROWN, PERHAPS THE MOST RESPECTED DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN THE NATION.
FORTUNATELY, THE QUEENS CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER, A PLACE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS, IS FULLY OPERATIONAL. I AM PROUD TO HAVE PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THIS IMPORTANT FACILITY. tHIS FACILITY IN A CHILD FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE, ENABLES THE CHILD TO NOW SPEAK OF THEIR TRAUMA ONLY ONCE -- INSTEAD OF NINE TO TEN TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH HAD BEEN THE PREVIOUS PRACTICE.
AND, OUR INNOVATIVE QUEENS COURTS, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE LESLIE LEACH, HAVE EXPANDED ITS SPECIALTY COURTS.
THE NEW QUEENS MENTAL HEALTH COURT WORKS WITH DEFENDANTS WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST THEM WHO ARE CLEARLY AFFLICTED WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES -- OFFERING THE ALTERNATIVE OF MEANINGFUL TREATMENT IN PLACE OF INCARCERATION.
THIS YEAR, WE WILL WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO CREATE THE FIRST FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER IN QUEENS TO PROVIDE INTEGRATED LEGAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WE ARE DOING OUR PART AT BOROUGH HALL TO BRING GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE IT SERVES. THANKS TO A GRANT FROM CON EDISON, EVERY COMMUNITY BOARD IN QUEENS WILL SOON HAVE A WEB SITE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT MEETINGS, AGENDAS, LAND USE AND BUDGET ISSUES, THAT ANYONE WITH ACCESS TO A COMPUTER CAN VISIT.
SINCE COMING INTO OFFICE, I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT QUEENSBOROUGH HALL IS THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE. I HAVE WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT USER-FRIENDLY. THAT IS WHY TODAY I AM HAPPY TO UNVEIL THE PLANS TO CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION TO BOROUGH HALL THAT WILL SERVE AS A CENTER OF CIVIC ACTIVITY. IT WILL PROVIDE A MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE IN THE HEART OF QUEENS. THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT - TO BE KNOWN AS THE FORUM - WILL PROVIDE A 21ST CENTURY VENUE FOR LARGE PUBLIC MEETINGS, COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES, CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ETHNIC CELEBRATIONS.
AWARDS --
AS WE PURSUE OUR GOALS, IT IS ALSO GOOD TO PAUSE AND PAY RESPECT TO THOSE WHO HAVE MADE ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR BOROUGH. THIS YEAR I WANT TO HONOR TWO INDIVIDUALS WITH QUEENS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:
THE FIRST IS:
-CECIL WATKINS - - A KOREAN WAR VETERAN AND FORMER LONG-TIME PARK ADMINISTRATOR WHO TURNED OUR CITY PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS INTO A TRAINING GROUND FOR FUTURE ATHLETES. HE WENT ON TO FOUND ELMCOR YOUTH AND ADULT ACTIVITIES. ONE CANNOT MOVE TOO FAR AROUND THE CITY WITHOUT FINDING SOMEONE WHOM CECIL HAS HELPED. TODAY, THEY ARE LAWYERS, THEY ARE TEACHERS OR THEY ARE MAKING GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CITY. AND CECIL WENT ON TO CREATE AND BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE 26 NBA/PRO-AM CITY LEAGUES ACROSS THE NATION. CECIL, YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY USED YOUR TIME, ENERGY AND TALENT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE. IT IS A TRIBUTE TO CECIL THAT LOU CARNESECA, ST. JOHN'S LEGENDARY BASKETBALL COACH, IS HERE TODAY. ALSO HERE IS BERNARD RENCHER, A PROTEGE OF CECIL. ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF QUEENS, I TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN PRESENTING THIS QUEENS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO MY LONG-TIME FRIEND AND PARTNER IN MANY VENTURES - CECIL WATKINS. I WOULD LIKE LOU CARNESECA AND BERNARD RENCHER TO JOIN ME AND SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HOW CECIL AFFECTED THEIR LIVES.
-GRACE NIERENBERG, YOU HAVE DEDICATED YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE TO OUR SENIORS, PROVIDING HOUSING AND SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED ACROSS THE BOROUGH THROUGH THE SELF HELP COMMUNITY SERVICES ORGANIZATION. YOUR INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE APPROACH TO SERVICES AND PROGAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS HAS MARKED YOUR LIFE-LONG DEDICATION TO THE INDEPENDENCE AND DIGNITY OF SENIORS. ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF QUEENS, AND ITS 375,000 SENIORS, I TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN PRESENTING THIS QUEENS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD TO YOU.
CITIZENS OF DISTINCTION
WILL THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS PLEASE JOIN US AS I CALL YOUR NAME.
AIDA BARTOLME: IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION FOR FILIPINO ARTISTS, A FOUNDING DELEGATE ON THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT'S QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AND A MEMBER OF COMMUNITY BOARD 2. SHE HAS DEDICATED HER LIFE TO PRESERVING THE RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY.
ERNEST CURY: A BUSINESSMAN AND LONG-TIME ADVOCATE FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND EDUCATION. HE HAS BEEN MY APPOINTEE ON THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNCIL FOR DISTRICT 24 SINCE ITS INCEPTION AND HAS SERVED WITH DISTINCTION. HE IS ALSO THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
HARBACHAN SINGH: HE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER AT THE UNITED NATIONS AND ALSO FORMED THE SIKH AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP FOUNDATION. HE SERVES AS AN ALUMNI DELEGATE TO THE QUEENS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, AS A MEMBER OF COMMUNITY 8, AND AN ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER OF THE HOLOCAUST RESOURCE CENTER AT QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
LAMONT BAILEY: AN ATTORNEY HERE IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS WHO LENDS HIS TIME AND EXPERTISE PRO BONO TO MANY PROJECTS AIMED AT IMPROVING THIS COMMUNITY.
CONCLUSION --
IN CONCLUSION, LET'S REMEMBER THAT 350 YEARS AGO IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF FLUSHING A GROUP OF CITIZENS WROTE AS PART OF THE REMONSTRANCE,
THAT "WE ARE BOUND BY THE LAW OF GOD AND MAN TO DO GOOD TO ALL AND EVIL TO NONE."
TODAY WE MUST CONTINUE TO PUT THESE WORDS INTO PRACTICE --- BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ONLY THE DESCENDANTS OF THESE WISE CITIZENS, BUT ALSO THE ANCESTORS OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE YOUR BOROUGH PRESIDENT.
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HELLO BROOKLYN!
ISN’T BROOKLYN BEAUTIFUL?
THE BROOKLYN CALENDAR GIRLS, D’ANDRE McKAY, AND BETHLENE PANCOAST!
BESIDES BEING EASY ON THE EYES — I INVITED THE LOVELY CALENDAR GIRLS AS A REMINDER THAT I HAVE THREE YEARS LEFT AS BOROUGH PRESIDENT — AND MY CALENDAR IS JAM-PACKED.
I ASKED THE TWO BEAUTY QUEENS TO INTRODUCE ME — BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT THE BEST OF BROOKLYN TODAY AND TOMORROW.
FROM EAST FLATBUSH — MISS NEW YORK SWEETHEART — D’ANDRE MCKAY!
AND FROM BAY RIDGE — MISS NEW YORK 2006 BETHLENE PANCOAST!
ON MONDAY, BETHLENE REPRESENTED BROOKLYN AND NEW YORK STATE AT THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT IN LAS VEGAS.
BETHLENE — IN BROOKLYN, YOU’RE ALWAYS A WINNER!
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF TONIGHT’S WONDERFUL PERFORMERS.
THE COLOR GUARD OF BOY SCOUT TROOP 261 FROM ST. AUGUSTINE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN EAST FLATBUSH.
JUSTINE PERRY-SKYERS, THE BEAUTIFUL NIECE OF BROOKLYN ASSEMBLY MEMBER NICK PERRY — WHO SANG OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM.
THE GREAT DAY YOUTH ENSEMBLE, AND ITS FOUNDER LOUVINIA POINTER AND DIRECTORS GENIE WELCH AND PATRICIA CUNNINGHAM.
AND THE SILVER-BROWN DANCE COMPANY AND ITS FOUNDER, EVA SILVERSTEIN.
