Results tagged “denniskucinich”

Late last month, architect Frank Gehry dismissed more than two dozen staffers working on designs for the embattled Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, the Wall Street Journal reports. The terminations came despite the fact that most of the proposed $4.2 billion project—which would include a Nets basketball arena, office towers and thousands of apartments—has not been designed, as Develop Don't Destroy points out. Both Gehry Partners LLP and Forest City Ratner, the company behind the project, declined to comment. But earlier this month Forest City abruptly stopped work at the site, and they don't even have the $100 million to buy the Vanderbilt Rail Yard from the MTA. In a thorough article in this week's Observer, the venture is viewed as being on the verge of "collapse," and Bruce Ratner "seems to be rushing to patch a leaky dam." Ratner may clear the last of his legal hurdles next year, but it's unclear if he'll have the financing to move forward in this current economy.

In a striking reversal, developer Bruce Ratner has halted work at a location that is integral to his controversial $4.2 billion plan to build a Nets basketball arena, office towers and thousands of apartments in Brooklyn. Ratner has previously insisted that work would continue despite lawsuits attempting to stop the project, even vowing to break ground on the stadium this month. Now a spokesman for his comany, Forest City Ratner, tells the Daily News that "preliminary construction" at the MTA-owned Vanderbilt Rail Yards is being put on hold.

The Village Voice's Neil deMause is liveblogging the hearings about the financing of the new Yankee Stadium. Representative Dennis Kucinich has suggested that the $924 million the Yankees got in tax-exempt bonds may have been improper, hence these hearings. According to the Voice, Kucinich just said the Yankees withheld documents--requested in July--until Wednesday and says this is "evidence they don't want the truth to come out." In other Bombers' big money news, the Daily News' Mike Lupica suggests the Yankees will spend more crazy amounts to get talent so they can win 90 games in the new stadium.

Two years after the IRS proposed tightening rules governing the use of tax-exempt bonds, officials have finally issued a ruling that comes as a huge relief to developer and Nets' owner Bruce Ratner, who has been counting on raising up to $800 million in tax-exempt bonds to pay for a new Brooklyn arena. Though the IRS ruling limits the way tax-exempt bonds can be used in the future, the regulation doesn't apply to "certain projects substantially in progress." That includes not just the Nets arena, but also the new Yankees and Mets stadiums, which are being built with more than $1 billion in tax-exempt bonds and will now take advantage of the ruling to issue more bonds, according to the Times.

Representative Dennis Kucinich suggested approval for $924 million in tax-exempt bonds for the construction of the new Yankee Stadium could be rescinded, due to some questions about the land's value. He said his probe found "substantial evidence of improprieties and possible fraud by the financial architects of the new Yankees Stadium." Last week, the Daily News' Juan Gonzalez had a column noting the city's assessment of the land worked out to be $275/square foot -- but city assessors previously valued it at $25/square foot. The IRS noted the different valuations ($40 million vs. $204 million) and may investigate further. And speaking of new Yankee Stadium, WCBS 880 went on a tour and took some photos.

Londonist was proud to announce the winner of this year's Turner Prize was Mark Wallinger who made long-standing London protester Brian Haw a work of art, after he has previously been made into a sort of law due to his lengthy banner-waving vigil outside parliament. The strength of the pound made real in the form of a 25 foot high coin on a quiet patch of the Thames river bank, aiming to inspire all Londoners in a publicly voted decision on spending £50 million Lottery money. Perhaps some new play projects for London kids who, for the lack of youthful entertainment, are trying to amuse themselves by collecting prostitute calling cards, which are worryingly rigged and booby-trapped. And for those who are anticipating a lovely fat check from a great-aunt this Christmas and wondering what to spend it on, the London Marathon will need a new sponsor after 2009. How does The Londonist London Marathon sound?

Greg Gutfeld is a funny guy. The only problem is that his show, Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld is on at 2 AM on Fox News. But that's not his problem; it's yours-- because you don't get to watch his show. You miss out on fun guests like Dennis Kucinich, Harland Williams, and Johnny Rotten providing rapid-fire commentary on the day's events. But just because it's on at 2 AM and on Fox News isn't stopping it from getting positive reviews from the The New York Times and The Guardian .

Did you know New York is #4 of America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities? It's no surprise there are so many famous and not-so-famous veggies living here. Focusing on the former, PETA is holding another poll asking who the Sexiest Vegetarian worldwide is. This is their sixth annual sexy veggie contest, and has a list of 233 celebs competing for the title, including our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Tobey McGuire. While the poll only includes Hollywood herbivores, AMNY notes that celebs aren't the only high profile folk with a taste for tofu. If Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich were to win the 2008 presidential election, he'd be the first vegetarian in the White House.

Last night, eight Democratic candidates met in the first debate of the already very long road to the 2008 presidential election. And the debate, which included Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, and Joseph Biden, as well as former Senator John Edwards and Mike Gravel, Representative Dennis Kucinich, and New Mexico Bill Richardson, was more an opportunity to criticize President Bush's policies, versus each other. With eight candidates vying to make the most of the time, it was a somewhat underwhelming debate.

A who's who of the Democratic party has been at the Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network conference in Midtown this past week. Opening day saw hopeful John Edwards and Democratic party chair Howard Dean, yesterday included former president Bill Clinton, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Christopher Dodd, and Governor Bill Richardson, today has Senator Hillary Clinton and tomorrow Senator Barack Obama and Representative Dennis Kucinich are appearing - which is why it's called the "Sharpton primary" by many. With his profile very high after the Don Imus-Rutgers women's basketball incident, the Sun notes that Sharpton is a political force.

Other examples noted are Whoopi getting mad at the President for using the bathroom at her hotel and Larry David's would-be affair being halted on Curb Your Enthusiasm because the woman had a framed picture of Bush, which was a classic moment. Let's face it, any framed pictures of a politican, of any party, without your date in the picture, is almost grounds for being a dating dealbreaker. Or at least, this is what Gothamist experienced when someone saw our Dennis Kucinich glamour shot displayed prominently in the home.

Updated: kottke has photos from the NYC protest last year (thanks for clearing that up, Eliot).

If you're a registered Democrat, find out where you're supposed to vote from the Board of Elections. Polls are open until 9PM. This year's election calendar from USA Today. And all the politicizing you need: Times on the Trail, Talking Points Memo, Instapundit, Atrios, Wonkette.

Tien Mao has more of the actual details of the date, and Gothamist wants to stop here, because it makes us confused about politics all over again.