Stimulus Funds SHOULD NOT aid the ATLANTIC YARDS! Sign this petition.

"No Stimulus Money for Atlantic Yards!"

New York State Governor David Paterson will soon be making decisions about where to allocate an approximately $25 billion in stimulus aid from the Federal government. Some of the money will go to restore budget cuts to schools. Some will go to shoring up the state Medicaid program. Some will go to desperately- needed projects in transportation, energy and the environment.

But there's one project that shouldn't be considered for stimulus funds--Forest City Ratner's Atlantic Yards development. With credit tight and construction costs increasing, FCR has hired former Senator Alfonse D'Amato to lobby for a cut of New York's stimulus funds. Atlantic Yards has already received hundreds of millions in direct aid from the City and the State, and billions in tax breaks. FCR committed to building its arena with private funds, and pledged to pay for the renovation of the MTA Vanderbilt Yards. Now they're looking for the public to bail them out of those commitments.

The problem is, there's no way to hold FCR responsible for how stimulus money would be used if it were allocated to Atlantic Yards. There's no guarantee when the promised affordable housing, open space or community facilities will be built. Nobody even seems to be sure what the project will look like anymore.

Sign on to the online petition to tell Governor Paterson that you're against granting stimulus funds to Atlantic Yards. Help make sure New York's share of the Federal stimulus program gets to projects that really deserve it. And let the Governor know it's time Atlantic Yards was held accountable to the public.

Sign petition here.

Doubts About Toll Brothers? - C.B 6 Meeting Tonight

Waterfront property anyone?

Despite the fact that luxury condos stand largely unrented, despite the fact that condo projects languish unworked on due to lack of funds and the big one: despite the fact that this project needs a huge enviromental cleanup which STILL has not been addressed in any serious detailed manner, The Toll Brother's think now is the perfect time to build. Recently, local Community Board 6, which had given their O.K on the rezoning so they can build this project has questioned the if the Tolls are going to include affordable housing in the project. Affordable housing was essentially the deal breaker for their OK. NOW with public monies drying up it is likely the Toll's won't get that funding. They don't have any intention in funding it themselves which would make the project an entire village of luxury condominiums.

A quote from Toll Brothers V.P and relentless optimist David Von Spreckelsen:

" the fiscal crisis is not expected to disrupt Toll’s plan, or prevent it from securing funding from the city.

Read the whole article by Gary Buiso in the Courier here.

Meeting is Monday February 23rd.

Public School 32
317 Hoyt Street
Brooklyn NY
TIME: 6:30 PM

Also on the plate at the meeting is recent happenings at Public Place, the other neighborhood toxic site.

Sheepshead Bay Bites

I've been a bad blogger. I've been a busy non blogging blogger up until recently and during that time Ray Johnson of the fab Sheepshead Bay Bites blog posted this photo I took last year while contemplating life in Brighton Beach. The words answered the question that was going on in mind that day, it was amazing.

Click here to read Ray's take.

The Bluebird of Happiness....

Is this Swoon or someone else? I claim no expertise on the wheat paste scene but I like this one. It's sweet in the original sense of the word.

post script - i found out the artist is "elbow toe"

Dispensed on Sackett Street

How To Keep Your Job in Hard Times: The Indispensable Employee - A Survival Manual".

I know it's hard times and all but I just have to say, this is one depressing book! Some chapter titles: "Eat Lunch at Your Desk", "Take Work Home With You", "Make Your Company's Problems Your Own", "Ask for More Work", "Be Smart, But Not Too Smart", "Delay Your Vacation If Necessary", "Sell Harder" and one of my favorites "Don't Waste Company Supplies".

Positively Dickensian!

REVS

I don't know how I feel about REVS painting over a beautiful old fading ad on a building in Chelsea. I guess I do. I guess it makes me feel slightly pissed off! The only thing that is keeping me from completely dismissing REVS as a visual eyesore is the fact that the building to the right looks like a Holiday Inn in Peoria!

Lost Glove

Found on Sixth Avenue

F.I.B Turned Two Today!

Yup.

Today in Chinatown.....

Dragons hanging out in the Year of the Ox!
And a good time was had all!

Snowy Night on Bond Street

Peace and a Happy MLK Day to everyone. Glad the Israeli's have stopped bombing and that we are going to have a NEW PRESIDENT on Tuesday! Anyone having an inauguration party Tuesday night? Let me know!!!

Toll Brothers Public Hearing with City Planning * WEDNESDAY

This was written on this building, a couple months before the "crash".
Well, with the economy as it is and with vacant condos throughout the city I am hoping the Toll Brothers will just throw in the towel on the 363-365 Bond Street condo project, just too many health and environmental risks on top of the financial ones! Toll Brothers' condos on the Williamsburg waterfront are fairly vacant and "renting to own" at this point. I hope big Daddy Robert Toll puts the final kabosh on this one, I heard he was never really keen on the city projects and that VP for Development David Von Spreckelsen had to work hard to convince him, kill it Robert!!!PLEASE!!!!

Anyway, The City Planning Commission is holding a public hearing for the Toll Brothers' project at 363-365 Bond Street . Anyone can speak their mind, please attend if you are lucky enough to be able to make it on this Tuesday morning.

The hearing is scheduled for:
January 7
22 Reade Street in Manhattan.
The public meeting begins at 10:00AM.

Happy New Year from F.I.B.....

New Year's Eve Firework in Prospect Park
In a stroke of insanity, I ventured into Prospect Park in the freezing temperatures last night. I have never gone before and it did feel cool to be close to nature at midnight, i wish my camera was able to pick up on the sillouettes of the trees in the foreground... I wish all the FI.B readers a happy, healthy, peace filled New Year. May your cupboards have some food in it and you have friends and family to lean on sometimes. Keep fighting the man for me please 'cause they are the reason everyone's lives and places like Coney Island are such a mess right now. I hope to get back to blogging more regularly, I'm working a job (which i am very THANKFUL to have) that makes it difficult to do....Happy New Year Babies!!!

Merry Christmas,Happy Hanukkah,Happy Kwanzaa!

"Found in Brooklyn" wishes you all a relaxing holiday, low on worries and full on goodness. Peace!

Found on Carroll Street

Back to F.I.B's original premise....WHY DIDN'T I TAKE THIS HOME WITH ME? WHY?!!! I LOVE ELVIS! I even went to Graceland and had an mazing cat of the same name! I am exhausted folks, F.I.B has not been blogging much because I've been working like a dog and going to school. The semester is over, I am sooo happy not to have to take the F train to Bay Parkway and switch to a bus and get home at 11oclock at night...I'll be posting more often me thinks.If anyone cares!