I generally loathe such lists (but am fascinated by the date and methodology behind them), mainly because the criteria are usually slanted toward the "American Dream" and the things that supposedly drive people away usually attract me, but... in this case I think I would have to agree.

> AY is not a boondoggle, it's an urban version of a mega-mall.

No, the existing crapola across the street is an urban "mall". The stadium project is a boondoggle because we the taxpayers are footing a big chunk of the bill and getting little to no benefit out of it other than some temporary construction jobs (which, by the way, will materialize just as surely if the site is sold to individual developers in the normal manner).

Stockton -- named the most miserable city in the United States.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29183670/

My sister lives in the Denver area. Among those dreaming of Denver, and older suburbs close to it, are those in new exurban developments, where the foreclosure level is to the moon.

"Still, the Atlantic Yards project faces a critical test in the coming weeks at the state Appellate Court, which will hear oral arguments Feb. 23 in a lawsuit challenging the state’s use of eminent domain to seize privately owned property on behalf of the project. A victory for the opponents could be devastating for the developer."

I guess that's the last best hope of stopping this boondoggle, and this outrageous gift of public tax dollars to this billionaire. Well, that and the collapsing economy.

How is $1.3 billion in two years going to pay for $3 billion per year in capital spending, absent tolls and a regressive payroll tax?

Hey Weiner, you've got eight months to fix this. Higher gas taxes to pay for everything, now that those right wing Republicans have been prevented from imposing "congestion taxing" on the middle class, right? We're waiting.

Heck, to be fair, shouldn't Weiner be delivering enough money so the MTA could eliminate all the tolls into Manhattan?

That is an outrage.