Veritas et Venustas

Optimistic about "Radical Democracy"

WHEN I STEP out of the office, I'm 15 feet from the corner of Fulton and Nassau Streets. From the corner, Nassau Street runs downhill and up. A quarter mile away I see the Stock Exchange, with its ridiculously large American flag (Why "ridiculously large"? Because the New York Stock Exchange is only a part of America, and this is not a Texas high school game.)

Anyway, I'm in Amsterdam with Chairman Victor, courtesy of the Driehaus Foundation, looking at "shared spaces" and the great urbanism of Amsterdam. On one of the lists I wrote:

I'm reminded of Andres's comment about American democracy a few days ago, and my reply quoting him on the subject of all progress having problems.

I'm optimistic about the trend all around the world towards democracy. The Arab Spring is obvious,, and it illustrates the dialectical nature of progress. The most anti-democratic forces also come out of the Arab world.

Anti-democratic forces like the Koch brothers take advantage of the Tea Party movement. But then we get Wall Street (when I step out my front door I can see the stock exchange a quarter mile away - but I'm in Amsterdam with Chairman Victor) and when I went to Urban Design Week I the young talking about Radical Democracy and Tactical Urbanism.

Simultaneously related to the Tea Party trend and in opposition to it is the growing discussion I hear about all power flowing from We the People. Corporations are not people too. It is time that we take back the powers we have given them.

From my email below, in reverse order:

1.
Rodger Lodger
New York N.Y.
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
No mention of bathroom facilities.
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2.
CMCWP
Queens
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
Considering the state of the economy, there should be tens of thousands of unemployed people down there with torches and nooses.

When you look at the maximum security of the Goldman Sachs building, you realize that it doesn't exist to protect your money; it's to protect GS from those who want their money BACK.
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3.
KT
NYC
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
Can progressives use this protest as an organizing tool? The kids have gotten the attention of the media; can we build on this? Note how the right used the Tea Party, which was initially funded and organized by the insurance industry and Republican Party to disrupt Town Hall meetings regarding the proposed health care reform bill, to build a national movement of disillusioned blue-collar and lower middle-class voters. Those are the same folks that we need to reach out to, because they are being bamboozled, and having their (unfortunately, often racist) buttons pushed by Republican disinformation.

The demo downtown is much smaller. Plus we tried to build on Wisconsin and failed -- but that was Wisconsin and the issue was collective bargaining rights, a subject that lower income Americans don't really understand. (I.e., where do they think the five-day work week came from? The employers got nice all of a sudden?)

This time, the issue is Wall Street. Why isn't the Nation down there? Where is Move On? The Dem establishment should be using this, too, to make points about the exploitation of the middle-class and unemployment among young people. Anybody listening?
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4.
Glenn Landers
New Mexico
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
If the park was intended as a public space, as the article says, then it seems to me that the use of the area by protesters is completely legitimate. The Brookfield people may be uncomfortable with that, but who isn't occasionally discomforted by others exercising their political rights?

I can't help but feel there is some irony to Wall Street types complaining about people sleeping in the park and living outdoors. How many millions of Americans were turned out of their homes because of Wall Street greed?
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5.
DreamsAmelia
Pittsburgh, PA
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
Indeed, Eric Green's comment had it right, and could have gone further--
I have been listening to their General Assembly meetings and marches online live for 10 days at

http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

and let me just say, it is much more pleasant than listening to C-Span.

Why? Because these are ordinary people undertaking the complex process of building community, formulating consensus, and resolving conflict in a peaceful way. Their intentions are purely of spirit, not tainted by a trace of money--the exact opposite of organizations like large Wall St. firms, whose sole purpose in coming together is to make money-- Wall St. firms will not delve into moral concerns, such as massive unemployment and an ever-widening chasm between the Mega-rich vs. the merely rich, the middle class, and the poor--i.e, everyone else.

Since they will not, we must. These folks at Occupy Wall St. aren't engaging in hyper-partisan name-calling and rhetoric you so commonly hear on the floor of congress, and echoed in the papers/tv.

