Grains of Salt and Atlantic Yards Support

Atlantic Yards Report, the great blog that's following and challenging the Atlantic Yards Report, has a good look at a Crain's Business poll. Crain's reported that 60% of people supported the behemoth project, because of the housing and jobs it would bring. The number is even 60% in Brooklyn, though 33% oppose it (vs. 25% citywide). Atlantic Yards Reports questions wonders if the polled really have a sense of what the project is about. For instance, Crains states, "The Crain's poll indicates that 28% of Brooklynites and 20% of New Yorkers are following the issue closely"; the AYR writes, "Maybe that's because most people don't know what the costs are, or have seen graphics that show the scale of the project, or have been told about the immense flaws in the DEIS."

It'd be interesting if a poll did ask people if they felt informed about the issues - and then if the pollster gave people some of the pros and cons and asked questions about support all over again.

Gothamist on the Altantic Yards.

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By Jen Chung in News on September 4, 2006 12:58 PM

Comments [rss]

anonymous

"They jobs are only temporary"

Give me a f**king break.

"Ratner won't provide as much low/middle income housing as promised."

Prove it.

t34t34

I hope the entire Atlantic Yards project collapses and crushes all the brown stones in the nearby neighborhoods ... oh, those poor, precious souls! Where will they get their tofu lattes now?

meesalikeu

sigh. if only they would build something/anything like it back in cleveland where it belongs. instead the scumbag ratners do nothing but hold onto vacant prime property in their own hometown for decades -- meanwhile paying off local politicians & making the cleveland city public officials too scared to declare emminent domain on them. this is the morality of who you are dealing with in brooklyn.

same old song and dance

as opposed to the overwhelming supply of facts in your own post, planetb ***eyes rolling***

If you don't agree with it, it has to be a lie.

planetb

hey nick. is that so that the "people who are opposing this project are gentrifiers" that's a canard, or simply put. BS. its developer's spin. prove it.

the facts on the ground show what a lie your comment is.

same old song and dance

The Dutch founded New Amsterdam in the 1600s and people haven't stopped building since. There will always be construction jobs. New buildings, demolitions, and renovations. Jobs shouldn't be an issue.

fuck nimbys

yeah! why can't construction jobs go on for ever, why does construction ever have to end everywhere? hey idiot, all construction jobs are temporary, but for many years thousands will be employed there. and the AY will create affordable housing, and even unaffordabl houseing will be affordable to some.

nimbys are bitches

S.D.

"real brooklynites have more important things to worry about, like making a living so they can support their families."??

Nick, Are you under the impression that this project would create Affordable housing or more Jobs?

Even if it does create Jobs for construction, won't those dry up when done?

nick

the people who are opposing this project are the gentrifiers who have already priced out the people they claim to be looking out for.

real brooklynites have more important things to worry about, like making a living so they can support their families.

S.D.

Definately wonder what the questions were.

Also, it says "surveyed 601 people representing a cross section of the five boroughs."

If the questions were along the lines of "Do you support such a Massive undertaking in some one else's back Yard?" then it was hardly a fair poll.

Toby

You can prove anything with polls, as they are all unscientific. To put it simply- garbage in garbage out.

planetb

the only thing meaningful in the poll is that only 20 percent of New Yorkers, according to the poll, are following the issue closely. for example if the poll said "Atlantic Yards" promises only 16% of the units to be for households earning less than 56k/year, perhaps N. Yorkers might not find the project to be about affordable housing. the only poll on the project that asked "would you support a publicly subsidized arena?" had a majority saying no.

Crain's or the research firm should make the questions public.

same old song and dance

Giving people pros and cons right before polling them would make the poll unscientific and essentially meaningless.

same old song and dance

So typical. If the people polled don't agree with you then they are obviously stupid or ill-informed. If they do agree with you, well that just mean's you're right.