Gotham Gazette
Facebook Twitter Google Google
SUBSCRIBE

 
Printer-friendly page Click here to get a printable version of this article

Commentary

Urban Genie: 8 Wishes to Make the City a Better Place

By Jessica Green

I am passing on the title (and the accompanying glamorous trappings) of Managing Editor of the Gotham Gazette. But before I go, I thought I would give something back to the people, places and things that make the policies and politics of the City. As the self-appointed Urban Genie, I am granting wishes without invitation. They may not have asked, but here's what they really need:

To Harold O. Levy, the newly-appointed School Chancellor: 50,000 new, motivated, smart and certified teachers.
The Board of Education projects it will need 54,000 new teachers in the next five years. A recent membership survey conducted by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) found that more than 14,000 of the 21,000 public school teachers eligible to retire in the next two years said they were seriously considering retirement, and that 10,000 of those would very likely retire. The imminent departure of these aging boomers makes this need even more pressing. Their exodus also comes at a time when record numbers of NYC teachers are uncertified - 15%, or 11,000 teachers, more than anywhere else in the state. In order to continue the success and popularity that he has enjoyed, Chancellor Levy will need more than smarts, he'll need human beings, lots of them, to stand in front of the classroom.

To NYPD Commissioner Safir: A new play book and some PR training.
By objective standards, Commissioner Safir has done an outstanding job. As both he and the Mayor are quick to point out, New York is the safest large city in the nation. Between 1993 and 1999, felony crimes fell by 55%, and despite a small uptick, homicides are lower than ever. But a NY1/Daily News poll taken after Patrick Dorismond's funeral revealed that a whopping 47% of New Yorkers felt that Safir "was doing a bad job and should be replaced." Two parting gifts can help him grow that number. 1) A new playbook. Ease up on quotas so cops don't have to find reasons to write people up. One policeman, interviewed by the Gazette, suggested that quotas led to "icepicking" - arresting people for small infractions so that "numbers don't fall off." 2) A little PR training. It never hurts. Maybe Safir's prostate cancer will have the same humanizing effect that it had on the Mayor. We wish him a speedy recovery and better press relations.

To Linden, New Jersey: Our trash.
As reported in last week's Gotham Gazette, the closure of Fresh Kills landfill has forced the creation of a mayoral Plan B: sending our residential trash to Linden, New Jersey, where it will be shipped by rail to even further, more exotic locations. In a strange reversal of the usual NIMBYism, Linden has welcomed the proposal, eager to receive the money that accompanies the garbage.

To the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: A divorce.
The Port Authority has recently resolved a longstanding conflict over $3.9 billion in spending in 2000, but their differences are far from over. Governors Pataki and Whitman have repeatedly locked horns over various Port Authority projects. Pataki claims that New York is not getting its fair share - generating more revenue than New Jersey, but not getting an equal cut. Meanwhile, Governor Whitman has blocked a number of Pataki proposals until New Jersey secures a 30-year lease with Maersk Sealand to run its container shipping company out of the Elizabeth Marine Terminal. (For more on this, see our Issue of the Week on same.) While recent reports by the Times suggest that the projects long on hold will now move forward and the "floodgates will open," it is not clear that further political hijacking won't occur. While there may be interim agreements, the best thing for the Port Authority is a no-fault divorce.

To Henry Stern, Parks Commissioner: A winning lottery ticket, or at least increased appropriations for parks.
New York spends 0.44% of its total municipal budget on parks -- the lowest percentage among major American cities. According to a study prepared by the City's Independent Budget Office, appropriations for parks fell from $218 million in 1987 to $151 million in 1996, a 31% drop. Private donations have been filling in where public funds have fallen short - a boon for areas with wealthy, deep-pocketed residents (like those who live around Central Park), and a huge loss for lower income neighborhoods. All New Yorkers should have access to open space and greenery, not just those who can afford it.

To Joseph Rose, Chairman of the City Planning Commission: Magical powers to make the Real Estate Board disappear.
Commissioner Rose has embarked on an ambitious plan to revamp the City's incomprehensible zoning laws. It is the first such endeavor in forty years, and he is eager to have it written into law. Rose's Unified Bulk Proposal, while still dense and lengthy, is felt to be an improvement from the present rules. The proposed changes will tighten loopholes -- specifically those concerning transferable development rights (which permitted the Trump tower on 1st Ave. to be erected in the mainly low-rise Turtle Bay area) and height bonuses for the construction of public space, which have heretofore been granted liberally, and a number of other pro-development regulations. While community boards and civic groups have largely approved the proposal during its lengthy review process, developers, as represented by Real Estate Board, strongly object to height limits that would be imposed everywhere except midtown, Lower Manhattan and Long Island City. Without opposition from the Real Estate Board, Rose's proposal would have a relatively easy route to passage.

To City Council: A Watch and Keys to City Hall.
Anything that will help the City Council keep track of time is a step in the right direction. Stated meetings regularly begin half and hour late, and often much later than that. Moreover, they can become lengthy affairs after each Councilmember gets up to explain his/her vote, and does so for many minutes beyond the limit. We know you don't like Giuliani. We know you will override the veto. And we know you always vote on party lines. How about speeding up the process a bit? And perhaps you could distribute keys to City Hall to those of us who try to attend your meetings and hearings? While Speaker Vallone led the charge on opening up the steps of City Hall, few Councilmembers have taken up the issue of how restricted access is inside City Hall. Admittedly, it is slightly easier to get into City Hall now that the metal detectors are outside, but you must still state your business at the gate. This is both humiliating and inconvenient. The City Council should consider access to the inner workings of City Hall an important issue, and give constituents more leeway in observing its sessions.

To all New Yorkers: Access to the City's waterfront
New York City has over 600 miles of waterfront within its limits, yet residents' access to the waterfront remains limited. Two major waterfront parks - the Hudson River Park in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn - are in the works. Once complete, these will be great assets to the City and its residents. But these are not enough. Many communities, particularly poor and minority ones, are underserved. In addition to more recreational and open space, development of the waterfront has the potential to spur construction of housing, retail and commerce and environmentally-friendly water transport.

Jessica Green is passing the torch as Managing Editor to attend Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. She can still be reached at jgreen@gothamgazette.com

###

Check out the Feature Archives!