So wait, graffiti artists are MORE likely to do graffiti in pitch darkness than they are in a well-lit park?

I can see legitimate arguments for keeping the lights on, but this bit of illogic is more an argument for turning the streetlights in the park OFF than for keeping them on.

ROFLMAO

I don't disagree that the system is broken, or that it's "fair" to tell a 1BR condo owner paying $7K/year in PILOTs that they are getting a "free ride".

I just don't think it's useful to take an already confusing general topic (abatements), and confuse two important specific aspects, the need for a reval and the lack of funding for the county and schools.

Part and parcel of a property-based tax system is the need to come up with new rates when new construction happens. Whether taxes are reval'ed every 5 years or every 25, new construction is always going to take a hit by essentially being spot-evaluated for tax purposes. How else would you propose taxing new units?

All the more reason to buy historic.

"Blight" is in the eye of the beholder. Take Xerxes assessment for what it's worth: that is, he willingly lives in a Newport monstrosity.

Don't think "abrupt" quite sums up the sentiment of the "con" side, but otherwise, a fairly decent summary.

"Usually much higher than non-abated properies"? Really?

Any abated property owner can typically opt out of the abatement and pay their regular non-abated tax rate, right? If they stood to pay less, wouldn't everybody opt out?

Trying to compare new construction/conversion (and thus newly assessed) versus pre-existing structures is one thing, but suggesting that abated taxpayers pay "more" is dubious, because with rare exception, they are paying less than they otherwise would be without the abatement.

Apples and zebras.

LOL at Boston Terriers being banned. Talk about a harmless animal.

I don't have a problem with the policy provided previously approved pets are grandfathered in.

GrovePath totally popped wood when he saw this story lol.

Not to be Debbie Downer, but is this event such a good idea, given the flu hysteria?

Not suggesting all the hoopla is warranted, but it seems like an odd time to be intentionally organizing bunches of kids in one place, even if it's outdoors.

If this is an "open letter to Mayor Healy" why is it addressed to Steve Fulop?

If this were really a conversation about "equal rights" wouldn't we be falling all over ourselves to also include a cricket field (pitch?) in the park? That's certainly something members of the park-using community seem to want. Though plenty of others seem to find the idea repulsive. No need to get into the dynamics at work there.

Every park can't have every amenity. You can't make everybody happy, and just because your local park has amenties you may not personally enjoy (tennis courts, for example) does not mean that you are "entitled" (sorry, but it's the right word) to an amenity of equal size that you would enjoy. At the end of the day, somebody will get left out (like our cricket players).

I think the difference with HP is that some of the park-using dog-owners, who are being given a dog run in the renovation, and who have been given access to a temporary run in the tennis court, speak about dog runs as if they are a right and not an amenity. There's a big difference there, and tone matters.

How do you know it wasn't an emergency?

Poor wildwildzero. I knew the second I read that deadly earnest post that he'd be crucified for it.

Alan, please stop making sense.

Oh don't worry, I don't. Went all of twice, got the same treatment both times. Haven't been back in easily 3 years if not more.

If I'm actually paying somebody for food, they are not, in fact, doing me a favor by taking my order and giving that food to me.

Slyng I agree 100%. It's not a war crime, but it's enough to get me to take my business elsewhere.

If others haven't gotten the same treatment, maybe they wear the "right" glasses or t-shirts or facial hair configurations. Or maybe they just have a different threshold for what constitutes apathy versus what constitutes attitude.

Like I said, apathy I could take, attitude not so much. I'm even fond of a certain degree of surly (see: White Star, White Mana, Flamingo, etc.).

I agree, it's absurd that such a small transaction could allow for the exhibition of any attitude whatsoever. Which makes it all the more ridiculous that Moby-dude manages to make it happen. Every time I went in before I gave up. It's almost a talent.

At least the soup nazi's rudeness was funny.

If it's the same event I was just told about, somebody was threatening to commit suicide by jumping - not sure if it was off the roof or out the window, but it was a 4 story building. They had all kinds of agencies there, negotiation teams, etc.

ROFL. And which "welfare programs" (funded by your non-abated taxes I'm sure) would you be referring to?

What percentage of students enrolled in the school live in downtown?

LOL.

Yes, because I really want our Commander in Chief concerned with the whereabouts of the multiple USAF aircraft designated for his travel on days where he isn't travelling. That's a really productive use of his time and attention.

Vent, righties, vent!

I'm pretty low maintenance and don't expect much in the way of service from a Taqueria. I can get with direct. I can't get with eye-rolling snideness.

More over-rated tacos for the rest of you.

Any word on whether the school is going to arrange for transportation to the new location? I don't see a lot of downtown parents bringing their kids to the new site, regardless of how much better a location it is.

Ok since you know what it wasn't, can you tell us what it was?

So every other candidate or sitting elected official can be told what to do except Steve Fulop?

Got it.

Stay far FAR away from Cebulla (sp?) Heating and Plumbing. Nasty, dishonest, less-than-sober.

skepticalhook, when you say that blame should be placed "squarely on [Obama's] greased shoulders," exactly what is it that you mean?

Because you're not racist, and I'd never assume so, it must be an expression I'm not familiar with.

Sure you would. I bet your posting history would corroborate that, too. How do you feel about the 9-11 truthers?

LOL at brian_em's "like 95%" conspiracy theories.

Funny how one's perspective on conspiracy theories is tied to their own political biases. Such as, all 9-11 conspiracy theorists are just unpatriotic Bush-hating liberals, but this Air Force one cluster-eff (in which nobody was killed) has all the right-wing drum-beaters clamoring for a Ken Starr appointment.

Funny.

If there's time to draft (and publicize) ordinances about overhauling the City's Animal Control Department, not to mention send emails about School Board candidates, there's plenty of time to forward an email calling people to action about the Embankment.

Politicians should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, shouldn't they?

I appreciate the voting record, but what the Embankment needs is a champion, someone willing to stand up and fight for it, not sit back. That's what the PADNA needed, and never got, in the Toll Brothers' defeat.

Cover photo of the NY Times today is the plane flying over 77 Hudson. Not exactly an image to boost sales there, but at least they captioned the image and spelled Jersey City correctly.

Oh, and the Bush brainwashing in here is a riot. Keep it comin', stepanstas.

Spending time on an "internerd" message board, calling people who post on it "internerds", makes you the biggest "internerd" out there.

That goes for both the TacoTruck dude and Abe.

If you're as above it all as you try to project, why the need to respond? Or the need to eject paying customers?

If you care enough to sign on and respond to tell everybody how much you don't care about what they think, you're probably not telling the truth.