LET ME ALSO THANK CHAIRMAN ALAN FISHMAN AND PRESIDENT ANDREW KIMBALL FROM THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD —
NOT ONLY FOR WELCOMING US ALL TONIGHT, BUT FOR TRANSFORMING THE NAVY YARD INTO A POWERFUL ENGINE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR BROOKLYN AND NEW YORK CITY — THANK YOU.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE BROOKLYN’S DEPUTY BOROUGH PRESIDENT — AND A DRIVING FORCE IN IMPROVING OUR BOROUGH’S HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES —
A PROUD RESIDENT OF FORT GREENE-CLINTON HILL BY WAY OF JAMAICA —
THE ONE AND ONLY DEPUTY BOROUGH PRESIDENT YVONNE GRAHAM!
AND I HAVE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO EVERY BROOKLYNITE WHO HAD ME IN THEIR THOUGHTS LAST JUNE, WHEN I BECAME A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST CLUBS IN AMERICA — WHICH I CALL “THE STENT CLUB.”
IT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME TO KNOW THAT SO MANY OF YOU CARED — AND FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART — WHICH IS NOW MUCH HEALTHIER! — I SAY THANK YOU.
AS WE BEGIN 2007, WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT BROOKLYN WITHOUT BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT SANITY HAS RETURNED TO THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE.
WITH A HARD-DRIVING DEMOCRAT BACK IN THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE — THE BRILLIANT ELIOT SPITZER —
AND DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN CONGRESS — THANKS ESPECIALLY TO BROOKLYN-BORN AND BRED SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER —
WE KNOW THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL BE BRINGIN’ IT HOME FOR BROOKLYN — AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!
JUST THINK — IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS — 699 DAYS TO BE EXACT — PRESIDENT BUSH WILL RETURN TO HIS RANCH IN TEXAS.
WE ALSO HAVE A MAYOR IN MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, WHO I BELIEVE — REGARDLESS OF PARTY LABEL — WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE FINEST MAYORS THIS CITY HAS EVER KNOWN.
AND HE HAS A GREAT PARTNER IN GOVERNMENT IN CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER CHRISTINE QUINN — AND I THANK HER FOR THAT UNIQUE INTRODUCTION.
YOU KNOW THAT BEHIND THOSE SMILING IRISH EYES ARE THE INSTINCTS OF A VERY SAVVY POLITICIAN AND A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT!
I ALSO WANT TO SAY — TO ALL OUR COMMUNITY BOARD CHAIRS, DISTRICT MANAGERS, AND MEMBERS —
TO THE LEADERS OF OUR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES OF FAITH — AND TO THE HEADS OF OUR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND CULTURE —
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR BROOKLYN EVERY DAY.
YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT — BUT RIGHT NOW YOU ARE SITTING IN THE LARGEST FILM STUDIO ANYWHERE OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD — THE MARQUEE OF DREAMING BIG IN BROOKLYN.
SINCE OPENING IN 2004, WHAT I CALL “HOLLYWOOD EAST” HAS ALREADY GIVEN US FILMS LIKE “SPIDER-MAN 2,” “THE PRODUCERS,” AND “INSIDE MAN,” DIRECTED BY BROOKLYN’S OWN SPIKE LEE.
THE FATHER AND SON TEAM OF DAVID AND DOUG STEINER ARE VISIONARIES NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY HAD THE CHUTZPAH TO MAKE THEIR DREAM A REALITY — BUT BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED EARLY ON —
THAT AS HOME TO THE MOST CHARACTER — AND CHARACTERS — ANYWHERE, BROOKLYN WAS THE PLACE TO DO IT.
DOUG STEINER — YOU’RE A TRUE BROOKLYN LEGEND — AND A MESHUGGENAH.
EVEN THE BRAND NEW “STAGE SIX” SPACE — WHERE WE HELD OUR RECEPTION TONIGHT — HAS STAR POWER.
ITS CATERER, ABIGAIL KIRSCH, WHO HAS BEEN A BIG HIT IN MANHATTAN — KNOWS THAT THESE DAYS, YOU JUST HAVEN’T MADE IT TILL YOU’VE MADE IT IN BROOKLYN.
“ PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT”
WHAT WE NOW PROUDLY PROCLAIM “THE BROOKLYN RENAISSANCE” HAS EVOLVED FROM A WELL-KEPT SECRET — TO FRONT PAGE NEWS ACROSS AMERICA.
IN FACT, LAST MONTH THE INTERNATIONALLY-RESPECTED “LONELY PLANET” TRAVEL GUIDE NAMED BROOKLYN ONE OF THE HOTTEST TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
LONELY PLANET ONLY CHOSE THREE DESTINATIONS IN AMERICA —
HAWAII, WHICH I GUESS HAS BEAUTIFUL BEACHES — JUST LIKE BROOKLYN.
NEW ORLEANS, WHICH HAS CULTURE, WONDERFUL FOOD — OK.
AND — WHO WOULDA THUNK IT — THE CITY OF BROOKLYN!
WHY DID THEY CHOOSE BROOKLYN?
COULD IT BE OUR WILD PARROTS IN MIDWOOD?
COULD IT BE THE GLATT KOSHER PASTRAMI EGG ROLLS YOU CAN FIND ONLY IN BROOKLYN, AT DOUGIE’S BARBECUE IN KENSINGTON?
OR COULD IT BE OUR RENOWNED TOURIST ATTRACTION — THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING BOROUGH PRESIDENT!
IT’S TRUE, I’VE LOST A LITTLE WEIGHT.
WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME “THREE-QUARTERS OF THE MAN I ONCE WAS” — I TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT.
BUT SERIOUSLY, WHEN YOU GAVE ME THE HONOR OF SERVING YOU AS BOROUGH PRESIDENT, I MADE SOME PROMISES THAT I AM PROUD TO HAVE KEPT.
I SAID WE WOULD LAUNCH A TOURISM INITIATIVE AND CREATE A VISITORS CENTER AT BOROUGH HALL.
AS WE’VE SEEN WITH LONELY PLANET — AND ARTICLES IN CONDE NAST TRAVELER, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER, AND EVEN THE NEW YORK TIMES “ESCAPES” SECTION, TO NAME A FEW —
BROOKLYN HAS BECOME A DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR TOURISTS — AND IF THEY WANNA TAKE A DAY TRIP TO MANHATTAN — OK!
PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT.
I SAID I WOULD ATTRACT THE CRUISE INDUSTRY TO BROOKLYN.
LAST APRIL, WE WELCOMED THE QUEEN MARY 2 AND THE CROWN PRINCESS TO THE NEW BROOKLYN CRUISE TERMINAL IN RED HOOK— AND I HEAR THE NEW QUEEN VICTORIA IS ON HER WAY TOO.
WITH PLANS FOR A SECOND CRUISE TERMINAL AT PIER 10 — AND HOPEFULLY, MAKING BROOKLYN A PORT OF CALL ONE DAY —
THIS TERMINAL SIGNALS REAL INVESTMENT IN RED HOOK AND OUR WORKING WATERFRONT.
PROMISE MADE 3⁄4 PROMISE KEPT.
I SAID THAT CONEY ISLAND WILL ONCE AGAIN BE AMERICA’S FAVORITE PLAYGROUND.
LAST JULY, I JOINED COUNCIL MEMBER DOMENIC RECCHIA TO FLIP THE SWITCH ON CONEY’S BRIGHT FUTURE WHEN WE LIT UP BROOKLYN’S EIFFEL TOWER — THE PARACHUTE JUMP — FOR ALL TO SEE.
THAT WAS JUST PHASE ONE — AND THE REAL BLING-BLING IS IN THE WORKS.
PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RECCHIA, THE CITY, AND DEVELOPERS THIS YEAR TO REVITALIZE CONEY ISLAND —
BY SOLIDIFYING ITS STATUS AS THE TOP ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION ATTRACTION IN THE NORTHEAST — AND MAINTAINING ITS LEGENDARY FREAKISHNESS.
(MORE ON THAT LATER.)
I SAID I WOULD CREATE AN EVENT THAT WROTE THE NEXT CHAPTER IN BROOKLYN’S ILLUSTRIOUS LITERARY HISTORY.
LAST SEPTEMBER, THE FIRST-EVER BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL DREW TEN THOUSAND ATTENDEES TO A HISTORIC DAY-LONG EVENT AT BOROUGH HALL —
TO CELEBRATE THE LEGENDARY AUTHORS LIVING AND WRITING HERE IN BROOKLYN 3⁄4 LIKE JONATHAN LETHAM, NICOLE KRAUSS, PETE HAMILL, AND COLSON WHITEHEAD.
PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE SOME SERIOUS WRITERS IN BROOKLYN 3⁄4 ALTHOUGH I’M NOT SURE IF ANY OF THEM CAN REALLY SPELL FUHGEDDABOUDIT!
