NY Daily News Publishes Op-Ed by Ed Koch in Favor of NYU "2031" Expansion As Former Mayor Admits He's been Retained by the University to Get Plan Pushed Through — ?

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch (and Village resident) writes an Op-Ed in today’s New York Daily News advocating for NYU’s mega-expansion plan “2031” in which he starts off by admitting to being a partner in the law firm retained to push the plan through.

What was the Daily News thinking? Perhaps they couldn’t find anyone else.

See here: NYU, Spread Your Wings

An excerpt:

Every time I do that and see NYU students of every imaginable racial and religious group walking and talking together, I say to whomever I’m with, “These students make the Village what it is. They keep us at the center of thought; they keep us young, and keep the Village an interesting place in which to live. They keep New York competitive with the rest of the U.S. — and, indeed, the world.”

Really? Students are fabulous but the sheer number of them, as it is, means they’ve overtaken large swaths of the Village – particularly around Washington Square (already the University’s “core”)- and contributed to a more transient quality by their very large numbers.

The Village was “interesting” – prior to NYU being such a behemoth.

Ed Koch continues:

First, you should know that I am a partner in Bryan Cave LLP. We are attorneys for NYU in its efforts to develop land in the Village owned by the university. That plan, called NYU 2031, calls for four buildings to be built just north of Houston St., amid existing residential high-rises. Those buildings, perhaps as high as 25 floors, would house the facilities of a university with global aspirations.

He also states: “I have lived here for decades.” (Two.) “I am very conscious of the need to retain the Village’s special identity, from its rowhouse blocks to the bustling coffee shops near Washington Square Park. I know NYU’s leadership has the same concern.”
All evidence to the contrary.
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More on NYU at this blog.

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2 thoughts on “NY Daily News Publishes Op-Ed by Ed Koch in Favor of NYU "2031" Expansion As Former Mayor Admits He's been Retained by the University to Get Plan Pushed Through — ?”

  1.   Read This Letter 

    I worked For Department Of Education and the Board Of Education

    Attention to All Parents, Grandparents, Uncles, and Aunts

    As long as you do not pay any attention to you child’s education the Mayor, nor the Chancellor, will not care what happens to your child or children. The principals are a part of the plan of not teaching your children so that the public schools can be closed down for the poor and middle-class families.
    The educators have been told to teach the students to be quiet. Their lessons are not intended to teach them anything.
    If the students don’t learn, we are not to care. Teachers who do care, who try to teach your children, are reprimanded. If students do manage to achieve success–higher test scores, success in the arts, science, or athletics, it is used to advertise the success of the school ’s administration. You need to fight for your children.
    The mayor, chancellor and the principals told the teachers not to teach–just give busy work. For young students, the focus is behavior; for older children, it’s testing. Is this the kind of
    school system you want your children in? Fight until you can’t fight anymore. These are your children not theirs. You had these children not them. When are you going to get up and fight?
    They give all the materials to the charter schools–what does your child get? Look at the schools in wealthier areas like downtown Manhattan, parts of Queens, parts of Brooklyn, and Staten Island; then go back and check out the poor neighborhoods. What do these students get? OPEN YOUR EYES AND MIND! What are you going to do? It is not just education, it is voting, housing, and the “Justice” system. It is allowing the rich to get away with not paying their fair share of taxes. They made their money from the poor by paying us less to work for them. Does this sound like slavery? Are you going to allow these people to keep you down?

    
    

    IT’S all about the Benjamins and the rich and the poor.
    Do you want the concentration camps back or even the slave trade?
    Guess what there already here!

