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Published in the May 29, 2008 Edition
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Report Says City and Yankees Deceptively Stole Parkland

by ALEX KRATZ
NORWOOD NEWS

The New York Yankees baseball club and city officials are shortchanging residents on public parkland they promised to replace, and even expand, upon completing the new Yankee Stadium, charges a new report released last week by park advocates.

New York City Park Advocates released its report, “Broken Promises: The City’s Replacement Park Scheme for the New Yankee Stadium Project” last Thursday. It says that without a single public hearing, city and state officials alienated 25.3 acres of historic South Bronx parkland and then said it would be returned fully and then some. The report goes on to say that “a close examination reveals” that only 21.78 acres are being replaced.

The biggest discrepancy in the numbers, according to the report, comes down to the fact that a 2.89-acre asphalt baseball field in Macombs Dam Park (which is being replaced) was not considered in the city’s final analysis. City officials said they didn’t consider it a “recreational facility,” even though residents had used it for baseball, football, bike riding and other uses for decades, the report says.   

“The Bloomberg administration’s continued attempts to play a shell game with the replacement numbers is an affront, not only to this impoverished community, but to all who are interested in responsible government and accountability,” said Geoffrey Croft, head of NYC Park Advocates and a co-author of the report, along with Lukas Herbert of the American Institute of Certified American Planners.

The city attempted to further deceive the public by claiming that 12.5 acres of already mapped parkland, or, in one case, a schoolyard, was actually replacement parkland, the report says.

“It is shameful that the city refuses to take responsibility,” Croft said in a statement.

New York City and New York Yankee officials could not be reached for comment by press time.

 

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Lisa P

Posted on 11/25/08 at 5:00

If you’re a seasoned baseball fan, or any pro sport for that matter, you’ve probably heard the expression “holding a city for ransom.” In general terms, this means that team ownership is always on the lookout for increased profits, even if they’re shelling out as much in payroll as teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. They will threaten to pull their team out of the city and move elsewhere unless the city and its taxpaying base meet the team’s demands. Nearly without fail, this demand is the greatest way to create “buzz” that brings the fans out in droves: building a new stadium. This may seem like an expensive endeavor, but not necessarily for ownership. New stadiums are, in fact, financed by taxpayers like you and me. In a very interesting USA Today story, you can get a sense of how astronomical the numbers can be. According to Gary Thorne, “The Yankees have already received $942 million in tax-exempt bonds for the construction of the new Yankee Stadium. They are seeking another $366 million in such bonds.” It’s all paid for by Joe Taxpayer. Congressional Subcommittee Chair Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) nails it by saying this ransoming is a “transfer of wealth from the many taxpayers to a few wealthy owners.” If you value pro sports as much as I do, you may see this as a necessary evil, but Congress wants to change that system. When it comes to financing, it doesn’t seem fair. Honestly, if you take out payday installment loans, do you expect someone else to pay them back for you? No, and neither should baseball owners. Let’s hope this system of highway robbery gets fixed before average fans can no longer afford to follow their favorite sport. Click to read more on payday installment loans.


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