Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report

Who would've guessed that Mayor Mike Bloomberg's successful effort to have the City Council overturn and extend voter-imposed term limits (for themselves, Borough Presidents, and citywide office holders) would make the Atlantic Yards approval process look like an exercise in direct democracy ? The Atlantic Yards project was announced in December 2003; in September 2005, the Empire State Development Corporation began the process of the environmental review, which took 15 months. Bloomberg's power move took all of three weeks. Of course, as with Atlantic Yards, he had supporters lined up. Supporters' main justification--that the fiscal crisis required stability in office--was bogus. Most of those who will benefit from the opportunity to run again won't help with the fiscal crisis; after all, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz knows more about organizing concert series than municipal finance and some City Council members, if you hear them talk,are not the bri...