    : three-fifths in the South, three-fifths of a human being. … Once we envision the
    possibility of black bodies crossing borders, the extreme ….. 3/5 That is an outright lie, Slaves, while slavery was still practiced ,they had no rights…
    Stand Up and Fight for your children’s rights !
    Do you want presidents that will rob you and dictate to you, hopefully not.
    We have never met. I do not want our children getting the wrong information.
    When we are not should about something research before we open our mouth.
    We are still learning. From the Bible to our own emotions and other people emotions. You can get what ever you want out your teacher by kindness. Never by our sins. People will be good to
    you. The Principal were given rules by the Chancellor and the Mayor on how to treat the older teachers and staff members. Think about your conscience and the next world you enter.
    Teach don’t hate. These are Satan’s ways
    Some beautiful color frogs are poison so be careful of the colors.
    Read This Letter
    Attention to All Parents, Grandparents, Uncles, and Aunts

    As long as you do not pay any attention to your child’s education the Mayor, and the Chancellor will not care what happens to your child or children. The principals are a part of the plan of not teaching your children so that the public schools can be closed down for the poor and middle-class families.
    The educators have been told to teach the students to be quiet. Their lessons are not intended to teach them anything.
    If the students don’t learn, we are not to care. Teachers who do care, who try to teach your children, are reprimanded. If students do manage to achieve success–higher test scores, success in the arts, science, or athletics, it is used to advertise the success of the school ’s administration. You need to fight for your children.
    The mayor, chancellor and the principals told the teachers not to teach–just give busy work. For young students, the focus is behavior; for older children, it’s testing. Is this the kind of
    school system you want your children in? Fight until you can’t fight anymore. These are your children not theirs. You had these children not them. When are you going to get up and fight?
    They give all the materials to the charter schools–what does your child get? Look at the schools in wealthier areas like downtown Manhattan, parts of Queens, parts of Brooklyn, and Staten Island; then go back and check out the poor neighborhoods. What do these students get?

    OPEN YOUR EYES AND MINDs!
    What are you going to do? It is not just education, it is voting, housing, and the “Justice” system. It is allowing the rich to get away with not
    paying their fair share of taxes. They made their money from the poor by paying us less to work for them. Doesn’t this sound like slavery? Are you going to allow these people to keep you down?

    IT’S all about the Benjamins and the rich and the poor.
    Do you want the concentration camps back or even the slave trade?
    Guess what; there already here!
    African Americans know too well the sting of legal, state sanctioned, constitutionally driven “second class” citizenship – from centuries of legal slavery and Jim Crow segregation, to classified as 3/5 of a human being in the U.S. Constitution, to facing anti-miscegenation laws that prevented Blacks from marrying whites.
    We cannot not sit idly by while Prop. 8 seeks to target gays and lesbians for a disfavored legal status, as America’s newest “second-class citizens.” Our legal scholars have cited fourteen times where the Supreme Court has stated that marriage is a fundamental right of all individuals. That principle must be upheld today – for Blacks and Whites, for straight and gay, for ALL Americans. No group of people should be denied their fundamental constitutional liberties, like equal protection under the law, simply because of who they are.
    So today, we do not stand alone. It’s time to go forward by hope and not backward by fear, to stand up with courage, hope and strength and send a shout out for equality. Stiff winds of resistance seek a return to intolerance, bigotry and state sanctioned discrimination – whether against immigrants in New Mexico or against marriage equality in California. It should only strengthen our resolve to defend equal protection under the law, equality for all Americans, and the forging of a One Big Tent America.
    Keep Hope Alive.

    Do you want a presidents that will rob you and dictate to you.

    May Jehovah Bless All

    Reply
  2. Hi DMH,

    I think it’s really troubling what’s going on with the school system and thanks for your viewpoint. Especially concerned about the focus on charter schools and this as you said: “The mayor, chancellor and the principals told the teachers not to teach–just give busy work. For young students, the focus is behavior; for older children, it’s testing. Is this the kind of school system you want your children in? Fight until you can’t fight anymore. These are your children not theirs. You had these children not them. When are you going to get up and fight?”

    I do know parents who have been fighting and Bloomberg has the media’s ear but I agree also many more have to be engaged. He’s taken a few ‘hits’ but still his systema and ‘way of thinking’ prevail.

    I’m very concerned about this focus on testing and how it will affect how these young people engage with the world later on.

    best,
    Cathryn.

    Reply

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