STAY TUNED FOR THE SECOND ANNUAL BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th.
WHAT KIND OF BOROUGH PRESIDENT WOULD I BE IF I DIDN’T CALL ATTENTION TO BROOKLYN’S UNBELIEVABLE RESTAURANTS?
AS WE PREPARE FOR THE 4th ANNUAL “DINE-IN-BROOKLYN” RESTAURANT WEEK — AND WITH ALL THE ACCOLADES FROM FOOD CRITICS AND BLOGS AND CHOWHOUNDS —
CAN YOU BELIEVE THERE WAS A TIME WHEN BROOKLYN DIDN’T HAVE ITS OWN RESTAURANT WEEK?
PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS YEAR’S DINE IN BROOKLYN — MARCH 19th TO MARCH 30th.
OF COURSE, SINCE I JOINED THE STENT CLUB, I CAN’T GET ANY DESSERT OR FRENCH FRIES PAST MY WAISTLINE WARDEN — AKA GENERAL JAMIE!
BROOKLYN HAS AMONG THE HIGHEST AUTO INSURANCE RATES IN AMERICA —
NOT BECAUSE WE’RE BAD DRIVERS, BUT BECAUSE OF ILLEGAL “MEDICAL MILLS” RIPPING OFF LAW-ABIDING BROOKLYNITES.
WELL, I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT RELIEF IS ON THE WAY.
LAST YEAR — WORKING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID YASSKY — WE INTRODUCED A BILL TO CRACK DOWN ON MEDICAL MILLS.
AFTER THE COUNCIL PASSED IT — UNANIMOUSLY, I MIGHT ADD — I WAS PROUD TO JOIN THE MAYOR LAST MAY WHEN HE SIGNED IT INTO LAW.
PROMISE MADE — PROMISE KEPT.
“ THE BIG STAGE, BROOKLYN, USA”
WHERE DID DIRECTOR RYAN FLECK AND SCREENWRITER ANNA BODEN CHOOSE TO LIVE AND SHOOT THEIR HIT FILM “HALF-NELSON” — WHOSE LEADING MAN, RYAN GOSLING, WAS JUST NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR?
LAST MAY, WHERE DID ROBERT REDFORD COMMEMORATE THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL?
(IF YOU MISSED IT LAST YEAR, SUNDANCE — AND MY “OLDER TWIN,” ROBERT REDFORD — WILL BE BACK THIS YEAR, FROM MAY 31st TO JUNE 10th.)
WHERE DID LEADING ARCHITECT RICHARD MEIER DESIGN HIS NEWEST GLASS MASTERPIECE?
WHERE DID RISING STAR MICHAEL CHRISTIE COME TO REALIZE HIS DREAMS AS A CLASSICAL MUSIC CONDUCTOR?
WHERE DID ART-WORLD DYNAMO LAURIE CUMBO OPEN MOCADA — HER ACCLAIMED MUSEUM OF CARIBBEAN AND AFRICAN DIASPORAN ART?
AND WHEN ONE OF THE TOP CANCER SURGEONS IN AMERICA — DR. PATRICK BORGEN FROM MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING — WANTED TO MOVE UP IN HIS FIELD —
WHERE DID HE GO?
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER — BROOKLYN.
DR. BORGEN — THE NEW CHIEF OF BREAST SURGERY AT THE PIONEERING MAIMONIDES CANCER CENTER — IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
DR. PATRICK BORGEN!
AND THE HITS JUST KEEP COMIN’.
WHEN NEW YORK MAGAZINE PICKED THE #1 RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK CITY IN ITS FOODIES’ BIBLE, THE ANNUAL “CHEAP EATS” ISSUE — IT WASN’T IN HARLEM, QUEENS, OR EVEN THE EAST VILLAGE.
IT WAS ON THIRD AVENUE IN BAY RIDGE, AT TANOREEN, HOME TO THE MOST DELICIOUS MOUSAKKA AND FRIED EGGPLANT THIS SIDE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.
I AM PROUD TO WELCOME THE ESTEEMED CHEF AND OWNER OF TANOREEN —
A PALESTINIAN NATIVE WHO WAS RAISED IN NAZARETH, ISRAEL —
RAWIA BISHARA — YOU’RE A BROOKLYN LEGEND IN THE MAKING!
MAGIC JOHNSON — NOW A REAL-ESTATE DEVELOPER — IS TRANSFORMING A LANDMARK INTO MAGNIFICENT APARTMENTS — AT “ONE HANSON” — AKA THE “WILLIAMSBURG SAVINGS BANK BUILDING.”
I’M PROUD TO SAY THAT BROOKLYN’S TALLEST BUILDING WILL REMAIN THE WILLIAMSBURG SAVINGS BANK BUILDING.
AND IT’S FITTING THAT IT’S BEING RENOVATED BY A VERY TALL MAN.
ALTHOUGH HE’S NOT AS TALL AS ONE OF HIS FORMER TEAM MATES — WHO ATTENDED ONE OF MY CONCERTS RECENTLY — KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR.
HOTELS ARE ALSO TURNING TO BROOKLYN.
FROM DOWNTOWN TO 4th AVENUE TO ATLANTIC AVENUE TO BAY RIDGE TO SHEEPSHEAD BAY — HUNDREDS OF HOTEL ROOMS ARE IN THE PIPELINE TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCREASE IN VISITORS TO BROOKLYN, INCLUDING THE NEWEST HOTEL - A HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS ON UNION STREET, JUST A BLOCK FROM THE SCENIC GOWANUS CANAL.
I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER SYMBOL OF OUR PROGRESS THAN NEW HOTELS, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THREE MEN WHO MADE THE CURRENT HOTEL BOOM POSSIBLE — BACK WHEN “THE BROOKLYN RENAISSANCE” WAS MORE OF A PUNCHLINE THAN A CATCH-PHRASE.
BEFORE THE MARRIOTT OPENED IN 1998, THE LAST MAJOR HOTEL BUILT IN BROOKLYN WAS THE HOTEL ST. GEORGE IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — IN 1930!
SO I WANT TO THANK BOTH THE DEVELOPER WHO MADE THE DREAM OF THE MARRIOTT A REALITY —
AND THE MAN WHO HAS MADE IT SUCH A SUCCESS — THE HOTEL DOUBLED ITS SIZE A FEW MONTHS AGO.
BRILLIANT DEVELOPER JOSHUA MUSS AND MARRIOTT GENERAL MANAGER SAM IBRAHIM — BRAVO!
THE THIRD PART OF THIS EQUATION IS A VERY SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT.
HE HAD THE VISION TO KNOW THAT BROOKLYN WAS ON THE VERGE OF A BOOM — AND THE DRIVE TO GET THE MARRIOTT BUILT.
NO ONE WILL EVER SURPASS HIS 25 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE AT BOROUGH HALL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN — BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT HOWARD GOLDEN!
THANK YOU HOWARD — I AM ONLY BUILDING ON YOUR LEGACY.
THE WORD IS OUT ABOUT BROOKLYN, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
LAST MONTH, WE LEARNED THAT BARCLAYS, ONE OF THE LARGEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE WORLD, WILL KICK-OFF ITS EXPANSION IN AMERICA BY INVESTING $400 MILLION DOLLARS TO NAME THE ATLANTIC YARDS ARENA — THE BARCLAYS CENTER.
MORE PROOF THAT NOWHERE POSSESSES THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OR CAPTURES THE POPULAR IMAGINATION WITH MORE POWER THAN BROOKLYN.
WHEN YOU DREAM BIG THESE DAYS, YOU DREAM BROOKLYN!
THE NAMING OF THE BARCLAYS CENTER IS A MAJOR STEP TOWARD MAKING ONE OF MY OWN DREAMS FOR BROOKLYN A REALITY.
WITH THOUSANDS OF APARTMENTS FOR BROOKLYNITES OF ALL INCOMES, NEW JOBS FOR RESIDENTS OF EVERY SKILL LEVEL — SOLID, UNION JOBS — AN ARENA FOR MAJOR CONCERTS AND EVENTS, 8 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, A NEW SCHOOL —
PLUS SHOPPING, A BOUTIQUE HOTEL, AND WORLD-CLASS ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY DESIGNING IT — ALL ABOVE ONE OF THE LARGEST PUBLIC-TRANSPORTATION HUBS IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION —
ATLANTIC YARDS WILL HELP CREATE THE NEW CENTER OF CITY LIFE THAT OUR BOROUGH OF 2.6 MILLION RESIDENTS DESERVES.
