Another Random City Council Embezzlement Allegation Of The Day

They’re interchangeable at this point.

Random City Council Embezzlement Allegation Of The Day

The details don’t even matter anymore. All that counts is the City’s antiquated method of discretionary spending.

You Say You Don’t Want It But Then You Slip It On In

But when you have to cram in trees everywhere, there may be some resistance:

Some Mott Haven residents are fuming over city plans to plant trees on their block.

The problem, they say, is that the tree roots eventually crack their sidewalks, leaving them stuck with the repair bill.

“If they want a green Bronx, just look in our backyards,” said Marion Rivas of 434 E. 144th St. “We already have trees there. We don’t need them out in front.”

The trees are part of Mayor Bloomberg’s MillionTrees campaign to plant 1 million trees in the city by 2030.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is planning to plant 12 street trees along E. 144th St. between Brook and Willis Aves.

But residents there point to city trees planted across the street that already have ripped up their neighbors’ sidewalks.

“This used to be flat,” said Shawn Ramos, of 443 E. 144th St., pointing to his broken sidewalk. “I’ve seen people trip over this. If someone gets hurt, then we’re the ones in trouble.”

Residents on the south side of the street said it’s only a matter of time before the same thing happens to their sidewalks.

Homeowners also fear that because their sidewalk is 2-feet narrower, fully-grown trees will damage their homes, clog sewer drains and entangle power lines.

Most of all, they worry about footing the bill to fix inevitable upheavals in the sidewalks.

“I spent $1,200 fixing my sidewalk already, because it was old,” said Polivio Hernandez of 428 E. 144th St. “Now they want to put these trees here? What happens if, in a couple of years, the sidewalk is all destroyed again? I don’t want to spend more money.”

Parks officials did not respond directly to neighbors’ concerns about out-of-pocket expenses, instead saying that careful thought goes into each tree planting.

If This Is What They Anticipated The Market Would Be, Then What Does It Say About The Wisdom Of Their Free Agent Signings?

The market was not supporting face value and now it still isn’t, even for the vaunted Mets-Yankees subway series:

A year ago, it would have sounded absurd: blocks of tickets to the first Subway Series at new Yankee Stadium, available at face value on the Yankees’ Web site, a mere five days in advance.

But there they were as of Monday afternoon, and plenty of them.

Feel like taking nine very, very good friends to Friday night’s game against the Mets? The tickets were yours — 10 in Section 24B, Row 7 for a mere $900 apiece, plus a $23.45 “convenience charge.”

Ten in 24B also turned up at $900 per for Sunday. How about 10 in Section 28 at $525 apiece for Saturday?

Location Scout: New Yankee Stadium.

Have You Heard About The Mayor’s Five Borough Economic Plan?

You know, the one you keep getting phone calls about? It’s even got a 450-foot-long pedestrian bridge:

“For decades, residents of the South Bronx have sought rail service to increase their transportation options and limit the number of people who drive to Yankee’s games,” said Bloomberg. “Today, it has finally arrived. The new Yankee-E. 153rd Street MTA Metro-North Railroad station is the first railroad station open anywhere in the Bronx in decades.”

The new addition to the Hudson Line, a $ 91 million dollar project, began service to the public on Saturday, May 23, and will remain in operation 365 days a year.

A 450-foot-long, 25-foot-wide bridge will connect Bronxites and visitors to the new Yankee Stadium and parks currently under construction along the waterfront, being built as part of the City’s Five Borough Economic Opportunity Plan.