The range in salary for a Wall Street trader is enormous. I am sure Mr. Fulop is not exactly wondering where his next meal is coming from, but you cannot assume that he's making so much that $38K isn't even noticeable. And, of course, the guys at the top of the salary range work about 18/7. Fulop isn't doing that, we know, because he's around here too damn much.

Now, I don't doubt that this will, in the end, benefit him more than it is costing him, but so what? The cash is still helping people.

Oh, and one more thing: Why is it that people say "but it's tax deductible" as if that makes it free. Um, not so much. What it means is that the money is essentially taken off the top of the donor's income, pre-tax. So, effectively, it costs the donor about 30% (assuming a pretty standard income tax scenario) less than it benefits the recipient. So, what it means is that instead of giving away $38K, Fulop has acually only reduced his own purchasing power by $26,600. Last I checked, $26.6K is still a nice chunk of change.

Quote:

Are you sure her name isn't Murtle?

Ok, ok, I know I am a geek. But that was just my intro to what I really wanted to say: I love the idea of a "pee-poo room." In fact, I love all opportunities to use the word "poo." I support your effort, fe.

For replacement glass panes, I highly recommend Raymond Glass. I called them to replace a big piece in an old brownstone door and they did it within 24 hours and with good handiwork. Price was reasonable too, I thought, for being a thick door-sized pane.

They might do whole windows/frames as well. I would use them for anything after my experience.

Don't use RWC. They were horrible to me. Mean, unpleasant, combative, etc.

Quote:

"Table" in this context does not mean propose. It means put aside for another day. That is, if the council tables a motion, they decide not to vote on it today (or maybe ever). It is used not to mean "put another proposal out on the table," but rather, "put that back down on the table for today." Propose is the word you are looking for.

Don't know if it was you, nug, or someone else earlier (maybe not even in this thread), but this mistake has been made several times recently. It matters because they mean such opposite things.

Quote:

Thanks Brewster

Also, to clarify, I was not endorsing a particular plan. Just trying to clarify what the bottom-line differences are.

And, as a general matter, if things need not be mutually exclusive, then they shouldn't be presented that way. But if they are, we all need to know that information to be able to cast an informed vote.

Quote:

Parkman,

It is my understanding (albeit second hand) that maintaining the spoke design was one of the things that many folks found important when input was sought from the community earlier in this process. I am not at all sure that Steve's comment about the size and shape of the dog run can be read to include the option of unifying the run by encompassing the spoke path. I have asked him to clarify elsewhere, hopefully he will do so here as well. But until given more specific information, I don't think we can assume that there is a realistic possibility of having both a unified dog run *and* a unified children's play area.

Luckily, Steve has clarified that a multi-use court and a unified dog run are not mutually exclusive. But that's easy. There's no reason they might need to be. I think the idea that a unified dog run and a unified children's play area are not mutually exclusive is a much bigger jump, with pretty substantial design implications.

Just my 2 cents.

PG

Has anyone been here? I am curious to try it, but a little scaredy-cat to go without a recommendation.

Love it.

Poor guy, I actually think he means well. He's just totally incompetent. He doesn't even come close to having the chops for this job.

Quote:

Bright -- What does this mean, exactly? To whom do they report? And who controls their funding and budget? And who hires and fires their top guys?

Thanks for the info,
PG

Quote:

Now, I think that this might be exactly the problem!

I have found jclist (and hope to continue to find it) helpful, informative, entertaining, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes upsetting. But I find most people to be all of these things as well. I also have made a number of cyber friends here. Some of these friends are spending some time at wiredjc (I understand that we can mention the name in this thread). I will go there to hang out with them, and come here to hang out with the friends here. And, hopefully, will also be informed and entertained at both places. I don't see this as so bad.

I do think, however, that some of the deletions/warnings that have been issued here smack of personal animus. Frankly, I think it's basically impossible for one person to moderate a big site like this and manage to be consistent. There have been some pretty ugly exchanges here, however, that have been left up while others, both uglier and less ugly, have been taken down. And it seems that the ones taken down have been disproportionately directed at a certain set of folks -- Non being the most visible among them. Now, don't get me wrong, there are times I think Non is far too quick to pull the flame/personal attack trigger. But so are many others. I realize complete consistency is impossible, but I think that there is good reason for a certain group of folks to feel not so welcome here anymore. And I can't blame or criticize them for looking to find another, more welcoming, cyber home.