AND I MADE A PROMISE THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP —
TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CONCERNS OF THOSE IN THE AREA SURROUNDING ATLANTIC YARDS, AND TO MAKE THIS PROJECT ONE THAT ALL BROOKLYNITES ARE PROUD OF FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND I KNOW THAT BEFORE LONG WE’LL ALL BE CHEERING TOGETHER WHEN THE BROOKLYN NETS LEAVE THE MANHATTAN KNICKS IN THE ATLANTIC DIVISION DUST — AND BRING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP HOME TO BROOKLYN!
“ BUILDING THE NEW DOWNTOWN”
ATLANTIC YARDS IS PART OF AN EVEN GRANDER VISION FOR BROOKLYN.
IN 2004, I WORKED CLOSELY WITH MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND OTHERS TO LAY OUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR BUILDING A NEW DOWNTOWN FOR BROOKLYN.
WITH RENEWED ENERGY, WE’RE TURNING THAT PLAN INTO ACTION.
IN THE DAYS AHEAD YOU’LL SEE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAKE A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE — ENTERING THE CITY OF BROOKLYN — EVEN BETTER.
YOU’LL FIND A NEW THEATER AT SCHERMERHORN HOUSE — NEAR HOYT STREET — IN A PROJECT THAT INCLUDES 220 LOW-INCOME APARTMENTS FOR THE FORMERLY HOMELESS AND WORKING ARTISTS —
AND ANOTHER NEW THEATER AT 110 LIVINGSTON STREET, THE FORMER HOME OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND YOU’LL SEE A REVITALIZED FULTON MALL THAT MAINTAINS ITS BUSTLING SHOPPING ATMOSPHERE AND ADDS NEW RESTAURANTS, NIGHTLIFE, AND OFFICES TO CREATE A VIBRANT 24/7 LIVE-WORK ENVIRONMENT.
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN IS THE BAM CULTURAL DISTRICT — A BOLD EFFORT — LED BY BAM’S VISIONARY HARVEY LICHTENSTEIN —
WHICH WILL BUILD ON BAM’S CENTURY OF SUCCESS BY CREATING A CUTTING-EDGE, MIXED-USE ARTS HUB.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE ACCLAIMED MARK MORRIS DANCE CENTER — WHICH IS ATTRACTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCE LEGENDS, LIKE EVA SILVERSTEIN’S SILVER-BROWN COMPANY, WHO YOU SAW EARLIER.
AND IN COMING YEARS, WE’LL ALSO SEE A WORLD-CLASS DANCE THEATER AND REHEARSAL SPACE, OPERATED BY THE DANSPACE PROJECT —
THE THEATER FOR A NEW AUDIENCE — DESIGNED BY FRANK GEHRY AND HUGH HARDY —
NEW RETAIL SHOPS, AND A PUBLIC PLAZA WORTHY OF THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF AMERICA.
AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE THIS IS THE PERFECT NEW LOCATION FOR NEW YORK’S FASHION WEEK!
BROOKLYN IS BLESSED TO HAVE ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT MINDS IN NEW YORK CITY — AND AMERICA — LEADING THIS EFFORT EVERY DAY.
THE YOUNGEST CZAR IN AMERICA —
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PARTNERSHIP PRESIDENT — JOE CHAN!
MAKE NO MISTAKE — WHERE THERE’S CULTURE, THERE’S LIFE, AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY ALWAYS HAS A HOME IN BROOKLYN.
THAT’S WHY IN ADDITION TO DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, MY DREAMS FOR THIS BOROUGH ALSO INCLUDE NEW WORLD-CLASS CULTURAL FACILITIES IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL BROOKLYN.
I HAVE A PLAN TO BUILD NEW YORK CITY’S FIRST AMPHITHEATER AT CONEY ISLAND — A STATE-OF-THE ART, COVERED, OUTDOOR, PERFORMING ARTS VENUE AT ASSER LEVY-SEASIDE PARK.
THE CONEY ISLAND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER — AS I LIKE TO CALL IT — WILL ATTRACT TOP ENTERTAINERS WHO PLAY THE SUMMER CONCERT CIRCUIT AT JONES BEACH, THE WESTBURY THEATER, AND THE P-N-C BANK ARTS CENTER IN NEW JERSEY.
AND NOW, WHEN WE WANT TO SEE THE BEST CONCERTS, WE WON’T HAVE TO GO TO LONG ISLAND, OR NEW JERSEY, OR EVEN MANHATTAN — WE CAN STAY HERE IN BROOKLYN.
THE LOEW’S KINGS THEATER ON FLATBUSH AVENUE NEAR ERASMUS HALL HIGH SCHOOL IS THE LAST REMAINING “WONDER THEATER” IN NEW YORK CITY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SUB-DIVIDED.
IT HAS BEEN EMPTY FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS — BUT EMPTY IT SHALL BE NO LONGER!
IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE I HAD MY FIRST DATE THERE — ON THE LEFT BALCONY WHEN I WAS 16, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING.
(IN THOSE DAYS, IT WAS CONSIDERED GETTING SOMEWHERE TO PUT YOUR ARM AROUND YOUR DATE’S SHOULDER — SHE FLUNG MINE AWAY INSTANTLY BY THE WAY.)
JAMIE — I’M YOURS NOW, THAT’S WHAT MATTERS.
SERIOUSLY, AS THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF AMERICA, BROOKLYN NEEDS A GRAND THEATER TO HOST MEDIUM-SIZE CONCERTS, GRADUATIONS, BANQUETS, AND TV PRODUCTIONS.
WE CAN RESTORE THE LOEW’S KINGS TO ITS ORIGINAL SPLENDOR, AND ESTABLISH A BEAUTIFUL, LANDMARK VENUE THAT COMBINES THE APOLLO AND BEACON THEATERS INTO ONE —
AND BECOMES AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR FLATBUSH AVENUE — ONE OF THE CITY’S LARGEST RETAIL STREETS — AND FOR ALL OF CENTRAL BROOKLYN.
“ SMART GROWTH”
NEW YORK CITY IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY A MILLION PEOPLE BY THE YEAR 2030.
THAT MEANS BROOKLYN’S POPULATION COULD INCREASE BY MORE THAN 300,000 RESIDENTS — THE SIZE OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
WE MUST BE SMART ABOUT HOW AND WHERE WE GROW — AND WHERE WE DON’T GROW.
THAT MEANS STEERING GROWTH WHERE IT’S APPROPRIATE — ESPECIALLY NEAR MASS-TRANSIT HUBS —
IT MEANS TRANSFORMING MAIN STREETS LIKE 4TH AVENUE AND FLATBUSH AVENUE INTO OUR GRAND BOULEVARDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, WHILE PROTECTING THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS —
IT MEANS SPURRING DEVELOPMENT ON THRIVING COMMERCIAL STREETS LIKE BROADWAY IN BUSHWICK, PITKIN AVENUE IN BROWNSVILLE, FULTON STREET IN FORT GREENE AND BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, NOSTRAND AVENUE IN CROWN HEIGHTS, AND ROCKAWAY PARKWAY IN CANARSIE —
WHILE EXPANDING HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE FISKE TERRACE, MIDWOOD PARK AND WEST MIDWOOD, CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH, FORT GREENE-CLINTON HILL, DUMBO, SHEEPSHEAD BAY, AND OTHERS.
“ CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING”
OF COURSE — NO ISSUE IS MORE CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING THE ETHNIC AND INCOME DIVERSITY THAT DEFINE LIFE IN OUR BOROUGH THAN CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BECAUSE LET’S FACE IT, TODAY RESIDENTS DON’T LEAVE BROOKLYN AND NEW YORK CITY AS THEY ONCE DID, SEEKING A BETTER LIFE — THEY LEAVE BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD THE GOOD LIFE WE HAVE HERE.
I’M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS INDEED ON THE WAY.
IN EAST NEW YORK AND BROWNSVILLE — 2200 LOWER-INCOME HOMES WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AS PART OF THE EXPANSION OF GATEWAY ESTATES — AND THE THRIVING GATEWAY PLAZA SHOPPING MALL WILL ALSO DOUBLE IN SIZE.
ON VANDERBILT AVENUE NEAR STEINER STUDIOS, 400 APARTMENTS WILL BE BUILT ON THE FORMER “BRIG” SITE, MOST OF THEM AFFORDABLE.
CONEY ISLAND COMMONS — A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS — WILL INCLUDE MORE THAN 100 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING — AS WELL AS CONEY ISLAND’S FIRST “YMCA.”
