East Side Garbage
A garbage masterplan is at hand.
Matt Schuerman just called in from City Hall to say that a key opponent of a plan to re-open a garbage transfer station on East 91st Street has finally conceded.
"The sites in Manhattan are all part of the plan," Dan Garodnick told Matt a few minutes ago, as members of the Council's Sanitation Committee began to emerge from an extended closed-door meeting with administration officials. "I don't think anybody was willing to budge on them."
Garodnick, who represents a relatively wealthy district in Manhattan, said he still intends to vote against the city's final plan.
-- Josh Benson
I'm so glad that Dan "point me to the cameras" Garodnick is conceding to allowing a waste transfer station on East 91st Street in Jessica Lappin's district. Dan wasn't a "key opponent" of this project. To paraphrase Andrew Cuomo in 2002, Dan merely held Jessica Lappin's coat. It was Jessica who has been fighting this waste transfer station, Dan only echoed whatever Jessica said. I'm so glad Dan stepped up and took a leadership role just in time to be noticed by a reporter. Way to do nothing and get your name on a blog for it Dan!
What does that mean he conceded? He was outvoted? That's not concede as in concede to your point, that's concede as in the other guys won, even though they are wrong and this is a shocking disgrace.
That's not concede as in I'm wrong, that's concede as in the other guy's have overwhelming strength and we're going to lose.
In all fairness, Dan Garodnick's district includes a public housing development (technically, two -- Holmes Towers and Stanley Isaacs Houses) that are right next to the soon-to-be-reopened e. 91st St. marine waste transfer station, so it's not like he's carpetbagging on the issue even if Jessica Lappin did take the lead. At any rate, they both lost, which was predictable a month ago when Christine Quinn signed onto the Hudson riverfront waste station in her own district. This was one the Upper Eastsiders couldn't win even though both their Councilmembers are excellent.
Well, some of us on the UES are glad we lost.
Maybe if we had more garbage transfer stations in wealthy neighborhoods, people in this town would get a little more serious about recycling. Well, we can all dream...
Even if the City Council approves the bill, it is not guaranteed, right?
Isn't there some issue regarding parks nearby requiring state legislation?
I recall Liz Kruger saying something along those lines.
The UES park (Asphalt Green) is a NYC park, so presumably no further action is required. It's between the FDR and York Avenue, and 90th and 92nd Streets. Hauling garbage to the 91st Street transfer station on the East River literally cuts the park in half, it's really a disgrace. If this were any place else, say the South Bronx, charges of "environmental racism" would be flying. Ruining Asphalt Green is a form of reparations. On the other side of the island, to reach Quinn's Hudson River transfer station, trucks have to cross the northern-most point of Hudson River Park- a state entity.
All of this analysis is bull. Chris Quinn made fools out of Garodnick and Lappin. She traded in the political needs of two people who were with her early for Speaker, in order to create for herself the image of a politician that is above politics. In other words, Chris Quinn looks good to the Times editorial Board, and Garodnick and Lappin look like idiots in their districts.
I guess Quinns buddies Guma and Isay were really in there battling for their two clients. What a joke.
And yes, Liz Kruger (one of the strongest and most honest elected officals in NYS) has often discussed alternative ways to kill this plan, which will screw over everyone who lives on the Eastside. Senator Kruger's staff made an interesting presentation at the Enviromental Committee at Board 8 a few months ago.
And attacking Dan is ridiculous. He is great.
There he goes again. Taking credit for Jessicas hard work. Everyone knows Dan is Chris Quinn's lap dog. He does exactly what she tells him to do. This whole thing was wired. Garodnick went through the motions but didn't really do anything. It was Jessica who was really out there and honestly fighting this.
who were the votes against the plan in the Council?
Rich people have garbage wow. The council is doing the right thing and not screwing the outer boroughs.
It is hard to believe that a Manhattan Speaker would screw her borough the way Quinn did. Yes, the Mayor was insistent on having these Manhattan transfer stations (interesting that Manhattan voters gave him such ringing majorities despite this) but that doesn't mean the Speaker has to agree to a plan like this or a plan at all. What would happen if Quinn had bottled up this legislation forever? What if her counter-plan was to re-open the dump on Staten Island? Staten Island votes overwhelmingly for Republicans, why should a Democratic Speaker and Council give them a break? Are they going to vote for Democrats now to give thanks? Not very likely. Giuliani shut the dump down as a sop to his base of support, Bloomberg is supported by the same people. The Democratic plan should have been to re-open it instead of sticking the garbage in their constituencies.
