Governors Island Getting No Money from Governor Paterson

Given the blush of excitement that followed news of a Water Taxi Beach on Governors Island this summer, it's worth recalling that the island's future as a weekend recreation destination remains very much in doubt. The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation [GIPEC] requested $7.4 million from both the state and city for the 2009-2010 fiscal year that starts July 1st, 2009; the combined $14.8 million would be about 10 percent less than the island got this year.

A/N blog notes that Governor Paterson's proposed budget includes no operating money for the island at all, leaving this summer's plans up in the air. (So far, it seems, that $500 million makeover plan is still proceeding, because that's funded by the GIPEC capital budget.)

Anyway, you'd think the governor would find a way to keep his own island open, but maybe he's trying to send a message that we all have to make sacrifices in these tough times? (In solidarity, we've decided to slash funding for Bloggers Island this summer.) Water Taxi Beach president Tom Fox tells the Tribeca Trib he hopes the privately-funded beach will "breathe new life" into the state’s interest in the island. And it's not just a giant sandbox with burgers, beer, and volleyball in the works—Fox is talking Ferris Wheel. He also says there's a carousel in Brooklyn Heights that needs a home. (We think he means the one in DUMBO.)

The Governors Island Alliance will be having a rally at City Hall tomorrow to call on the state and city to keep the island open this summer. Ken Fisher, chair of the Alliance, had this to say in a recent interview: “My assessment is this is one of those situations where everyone thinks it will get worked out because it ought to get worked out. But it won’t. It’s one of those things that could wind up without a chair when the music stops." [Via Curbed.]