AND THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS CITY WHAT IT IS — HAVE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO ENJOY THEIR GOLDEN YEARS HERE.
INSTEAD OF “VEGGING OUT” DOWN IN FLORIDA — LIKE THEY TELL YOU — WE WANT SENIORS TO LEAD ACTIVE, ENGAGED LIFESTYLES HERE IN BROOKLYN.
WHICH IS WHY I HELPED FUND PROJECTS LIKE SUNSET GARDENS, 80 NEW UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS IN SUNSET PARK, DEVELOPED BY LUTHERAN MEDICAL CENTER.
I WILL ALSO BE WORKING TO ATTRACT WHAT ARE CALLED “ADULT LIVING COMMUNITIES” —
HOMES FOR ADULTS 55 AND OLDER — ESPECIALLY SINGLE MEN AND WOMEN — TO LIVE WITH OTHER RETIRED, SEMI-RETIRED, OR WORKING ADULTS WITHOUT CHILDREN IN A SOCIAL SETTING.
AS WE CREATE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING — WE MUST ALSO PRESERVE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SOMETIMES THAT REQUIRES A FIGHT — AND A FIGHT MAY BE WHAT IT TAKES TO PRESERVE THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE NEARLY 6,000 APARTMENTS AT SPRING CREEK — WHICH WILL ALWAYS BE KNOWN TO BROOKLYNITES AS “STARRETT CITY.”
I VOW THAT ALONG WITH MY FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS — WE WILL FIGHT TO PRESERVE THIS DEVELOPMENT — WHICH IS THE MODEL FOR DIVERSE, URBAN LIVING IN BROOKLYN AND AMERICA. I’VE GOT A MESSAGE: THIS WON’T BE STUY-TOWN PART TWO!
WITHOUT DEDICATED, ACTIVE RESIDENTS LIKE OUR NEXT GUESTS, THE EFFORTS OF ANY PUBLIC OFFICIAL WOULD BE FOR NAUGHT.
IN 2006, WHEN THE TENANTS OF TIVOLI TOWERS OF CROWN HEIGHTS HEARD THEIR BUILDING WAS ABOUT TO BECOME THE LATEST MITCHELL-LAMA BUY-OUT, THEY DID NOT TAKE THE NEWS SITTING DOWN.
THEY FOUGHT BACK, AND DISCOVERED A CLAUSE IN THE ORIGINAL DEED FROM 30 YEARS AGO THAT PROTECTED THE AFFORDABILITY OF THEIR BUILDING FOR ANOTHER 18 YEARS.
IT WASN’T EASY, BUT IN THE END THEY PROVED THAT GREED AND OPPORTUNISM ARE NO MATCH FOR CHUTZPAH, MOXIE, AND THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN — THE FIGHTING TENANTS OF TIVOLI TOWERS —
ALICE MITCHELL, STEPHANIE FULSON, MONIQUE HENRY, ELIZABETH BROWN, AND MARIA VALCARCEL!
AS BROOKLYN GROWS AND CHANGES, THE SOUNDS OF BROOKLYN BOOMING ARE NOT ALWAYS SWEET.
MY OFFICE HAS JOINED ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE ASSEMBLYMEN JIM BRENNAN OF PARK SLOPE AND JOSEPH LENTOL OF GREENPOINT-WILLIAMSBURG TO ADDRESS RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS BY IMPROVING BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AND PROTECTING THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND I AM PROUD TO REPORT THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS RESPONDED TO OUR EFFORTS BY BEEFING UP OVERSIGHT AND ENACTING STRONGER PENALTIES TO STOP ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES.
ONE COUPLE’S TIRELESS WATCHDOG EFFORTS HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO COMMUNITY GROUPS WORKING ON THESE ISSUES.
AARON BRASHEAR AND MICK HOLWIN — OF THE CONCERNED CITIZENS OF GREENWOOD HEIGHTS — MADE CLEVER USE OF CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND PUT VIDEOS ON “YOU TUBE” OF BUILDING VIOLATIONS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD —
SO CITY AGENCIES AND EVERYONE COULD SEE THE EVIDENCE FIRST-HAND.
THEIR DEDICATION IS A BIG REASON WHY THE CITY RESPONDED SO QUICKLY AND STRONGLY.
AARON BRASHEAR AND MICK HOLWIN — YOU DO BROOKLYN PROUD!
“ GREEN BACK BROOKLYN”
WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE AND SMART GROWTH — IT’S ALL ABOUT GOING GREEN.
IN 2007, WE’RE GOING TO MAKE A BOROUGH-WIDE EFFORT TO “GREEN BACK BROOKLYN” — BY HIGHLIGHTING AND PROMOTING OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AT THE CUTTING-EDGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS.
LIKE GREEN DEPOT, IN GREENPOINT — ONE OF THE LARGEST ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS BUILDING SUPPLIERS IN AMERICA.
THE STILLWELL AVENUE SUBWAY TERMINAL AT CONEY ISLAND, WHICH GETS ITS POWER FROM SOLAR PANELS.
IN DECEMBER, THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF PARK SLOPE WAS NAMED ONE OF THE TOP “ECO-NEIGHBORHOODS” IN AMERICA ACCORDING TO “NATURAL HOME” MAGAZINE — CITED FOR ITS URBAN-RENEWAL AND PRESERVATION EFFORTS.
EVEN ADRIAN GRENIER— THE STAR OF THE HBO SERIES “ENTOURAGE” — IS RENOVATING HIS CLINTON HILL HOME TO BE AS GREEN AS POSSIBLE — HE EVEN USED RECYCLED DENIM FOR INSULATION!
WE’VE GOT THE GREEN SCHOOL IN WILLIAMSBURG AND THE ACADEMY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP IN BUSHWICK.
AND LAST YEAR STUDENTS AT AUTOMOTIVE HIGH SCHOOL IN WILLIAMSBURG BUILT A CAR THAT RUNS ON USED COOKING OIL — THE KIND YOU COOK FRENCH FRIES OR FRIED CHICKEN IN.
STUDENTS JEREMY ZAMORA AND TIMOTHY EDMUND ARE HERE TONIGHT — WITH THEIR TEACHER, THOMAS CASSINO.
YOU’RE PUTTING THOSE TRANS-FATS TO GOOD USE!
AND JAMIE — THE NEXT TIME YOU CATCH ME EATING FRENCH FRIES, I’LL HAVE THE PERFECT EXCUSE — I’M DOING IT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!
AND THIS IS THE YEAR EXXON MOBIL WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR CLEANING UP THE LARGEST URBAN OIL DISASTER IN UNITED STATES HISTORY —
WHICH OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS HAS LEAKED 17 MILLION GALLONS OF OIL INTO NEWTOWN CREEK — BETWEEN GREENPOINT AND QUEENS — THREATENING THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF NORTH BROOKLYN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
OUR WATERFRONT SHOULD BE A RESOURCE WE CELEBRATE.
JUST LOOK AT EMPIRE-FULTON FERRY PARK IN DUMBO — ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR VISTAS OF ANY PARK IN THE WORLD.
AND THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING.
I’M CONFIDENT THAT THIS YEAR WE WILL BREAK GROUND ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK —
AN URBAN EMERALD INCLUDING 85 ACRES OF NEW PARKLAND — 85 ACRES! —THAT WILL STRETCH FROM THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE TO ATLANTIC AVENUE.
WITH LAWNS, BEACHES, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, BIKE PATHS, A MARINA — AND OF COURSE THAT VIEW! — BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK WILL BE TO THE 21st CENTURY WHAT PROSPECT PARK WAS TO THE 19th.
ADD TO THAT WORLD-CLASS RECREATION LIKE BROOKLYN’S ANSWER TO CHELSEA PIERS —
THE AVIATOR SPORTS COMPLEX AT FLOYD BENNETT FIELD — WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE THE NEW HOME FOR THE RANGERS’ MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY TEAM —
PLUS 23 ACRES ON THE SUNSET PARK WATERFRONT THAT ARE BEING TRANSFORMED FROM BROWNFIELDS INTO ANOTHER GORGEOUS PARK —
THE NEW SOUTH OXFORD PARK NEAR ATLANTIC AVENUE —
THE RESTORED FORT GREENE PARK VISITORS CENTER 3⁄4
NEW CRICKET PITCHES IN CANARSIE 3⁄4
IMPROVEMENTS FROM SEBA PLAYGROUND IN MARINE PARK TO IRVING SQUARE PARK IN BUSHWICK —
AND THE HIPSTERS AND YUPSTERS FLOCKING TO INDIE-ROCK CONCERTS AT WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE McCARREN PARK POOL IN WILLIAMSBURG.