They are trying to be a voice of justice on a lonely planet.
Susan Sarandon came down this morning to educate herself. I hope many thousands of ordinary, non-celebrities do, too. But those of who can't are definitely there in spirit.
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6.
Nelson
NYC
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
Good job people! Keep up with the organizing efforts...great with the Lost and Found, the kitchen, the desk. Show the naysayers how organized you are. And don't give them any extra ammunition. Continue with the cleaning up of the park. And no skateboarding or anything else that can have them dismiss you as 'young ruffians'! ;-)

What about putting up signs in the park inviting some of the local business people to sit-down with you (limit 10 people or so...first-come first-served) and hear about what you are trying to accomplish....explain to them why many of their companies are 'bad'....offer them a free lunch in the process (I can assure you that'll draw them in...there's nothing these highly-paid folks love more...and often expect (literally)...than a free lunch from the office!
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7.
johnsin
San Francisco, CA
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
The Internet, coming to a park near you!
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8.
Harold Kurte
Weston, Florida
September 28th, 2011
4:23 am
Why is the NYPD acting like the Gestapo and the SS in pepper spraying and arresting people in the financial district and Union Square?
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9.
Bob
New York, NY
September 28th, 2011
4:24 am
Silly children. You want to save this country? Don't get angry at the wealthy, or at corporations--this hierarchy predates even the temples and palaces of Sumer (early on these semi-autonomous institutions were likely the centers of production and directed the redistribution of surplus production).

Do, however, get angry at your choice of college major, get angry that we, as a generation, have the worst match of education to jobs in modern history!

Stop wallowing on the streetcorner, get up and run, don't walk, to your nearest City University of New York campus, and start in the biochemistry program, the civil engineering program, the applied biomechanics program, the chemical engineering program.

You'll be putting the nation back on its feet, and--you'll like this--at the same time shifting the balance of corporate power from what you'd (wrongly) call "unproductive" (i.e. financial) services to actual innovation and production. ...and if your heart and soul is really committed to your lit crit major, all I can tell you is that all of the aerospace engineers I know are better read than all of the lit crit majors I know. Just saying.
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10.
Lez
Berkeley
September 28th, 2011
4:24 am
Why is this coverage here and not on the front page of the paper? This is an important global and national issue and the protests are in NYC. What's wrong with the Times that this is relegated to an online blog while "Hollywood Hoopla" is on page 1?
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11.
Leon Arie. A.
Israel
September 28th, 2011
4:24 am
The unprovoked summery macing of penned female protestors was a criminal offense by NYC Police Supervisors
They should be charged by City, State and Federal Prosecutors have the book thrown thrown at them be
disgracefully discharged from the force and put in jail for a long time.

The evidence should all be there in the peoples' videos on Utube.

If the authorities don't take the initiative and prosecute then the
Civil Liberties Union should pick up the glove.
Another option is a criminal and civil complaint by the victims.
The evidence is all there in the video's and stills the people photographed.
It is all there on Utube.

the video link:

12.
Bee
Staten Island, NY
September 28th, 2011
4:24 am
The developers made their deal. They wanted a larger building than would have otherwise been allowed, and they had to agree to create a public space in return. Though it is privately owned, the park is a public space granted to the people for public use, and that is how it is being used.
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13.
Semolina
Lower Manhattan
September 28th, 2011
4:24 am
I am disappointed that this article does not mention negative impact on area residents.

This protest is creating many problems for people who live in the area. Noise goes on very late; last night I begged the drummers to stop at 10 pm, but they carried on until 11. Sidewalks are clogged with protestors who are apparently allowed to march around the neighborhood whenever they want. Last night I was nearly mowed down by the throng on Washington Street; when I tried to get out of their way by crossing the street, a police officer yelled at me to stay on the sidewalk.

Speaking of police, the already narrow downtown streets are now even more clogged with police vehicles. This comes at a time when the neighborhood is struggling to cope with increased pedestrian and tour bus traffic from the opening of the 9/11 Memorial.

Protestors have taken over nearly 100 percent of the park, one of the few green spaces in our neighborhood. The only businesses they are hurting are street vendors whose customers eat in the park.