I think that the pointless bashing of people and/or alternative websites is what most of us are trying to avoid. I also think that sending someone a pm -- or a shout in the shoutbox -- simply informing that person of an alternative site that some folks are using is not spam. No more than a post saying that there is a new bar in town and that I tried it and think it's good. And I think that stopping by the old bar to tell some of your old friends where you're spending most of your time these days is really not so bad. If the spam policy is applied differently to "competing businesses" from how it is applied to other businesses, this should be spelled out. But, as others on this thread have said, it doesn't so much matter in the grand scheme of things.

I wish everyone well, and like many others, will be visiting all you folks often. Sorry, can't get rid of me that easily!

Quote:

Thanks, Steve. We'll get our crackerjack jclist legal team on that right away -- we could have a complaint written in just a few days. Of course none of us is actually licensed and most aren't even JDs. Will that be a problem? Just kidding! Thanks for the citations. PG

1. Why is it that our elected officials are unable to abide by grammatical rules? Affect and effect are different words and can not be used interchangeably. (And, for Healy, the plural of "boy" is "boys," not "boy's.") To be fair to Steve, an error on an Internet post is not the same as an error on a poster placed all over town.

2. Regarding terminology:
(a) Ground Floor: If the apartment floor is level with the sidewalk, that is not a basement or a cellar, but is a "ground floor."
(b) Basement Apartment: If the apartment floor is below ground level, it is a "basement apartment."
(c) Basement: If the floor is so low as to be uninhabitable, it is just a basement (or cellar, but let's go with basement).

3. Steve, can you post those case citations on this board for those of us legal geeks? Thanks!

4. I am appalled that the MUA guy did not know the capacity of their own system and claimed ignorance about the flooding problems downtown. I think a search process for a replacement should be started immediately.

Cheers!
PG

I know this is probably not helpful, but if you are short on people and need to bring up the number of people who wrote to you but were unable to attend, please include me -- resident of Bright Street near PS3/MS4. I will be in Philadelphia tonight helping my mother who is having surgery today.

My most recent story is as follows: The basement of the brownstone in which I own a condo flooded this last storm and required all of us who live here to pitch in and bail for several hours straight and to continue periodic bailing throughout the night. I am quite sure (although I suppose I have no actual proof) that a good deal of the water in our basement came UP from a floor drain that is connected to the city storm drainage system. I was able to snake 25 ft (the length of my mini snake) and found no blockage -- the water was clearly just backing up to our drain hole from the street gutters. This is unacceptable.

Thanks for your efforts!

Rebecca
(aka PhillyGirl)

Parkman: A few of us do little bits around the edges but fear officially volunteering and the commitment that might entail. This leads me to my comments of the day:

1. As a dog owner, I frequent all of the areas of VVP where we are allowed. Sometimes my dog pees and poops. I ALWAYS pick up the poop immediately and I do my best to keep the dog from peeing on the flowers. But I do not stop him from peeing around the edges of the park or at the base of trees. He's not a big fan of the dog run and he's always gotta go before we get there anyway. And, although you can usually keep a dog from peeing in a certain place, it is almost impossible to make them pee on command.

Anyway, my real point is that as I generally have several plastic bags with me, I almost always pick up litter and even strange dog poops within the vicinity of where my does goes. Sometimes, I even spend our whole walk meandering around the park picking up trash. I can tell you that I have seen other dog owners use their plastic bags in this manner. I can also say that I have NEVER seen a parent with a child do anything of the sort. There will always be bad actors and the best we can do is minimize their damage and chip in to clean up after them. Maybe if the parents did this too, the park would be cleaner for everyone.

2. Parkman, in my haphazard way of "contributing," I emptied the poop trash in the dog run the other day and put in a new trash bag. This task, which is obviously gross in any instance, was made quite a bit more gross because the metal mechanisms inside the waste station caught and ripped the trash bag -- right through to the poop. It was very hard to get the bag out without smearing poop everywhere. Has this happened to others? It is my opinion that the metal circular things that are supposed to keep the trash bag up are more of a nuisance than a help. If this has happened to others, perhaps we should consider an alternative method for securing the bags. Just a thought/suggestion, not a demand of any sort.

Thanks again for all of your hard work!

