Phil Reisman has a “must read” article in today’s Journal News.
Phil Reisman: Will Echo Bay become Noam Bramson’s Waterloo?
The article begins…
The Queen City is burning … with rage.
Nine days ago, Noam Bramson, the New Rochelle mayor, lost a bruising race for county executive and now he’s in imminent danger of losing the hearts and minds of his home city, if he hasn’t already.
Bramson is steadfastly clinging to a waterfront development proposal that his critics insist is no better than a half-baked idea conceived by a self-serving developer — Forest City Ratner.
Read the entire article here.
The column reminded me of another Reisman column from 2012.
Phil Reisman: Caution is wise when dealing with Forest City
For that article, Reisman spoke with former Yonkers City Councilman John Murtagh.
Murtagh, who opposed the Ridge Hill project as it was constituted, sounded Elijah-like when I brought up Echo Bay and Forest City.
“Given their track record in Brooklyn and Yonkers, I would warn any municipality I came across to watch out for these guys because I just think they’re bad operators,” Murtagh said. “They ride roughshod over communities. They quite frankly — legally or otherwise — buy off politicians. They game the system for their advantage.”
Murtagh said he couldn’t speak to Forest City’s activity in New Rochelle, but he said the Ridge Hill trial should stand as a cautionary tale when doing business with Forest City.
“I can’t imagine any elected official in Westchester County who wouldn’t take a deep breath and step back and say, ‘What am I dealing with here?’ ”
At the time, Reisman’s August 2012 column prompted an unsolicited, hand-written letter which made its way into my hands about a year ago. The letter (imagelinked above) purports to be from a Forest City/Ratner insider.
Not knowing the source of the letter or the credibility of its author, I have been reluctant to publish it or reference it. The recent actions of Forest City and their apparent partnership with New Rochelle IDA member Greg Merchant’s company suggest to me the time has come to share this letter and let reader’s decide for themselves.
Regarding Phil Reismans recent column Caution with Forest City Ratner
From “Too Honest To be Trusted”
While learning the Forest City Ratner Company Policy I noted
1. Everyone has a price
2. Those that don’t we can bankrupt them legally
3. Gov. George was my roommate in college [Pataki]
4 If we can’t least it. I’ll get government offices to move in Both in Democrat and Republican venues
5 There are NO DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS Just a CASH PARTY
6 Make sure to document contractors and vendors so we can SUE
7 We’ll have VOLUNTEER DAYS – Call the press – paint Grandma Jones’s house give out soda & baseball glovers which are “requested” from our mall and shopping center tenants
8 Give workers a party deduct it from their employers (contractors) invoice per person
Make sure the tee shirts say FCR worker appreciation day
9 Get local celebrities to take pictures withSoon
Ruby Dee will be named May Queen by FCR
Free passes for the movies given out to Little Leaguers – Ratner day at Hudson Park – Does any politicians kids need a job or anything?
There is kindergarten, that’s OK guarantee them an internship when their ready for high school?
What organizations do the wives belong to?
We cover all bases –
Find out what Noam needs –
Make sure its all tax deductible or paid for by hidden cost to taxpayersHURRAH
Forest City Ratner comes to New Rochelle –Bob Sanna says – We Get What We Want Understood
Screw Them Before They Screw You
Who’s gonna be New Rochelles Jerais & Annabi?
I leave it to Talk of the Sound readers to make of this letter what they will.