Weekly Link Round Up

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“Dinner coming soon!!!” to Cafe Macchiato. The weekly link roundup is a collection of links related to Newburgh, revitalization, urban planning and anything else that might inspire change or create dialogue.

Tucson’s downtown revolution [TB]
Gentrification Of The Woods [Pop Up City]
More “Landlords on the Street [Strong Towns]
The Psychological Benefit of White Street Lights [City Lab]
Brooklyn Grocery Proving Cooperative Business Works [Next City]
Wal-Mart: It Came, It Conquered, Now It’s Packing Up and Leaving [Bloomberg]
DEC, Newburgh sign agreement to improve Hudson River water quality [Mid Hudson News]

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9 Comment

  • ‘Er, the “agreement” was…’start fixing your infrastructure Newburgh or we’re going to start fining you’. Will there be property tax parity across districts to collect the necessary $’s ?

    • Walt, what is the status of Mr. Ciaravino? Last I heard the city council wanted him out, but I can find nothing new in the news. I’m here in NYC contemplating a business venture up there, so just curious. Appreciate any feedback. thx,

      Peter

      • http://www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov/civil-service/pages/current-vacancies
        http://newburghny.swagit.com/play/12142015-1084 (resolution 321-2015, item 24, avoid the word clouds…6:35 min. in)
        http://newburghny.swagit.com/play/12102015-780 (the work session,item 17, at length)
        As I understand it, there is a majority vote required to oust him prior to his term expiring. People tend to avoid the mirror when they don’t like what they see. Mr. Ciaravino is that mirror. In the least, the man has created a municipal forum of open dialog and critical thinking I haven’t seen. If he leaves, take heed…imo

        • Thanks Walt. I’ll wait to see what happens. I agree with you, and I hope he gets to stay. If he does, I’ll schedule a meeting with him to discuss something I feel would be good for the city and then proceed thru the proper channels. Walt, why don’t you consider a run for the city council? That council should not be immune to the cleanup going on across the city of Newburgh.

          • I wouldn’t label it a “cleanup”. More of ‘drawing back of the curtain’ on the wizard. For all practical purposes, Newburgh was bankrupt a few years ago and was strong armed into taking a ‘bail-in’ in order to save face. As It still operates under state oversight, a forensic audit would be self incriminating so that’s a non sequitur. The discreet nepotism of the past has morphed into a in your face sanctioned cooperative of non-profits and ‘stakeholders’. ‘Not necessarily a bad thing, a case in point is Safe Harbors and its proposed new park for the general public’s use. The property is and will be maintained by S.H.’s clients, something that some have contempt with because, gasp, S.H. actually do a good job of policing themselves. Where problems emerge is when the individual groups that comprise the ‘cooperative’ begin to direct how the city’s funds are allocated. I.e., Fullerton Ave., the high school’s main street, desperately needs paving but requires city infrastructure work for which there is no money. Yet a month ago the .edu members of the council took a pass on joining a state initiative to address a more efficient use of property vs school tax collection. The fact that this ‘not so new’ initiative hasn’t gained traction in ny reflects an invisible hand with a reach comprised of more than a few city council fingers.
            I know this isn’t a political site, so I’ll thank Cher in advance if she post this comment.

  • Thanks for the info Walt. I remember them balking at that state initiative not too long ago (I think you commented on it here). I do see improvement, especially in the Heights area where I am. Anyway, all this may be a moot point soon as the end of the party approaches. Iran just thumbed its nose at the petrodollar. You know the implications of that in the larger picture.

    • Interesting, Peter I was wondering how many other people out there in the local area pay attention to global trends. The main thing going for the dollar right now has to be the lack of an alternative. I thought the renminbi had a chance but the resent market issues in China make that seem like its not going to happen anytime soon. It will be interesting to see what happens once their market resumes from the lunar holiday. The raise of the renminbi is exactly why the TPP was needed and the US was/is pivoting to the East/Pacific. That is where the largest chunk of the worlds population lives would not be good if they adopted the renminbi as the method of trade.

      • Iran is hedging against what the ‘expert’ eCONomists aren’t seeing or saying. As sanctions are lifted, their oil revenues might hit $9 billion this year if they’re lucky. N.Y.’s economy is over a 100 x that. A better question is…sanctions were lifted from Iran yet a clause wasn’t written into the agreement…”oh by the way, you must trade in $’s”? It’s all about confidence, be it $’s, renminbi, pebbles or the ‘Burgh… and confidence is synonymous with credit. That’s what your seeing coming into question. Maybe it’s me, but a national debate about how raising the minimum wages of lower tier workers would somehow cripple the world’s largest economy just isn’t rational. Yeah, I know…I’m just ‘peddling fiction’.

      • Hi John, the TPP has lost control. Every nation is now in a “race to debase” their currencies for a variety of reasons (pay their debts off with cheaper units, boost exports etc.), so I hold little hope of a single currency emerging as the new reserve, even the USD. China’s renminibi is almost comical with its manipulation. I think it will be a basket of currencies that emerges as the new world reserve currency over time. The Arab nations are talking a ME basket of currencies partly gold backed. Who knows.

        With debt spiraling out of control nationwide and municipalities going bankrupt or drawing closer to it there will be a disproportionate impact felt by smaller cities like Newburgh. Let’s hope those city owned properties start going back on the tax rolls quickly and the influx of small businesses increases.