PG

Quote:

Thus, my general confusion.

Quote:

I thought that was GP I.

Oh, and the school system can?

I know I am totally ig'nant when it comes to this stuff, but how is it that the city has the power to grant an abatement, when it is not the sole recipient of the tax funds?

And, also, isn't the point of offering abatements to get folks to build here when they wouldn't otherwise? If they're not pulling out of the project altogether, what is the problem?

I think I might agree with blaw on this one. Yikes.

I am confused. What/where is GrovePointE II? It can't be a new one, since this article claims it's opening this summer. Is it a part of GrovePointE I?

I am further confused. I thought us do-gooder JC folks were supposed to hate abatements because in the end the taxpayers get screwed. But if the city actually gets MORE money from PILOTs than from regular taxes, why are we against them?

Help.

Okay, I am WAY too lazy to read this whole thread. But that will not stop me from offering up an opinion on the Fulop proposal. (Seriously, when has actual information or data ever stopped me from offering an opinion?)

Does Mr. Fulop, or anyone on the council, have any idea how much of a HUGE pain in the neck it is for prosecutors to file forfeiture petitions? It is a nightmare -- you know, that whole constitutional right to due process for property and all. Forfeiture is not handled within the criminal prosecution. It requires a separate civil action in a separate civil court; it has different legal elements and requires different kinds of proof; officers have to submit and affirm different affidavits; cops have to fill out another whole set of papers at the time of the seizure, thus taking more time before they can get back on the street. It goes on.

Do we really think that this is an effective use of the limited time and resources of our criminal prosecutors and police officers? They already have the discretion to do it. If the offense is eggregious they have the power to seize the car. Forcing police and prosecutors to waste huge amounts of their time because the council thinks that they are too lenient (!) is ridiculous.

I am all for many of Fulop's proposals. This one is terrible. Sometimes discretion is better left in the hands of those at the scene.

FYI folks, I hear the New York Mag article on JC will be in Monday's (tomorrow's) issue. Just a heads up.

You folks misunderstand me. I did not know my garbage men, nor could I have picked them out of a lineup. Until, that is, about December 15th or so when they started lingering and looking expectant if I happened to be around when they were picking up. Since I lived in an actual house with a back door and a parking spot and they came down the alley in the back to pick up, it was more likely that we would bump into eachother.

Anyway, glad to hear the same "tradition" does not happen here. Phew.

FYI, I believe that it is actually a federal crime for the mailman to solicit tips. Not that that stops many people, but it's good to be aware of.

I am interested in the cleaning lady question. I really really like mine and guidance from someone would be nice on amounts . . .

Also, what about the trash and recycling guys? At my house in DC I had 4 different sets of guys (two different teams for the two trash days, the glass/plastic recycling pick up, and the paper/cardboard recycling pick up). Apparently ALL FOUR expected separate tips. I was totally befuddled and started having pretty crappy trash pick up for a few weeks. Also, if your pick ups happen before the crack of dawn, how do you give them anything? Tape it into the top of the trash bin and hopes nobody steals it overnight? I am at a total loss. Thoughts?

To Oneskirt and ECH:

I agree with you and I am also concerned about the failure of the infrastructure to keep pace with the development. I also think, however, that these sorts of problems (or different but also compelling) exist in almost all urban cities, towns, and neighborhoods. I don't think that should mean we should give up trying to work for change, but it does mean that if we are comparing JC to other cities/neighborhoods, I can conclude that the benefits/downsides balance works out a little bit better here. Of course some improved planning (and fewer abatements!) would make the balance even better!

Hey, don't know if the NYMag guy is still listening, but here goes my piece . . . Well, first I'll say that everyone here on this site thinks I am a crazy, irrational optimist. I, however, think that I am more in line with most recent JC arrivals. Regardless, here is my 47 cents:

I kicked and screamed as my husband declared that his dream job had opened in Newark and we had to move. I had lived in Brooklyn Heights many years before and both appreciated and abhorred (sp?) New York. But New Jersey? Much worse.

So, I came up to visit a friend, and on my own spent a day exploring the JC all on my own. First I got out of the PATH in Newport. AAAAUUGGGHH!! Seriously, I came out of the PATH, panicked and tuned back around within 90 seconds. Yikes. But then I took the PATH to Grove Street. OK, I thought. Not so bad. Maybe I could live here.

