It has been a long time since I entered anything in my journal. I am not sure why. Brooklyn has been in a whirlwind since late September of last year. There were huge snow storms and cold weather that did not allow the snow to melt quickly. Snow can have a huge impact on living in Brooklyn . If it snows long and hard enough, food supplies will fail and it will be hard to find food to eat. Many stores cannot get deliveries and people in panic tend to clean the shelves quickly. The second impact is on getting your car out and being able to drive. This winter the snow buried my car twice under 4 and 5 foot drifts. Even if I could get my car out, driving was impossible. And if I got my car out, finding a place to park would be impossible. People are hoping at this point that the worst is over and spring may be around the corner. Most of the snow is gone now and there is some signs of spring for which we are all happy.
Another thread through this winter was the fate of The Coney Island 8. These are the eight businesses that are being forced off the boardwalk by NYC. They put up a simple web page www.coneyisland8.com which I helped to design. They hired a good lawyer and a public relations organization hoping to stop the inevitable eviction. My friend Steve along with the others received the eviction notice on November 1st 2010. Steve had hoped after submitting a well defined plan for his future that he would be one of the businesses staying. The shock of being told to get out in 15 days was very hard to swallow. A lot of patrons were amazed that such a decision could be made, ending half a century of history. For the people who frequented these establishments, the decision ripped apart their lives, mine included. The complexity of friendships in The decision to evict these 8 businesses was formally made by Central Amusements who according to their second in charge executive said that Mayor Bloomberg wants Coney Island to have a fresh new image. The New York City Economic Development Corporation, a right arm to the Mayor, closely worked with the park to dissolve these businesses. The City bought 6.9 acres of Coney Island Property for 98 million dollars. They were only able to secure 1/2 the 14 acres. They put down infra structure and paving and gave it to Central Amusements for 100,000 a season plus a percentage of the profit. In their agreement Central Amusements could do whatever they wanted with the property within the NYCEDC guidelines. Central Amusements is an Italian company. They primarily manufacture rides and sell them worldwide. So for Central Amusements, the deal is very good. They can showcase rides and sell them in world class showroom, namely Coney Island . When one puts the figures together it is obvious that this is a lost leader for NYC. They will never make back the money they have invested. However, just having an amusement park in NYC will draw tourists. Central Amusements decided to bring Sodexo in to provide all the food. They are a French company that has a very poor ethical record. It is understood that the price of food on the boardwalk will skyrocket once there is no competition. Already a hot dog sold for $4 inside the park this summer. Knowing all of this made the eviction even harder for the Coney Island 8.
Trying to focus was very hard. The pain of eviction, combined with who had been hired to run the concessions, along with loyal customers absorbed in their own history made moving forward very difficult. The lawyer and PR agency was very expensive. During the winter months these businesses were in and out of court working on securing a future or be paid substantial amounts for their businesses. At this point, as some news agencies have reported, the eight have made a deal to stay one more summer. The deal as of today is not complete but heading in that direction.My Opinion, which I have expressed to all of the 8 as supported Steve's efforts: This is a horrible deal. No one wins. At the end of the summer the historical Coney Island is gone. Foreign owned corporations take over. Prices will rise and an effort to clean up Coney Island will be underway. For all the Morons who don't get the point, Bloomberg wants this track of land for the wealthy of New York
Practically, If it rains this summer, the eight businesses will lose money along with their businesses. There is also a long list of stipulations that will cripple the businesses. If it is another good summer, the cost of the lawyer and PR firm will eat significantly at profits. And at the end of the summer, they have to say goodbye to their businesses as well as so many who frequented these businesses.
Personally, I am very stressed by all of this. In my life I have watched urban renewal ruin many small towns. Having worked for years with significant American corporations, I have come to despise the greed and manner by which they have ruined our country. They dictate our lives telling us what foods we are to eat, and what we are to wear, what cars we drive and basically how we are to live. Americans have become complacent. As long as people seemingly get their cut of the pie, then there is no reason to say "we have had enough". It is the perfect storm. We are too obsessed with our personal agendas to be concerned for the community. We are afraid of the government and believe we have no ability to stop their agenda which is a mystery to all people.
This is the true loss of freedom. Coney Island in a small way released people nearly 100 years ago to a new freedom of life. Today, It will be taking back those liberties and forcing us to a predesigned play land priced to be exclusive in nature. Regulation and cleanliness will be paramount. And in the end, we all know that Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
