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	<title>Comments on: Doing Ratner&#039;s Bidding</title>
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	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/</link>
	<description>Gotham Gazette&#039;s blog about New York policy and politics</description>
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		<title>By: Peter Soehl</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-131045</link>
		<dc:creator>Peter Soehl</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:03:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-131045</guid>
		<description>Wow!! Thank you for such a good article. It is so great! Peter Soehl</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wow!! Thank you for such a good article. It is so great! Peter Soehl</p>
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		<title>By: Jack</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-69889</link>
		<dc:creator>Jack</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:04:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-69889</guid>
		<description>&lt;strong&gt;Jack...&lt;/strong&gt;

 Never put your money you can&#039;t afford to lose.  What hyip monitor...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Jack&#8230;</strong></p>
<p> Never put your money you can&#8217;t afford to lose.  What hyip monitor&#8230;</p>
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		<title>By: Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster &#187; Blog Archive &#187; Albany Post Mortems</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-65567</link>
		<dc:creator>Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster &#187; Blog Archive &#187; Albany Post Mortems</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jun 2007 01:40:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-65567</guid>
		<description>[...] And the News aims its ire at a bill passed in the closing hours of the session that puts limits on the tax abatement for developers who build housing in the city. While most coverage of this has focused on the gift the bill bestows on Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards developments (see  our earlier posting), it’s the rest of the measure that the News doesn’t like. Contrasting it with the version of the so-called 421-a program  passed by City Council late last year, the News claims this bill, intended to encourage construction of affordable homes, “will stop production of middle-class housing in neighborhoods across all five boroughs.” The requirements the bill sets are, in the News’ eye, “wonderful… [but] economically impossible.” Compiled by Gail Robinson [...]</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] And the News aims its ire at a bill passed in the closing hours of the session that puts limits on the tax abatement for developers who build housing in the city. While most coverage of this has focused on the gift the bill bestows on Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards developments (see  our earlier posting), it’s the rest of the measure that the News doesn’t like. Contrasting it with the version of the so-called 421-a program  passed by City Council late last year, the News claims this bill, intended to encourage construction of affordable homes, “will stop production of middle-class housing in neighborhoods across all five boroughs.” The requirements the bill sets are, in the News’ eye, “wonderful… [but] economically impossible.” Compiled by Gail Robinson [...]</p>
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		<title>By: porky</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-64468</link>
		<dc:creator>porky</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jun 2007 04:05:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-64468</guid>
		<description>What is the defense of the Ratner carve out? there is none, it&#039;s indefensible. So pull that pork out of the bill and pass it. but as long as the pork stays in, the bill is self-defeating.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is the defense of the Ratner carve out? there is none, it&#8217;s indefensible. So pull that pork out of the bill and pass it. but as long as the pork stays in, the bill is self-defeating.</p>
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		<title>By: Daniel Millstone</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-64077</link>
		<dc:creator>Daniel Millstone</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 13:21:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-64077</guid>
		<description>I neither love Atlantic Yards not Vito Lopez. The Bloomberg-Quinn deal on 421(a) which Lopez put into law is flawed and it&#039;s payout to Mr. Ratner is only one of the flaws. Nonetheless, this 421(a) is a significant improvement over the prior incarnation of the developers&#039; incentive. 

Therefore, while I deplore special benefits designed make Mr. Ratner project float on a sea of public money (and it is a revolting payout), the improved 421(a) is a good step. This deal was brokered by Mr. Bloomberg &amp; Ms. Quinn between developers &amp; advocates of lower income housing. While the developers brought their checkbooks to the table, the advocates of affordable housing never brought their power -- citizen support-- to bear. Wait &#039;till next year is a painful slogan which some of us remember from before 1955, but I think it suits our circumstances.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I neither love Atlantic Yards not Vito Lopez. The Bloomberg-Quinn deal on 421(a) which Lopez put into law is flawed and it&#8217;s payout to Mr. Ratner is only one of the flaws. Nonetheless, this 421(a) is a significant improvement over the prior incarnation of the developers&#8217; incentive. </p>
<p>Therefore, while I deplore special benefits designed make Mr. Ratner project float on a sea of public money (and it is a revolting payout), the improved 421(a) is a good step. This deal was brokered by Mr. Bloomberg &amp; Ms. Quinn between developers &amp; advocates of lower income housing. While the developers brought their checkbooks to the table, the advocates of affordable housing never brought their power &#8212; citizen support&#8211; to bear. Wait &#8217;till next year is a painful slogan which some of us remember from before 1955, but I think it suits our circumstances.</p>
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		<title>By: anon</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-64066</link>
		<dc:creator>anon</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:33:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-64066</guid>
		<description>Lopez is also my assemblyman and I am not surprised at all at this carve out deal for Ratner.  Look carefully and you will see that all over Bushwick, and now all of Brooklyn, Lopez and his girlfriend are gaining from development deals like this one.  Lopez is a genius because he moved into Bushwick, gave his little token handouts to his voters, then quietly pushes them out of their neighborhood through development deals.  It&#039;s happening people...just wait, this is only the beginning.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lopez is also my assemblyman and I am not surprised at all at this carve out deal for Ratner.  Look carefully and you will see that all over Bushwick, and now all of Brooklyn, Lopez and his girlfriend are gaining from development deals like this one.  Lopez is a genius because he moved into Bushwick, gave his little token handouts to his voters, then quietly pushes them out of their neighborhood through development deals.  It&#8217;s happening people&#8230;just wait, this is only the beginning.</p>
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		<title>By: anon</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-64005</link>
		<dc:creator>anon</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 03:22:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-64005</guid>
		<description>vito lopez is my assemblyman too and i called his office to tell them how much i appreciate the fact that they put such a progressive bill through albany.  big deal, forest city got their exemption, they already have a more aggressive deal with acorn right?  also, its the biggest development in the city and has been treated like a unique project since its inception.  don&#039;t blame vito lopez for that. he put serious legistlation through gridlocked albany.   
in my opinion, this was a pretty progressive bill, and its a little stupid that everyone is just covering the ratner business. again, i live in his district and i have voted for him proudly since i&#039;ve lived in the city.  i think he&#039;s a great assemblyman.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>vito lopez is my assemblyman too and i called his office to tell them how much i appreciate the fact that they put such a progressive bill through albany.  big deal, forest city got their exemption, they already have a more aggressive deal with acorn right?  also, its the biggest development in the city and has been treated like a unique project since its inception.  don&#8217;t blame vito lopez for that. he put serious legistlation through gridlocked albany.<br />
in my opinion, this was a pretty progressive bill, and its a little stupid that everyone is just covering the ratner business. again, i live in his district and i have voted for him proudly since i&#8217;ve lived in the city.  i think he&#8217;s a great assemblyman.</p>
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		<title>By: z.</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/comment-page-1/#comment-63959</link>
		<dc:creator>z.</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:11:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2007/06/22/doing-ratners-bidding/#comment-63959</guid>
		<description>Vito Lopez is my assemblyman. How embarrassing. I&#039;ve already contacted his office to show my displeasure at this.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Vito Lopez is my assemblyman. How embarrassing. I&#8217;ve already contacted his office to show my displeasure at this.</p>
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