How well do you think you’re getting your ideas across by calling people names in every post?

Perhaps that’s why they are so hated by the parochialists.

There are only three things I’ve seen create any semblance of “city unity” in New York in all my years here:

1. Terrorist attacks.
2. Championship sports teams.
3. The transit system.

When in their cars, New Yorkers are at their most individualistic, competitive, uncaring towards their fellow citizens and removed from their city. Nothing is less unifying than the automobile in the city. I mean, it’s called an AUTO, for chrissake.

You’re out of touch, “Mr. Brooklyn.” Most of the people who live in Brooklyn and Queens do not drive everywhere, least of all into Manhattan. Drumbeat that into your own thick skull.

The equation that transit improvements and the travel tax on Brooklyn and Queens and necessarily attached to each other is an eseential lie.

Drumbeat that into your thick skulls.

Ruben

Considering that the current plan doesn’t charge intrazone users and results in less outsiders coming into her district it’s completely bizarre that Glick doesn’t support it.

George, the fact that you and Glick are actually arguing against the completion of the half-finished Second Avenue Subway on the basis of a bunch of decorative trees and their non-endangered bird and squirrel inhabitants shows either a complete lack of perspective, or a willingness to lie and disseminate in order to protect drivers.

The estimated improvements of air quality due to congestion pricing and the Second Avenue Subway are on a completely different scale than the possible pollution you’re talking about. I think you know that.

Do you plan on running for anything else, George? Do you realize how many potential environmentalist votes you just lost by spreading that bullshit?

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, the worst ultrafine diesel particulate matter is not in the South Bronx, as many believe (345,000 pcc), or on the BQE (440,000 pcc). Rather, it is actually on Varick and Canal (500,000 pcc) – in the heart of Glick’s district.

Furthermore, the asthma rate along the Canal corridor is on par with Willets Point in the South Bronx.

IMHO, the reason Glick has not come out in support of CP is because her ‘Boss’, Sheldon Silver, has not decided. She waits for him to decide.

“Because of the large scale and extended duration of the construction required for the Second Avenue Subway, the construction could potentially increase regional concentrations of ozone precursors-NOx and VOCs-as well as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), all of which are pollutants of concern on a regional basis.” In addition, although construction of the Second Avenue Subway has just begun in the area from 91st to 97th Streets, the harmful impact on trees, birds and squirrels has been considerable.

In this regard, the New York Bird Club recently commented: “Due to the construction of the 2nd Ave subway, there already have been removed at least 40 trees along 2nd Ave.  The next place to remove trees is by the park at 2nd Ave between 91-90th Streets.  There are magnificent very large and lush sycamore and other trees on this block, perhaps that have been there for 100 years or so.  They are marked to be removed sometime in the very near future.  These trees are homes to squirrels and birds who already do not have enough greenery to survive, and the trees also provide beauty, shade and clean-air for people.”

In 1997, I ran against Debra Glick in the Democratic Primary for Manhattan Borough President. I found her a person of high integrity with considerable fiscal and technical knowledge, qualities lacking in many if not most elected officials. It would be great for New York City if Debra Glick were elected to higher offfice

According to the Environmental Defense Fund http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2007/06/17/2007-06-17_citys_worst_asthma_zones_sniffed_out.html , the worst ultrafine diesel particulate matter is not in the South Bronx, as many believe (345,000 pcc). Rather, it is actually on Varick and Canal (500,000 pcc) – in the heart of Glick’s district.

IMHO, the reason Glick has not come out in support of CP is because her ‘Boss’, Sheldon Silver, has not decided.

Rather than offend the Boss, Glick keeps quiet, like a dutiful little toady that she is, waits for Shelly to tell her how to vote, and lets her constituents be damned.

She is rude to her constituents but is Shelly’s little sycophant. Why? She needs Silver’s budget line-items to dole out grants to those groups who collect the signatures needed to put her on the ballot every two years. Some would call that self-serving.

If you think Speaker Quinn has problems with budget slush funds, it would wan in comparison to Glick. It indeed would be a revelation to see what Glick does with her discretionary funds.

But, of course, that information is not readily available to the public.

The fact that this uncertainly persists, given how the council voted, the governor strongly supports and the federal dollars are there for the taking… is for me simply… Unbelievable. Completely tone deaf.

What is her alternative?

The problem Glick/Brodsky have is that in this case, the legislature is being asked to approve a proposal, but no reivew (of either kind) has been done. Normally that isn’t allowed by SEQRA. The Mayor’s bill proposes to make an exception to SEQRA for this proposal, and let the environmental review occur after the bill is passed but before “final” implementation of the plan. It also requires that there be extensive followup on how any environmental impacts are mitigated (which is more than SEQRA normally requires).

I called Silver’s Albany office today, and spoke to a contact in Sen. Connor’s office. I’ve already spoken to Millman ad nauseum, at this point I just hope she’ll do the right thing.

Keep making the calls people.

Meanwhile, other commenters have directed our attention to the actual bill itself which clearly calls for environmental review (see sec. 1709, “Environmental Study and Mitigation”). The bill outlines the whole works: scoping, draft EIS, final EIS, public hearings. The language indicates “the city” will do the review, not “the state”. Does this imply that CP is subject to CEQR, not SEQRA review?

At any rate the “not going thru SEQRA” charge seems spurious. CEQR vs. SEQRA is a function of which public agency is doing the project.