The problem here is that this should not be a political issue used for or against officials. This should be about the well being of city residents.
Environmental racism has run rampant through this city for a very, very long time. Everybody creates waste, and everybody should have to carry their fair share. Because one park (and I realize the city put a lot into Asphalt Green in terms of rehabing it) on the Upper East Side and a few surrounding blocks will be inconvenienced is no reason to move the station elsewhere, especially if elsewhere is already overburdened.
Kudos 8:11: if we had a much more rigorous recycling plan (see Tokyo for example) then environmental issues would not so drastically affect the health and well being of city residents. Sanitation trucks that are environmentally friendly, ie. less noise and pollution, would also be a terrific option.
Quinn is screwing Lappin and Garodnick to score points with the editorial boards. Expect to see an editorial this weekend in the NY Times on how "independant" Quinn is. Poor Jessica and Dan. They look like complete fools. This type of thing would be unheard of in any other legislative body, past or present. Quinn will get away with it because Dan and Jessica are weak. The funniest part is that the same editorial board, the NY Times, will know look unkindly on Jessica and Dan, because their Speaker didnt protect them, but instead make them look like parochial fools. They lose with their constituents by looking ineffective, and they look bad to the NY Times. Wow ! I would like to see Quinn try to do this to Gale Brewer or her beloved Robert Jackson.
Looks like Quinns minions (4:11 and 10:52) are trying to pit Jessica against Dan. They really have no respcet for these two.
Christine Quinn created Dan Garodnick and Jessica Lappin. Her staff ran their campaigns, she raised them all of their money, and her top flight political consultants did all the mail and television commercials. Both in the Primary and in the General election cycle.
Jessica and Dan should go to City Hall and kiss the Speakers feet every day that they (two kids who were completely unknown and unelectable in their respective districts) are able to even be at City Hall. And believe me, they will both be smart enough to keep their mouths shut.
3:57,
You are so out of line. Dan and Jessica were well known and the strongest candidates in their respectives districts and thats why Chris Quinn supported them. Dan & Jessica didn't need Chris's help with fundraising as they both maxed out well before the primary, nor did they need her help to win. Chris merely jumped on the "East Side Inevitability Train"(translation these were Carolyn Maloney's preferred candidates)and hung on for the ride.
Jessica and Dan are 2 outstanding young public servants, who spend 24/7 working for their districts. Don't malign them
Big MO must stand for big MORON because Chris Quinn owes both Dan and Jessica a lot more than they owe her. Neither were elected because of her. Credit belongs with Gifford Miller for Jessica, Jonathan Bing for Dan and Carolyn Maloney for both. New York Times endorsements plus strong club support in the primary also were key.
This Quinn-bashing in defense of Jessica and Dan boggles my mind. Don't get me wrong - i like them both and think they are smart, hardworking, and did what they had to do given the politics. But the idea that Quinn should have done anything differently is bunk. Reopening the 91st st. transfer station will not be the downfall of the UES. It thrived through the many decades the MTS was open, and it will continue to thrive. Asphalt Green was built around the functioning transfer station, not vice versa. And any impact on the UES, whether the residents of Isaacs/Holmes houses or residents of multimillion dollar condos on York ave, will be diminimus compared to what exists there now (you know, the FDR drive??) In reality, peoples lives will go on, their apartments will still sell for way more than most New Yorkers will make in a lifetime and even the NYCHA housing will continue to be in high demand. And the outer boroughs will be better for it. Kudos to Chris Quinn for having the guts to stand up and do the right thing for the whole City, not just a few members from her own borough.
p.s. 3:39 -- Gale Brewer also gets a transfer station out of the deal and voted against the plan
Listen to what 4:42pm had to say - "Kudos to Quinn for standing up to and doing the right thing for the city"
Quinn is running for Mayor on Dan and Jessica's backs. This is what we who live in her district and are active know - Quinn is not to be trusted.
It is disgraceful to destroy Asphalt Green in order to construct a platform to run for higher office.
Shame on you Christine.
4:09 - If Christine "owes" Dan and Jessican so much, why did she just drop an atom bomb on the neighborhoods they represent ?
4:42 sounds like chris herself.