LET ME TELL YOU — IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE OUR NEW MOTTO BECOMES “BROOKLYN — HOW GREEN IT IS!”
“ THE PROMISE OF A BETTER BROOKLYN: PUBLIC SAFETY”
MY CENTRAL GOAL AS BOROUGH PRESIDENT REMAINS MAKING THE BROOKLYN RENAISSANCE REAL FOR EVERY BROOKLYNITE —
AND THE FIRST MOMENTS OF 2007 REMINDED US OF THE HOPES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD.
AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, THE NEWEST NEW YORKER OF 2007 — YES, A BROOKLYNITE — WAS BORN AT LONG ISLAND COLLEGE HOSPITAL —
A LITTLE BOY NAMED OLADIPUPO.
THAT WEEK I VISITED OLADIPUPO AND HIS PARENTS — BROOKLYNITES BY WAY OF NIGERIA — TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME HIM TO BROOKLYN.
I HEAR HIS NICKNAME IS BIPO — HEY, THEY CALL ME BEEP TOO!
I WANT TO WELCOME HIS PARENTS — MABEL JOHN AND OLUSOLA KARIMU — AS WELL AS LICH PRESIDENT AND CEO RITA BATTLES, DR. BERNADETTE RUSSELL — AND — BIPO!
THE HEALTHY ARRIVAL OF THIS NEW BROOKLYNITE WAS A JOY AND A BLESSING.
BUT THIS IS A VAST BOROUGH — AND IN THE SAME FIRST MINUTES OF THE NEW YEAR — VIOLENCE CLAIMED THE CITY’S FIRST VICTIM — 26-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN RIDLEY, OF BROWNSVILLE.
WITH ALL THE GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN BROOKLYN — I WILL NOT BE SATISFIED — NOR CAN YOU — UNTIL WE HAVE ERADICATED GUN VIOLENCE FROM OUR CITY.
SO I COMMEND DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES HYNES AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR ESTABLISHING A MANDATORY THREE-AND-A-HALF YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR POSSESSION OF AN ILLEGAL GUN — NO EXCUSES.
AND I THANK MAYOR BLOOMBERG FOR HIS UNYIELDING LEADERSHIP ON STOPPING THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL GUNS INTO OUR CITY.
OF COURSE, ALL THE THINGS WE CELEBRATE IN BROOKLYN WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE CONTINUING DROP IN CRIME — AND WE OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO NEW YORK’S FINEST.
WE HAVE HERE WITH US TONIGHT COMMANDING OFFICER OF PATROL BROOKLYN SOUTH, CHIEF JOSEPH FOX — ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED PHOTOGRAPHER —
AND OUR NEW CHIEF OF BROOKLYN NORTH — WHO SLEEPS IN QUEENS BUT WAS BORN, RAISED, AND MADE IT TO THE BIG TIME IN BROOKLYN — CHIEF GERALD NELSON!
I WANT TO THANK OUR OFFICERS IN UNIFORM IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT — INCLUDING BOROUGH COMMANDER ED KILDUFF — WHERE’S ED?
AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENTS OF CORRECTIONS AND SANITATION.
AND I WANT TO EXTEND MY SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILY OF POLICE OFFICER FRANCIS HENNESSY, WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN BROOKLYN LAST JANUARY.
“ THE PROMISE OF A BETTER BROOKLYN: EDUCATION”
IN TODAY’S COMPETITIVE GLOBAL ECONOMY, THE ONLY PATH TO SUCCESS IS EDUCATION.
AND IT IS OUR OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT A NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE GOLD STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE — AS IT WAS FOR ANYONE IN MY AGE RANGE GROWING UP.
MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS STILL PROVIDE THAT GOLD STANDARD — BUT WE WON’T BE SATISFIED UNTIL EVERY SCHOOL EXCELS AT THAT LEVEL — AND GIVES OUR STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE THE ZENITH OF THEIR GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE A STAR OF OUR ACADEMIC WORLD WHO MOVED TO BROOKLYN AND IS DREAMING BIG.
19-YEAR-OLD KEVIN SHENDEROV, OF MIDWOOD, IS A BROOKLYNITE BY WAY OF UKRAINE.
A GRADUATE OF EDWARD R. MURROW HIGH SCHOOL — KEVIN IS NOW A SENIOR MAJORING IN BIO-CHEMISTRY AT NYU —
AND HE HAS ALREADY CONDUCTED IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY AND MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING.
TWO YEARS AGO, HIS BROTHER EUGENE WON A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP AND IS STUDYING AT OXFORD.
NOW KEVIN HAS FOLLOWED IN HIS FOOTSTEPS, HAVING BEEN NAMED A 2007 RHODES SCHOLAR.
HE ALSO PLANS TO RETURN TO OXFORD AND RESEARCH CANCER VACCINES.
WHAT A FAMILY 3⁄4 BRAVO KEVIN SHENDEROV!
AS WE ALL KNOW, NEW YORK CITY IS THE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAPITAL OF AMERICA — IF NOT THE WORLD.
AND LAST YEAR, THE NATION-WIDE BUYING POWER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS SURPASSED $700 BILLION DOLLARS.
YET LESS THAN FOUR PERCENT OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING PROFESSIONALS IN OUR COUNTRY ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
IT’S ALL ABOUT EXPOSURE!
THAT’S WHY I HAVE PROPOSED TO SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR JOEL KLEIN THAT WE CREATE A “HIGH SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING,” PREFERABLY IN CENTRAL BROOKLYN.
THE CHANCELLOR WAS VERY RECEPTIVE TO MY GOAL OF GETTING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE — ESPECIALLY IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. THE SALARIES IN THIS FIELD MAKE A BOROUGH PRESIDENT’S SALARY LOOK LIKE CHUMP CHANGE.
AND I’M CONFIDENT THAT BY 2008 THIS PROMISING NEW SCHOOL WILL BE UP AND RUNNING.
“ THE PROMISE OF A BETTER BROOKLYN: HEALTH”
MY OFFICE CONTINUED THE “LIGHTEN UP BROOKLYN” WEIGHT-LOSS CAMPAIGN AND “TAKE YOUR MAN TO THE DOCTOR” INITIATIVES THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THEIR MESSAGES ARE STILL NEEDED AND RELEVANT.
EVEN FOR ME — I LOST 11 POUNDS FOR THE FIRST “LIGHTEN UP BROOKLYN,” BUT I FELL OF THE WAGON BIG-TIME.
BUT SINCE MY HEART SCARE — I HAVE BEEN WALKING MOST EVERY MORNING, AND SAVING THE JUNIOR’S CHEESECAKE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
BELIEVE ME, WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING AWAY FROM THE SWEETS — AND THE BAGELS, PASTRAMI, AND KNISHES — EVERY DAY IS A STRUGGLE.
BUT LET’S FACE IT, I AM BLESSED TO HAVE GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE AND DOCTORS I TRUST.
THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND MY FAMILY LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING — BACK THEN, THE KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM WAS OUR FAMILY DOCTOR.
FOR TOO MANY BROOKLYNITES TODAY, THIS IS STILL THE CASE.
WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES — BROOKLYN IS IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
OUR BOROUGH TOPS TOO MANY OF THE WRONG LISTS —
FROM RATES OF CANCER TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, HIV-AIDS, ASTHMA, OBESITY, AND DIABETES.
THIS IS THE UNFORTUNATE TRUTH, BUT WE’RE WORKING HARD TO CHANGE IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN RESPONSE TO THE SHORTAGE OF NURSES AT MANY BROOKLYN HOSPITALS —
LAST YEAR, MY OFFICE — BEHIND THE LEADERSHIP OF DEPUTY BOROUGH PRESIDENT YVONNE GRAHAM WITH SUPPORT FROM THE UNITED HOSPITAL FUND —
WORKED WITH A TASK FORCE TO ESTABLISH THE BROOKLYN NURSING PARTNERSHIP TO RECRUIT AND TRAIN MORE NURSES.
AND IN NOVEMBER, WE RESPONDED TO THE STATE BERGER COMMISSION’S REPORT ON HEALTH CARE FACILITIES BY TELLING IT STRAIGHT —
KEEP OUR HOSPITALS OPEN!
BECAUSE WHAT BROOKLYN REALLY NEEDS IS A COORDINATED AND COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE AGENDA THAT PRIORITIZES NOT ONLY HOSPITAL EFFICIENCY — BUT EQUALITY, ACCESS, AND PARTICIPATION.