15 months after the move, I can't imagine living anywhere else in the NYC area. It's less expensive and easier to travel in and out of than Brooklyn. Manhattan has too many problems to count. Meanwhile, we have cool places, excellent diveristy (racial, socio-economic, and sexual-choice), and easy parking. What else could you want? Seriously, we are an upper, upper middle class couple who between us have lived a number of places in the greater NYC area and we both would say that JC is the best of all those places we have lived. I am a serious foodie and a wine snob and I am perfectly happy with the Majestic, Marco & Pepe, Edwards, Janaam, and Rachel. Meanwhile, there is space to walk my dog and plentiful free (ok, $10 per year for a permit) street parking. Amazing. And it takes me 10 minutes door to door to get to lower Manhattan.

Be aware of, but don't give too much weight to all of the naysayers on this site. They are grumblers by nature. Come visit and see what you think . . .

Amazing, huh . . . ?

I would like to post on the pro-Fulop thread,even if I have nothing to do with the marathon. I mean. I wish you the best of luck on Sunday and I hope you not only finish, but finish within your goal.

Meanwhile, I was watching my husband run his sixth marathon -- 2 weeks ago in Newport, RI. Since his initial running parter was running her 65th marathon She led out ahead of him shortly. Of course she beat him 3:38 to 4:02 so he has some catching up to do in future marathons. (Meanwhile don't forget that not only was he beaten by a "girl" . . . he was beaten by woman almost twice his age -- ok, not quite, but close: he is 32 and she is 50.

I am impressed with all of the people who applaud mtg effort, but despite my uncompromising standards of civic responsibility, shouldn't we at least take care of our own?!

Asthe JCLISTERS! (whomever we really are, lets take advantage of the primacy given us in the list of nay-sayers/cheerers and screw everyone we don't like. )

I cheer ALL!! and I hope all are suffciently cheesy that if I scream out our address from the side of the road, the runner will recognize and be inspired by the support of his neighbors.

Serisously, all should run hard and represent JC well (esp Steve Fulop -- since he promised and all!!).

Meanwhile, in our home we will take care of 2 babies and do out best not to drop then out a window (of coure not!!)

Okay, go marathoners! I can't believe it took me a long post to say what I needed. Ugh -- Dr Baily has to be everywhere, doesn't she?

Oh, please. My husband has run 8+ marathons and is overwhelmingly fit (can you guess that I am not?). Sadly, many many many people have beaten him. Basically he is a 4-hour guy. And he is a machine. So, if meanwhile Fulup comes through under 4, he will not only be my hero, but many others as well. If he does noticiably slower than 4 hours, all is good too. Both Oprah and Al Gore were over 5 on their first DC marine core marathon.

PS - And warning, here come the caps: GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU RUNNING! YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT. LOTS OF US ARE COUNTING ON YOU . . . EVEN IF YOU LOST. COME JOIN OUR CELEBRATION OF YOUR EFFORT. WE PROMISE THAT BEER WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ALL FINISHERS . . . NOT JUST FANCY-PANTS WINNERS~~!

P.S. If Steve Fulop is anywhere around, I would like to offer his kudos and congratuations for taking your JC constituents so seriously. This town has so much potential; and so many of us are willing to either let others take advantage, or sit passively by while our ideas are discarded


xoxo -- PhillyGirl (knows how to be tough!)
xoxo 0 Becca

Wow! Thanks. I don't think anyone on this site has ever just said, "good point" to me.

You might be my new fave . . .

From looking at what seem to be comparables in real estate office windows and in the JC Reporter, I am fairly certain that if I sold my condo today I would lose a good chunk of money. That is, I think it would sell for a noticable amount less than I paid for it.

That being said, I bought last June at the absolute peak, and I am not worried that in another year or two things will shake out. I suspect that the constant addition of the luxury building condos are propping up the average sale price. That is, our housing stock is getting ever fancier and thus more expensive, rather than the market value on the existing places actually increasing. Make sense?

JCLaw wrote: ". . . if you are paying more than 1.46% of your apartment's real current value today, you can dispute your taxes . . ."

Is this correct? That is, are the taxes we all "should" be paying equal to 1.46% of the market value? I know I should know this, but confirming with you guys is easier that pulling out all my tax documents

Anyway, if so, I might have a call to make