The RIRA Column
by Steve Marcus
President, Roosevelt Island Residents Association
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The loss of our open spaces at Octagon to this hideous project is another, and hopefully the last outrage by this RIOC Board of Pataki cronies, sycophants, hangers-on, carpetbaggers, and quislings. I have hopes that the new appointees Shinozaki and Anderson, who were not part of the decision to rape the park, will have some interest for reasonable government policy and decent fiscal management. If they do, they will join Mark Ponton as the only decent members of this Board. It would be impossible for them to be worse than the three other resident Junior Achievers - Patrick Stewart, David Kraut, and Deborah Beck, who foisted this piece of crap on us. Kraut has termed this plan "a no-brainer." In future years, as we walk past this dump in search of a few feet of open space, we can all pay tribute to this man's towering sagacity, for selling this priceless land for peanuts.

It's amazing to me how the Pataki administration could do so much damage to our community, our unique oasis for lower- and middle-income people, and our prospects of ever being self-sufficient. They've done this through a lethal mix of indifference, patronage, and active pandering to outside business interests. My fondest wish is that Pataki step down soon to cash in on a Bush appointment, just like his buddies Jerome Blue and Rob Ryan cashed in on all the Pataki appointments. This Board is still very dangerous, and can inflict a lot more damage on us before the next administration boots them out. We still have the Coler hospital parking lot to auction off for an Eldercare facility, and it's not too late to sell off construction rights to Southpoint Park for another million or two.

In the upcoming election year, I want to encourage all the residents to demand three things from our current and prospective representatives - 1) most importantly, creative solutions to keep our Island housing affordable; 2) a RIOC board that is elected by Island residents; 3) legislative guarantees that the open space we have left will stay open - before the place gets so crowded we all have to walk around with our hands in the air.

Although the Island lost another round to Pataki and his developers, we were very ably served by Dan Quart and the wonderful folks at Columbia Law School - Professor Edward Lloyd, Reed Super, and students Vivian Mills, Rahul Agarwal, Dimple Chaudhary, Mark Hertel, and Julia Errea. Also, we are much indebted to Bob Hernan from the Attorney General's office, who is a truly great government employee. We will be inviting them out here for a picnic this summer and we'll publicize the time and place so you can thank them over a drink or a sandwich. These folks worked so hard; I hope they have the satisfaction of knowing it's better to be on the right side and lose than on the wrong side and win.

Mark Chipman, RIRA's Chair for Island Services, and I met with RIOC's Cathy Johnson last week. She is compiling a list of things on the Island that need repair and intends to hire the necessary manpower to complete these tasks before the summer ends. The ramp to the bridge won't be on this list - too many trucks hauling away trees and bringing in cement, so be careful not to walk or drive into any potholes that you'll be encountering in the next 12 months or more. No word yet on when the tennis courts will be open. We're told they are "on schedule," but not what the schedule is. We put in a pitch for additional barbeque areas, since we are down to one, and perhaps RIOC can report some goods news on that front soon. In the meantime, enjoy the cherry blossoms now, before RIOC chops them down!