Weekly Link Round Up

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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. Photo by NR Flickr user Brian Wolfe.

David Burnett: Photographer At Large [DPP]
Newburgh’s skateboard park project moving slowly [THR]
Harvard’s Hutchins Center Historian and Newburgh Native Puts a ‘Premium on Empathy’ [NHS]
Study: adding low-income housing to poor neighborhoods lowers crime and boosts property values [Vox]

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5 Comment

  • I’m not sure if that housing ‘Study’ is propaganda or just lousy theory. As HUD is looking to expand Section 8 into the ‘burbs this study attempts a rational counter to that scheme. Interestingly, HUD itself already debunked the crime aspect. When the theory falls short in qualifying its argument it simply changes the quantifiers to suit.
    Besides, how can the “value” of property increase when the associated annual ‘wealth’ taxes on it more than wipes out an appreciation (if any)? If subsidizing the lowest segment of the market, how else is a municipality going to pay for itself? ‘Value’ is relative…you can’t quantify that.
    https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/06/02/2015-13430/establishing-a-more-effective-fair-market-rent-fmr-system-using-small-area-fair-market-rents-safmrs
    https://www.huduser.gov/portal/Publications/pdf/MTOFHD_fullreport_v2.pdf

  • The thirty something propagandists are out in full force posting “Studies” of sheer bunk. Philosophists and novelists armed with social media prancing around pushing the “fairness” agenda. What a way to make a living, Herr Goebbels would be proud.

    You have much patience to analyze the “study” Walt and point out the nonsense. Venezuela here we come. We’re all gonna be “equal”. I got dibs on the toilet paper!

    • As Venezuela sits on the world’s largest oil reserves I don’t think a fairness agenda is the root of their downward spiral. Whatever one’s favorite flavor of ‘ism’, it goes sour as the ‘invisible hand’ has a tendency to reach for the cookie jar… and it isn’t age determinant. To draw a parallel to our S.American neighbor; just two months ago the city manager was acclaiming Newburgh’s water reserves. Now, the peeps are told to ration while the counter parties get their ducks in order. Are you kidding me? They can trace a peep’s ‘illicit’ sewer discharge and slap a fine on the us in under a day. Those damn peeps ; /
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBnm8IlLDig

      • You say “I don’t think a fairness agenda is the root of their downward spiral.” REALLY? It’s the root of their problems, starting with the former paratrooper Chavez taking from the “haves” to distribute to the “have nots”. In the end, we all wind up “equally poor”. Even their oil revenues can’t save them. We ought to learn from Venezuela, Argentina, and other socialist nations that redistribution bankrupts the nation and its citizens.
        It always begins with propaganda, deceit and trickery. Which brings me to Mr. Ygleias’ article, one of many proliferating the net and meant to push the new agenda of “fairness” in housing and go hand in hand with the new experiment to expand section 8 into the burbs. How has section 8 helped the city of Newburgh? But no, TPTB now want to bring section 8 into “wealthy” suburban neighborhoods.
        See article below. Mayor DiBlasio brought tons of homeless into hotels in decent NYC neighborhoods without notice or approval. The plan – “even out” the demographics. As a consequence the upper ditmars/east elmhurst neighborhood with its million dollar homes, low crime rate and top notch schools is now filled with gang bangers, gun violence, murder and high crime from the crypts gang inhabiting the motel. Kids of gangbangers now in the schools beating up the regular kids. Women shopping prostitution at nearby gas stations. Same happened in Sunnyside NY. Property values have declined significantly.
        How does blatantly destroying a neighborhood in the interest of “fairness” help anyone?
        http://www.qchron.com/westway-woes-snag-town-hall-focus/article_114ed5d0-fb09-11e4-8799-8f982954cbdb.html

        • Really. I do not think fairness is/was their ‘plan’. A front…yeah. Crony-ism is the problem. I’m more critical than you, I think politicos are tools for the handlers. ‘Been that way for ions. Yet the people keep voting for it until shtf then it’s duck and cover. Venezuelan leaders sold the country’s natural resources at a discount. The buyers had the upper hand because they knew VE was over extended. It would be like Newburgh selling its water at a discount to the towns in order to build a skateboard park. Or selling its property at a discount in order to house more people and coming up short on the infrastructure bill. You can’t match a ‘manifesto’ of any sort to a dynamic economy, plug & play and expect it to work. fwiw, I hear where you’re coming from.