LUCKILY, BROOKLYN IS HOME TO SOME OF THE TOP MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ANYWHERE.
WE ARE JOINED TONIGHT BY DR. STEPHEN CARRYL — CHAIRMAN OF BROOKLYN HOSPITAL CENTER’S PRESTIGIOUS SURGERY DEPARTMENT, WITH A SPECIALTY IN BARIATRIC SURGERY.
A NATIVE OF GUYANA, DR. CARRYL WAS RECENTLY NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S TOP SURGEONS, AS WELL AS AMERICA’S BEST BLACK DOCTOR BY “THE NETWORK JOURNAL”!
DR. STEPHEN CARRYL!
“ BROOKLYN LEGENDS”
WE ALL STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE GIANTS WHO CAME BEFORE US, AND IN 2006 WE LOST OUR SHARE OF BROOKLYN LEGENDS.
BELOVED STATE SENATOR DONALD HALPERIN WAS ONE OF THEM — A PROUD SON OF MANHATTAN BEACH, A GRADUATE OF LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL AND BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL, AND A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE.
IN 1971, AT THE AGE OF 24, DONALD BECAME THE YOUNGEST PERSON EVER ELECTED TO THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE, AND SERVED FOR OVER TWO DECADES.
DONNY WAS ALWAYS SMILING, HE ALWAYS HAD TIME FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS —
AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS HE REPRESENTED — MANHATTAN BEACH, SHEEPSHEAD BAY, BRIGHTON BEACH, GRAVESEND AND MIDWOOD — HE WAS TRULY LOVED.
DONNY’S DEDICATION TO BROOKLYN WAS THE MODEL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOWED IN HIS PATH — AND HE IS DEARLY MISSED.
EVELYN ORTNER MAY HAVE BEEN BORN IN MANHATTAN AND RAISED IN THE BRONX — BUT LUCKY FOR US, SHE BECAME A BROOKLYNITE.
SHE KNEW BROOKLYN’S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS HAD A STORY TO TELL — OF COMMUNITY, PRIDE, PROGRESS — AND THE JOY OF LIVING IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.
LIVING IN PARK SLOPE LONG BEFORE IT BECAME A STROLLER DERBY — SHE MADE IT HER MISSION TO BRING SUBURBAN EXILES “BACK TO THE CITY.”
AND WITHOUT EVELYN ORTNER’S DEDICATION, WE WOULDN’T BE BOASTING TODAY OF THE PRIDE OF BROOKLYN — “BROWNSTONE BROOKLYN.”
THANK YOU EVELYN.
LAST WEEK, WE LOST A LEGEND — THE HEART AND SOUL OF BROOKLYN’S CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY.
BY FOUNDING THE WEST INDIAN AMERICAN CARNIVAL IN 1967 AND MOVING IT FROM HARLEM TO EASTERN PARKWAY — WHERE IT HAS GROWN INTO THE LARGEST PARADE IN NEW YORK CITY —
CARLOS LEZAMA HELPED MAKE BROOKLYN THE PROUD CARIBBEAN CAPITAL OF AMERICA.
I LIKE TO JOKE THAT I’M A TRINI FROM TOONA POONA —
BUT CARLOS WAS TRINI TO THE BONE 3⁄4 I THINK HIS BIG HEART POUNDED TO A CALYPSO BEAT.
HIS DAUGHTER YOLANDA LEZAMA CLARKE HAS MADE IT HER MISSION TO ESTABLISH NEW YORK’S FIRST CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN MUSEUM TO HONOR HIS MEMORY — AND I PROUDLY SUPPORT HER.
SHE IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT — SO WE CAN ALL SAY— “JUMP UP” AND THANK YOU CARLOS!
I AM DEEPLY SORRY TO SAY —
JUST THIS MORNING BROOKLYN LOST ANOTHER GIANT — A WARM, GENEROUS MAN NAMED GILBERT RIVERA.
BORN IN PUERTO RICO AND RAISED IN BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, 20 YEARS AGO GIL OPENED A SMALL HARDWARE STORE ON PARK AVENUE IN BEDFORD-STUYVESANT 20 YEARS AGO THAT HAS SINCE BECOME ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL BUILDING SUPPLY COMPANIES IN AMERICA —
PROVIDING MATERIALS FOR LANDMARKS LIKE THE TIME WARNER CENTER AT COLUMBUS CIRCLE, THE NEW MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, AND BROOKLYN’S NEW FEDERAL COURT HOUSE ON JAY STREET.
GIL HAD JUST OPENED A SPARKLING NEW HEADQUARTERS ON ATLANTIC AVENUE IN OCEAN HILL-BROWNSVILLE, WHICH DEMONSTRATED ONCE AGAIN HIS COMMITMENT TO HELPING BROOKLYN GROW AS HIS BUSINESS GREW.
GILBERT RIVERA’S SUCCESS AS A HISPANIC-AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR WAS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL BROOKLYNITES.
“ BROOKLYN MOURNS”
I NOW ASK THAT WE TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER A FEW OF THOSE THAT MADE LIFE BETTER FOR BROOKLYN WHO WE LOST IN THE LAST YEAR.
DAMON ALLEN
SARAH PARSONS BLOW
NIXZMARY BROWN
DIANE CARRINGTON
JOSEPH CHIN-COTTA
JACKIE CONNOR
JUDGE CONRAD DUBERSTEIN
REV. MONSIGNOR FRANCIS J. FAHY
SADIE FEDDOES
RUTH G. GORING
DAISY HSU
HON. THOMAS R. JONES
REVEREND WILLIAM A. JONES
MATT KENNEDY
SYLVESTER LEAKS
ELLA MINTON
HAROLD MONDSHEIN
CHANEL PETRO-NIXON
FRANK NOCELLA
ANTONINO PARISI
FRED RAND
DEWEY REDMAN
BILL REINHARDT
BISHOP HERON SAM
ANTHONY SCICCHITANO
GRAND REBBE MOSES TEITELBAUM
BETTY TREZZA
REV. DR. V. SIMPSON TURNER
REBECCA VEAL
EDNA WILDMAN
WE ALSO REMEMBER THE BROOKLYN SOLDIERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO OUR NATION IN THE LAST YEAR.
I AM DEEPLY HONORED TO WELCOME MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES, MANY OF WHOM TRAVELED GREAT DISTANCES TO BE HERE.
BEFORE I READ THEIR NAMES, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS TO PLEASE STAND.
NAVY PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS — JOSEPH ALOMAR
ARMY STAFF SERGEANT — DWAYNE PETER LEWIS
MARINE CAPTAIN — JOHN J. McKENNA IV
ARMY FIRST SERGEANT — BOBBY MENDEZ
ARMY SERGEANT — MARIO NELSON
ARMY SERGEANT — YEVGENIY RYNDYCH
MARINE LANCE CORPORAL — NICHOLAS J. WHYTE
ALL OF BROOKLYN MOURNS YOUR LOSS 3⁄4 AND WE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR YOUR SONS’ HEROIC SERVICE TO AMERICA.
“TRUE BLUE BROOKLYN”
WE GO NOW FROM A SOMBER NOTE TO A TRULY UPLIFTING ONE.
U.S. ARMY SPECIALIST NOE SANTOS-DILONE IS A PROUD SON OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WHO MOVED TO BEDFORD-STUYVESANT WHEN HE WAS 14.
IN 2005, WHEN SPECIALIST SANTOS-DILONE WAS SERVING IN IRAQ, THE CONVOY HE WAS RIDING IN WAS BOMBED AFTER TRIGGERING A LASER 3⁄4 AND IT COST HIM ONE OF HIS LEGS.
SPECIALIST SANTOS-DILONE WAS ONE OF 33,000 SOLDIERS IN OUR MILITARY SERVICE WHO ARE NOT YET U.S. CITIZENS.
SO LAST YEAR WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH WAS WORKING THE ROPE-LINE AT AN EVENT IN WASHINGTON AND WALKED PAST HIM 3⁄4
SPECIALIST SANTOS-DILONE … A BROOKLYNITE REMEMBER! —
GRABBED THE PRESIDENT BY THE ARM AND TOLD HIM — VERY DIRECTLY —
“I'M NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES 3⁄4 AND I WANT TO BE ONE.”
THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS THE “BROOKLYN ATTITUDE” ON DISPLAY IN ALL ITS GLORY.
