Gowanus Gutted By Budget Cuts
Budget cuts are striking a blow to social services all over the city, but, according to The Times, Gowanus and environs is getting particularly hard hit. “Within a 10-minute walk, three day care centers, one senior center, one swimming pool, one after-school program and a health clinic are to close. Venture 20 minutes more, and…
Budget cuts are striking a blow to social services all over the city, but, according to The Times, Gowanus and environs is getting particularly hard hit. “Within a 10-minute walk, three day care centers, one senior center, one swimming pool, one after-school program and a health clinic are to close. Venture 20 minutes more, and six additional facilities — two day care centers, two after-school programs, a senior center and a health clinic — are also to shut down on July 1.” The Douglass and Degraw pool, pictured above, is one of the spots that will close. I understand one thing — but come on, all these things happening at the same time?” said one woman interviews by The Times. “This is crazy. Crazy. Update: There’s a group that has formed to try to stop the pool closure. Check out its Facebook page for more info.
Budget Cuts Hit a Brooklyn Area Over and Over [NY Times]
Let Them Eat Cake !
City pools are closing in poor neighborhoods (The Douglas and DeGraw pool in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn; Fort Totten’s pool near Bayside, Queens; The West Brighton pool on Staten Island; and Wagner pool in East Harlem) because (among other things) politicians are diverting NYC park funds to wealthy neighborhoods to renovate and add features to already existing and practically brand new parks.
An excellent example is Pavilion Park located in the tony Upper East Side of Manhattan at 61st Street overlooking the East River. Tiny but chic the 12,000 square foot (slightly less than 1/4 acre) Pavilion Park was built in 1995 –only 15 years ago– at a cost of $2.1 million dollars (a price tag that does not include the cost of the Alice Aycock rooftop sculpture.
On June 9, 2010 I attended a Manhattan Community Board 8 meeting where I learned that plans are underway to completely revamp Pavilion Park WITH approximately $1 million dollars of City park funds. Why? Because wealthy Upper East Side residents have decided they now want a raised lawn for a more up-to-date green look. They may be wealthy, but they certainly do not want to spend their own money which is why the City will pick up the $1 million dollar tab! When I objected, I was informed that it wasn’t costing “that much” money. Imagine. Only $1 million dollars. Chump change in this hood. (Especially when it comes with money saved by closing a public pool!)
Hey, I know what. Come use our pool. Yes, believe it or not, we too have a public pool here on the Upper East Side. And guess what? Our pool won’t be closing this summer. And you know why I am inviting you to swim in our pool? Because we won’t be using it, that’s why. Like the rest of my neighbors, we’re gonna be out in the Hamptons. Hey, suckers. Have a nice summer!
(A big round of thanks to our elected and appointed officials who put wealthy white Upper East Side residents first. (UES: 88% white, $88,000 per capita income. Brooklyn census tracts closest to D&D pool (71, 125 & 127): 15% white, 80% black and Hispanic; median household – not per capita income is approximately $23,000.)
Special thanks to Mayor Bloomberg (who lives in the Upper East Side, of course) Parks Commissioner William Castro, Manhattan Parks Commission Adrian Benepe, Manhattan Community Board 8, Council members Jessica Lappin and Daniel Garodnick) for keeping the money (and the open pools) where they should be – in the hands of wealthy white folks!
Does this sound fair to you?
I used to live a block away, and I can testify that pool was full of kids every day of the summer.
Agreed, I think free ferry service to Governor’s should be less of a priority than this–certainly it should be less of a priority than daycare!
MM, I’m shocked that you care so deeply about social services. After all, you’ve worked very hard to stop perhaps the most basic of all social services – housing and homeless services – from coming to your area. I’m sure if they had announced the closure of the Bedford armory, you’d be declaring victory and all of that alleged concern for the downtrodden would evaporate.
Do as I say and not as…
The Gowanus Senior Center only serves about 30 people a day; they are rattling around in the place. There’s another big center only 5 blocks away. All the closures happened as a result of huge funding slashes from the state; the Feds cut most of their money years ago.
The bureaucrats have misread this neighborhood. The average HHI has risen, but the distribution is bimodal. There are plenty of poor people in need of services here. Very upsetting.
This is all the more reason by NYC should secede from the state. NYC finances are crippled by Albany.
ITA. The only upside is that they may have messed with the wrong neighborhood here. Kids from every walk of life use that pool and BoCoCa parents are the organizing kind; the area listservs, blogs, etc are already up in arms. I don’t think they can fight the pool closing and not the other closings.
Just the kind of fight a new state senator looks to take up, right Squadron?
I am not sure what they expect working parents who receive subsidized daycare to DO when they close centers like that. It’s not like there are a ton of them.
Alright, everybody just calm down. The economic recovery is right around the corner. All will be well.
***Bid half off peak comps***