February 10, 2007
Randall's Island: Playground for Richy Rich Kids?
The city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee is scheduled to vote this coming week on whether or not to approve a proposal to have twenty Manhattan private schools pay for part of the renovation of Randall's Island athletic fields in return for exclusive use of a majority of the fields. The plan, which is separate from the controversial water park, calls for schools such as Dalton and Spence to pay the city $52 million dollars over twenty years. The city would kick in an additional $18 million for the fields, and $53 million for island infrastructure. In return for the payment the schools would get exclusive 3-6 p.m. use of at least two-thirds of the 63 playing fields.
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said the private schools already have exclusive use of 34 of the 36 existing fields, and that the private school money would actually provide more playing fields for others.
Opponents, who include Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, city Comptroller William Thompson, City Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito in whose district the island lies, parks advocates, parents and residents of East Harlem and the South Bronx object to the deal, saying it literally amounts to an unfair pay-for-play policy for public parks. Mayor Bloomberg's appointees control the committee so the proposal is expected to pass.
And, did you know that a hybrid wind, solar and tidal-energy power plant is planned for the island?
Vintage postcard view of Randall's Island and the Triborough Bridge from Bridgepix on Flickr.
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If I'm reading that proposal correctly, then from 3-6pm, the situation would improve from 34 fields reserved for the private schools with two 2 fields open to the public, to up to 42 fields reserved for private schools with 21 fields open to the public (a ten-fold increase). The rest of the time, the increase in playing fields for everyone would increase from 36 to 63. I can't possibly imagine how anyone could object to this. You're getting private schools to bankroll the expansion of playing fields for the public with no decrease in public access at any time--actually a significant increase over the current state. Mind boggling.
Tell me you're not that naive.
I used to like Bloomberg, but he's proving to be an elitist especially as of late. The NYC coffers suddenly have $71 million to "kick in" for this project? Why can't that spare $71 million go toward building new public parks? Bloombergy seems to find money for these vanity projects - tax breaks for already filthy stinking rich developers, projects like this that benefit the silver spooner set, and so on.
This whole thing stinks. The title of the article is exactly right: New York is turning into a playground for the rich, and now in a more than figurative sense.
Well, with no more deals to cut to get re-elected, Mayor Mike can do as he pleases. Expect more and more of this shite as he waves goodbye. With most workers spending almost an hour traveling each way to work they have plenty of time to read all about it from the rag of their choice.
Move before it gets worse, because it's going to get worse.
If you read the article, anonymass, you'll see that the city is kicking in the balance of the $71 million...which comes to a more manageable $13 million. How paying $13 million for the renovation of that shithole that is Randall's Island is a bad thing is well beyond me.
Sorry, fuckface, I trusted Gothamist's summary which reads:
18+53 = 71. Get it? If the numbers are wrong, blame Gothamist, not me.
First of all, my numbers came from Gothamist:
18+53 = 71. That's where I got my number. If you have a problem with those numbers take it up with Gothamist, not me.
Oh, but then I read the actual article, which says:
Learn to eat my ass.
First of all, my numbers came from Gothamist:
18+53 = 71. That's where I got my number. If you have a problem with those numbers take it up with Gothamist, not me.
Oh, but then I read the actual article, which says:
Learn to eat my ass.
Even if you find the idea of selling access to public parkland palatable, the method it was done is unseemly. Rather than put the field permits out to bid, the Mayor let the Randalls Island Sports Foundation (RISF) decide who could buy them and at what price. No public schools were allowed to participate even though many could have raised the funds through corporate partnerships or pta funds. Not surprisingly, the list of schools in the deal bears an uncanny resemblance to the schools represented on the RISF board of trustees, which has no people from East Harlem or the South Bronx.
Equally troubling is how the Mayor refused to follow the city charter guidlines for granting major concessions of this type. Rather than go to the local community board for review like he's supposed to, he simply will push it through this arcane committee where he controls all the votes.
Let´s get something straight here: the parents of these kids, who chose to stay in this city despite having the resources to pull up stakes and move elsewhere, are the people who pay the taxes that make this city viable somehow. The rest of you are mostly a drain on resources and should have been cut adrift a long time ago. So stick that up your ass and leave it there.
Please do us all a huuuuge favor and take your private car services one way to Greenwich where you all belong.
Believe me, this city can go on without you. You earn money here, you'll be paying city tax regardless.
When the City Council held hearings on this deal in November, over sixty people testified. Curiously, no private school students, parents or alums made a case for the deal, a few actually came and testified against it. After seeing Mr. Strong's ugly comments above, I can understand why the headmasters kept these people locked up. Fortunately for them, they've got the Mayor on their side.