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How much federal stimulus money does it take to change a lightbulb? Brooklyn Heights Association President Judy Stanton brokered a $650,000 deal in order to replace the already functioning streetlamps in Brooklyn Heights with more old timey looking ones. How quaint!
The Daily News reports that the "upscale neighborhood is getting 65 new streetlamps this fall at $10,000 a pop. But they're not just any run-of-the-mill streetlamps; these will be fashioned with filigreed bishop's crooks to make them look like antique streetlamps." All in all, they hope to replace 229 lights for a whopping grand total of $2.7 million!
As one might imagine, this is not settling well with many people beyond Councilman David Yassky, Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Stanton herself. Locals have called it a waste of money; one telling the paper, "The money should be spent fixing the potholes—they're the worst. I wish for better roads every time I get in a car." And another declared, "It's not right. They should give that money to the homeless. There are a lot of shelters that could use help."
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Lol, that's too funny... but sadly not surprising.
I'm guessing there are other places in the city that could be made safer with more lights, but they're just replacing working ones with fancier ones, hehe... you can't make this stuff up, right?
Stupid bitch.
That's fine because it will give more city workers jobs and in return they will spend money to help the economy. In the whole picture 2.7 million is not that much money considering the gov't has trillions they want to give away.
Nope, it just went down the blackhole called Union Dues.
"And another declared, "It's not right. They should give that money to the homeless. There are a lot of shelters that could use help."
How about buying one way bus tickets to the middle of no where for those people?
To be fair, giving money to the homeless is a great way to stimulate the finances of local liquor stores and crack dealers.
I'm outraged that anyone would want to create jobs for city workers, at the expense of making things look nice, of all things! Nice things will only raise property values & lower crime rates, after all. I want to see more shoddy prefab low-bid work, here, not this "fancy" business!
Also: "I have no idea how much streetlights normally cost! I am going to base my shock off an arbitrarily number! This is so much more than...um, well, my bird feeder was only like 20 bucks!"
Until there is evidence that these lamps are made in the city, I will presume they are not because not much of anything is made in the city anymore.
Chances are the guys who will install them would have been working anyway, so that creates zero jobs.
And your point about the price is negated by the fact that the existing lights are operational and there should not be any sum spent to replace them.
Lots of things are functional, beautification and placemaking through coordinated design and restoration works. And it benefits all those locally owned businesses. The reason it might have less success out further on Long Island is that the other aspects of the design -- density, walkability -- art strong enough enough to be improved by other changes.
I see what you did there.
Do we know that the streetlamps come from a city business? I would hope that they do. As for city jobs, the pothole fixing recommended in the piece would be money better spent. Many towns in the LI burbs have tried these beautification tricks, with little effect ...
"beautification tricks" being fancy lampposts, not pothole fixing, obv
Where were the lamp posts made? Anyway, they do look nice. As for the potholes getting fixed, i say bring back cobblestones.
Yeah never a good idea to help build place through quality design and features. Better just keep everything looking like a shithole because, you know, it works.
How long before these are torn down for more efficient and ugly street lamps because these cost too much to maintain, paint, etc?
In before the classism...as these lights are already in place in Bed-Stuy and some other BK neighborhoods.
That said, it would be nice to see a couple hundred grand thrown at fixing the washboard block on Flatbush at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge.
Those aren't even full cutoff fixtures. As if we needed more nighttime light pollution in the city.
Up with the "bishop's crooks", down with the "cobra heads"! And while we're at it, replace and restore those Art-Nouveau emergency call boxes.
Crooklyn indeed.