I can't figure out what this group's goals are; articulating clear demands isn't their strong point. Regardless, whatever it is they want is not going to be accomplished by keeping me awake at night.

We recognize the importance of free speech and the right to peaceful assembly, but some attention must be paid to quality of life in a neighborhood that has faced unprecedented challenges in the decade since 9/11.
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14.
saul
nyc
September 28th, 2011
4:25 am
the new york times is doing a lousy job covering this story! these kids are courageous. it's time to stop these wall street crooks and put them in jail with Bernie Madoff. oh, and Anthony Bologna should go to jail too.
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15.
suzanne
staten island
September 28th, 2011
4:25 am
Surely you jest --- are we supposed to be thanking the "financial services company" for allowing us to exist? Is there really any question about the "excesses of Wall Street"? I hope you are not related to Daniel Patrick. He would be turning over in his grave!
On Sep 28, 2011, at 8:53 AM, Karja Hansen wrote:

"But as we all sat in a jail, I noticed an interesting thing happen.
People began to talk very seriously about organizing in a more cohesive way than they have been. Jailhouse rookies, who had never been arrested or involved in radical political activities, listened attentively as experienced activists spoke about the need to set clear demands in order to rally broader public support for specific outcomes."

http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/news/2011/09/observations-of-a-jailed-journalist/

____________________
Karja

On Sep 28, 2011, at 2:43 AM, John wrote:

There are several projects to amend the Constitution to ensure that immortal corporations are not treated as citizens.

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/political_reform/proposed_constitutional_amendments.html

They need our support.

As one friend quipped, I will never recognize corporations as persons until Texas executes one.

John

Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:29:34 +0200
From: massengale@MAC.COM
Subject: Re: [URBANISTS] #OccupyWallStreet Protesters March, Campout To Protest Big Banks, Corporations (SLIDESHOW)
To: URBANISTS@LISTSERV.ND.EDU

I'm reminded of Andres's comment about American democracy a few days ago, and my reply quoting him on the subject of all progress having problems.

I'm optimistic about the trend all around the world towards democracy. The Arab Spring is obvious,, and it illustrates the dialectical nature of progress. The most anti-democratic forces also come out of the Arab world.

Anti-democratic forces like the Koch brothers take advantage of the Tea Party movement. But then we get Wall Street (when I step out my front door I can see the stock exchange a quarter mile away - but I'm in Amsterdam with Chairman Victor) and when I went to Urban Design Week I the young talking about Radical Democracy and Tactical Urbanism.

Simultaneously related to the Tea Party trend and in opposition to it is the growing discussion I hear about all power flowing from We the People. Corporations are not people too. It is time that we take back the powers we have given them.

On Sep 28, 2011, at 8:17 AM, Karja wrote:

Six days later and WallStreet is still occupied, other cities now beginning to be occupied as well. There have been huge arrests, Police Brutality, Police Solidarity, Possibly a media brownout.

I'd seen this peripherally over the past week or so but earlier this evening something caught my attention and I haven't stopped giving it since.

I"m not going to spam the list with a bunch of links to things you should really read, watch and see (in my opinion), but I will suggest taking a closer look.
____________________
Karja

On Sep 20, 2011, at 12:31 PM, Patrick wrote:

Thas one filthy rich man i would like to have a beer with.

P

On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 9:16 AM, John Massengale wrote:
I'm a lot more worried about the Lobby State than the Nanny State

“There’s class warfare, all right,” Warren Buffett said, “but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/19/occupywallstreet-proteste_n_970130.html#s365542

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said wealthy Americans should pay "lots of taxes" in a post on his blog on Monday.

Titled "The Most Patriotic Thing You Can Do," the post told readers that wealthy Americans should "do something positive" with their money by hiring, training and paying employees and spending money on rent, equipment and services.

"I don’t care what anyone says. Being rich is a good thing," Cuban wrote. "Not just in the obvious sense of benefiting you and your family, but in the broader sense. Profits are not a zero sum game. The more you make the more of a financial impact you can have."

