Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Now publicly stated as union-Democratic policy: Having no jobs is better than thousands of jobs.
A Bronx bummerYes, it feels good to leave thousands unemployed, and a half-million square feet of commercial space empty and decaying, because it's how the unions and the Democratic politicians that they own in this town "prevail over corporate America!"
[The Kingsbridge armory, remembered well from my youth.]
The City Council yesterday rejected a major development plan at the Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx, in a big blow to Mayor Bloomberg...
"This is a game-changer for the way development proceeds in New York," said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which played a major role in opposing the revamp ... of the 575,000-square-foot vacant armory into a mall, because Bloomberg and developer The Related Companies refused to agree to a living-wage agreement...
"What happened here today at the City Council is historic. What happened here today, it is huge in that for the very first time in a long time, we've seen how the interests of the people have prevailed over corporate America -- and boy, does that feel good!" Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Diaz proclaimed in a rally after the council's vote.
Unemployment and decay -- "the interests of the people"!
"We here maintain that that notion that any job is better than no job no longer applies."Well, at last, stated right out in the open: having no jobs is better than having jobs at market rates.
Bloomberg chided the council for the vote.
"Given that the national recession continues to weigh on the entire city and keep unemployment high -- particularly in The Bronx -- the outcome and timing couldn't be worse," Bloomberg said...
City Hall officials said the site would cost roughly $1 million to maintain annually until it's developed, if it ever happens.
Related attorney Jesse Masyr said the council "voted no to over 2,000 jobs." [NY Post]
