Tear Down This Wall!

The FDNY and the city’s Buildings Department ordered that Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village stop erecting "pressurized walls" in residential units. It’s thought that these walls create fire hazards for residents and firefighters. Tishman Speyer, the company which owns the 110-building complex, had been converting 1-bedroom apartments into 2-bedrooms by subdividing living rooms. Prices for a 1-bedroom unit start at $2,995 so it’s easy to understand their motivation. The company issued no comment. Their silence may be due to "the pressure of being backed up against their own wall."

NYC Is ATM For Politicians

In this year’s presidential race, 17 of the top 100 donors live in New York City. Each contributed $150,000 or more to races and party committees. 13 of the 17 are listed as decisively Democrat. The Big Apple has always been where the big bucks are. Smart politicians know how to rub elbows with the rich and leave with more than a souvenir t-shirt.

Forget Ferry Feasting For Now

Staten Island Ferry Terminal commuters must wait until 2009 for retail food establishments to open. Hard to believe that the $350 million terminal which opened in 2005 still doesn’t have a place serving quality meals. Fast-food isn't on the menu anytime soon.

Poverty’s %’s Are Pitiful

Government officials claim poverty in New York City is higher than reported. Using an unaccepted formula that calculates additional living expenses, our poverty rate is 23%, not 18.9% as reported by the federal government. No other jurisdiction uses the same measure that we do. Our higher rate does not obtain more state or federal benefits for the poor. What it does do is enable Mayor Bloomberg to reapportion certain city benefits. But more must be done. Regardless of which math calculation is used, the result obtained is too high. I know there will always be “have’s and have not’s.” Nevertheless, the reduction of poverty among the least of us will benefit us all in many ways. The mayor’s remaining time in office is limited (Maybe, depending on daily-developing factors.) and he can only do so much. Who else in government or the private sector has a plan and the courage to wage this fight for all New Yorkers? As it was in the famous 1888 NYC picture "Bandit's Roost," so it will always be, if politicians are allowed to keep smiling for camera-shots instead of taking bold positions on bigger social issues.

Cigarette Sales Going Up In Smoke

In June, New York State's tax on a pack of cigarettes went from $1.50 to $2.75. Since then, more and more New Yorkers are calling 311 for help to quit; three times as many as before. More are requesting free nicotine patches, too. At up to $10.00 per pack, $300.00 per month for a pack-a-day habit, a tipping point may have been reached. In 2007, only 16.9% of New Yorkers smoked. Smoking is certainly very different socially and economically compared to when Bogie lit up. Though there’s something inherently wrong with government imposing taxes to control any type of personal behavior, it seems to be a good thing here. If the day ever comes when smokers drop below 10% of our population for example, where will the government make up the lost revenue and impose a new tax "to do us good?" Perhaps on all super-sized food orders?

Tenement To Mansion 101

Real estate mogul, Alistair Economakis owns a rent-stabilized building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He wants to legally evict his tenants and develop the building into a private mansion for his family. Recently, the courts upheld his right to do just that. Tenant and neighborhood activists are protesting. It appears the legal strategy used by Economakis involved some questionable maneuvers however they seem to be within the letter of the law. Whether they were within the intent of the law or might set legal precedent eliminating more rent-controlled apartments remains to be seen. It’s easy to side with the tenants here who may be forced to move from their homes. Keep in mind that a property owner has rights too. If there are those in New York who are unhappy with the court’s ruling, they should work to change the laws. Eliminate the loopholes Economakis benefited from to prevent their use by other landlords in the future. In the meantime though, don’t denigrate or deny someone the fulfillment of a dream that they’re legally entitled to make reality.

Green Ideas That Get Gears

Commuting by bike has risen 77% since 2,000. Some city officials would like even more "people to pedal." Though he has his doubts and is not yet committed, Mayor Bloomberg is inviting plans from companies to establish bike rental stations near busy transit hubs. NYC residents could then rent bikes and return them near their destinations. Similar programs already exist in European cities like, Barcelona, Paris and Stockholm. New York ain't a city on the other side of the pond though! To be fair, let’s see what proposals are put forward and the city’s related costs and liabilities. I see more obstacles with this idea right now than there are roadblocks in the existing bike paths and streets of New York.