Fountains For The Five Boroughs

Bottled-water in the boroughs? Fuhgeddaboudit! The Riverkeeper environmental group wants to see more public fountains in public places to reduce bottled-water use. They claim that only 15% of plastic water bottles get recycled. Their plan will reduce litter and CO2 emissions throughout New York City. This seems like a very good "quality-of-life" idea worth drinking to.

Brooklyn Means Business

The cash is greener on the other side of the East River. That’s what the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership plans to tell Manhattan and New Jersey business owners in 2009. The idea is to attract them to Brooklyn. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz loves the upcoming “Brooklyn business blitz.” In the last four years, extensive rezoning efforts by Mayor Bloomberg created a development boom in downtown Brooklyn. The area’s downfall has been too much residential growth and not enough office and retail space. Maybe the Partnership could target home business entrepreneurs until the proper building mix is reached?

Blood Banks Drying Up

Dracula might have a tough time making a blood withdrawal in this town. The New York Blood Center says blood reserves in the NYC metropolitan area are draining away faster than a retiree's 401(k) because of the financial crisis. Financial service companies were among the largest corporate blood donors. Now, many have reduced or canceled their blood drives. Ironic how these financial groups, greedily and without much concern, sucked away some of our life’s investments but can’t donate to the community now. Former Wall Street employees may soon sell their own blood to make ends meet. In the meantime, all New Yorkers are urged to donate blood at their nearest blood collection centers.