Cuban -- who has a net worth of $2.5 billion -- encouraged his readers to "get out there and make a boatload of money" and "enjoy the shit out your money" knowing that making more and paying higher taxes would help others.

So be Patriotic. Go out there and get rich. Get so obnoxiously rich that when that tax bill comes , your first thought will be to choke on how big a check you have to write. Your 2nd thought will be “what a great problem to have”, and your 3rd should be a recognition that in paying your taxes you are helping to support millions of Americans that are not as fortunate as you.
Cuban's post came in the wake of Rep. John Fleming's (R-La.) suggestion that he couldn't afford a tax hike because he had only "maybe $400,000 left over" from his $6.3 million in business profits. Fleming said that he opposed Obama's plan to tax the wealthy during an appearance on MSNBC.

139 Fulton Street, Suite 1011
New York, New York 10038

212-731-0731 o
212-731-2227 direct
801-858-5551 f
212-751-2277 c

www.massengale.com

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Jane Jacobs Square

One of our three entries in the By The City / For The City competition:

OUR FIRST IDEA is for the interesting space left by the collision of old grids in Greenwich Village at the intersection of Christopher and Bleecker Streets. We illustrated one of the most radical versions, running Bleecker Street down the west side of what we called Jacobs Square. That created a T-intersection at Christopher, where we terminated the street with a monument to the Commissioner's Plan of 1811.  We used a speed table to raise the entire square to the same level and eliminated most of the existing signs.

A less radical version might be to run Bleecker down the east side of the square, with the attached plaza on the west. But our version would make a much calmer and more comfortable place for the pedestrians in the square, while taking a more radical position towards the car. Of course there are many ways to resolve the different versions.

Caveat Emptor - Priceline Edition

I'VE ALWAYS HAD GOOD LUCK with Priceline's Name Your Own Price deals (see below) but not this time In the picture above, the hotel room they surprised me with in Paris is to the left, the péripherique super-autoroute is to the right, behind the wall with barbed wire.

With Name Your Own Price, you choose a quality level (like 4 stars) and make an offer. You don't find out the name and address of the hotel that takes your bid (if any) until after Priceline has charged your credit card. Priceline described the area for this hotel as "Tour Eiffel - Montaparnasse - Porte de Versailles." My previous choice was "St. Germain - Montparnasse," and knowing where the Eiffel Tower and Montparnasse are I didn't look at their map, but this area as drawn by Priceline doesn't actually include Montparnasse, and the Eiffel Tower is 4 km away for the hotel they gave me, almost off their map.

On top of that, their Tour Eiffel - Montparnasse map includes a large swath of the péripherique, where there are obviously no hotels, and to the south a little notch that includes nothing but this hotel. Nothing else on the map is to the south of the highway. That makes it seem as though they drew the map just to promote this hotel.

On top of that, TripAdvisor reviews suggest that Priceline's bargain customers and some tour bus customers are put in moldy rooms on unrenovated floors in what is advertised as a 4 star hotel. Priceline won't do anything, so I've complained to the Connecticut Attorney General (the HQ's in Norwalk).

V&V: I Heart Priceline
V&V Travel: Saving LOTS of Money

R.I.P. Grosse Berthe (Carless in New York)

JUST as I was thinking it was so convenient that Bimmers Only was located between Great Barrington and Manhattan, so that I could drop the car off for service and take the train into New York (much better than driving in and having to park), Graham from Bimmers Only called up and said that an electrical short in the passenger seat had totaled my car. Minutes before he called they had gone out to move the car, and smoke poured out when they opened the door.

They had gone out to move the car into the garage for the night, where they would have left the windows open and the garage might have burned down if the timing had been a little different. Since the car windows had been closed, the fire just smoldered instead of igniting the interior.

Chubb Insurance took possession of the car last week. We originally picked her up in Munich in January 2002 on our honeymoon, before we knew what we know now about climate change and peak oil. As an environmentalist, urbanist and Manhattanite, I'm pretty sure I will never buy a big V8 performance car again. Zipcar here we come. RIP Große Berthe.