Bill DeBlasio - Don't Believe the Hype!

I'm sorry I am going to rant a little here, after listening and reading about Bill DeBlasio's Public Advocate speech where he is sounding like such a great man of the people, a man who is there for the community, like a god d@mn Kennedy - I just have to blow off a little steam!

From the Daily News

"(W)e no longer have to make a false choice between a government that serves the people efficiently, or a government that intently listens to them. We can and must have both," De Blasio said.

"My office will be a place where the voice of the people speaks loudly. A place that helps organize communities to play a more meaningful role in our city government. A place that unlocks the mystery of government and refuses to stand by when a New Yorker could have been helped, but wasn't."
"And, in the instances where government fails, my office will be the place that demands accountability and change."

Oh just gag me right now!!!

I just want to remind people that this is the man who was rarely to be seen when his own constituents needed him in Carroll Gardens and the Gowanus. He would rarely show at community board meetings and when he did it was pretty much a drive by. This man actually sided with the smarmy Toll Brothers in the name of 'affordable housing" even though it is barely affordable and the project was going to be build on the shores of the toxic Gowanus with NO cleanup by the city of New York. It took the EPA nominating it as a Superfund site after the special spot-zoning of the Gowanus was granted which gave a go ahead to Toll to build.

This man also has left a legacy in Carroll Gardens by reneging on a promise to change the glitch in zoning laws which would allow developers to build tall buildings on historic narrow Carroll Gardens brownstone streets by factoring in the sidewalks and front yard as street space!

He is also all for the construction of the Atlantic Yards. A project which has forced long time residents to move and relocate, who certainly did not make the income which DeBlasio considers to be one of a low income family, which is....drum roll please..$100,000 a year!!!!

All I can say is, despite him coming on as a saviour to Bloomberg haters, he is not my public advocate and was not much of one as for the 39th district when he was a councilman! Beware of his sneaky ways!

Read details over about DeBlasio "sticking it to Carroll Gardeners on his way out" at Pardon Me For Asking.

EPA Reveals that the City of New York is a Gowanus Polluter!

The Gowanus was particularly foul smelling last night and as I was crossing over the Carroll Street bridge I mused over the battle of the Superfund. The whole ongoing brouhaha over the City's plan vs. the Feds, pitting developer against community and whatnot. How the City only got interested when there was potential for development to be stalled while the canal got the environmental clean up it so needed. How DESPICABLE it was that the city OK'd bringing large new condos and thousands of new residents into a place that is an aquatic brownfield.

So, today, despite the gloomy weather, I felt the sun shining on me when I read the news that the EPA is going ahead as planned and ignoring the City's stall tactics. Hey guess what? The City is one of the major polluters! No surprise here. Bloomberg's sudden interest in cleaning the canal was pretty transparent. The other polluters named so far are the U.S. Navy, Con Edison and chemical maker Chemtura. The EPA sent letters letting them know that they're suspected polluters who will have to pay if the canal becomes a Superfund site.

Also a recent article in Architect's Newspaper,entitled,Twice as Smelly it was called to attention that seven years ago in Mayor Bloomberg's first term, Bloomberg pulled a publicity stunt similar to his most recent in October where he announced the investment to a clean waterway. Seven years later, it hasn't happened. I quote from the Architect's Newspaper:

" The 2002 cleanup was to bring the city in compliance with the Clean Water Act, which was being violated during heavy rains that swamped the system and sent sewage into the canal. By 2005, when the improvements still had not been made the state filed a consent order compelling the city to come into compliance. But it was only this October that the mayor finally re-pledged the 150 million originally promised."

Read some of today's coverage on the EPA naming some potentially responsible parties. (PRP's to those who know far too much about this!)

The Daily News

The Gothamist

Brighton Beach Bay or NONwatch.

Notice the "beach closed" tape? Many people didn't!

Some of you Brooklyn beach bums may be aware that the waters were closed to swimmers over this past weekend due to extreme riptides. But not to worry because you could swim anyway! Most of the lifeguards along the strip of beach between Coney Island and Brighton were more concerned with how to style themselves (should I wear the designer sunglasses and the lip gloss?) or how fast they should twirl their whistles. The most shocking thing was that the group I was near spent most of their time BEHIND or on the SIDE of the lifeguard stand with their backs to the water! (I guess they never heard of the number one surfer rule of thumb. NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR MOTHER!) It was only when someone told them that someone was IN the water that they would self consciously saunter down to the shore, twirling their whistles and would ineffectively blow them. No hand signals, no authority, just non stop whistle blowing. It was infuriating to watch I have to say. I wouldn't trust these self involved Abercrombie & Fitch model wannabees with my life! I am sure there were beach goers on the shore that could be more trusted if there was a rescue situation. Rip tides are no joke but apparantly the joke is on the young children who are not being watched by paid so called "lifeguards".Check out this lifeguard on a cigarette break BEHIND the lifeguard chair. Which, by the way no one sat in the whole day. I am not one to whistle blow on lazy workers but these guys are PATHETIC!