It’s Broke . . . And Do We Really Have To Fix It?

Maybe you were wondering how toll takers got into real estate . . . and why this makes any sense . . . and how no one can do anything about it . . . and then The Times’ Joe Nocera really poops in the punchbowl in the weeks leading up to the tenth anniversary of 9/11:

But despite the shroud of patriotism that its supporters have always cloaked it in, it’s really just a big, fancy office building. An office building with such poor economics that it will soak New Jersey and New York commuters for decades to come. An office building only the government could love.

Lately, supporters of the project have begun saying that its economics have improved. They point to the fact that Condé Nast, the publishing giant, has agreed to be the anchor tenant. What they fail to point out is that Condé Nast’s rent is less than half the break-even cost of the 1 million square feet it will occupy. In other words, a company that publishes high-end magazines aimed at rich people will be getting an enormous government subsidy for the foreseeable future.

And who will be paying for that subsidy? The mailroom attendants who use the Lincoln Tunnel to get to work. The middle-class New Jersey-ites who use the George Washington Bridge. The firefighters and police officers who live in Staten Island. Thus, in the name of 9/11, does New York and New Jersey place another economic burden on the already overburdened middle class. How sad.

Which Union Jobs Are They Talking About?

Maybe you found it annoying to hear union members back the Port Authority’s proposed toll hikes, arguing that more toll revenue would lead to more construction jobs on PA capital projects:

The union members, mostly from Labor International Union North America (LiUNA) were in favor of the hike, saying the capital work it will fund will mean safer bridges and good middle-class jobs for the people in their unions.

. . .

The morning meeting was held in a tricky-to-find building at the New York Container Terminal, a spot on a lonely, industrial road marked by a few signs that said “public hearing” and a police car’s flashing lights. The room had about 80 seats, more than half of them taken by union members who had arrived early decked out in bright orange shirts that said “Port Authority = Jobs.”

The last time I remember union members advocating for some controversial plan, it didn’t end so well.

And as for jobs, now there’s this:

APL Limited has opted out of renewing its lease and will vacate the New York Container Terminal in Mariners Harbor next July over space considerations and the prospect of ongoing toll hikes on PA bridges, Terminal CEO Jim Devine said.

. . .

He said current bridge tolls and the threat of hikes were “a contributing factor.” Devine said doing business here, as opposed to in New Jersey, runs an average truck $100 more per trip to Mariners Harbor, depending on the number of axles, which are factored into the toll cost.

Tolls was the sole reason Turkon America Line left NYCT in 2009, Devine said. Turkon, which relocated to New Jersey, “continually brought up the toll,” he added.

Economic Slumpwatch: College-Educated Brooklynites Resembling Hillbillies

Making bathtub hooch:

Lance is not a hillbilly. He’s a quiet-natured young professor at a local college. Rousseau, Diderot, Hume, and Kant inhabit his bookshelves. Predictably, he’s erudite on even the topic of moonshine, explaining that Brooklyn hooch differs from that produced in, say, Tennessee because the mineral content of the water used for distilling alters the spirit’s flavor.

Lance isn’t the only local expert. New York City moonshiners are giving the spirit a new identity. Today’s urban moonshiners are sophisticated. But some of their palaver still has that country flavor. Take Tim. He describes his moonshine as “slightly sweet” with a “vanilla nose” and “a light taste of corn.” His final verdict is as country as cornpone: “It’s pretty smooth going down, but then you get a sunburn from the inside out.”

We Are All Pay To Play Now

Also known as “bringing home the bacon and then getting generously tipped for doing so,” I feel like we’ve heard this story before. Indeed, it’s back again:

A Daily News review of campaign contributions to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn identified more than 200 contributions — totaling $126,789 — from the top employees of nonprofits slated to snag Council money from her this year.

With public matching funds, those contributions are worth $242,055 to the speaker’s 2013 mayoral bid.

The public matching fund part is a nice touch — like double dipping almost!

Quinn got $847,464 in discretionary spending for FY2012 (see clickable map here), almost a 30 percent return on her, uh, our investment. I wonder which member is giving us the best return — someone should figure that out . . . and I’ll gladly vote for that member for public advocate.

MoMA’s New $25 Admission To Help Unravel Country’s Social Fabric

Because clearly the only way to mitigate a steep admission hike is to get divorced:

“What about a family with two children?” said [a 60-year-old] interior designer from Manhattan. “That’s already $100.”

Location Scout: MoMA.