Too bad we didn't have a fighter like Boone on the side of the people of Asbury! All we have is us- the people themselves and some good folks who make it their biz to let others know what is really going on behind the scenes. Here here, Boone! The people are with you! -al
--- dfsavgny <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From today's NYT. Newark finally gets its, how come > AP doesn't? > > June 1, 2006 > Booker Praises Freeze on No-Bid Sales of Newark > Property > By TINA KELLEY > NEWARK, May 31 A state judge has temporarily > frozen the sales of > city-owned properties that had not been offered for > public bidding, > a decision that Mayor-elect Cory Booker called "a > tremendous victory > for all of Newark." > > Mr. Booker, who sought the restraining order, said > on Wednesday that > it affected "dozens if not hundreds" of properties. > > The administration of Mayor Sharpe James has been > selling land for > $4 per square foot or less to private developers who > planned to > build one- to three-family houses, then sell them on > the open > market. Mr. Booker, who is to take office on July 1, > called the > plan "nonsensical" and "a last-minute fire sale." > > "The city has been shortchanging its citizens of > millions if not > tens of millions of dollars," Mr. Booker said, > adding that such > money could have been spent on police officers, > schools and > improvements to the city's infrastructure. > > Mark Alexander, a lawyer for Mr. Booker, said that > the lawsuit named > WLB Realty and that a principal owner of the firm, > the Rev. Levin B. > West, had contributed more than $4,000 to Mayor > James and other city > officials since May 2005. Mr. Alexander said Mr. > West is prohibited > from obtaining a no-bid real estate contract under > pay-to-play laws > that require political contributors to participate > in open bidding > processes. > > The temporary restraining order, issued by Judge > Patricia K. > Costello of Superior Court in Essex County, remains > in effect until > June 15, when the judge will hear further arguments > in the lawsuit. > It was filed on Tuesday by Mr. Booker and several > citizens and names > Mayor James, the City Council, officials responsible > for development > and more than a dozen developers as defendants. > Efforts to reach Mr. > West on Wednesday were unsuccessful. > > Land in Newark is being offered for between 4 and 40 > times the > city's price, said Vito A. Gagliardi Jr., one of a > team of lawyers > and real estate experts Mr. Booker said were working > on the suit > without pay. One of the defendants in the lawsuit > was in the process > of buying 14 properties, Mr. Gagliardi said, adding > that the pace of > the sales increased after Mr. Booker was elected May > 9 in a race > against a former deputy mayor, Ronald L. Rice. > > Mayor James interpreted the ruling as an affront to > home rule. "We > will immediately appeal this pinnacle of judicial > and political > ongoing interference with Newark's and any > municipality's right to > govern itself during a century-old process of > transition," Mr. James > said in a statement. > > The city's lawyer, Joanne Watson, said in a > statement: "The City of > Newark is of the firm position that it has conducted > itself within > the confines of state law when it authorized the > sale of city-owned > properties to private developers. The governing body > is clearly > vested with the authority to adopt legislation which > transfers city > property to developers." > > Mr. Booker called the property sales "an affront to > our moral > standards," adding, "I say this is a moral crime and > a missed > opportunity." > > "This is the beginning of a fight to change the > practices and > policies of this city," Mr. Booker said, adding > later, "If people > are going to say I'm pugilistic, so be it." > > The mayor-elect spoke at one of the properties in > question, a weedy, > glass-strewn lot near the intersection of McCarter > Highway and Route > 78. Under the city's plan, that lot of about 4,800 > square feet, > could be sold for about $19,200. > > Deborah Boone-Coy, a lifelong resident of the city > and a plaintiff > in the suit, criticized what she called the low > prices the city > offered to private developers. > > "If that were available to others," she said, "you > would have > streams of people that want to have access to that > opportunity." > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning anti spy technology. It's free. http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
