This seems a common and deplorable thing recently - the immediate connection in the minds of some between Islam and terrorism. In a religion with a worldwide following of more than a billion people the actions of a few have swayed many ignorant people to the belief all Muslims are somehow involved. In some cases people have even threatened to bomb new mosques, if built (which boggles the mind…last time I checked that fit the definition of terrorism, so how could bombing a mosque make one any better than the “terrorists” they hope to repel?) Without getting into detail because a book could be written, there has been tremendous outrage because a mosque is planned in lower Manhattan, not far from Ground Zero. A mosque is also slated for construction in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and that is the one this cartoon refers to. While many intentionally offensive and angry slurs were visible and audible at a recent protest against the mosque an attempt was made to explain the opposition in terms of street congestion and noise - which clearly weren’t central to the protestors arguments against it. In fact, the clear atmosphere at this protest (and that of protests against the lower Manhattan mosque) was one of pure uninformed xenophobia. Arguments against these mosques generally refer to Islam and terrorism as interchangeable concepts and rely on a litany of poorly compiled logic in support. It’s worth noting that wars based on religion never end well for anyone but attempts at understanding go a long way towards settling differences and generating the peace opposing groups hope to achieve by rubbing each other out. The vast majority of Muslims haven’t a shred of interest in terrorism but groups who marginalize them out of fear only serve to increase anger, and with that comes the opportunity for the radicalism so many of these people fear. In short, displays like this are instrumental in generating the fear that generates displays like this. All of this behavior only leads to escalation and division, and with that problems become infinitely more difficult to solve.

A popular pool in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn has been slated for closure this summer. Last year the pool was estimated to have seen 40,000 visitors and is considered an important recreation facility to the surrounding low-income community. While this and many other facilities in low- income areas of the city face closure, other similar areas in high income areas have been slated for a spruce up, and in at least one case, over a million dollars in un-needed improvements to a park that was opened less than 15 years ago. The difference? The Gowanus pool serves an area with a median household income of $23,000. The neighborhood getting the million dollar park upgrade? per capita income of $88,000. This sort of prejudice is often underreported in the media.

Marvel at the mysterious process by which government pork comes into being.  Have you ever wondered how it is that when people and municipalities badly need one thing or another congress somehow seems to lack the slightest sense of reality and instead funds the most comically inane shit you can possibly imagine?

Admittedly this isn’t as critical as I think editorial cartoons should be.  It’s really just a visualization of what I suspect may have been Governor David Paterson’s reaction to getting involved with the Gowanus Canal.  I get the feeling he wasn’t aware what a money sucking sludge-pit it really was until after he threw his support behind the Superfund plan.  Now that he’s up to speed he’s decided Mayor Bloomberg can have his stinky canal and all of the unwitting future residents of the waterfront condos the Toll Bros. development company is so eager to build there (before it’s considered even remotely safe) will suffer the consequences of the rush to development before the canal is clean.  For no reason.  Because there are already too many new buildings in Brooklyn already. Fools. Come on back Gov., the water’s fine.  Maybe you can get yourself one of those nice condos on the water so you can get that warm summer whiff of raw sewage everybody raves about.

Mike Bloomberg seems to think that promising to influence things outside his jurisdiction (and things that will likely never happen…the notion of trolleys in Red Hook is good for a snort, for example) is going to endear him to voters in the upcoming mayoral race (The MTA is controlled entirely by New York State.  The mayor of New York City has absolutely no control over anything the MTA does).  I didn’t realize that he was so concerned that he would lose that he felt the need to start making unrealistic promises but I also thought at one time he wasn’t your run-of-the-mill politician…also something I no longer believe.  It’s, of course, important to note that Bloomberg is aware he can’t make anything happen himself but the MTA, having recently averted what’s been referred to as the “Doomsday” plan, which would have seen massive service cuts and price increases across the board to avoid a complete implosion of the system, certainly lacks the funds to implement any of the things the mayor is floating…not to mention the city itself just narrowly averted fiscal disaster so there’s no money there either. So Bloomy, don’t get everyone’s hopes up with this pie in the sky shit because the F train really sucks (well..the whole MTA sucks but I ride the F) and you’re speaking to desperate people who want to believe anything and saying you’re going to fix the MTA is like offering free heroin to junkies. Then again, I guess getting people hooked on your junk is what gets repeat customers.

After ditching the Gehry design and completely changing the scale of the Atlantic Yards development Forest City Ratner has yet to really give any indication what their new, leaner development will look like.  With their fondness for artsy crap It seemed natural to suggest another famous and messy artist for the updated layout that matched the overall current state of the Yards plan. 

This past weekend a group left a huge mess in Prospect Park.  A crusade was taken on to blame this particular group but this has been going on all summer.  It occurs to me that by now the Parks Department should be able to anticipate the mess and compensate with more dumpsters or trash cans…or enforce littering laws even they often ignore.  People should clean up after themselves but when this happens so often it may be time to look at who’s always there rather than the ever-changing weekend occupants to see where the problem lies.

Recently it was announced that the tallest building in Brooklyn, a residental tower, is to be built in the imminent future. If you walk around town you might notice that downtown Brooklyn resembles Dubai these days.  Developers are building like crazy and they’re building residential.  But they’re building into an already unfavorable supply side market.  Those trying to sell apartments are finding that they can’t sell them, both because people don’t have the money and also because they can’t get loans, so whenever possible landlords that can’t sell their properties are dumping them onto an oversaturated rental market and finding that the only way to compete with existing rental properties and attract tenants is through ever decreasing prices and ever increasing incentives.  That said, I’m not complaining.  I’m a renter and I’ve taken full advantage of the situation.  I’m just sayin’…they might want to tone it down a notch.

 
Real estate in New York has always been the proverbial ride. Home prices in Brooklyn are sliding…but with a median price still approaching a million dollars in some neighborhoods they remain far too high for most, especially with jobs disappearing at the rate they are…so the real question is ‘how much further should they go before they’re realistically priced?’

As developer Bruce Ratner continues to attempt forcible removal of residents living within the ever shrinking footprint of his Atlantic Yards development through abuse of Eminent Domain laws, a dwindling number of residents refuse to leave and continue to fight through legal means. Unfortunately, the courts have commonly come down on the side of the developer but at this late stage of the game a court has agreed to hear the residents side. This is a development that could prove disastrous for Ratner, as he now has only 5 months to begin his development, or face the loss of state funds.