September 29, 2006
Yanks hide behind ADA; NY hides Nets docs
Much afoot around New York's billion-dollars-or-so in subsidies stadium and arena plans:
- While the Yankees told a state judge that they need a new home because "the existing stadium is not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act," the lawyer who sued the team over disabled access in 1999 calls that "bullshit." "They're totally in compliance with the ADA as a result of complying with the settlement agreement," attorney Edward Kopelson told NY Metro. The Yanks are, though, trying to duck the installation of a final 28 wheelchair seats they'd agreed to in the lawsuit settlement agreement, on the grounds that they're devoting all efforts to building the new stadium - and in their letter making this argument, the team revealed that among its stadium consultants is the security firm of ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani, the guy who got the ball rolling on the team's sweetheart stadium deal in the first place.
- The New York state-run Empire State Development Corporation, which is the lead agency for the proposed Atlantic Yards project that would include a Brooklyn arena for the New Jersey Nets, says it's done an "independent economic impact analysis" that shows the project would generate $1.4 billion in profit for taxpayers - but is refusing to release the study, saying it's a proprietary internal document. Nuh-uh, says Robert Freedman of the state Committee on Open Government, which oversees public-disclosure laws: While the law says some internal memos can be withheld, that specifically doesn't apply to "statistical or factual tabulations or data" - though I suppose this leaves open the possibility that the ESDC's economic analysis was done without recourse to statistics or facts...
- In other Nets news, the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods response to the state's Atlantic Yards environmental impact statement was released today. It's 229 pages, so no, I haven't read it yet, but you can do so yourself here (PDF file). Happy atonement weekend!
Well I am having bad a case of Yogi Berra this morning. For those too young to know it is called DEJA VU all over again. 1.5 billion profits for the taxpayers of new york state for the New Jersey Nets arena in Brooklyn.
Maybe showing the economic study that states this with creditable sources would be of interest to the canyons of investment bankers, financial institutions and the real estate developers on wall street and manhattan including one Donald Trump with a world wide scope of real estate interests.
Why would the capital of venture capital investment pass up such a golden opportunity so that the common taxpayer could make so much money.
Welfare mothers must be rejoicing at capitalism's short sited ways LOL.
Paul
Posted by paul taylor on October 20, 2006 11:30 AM