AND I AM PROUD TO REPORT THAT AS OF JULY 24th, 2006, NOE SANTOS-DILONE IS A FULL CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NOW, LITO, AS HE’S KNOWN, HAS BEEN RECOVERING AT WALTER REED MEDICAL CENTER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
BUT — WHEN HE HEARD THAT BROOKLYN WANTED TO GIVE HIM A PROPER HERO’S WELCOME HOME — NOTHING COULD KEEP STOP HIM FROM JOINING US TONIGHT.
WE STAND IN AWE OF YOUR SERVICE — AND WE WELCOME YOU HOME AS A PROUD BROOKLYNITE — AND AMERICAN!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN — ARMY SPECIALIST NOE SANTOS-DILONE.
SO MANY OF THE GREAT BROOKLYNITES I’M FEATURING IN MY REMARKS TONIGHT ARE IMMIGRANTS —
AND SPECIALIST SANTOS-DILONE IS YET ANOTHER POWERFUL EXAMPLE THAT SOME OF OUR MOST DEDICATED — AND PATRIOTIC — AMERICANS WERE NOT BORN HERE.
NOW I PROMISE YOU — IT’S TIME — FINALLY — FOR THE GRAND FINALE.
WHAT MAKES LIFE IN OUR BOROUGH SPECIAL AND EXCITING IS WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING CRAZY OR BEAUTIFUL WHILE WALKING DOWN THE STREET OR SITTING ON THE SUBWAY — AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS STOP, SHAKE YOUR HEAD, AND SAY — ONLY IN BROOKLYN!
FOLKS LIKE ROSLYN BECK OF BROOKLYN HEIGHTS.
WHEN ROSLYN NOTICED THAT TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS COULDN’T FIND THE ENTRANCE TO THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE FOOTPATH 3⁄4 SHE USED A LITTLE BROOKLYN CHUTZPAH AND MADE HER OWN SIGNS AND TIED THEM TO TREES AND STREET POLES.
WELL, THE CITY GOT THE HINT.
THANKS TO HER EFFORTS, PERMANENT SIGNS ARE BEING PLANNED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO TAKE A STROLL ACROSS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE IN THE WORLD.
ROSLYN BECK, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US THE WAY!
SISTER MADELEINE KAVANAGH AND HER TEAM AT THE ST. JOHN'S MOBIL SOUP KITCHEN IN BEDFORD-STUYVESANT TRAVEL AROUND CENTRAL BROOKLYN EVERY DAY IN A WINNEBAGO — COMPLETE WITH A KITCHEN, COMPUTER, PHONE, AND FAX INSIDE.
SHE PROVIDES HOT MEALS TO NEEDY RESIDENTS, PLUS INFORMATION ABOUT HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, LEGAL SERVICES, AND EDUCATION.
SISTER KAVANAGH HAS BEEN A NUN FOR 47 YEARS — AND BEFORE COMING TO BROOKLYN IN 1999, SHE SPENT TWO DECADES IN BOLIVIA, RIDING MULES TO REMOTE VILLAGES TO WORK WITH ORPHANS AND LEPROSY PATIENTS.
SHE HAS OBVIOUSLY PROVEN SHE’LL GO THE DISTANCE FOR OTHERS 3⁄4 BY MULE OR BY WINNEBAGO —
SISTER MADELEINE KAVANAGH!
CAB DRIVER DANIEL CAROU OF BENSONHURST INSPIRED US LAST YEAR WITH HIS SELFLESSNESS AND HONESTY.
WHEN HE NOTICED THAT A FARE — WHO HAPPENED TO BE A “DAILY NEWS” REPORTER — HAD LEFT HIS WALLET BEHIND 3⁄4 HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO WORRY ABOUT HIS CUSTOMER.
SO HE TOOK TIME OUT OF HIS DAY TO DRIVE THE WALLET BACK TO ITS OWNER 3⁄4 WITH HIS ID, CREDIT CARDS, BANK INFORMATION — AND $1400 DOLLARS IN CASH — ALL INTACT.
NOW THAT’S GOOD BROOKLYN KARMA.
DANIEL CAROU!
FROM GENEROSITY TO REAL BROOKLYN HEROISM.
YOUNG YANEISHA HARRISON SET A SHINING EXAMPLE OF BRAVERY WHEN HER FAMILY’S EAST FLATBUSH HOME TRAGICALLY CAUGHT FIRE LAST AUGUST.
ALL 5 OF HER YOUNGER COUSINS WERE STILL INSIDE THE HOUSE — INCLUDING JADEN, WHO WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD.
SO YANEISHA RAN BACK AND FORTH INTO THEIR BURNING HOME — AS THE FLAMES GREW MORE FIERCE — AND LED EACH CHILD TO SAFETY.
THIS YOUNG WOMAN MOVED US ALL WITH THE STRENGTH OF HER LOVE — AND HER COURAGE IN THE FACE OF DANGER.
AND WOULDN’T YOU KNOW IT — SHE WANTS TO BE A NURSE AFTER SHE GRADUATES FROM TILDEN HIGH SCHOOL.
ALL OF BROOKLYN COMMENDS YOU — YANEISHA HARRISON.
WHERE ELSE WOULD BE HOME TO THE FIRST HASIDIC JEWISH POLICE OFFICER IN NEW YORK CITY?
JOEL WITRIOL GREW UP IN WILLIAMSBURG’S SPINKER HASIDIM COMMUNITY, AND AFTER HELPING OUT AT THE 77th PRECINCT IN CROWN HEIGHTS, HE DECIDED TO PURSUE BECOMING A MEMBER OF NEW YORK’S FINEST.
NYPD? — HASIDIM? — IT’S BROOKLYN — VY NOT?
POLICE OFFICER JOEL WITRIOL!
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BROOKLYN SECRETS THAT HAVE GROWN INTO BONA FIDE LEGENDS 3⁄4 THERE IS NO BETTER EXAMPLE THAN THE MAESTRO BEHIND THE COUNTER AT DIFARA PIZZA IN MIDWOOD.
IN HIS NEARLY FOUR DECADES MAKING PIES ON AVENUE J AND EAST 15th STREET 3⁄4 DOMENIC DEMARCO — A NATIVE OF ITALY — HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NEIGHBORHOOD STAR.
NOW FOR PIZZA-LOVERS FROM OUR OUTER BOROUGHS AND ACROSS AMERICA — A TRIP TO DA FARA IS A CULINARY PILGRIMAGE.
WHEN IT COMES TO FRESH INGREDIENTS AND TRUE PIZZA “SOUL,” NOBODY CAN TOUCH HIM 3⁄4
ESPECIALLY NOT A CERTAIN CORPORATE PIZZA GIANT THAT RECENTLY TRIED TO CASH IN ON OUR BOROUGH’S HIPNESS — BY INTRODUCING A MASS-PRODUCED — QUOTE — “BROOKLYN-STYLE” PIZZA.
LET ME TELL YOU — WE DON’T NEED “DOMI-NO’S” WHEN WE’VE GOT “DOME-NIC!”
DOMENIC DEMARCO, YOU’RE A BROOKLYN LEGEND.
PREDICTING GOOD TIMES AHEAD FOR BROOKLYN IS PRETTY EASY THESE DAYS.
MAYBE THAT’S WHY THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF FORTUNE COOKIES IN AMERICA CHOSE TO MOVE ITS HEADQUARTERS FROM MANHATTAN TO EAST WILLIAMSBURG.
WONTON FOOD, OWNED BY MR. CHING SUN WONG, MAKES DELICIOUS FORTUNE COOKIES 24-7 — PRODUCING FOUR MILLION FORTUNE COOKIES EVERY DAY — YES, EVERY DAY.
CHING SUN WONG AND HIS FAMILY CAME HERE FROM GWONG ZOW PROVINCE IN CHINA — AND SINCE MOVING TO BROOKLYN IN 1984, THEIR BUSINESS HAS GROWN TEN-FOLD.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DREAM BIG IN BROOKLYN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN — CHING SUN WONG, AND HIS SON NORMAN, OF WONTON FOOD!
“ GOOD FORTUNES”
TO BE FRANK — I ALSO INVITED THE FORTUNE COOKIE MAKERS TONIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE A QUESTION I NEED ANSWERED.
NOW, I DON’T NEED A FORTUNE COOKIE TO TELL ME BROOKLYN’S FUTURE LOOKS GOOD.
BUT WITH TERM LIMITS LOOMING — WHAT ABOUT MY FUTURE?
I GUESS THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT —
IF IT’S GOOD FOR BROOKLYN … IT’S GOOD FOR NEW YORK CITY!
GOOD NIGHT BROOKLYN.