CU project waits as developer, site owner negotiate

The Ithaca Times ^ | April 30, 2003 | M. Tye Wolfe

[Publicus]

Front Page

CU project waits as developer, site owner negotiate

By:M. Tye Wolfe April 30, 2003

Few hurdles remain before the downtown Cornell Office/Hilton Hotel project can begin construction.

The project's developer, Buffalo-based Ciminelli, is still in negotiations with Tom Pine, who owns a 50 percent stake in the property on which the project is slated to be built.

Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen said Tuesday that the city is waiting to hear from the developer about whether negotiations are successful. If not, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency would move ahead with eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property.

©Ithaca Times 2003

[Publicus]

Well FREEPERS, there you have it.

It's been laid out in the previous postings involving "Ithaca" and what the sleazy Ithaca officials are fixing on doing to Tom Pine and other productive, law-abiding citizens.

Mind you, the small-minded arrogance of the little town's Taliban/Baathist Mayor is shared among the other sleazy local officials involved. (See Below)

These characters have been coveting Pine's property and told him that if he does not sell his property to Ciminelli, they will use eminent domain to seize it and hand it over to Ciminelli themselves!

Even more gross is the fact those creeps are fixing on using taxpayer- i.e. YOUR- money to pull it off and harm Pine, his wife Beth, a widow, and other productive, law-abiding citizens.

Those clowns took taxpayer money to hire a useless "City Attorney" (that is not even needed for such a small town - less than 30,000 people) AND another "outside" attorney to advise them on how they can "legally" use eminent domain to seize the property underneath the owners' objections!

The so-called "outside" attorney is in fact connected to...Ciminelli!

Also, Monsieur Alan the town Mayor was recently spotted being entertained at a sporting event in the private box of...Ciminelli!

Let's remind these sleazy characters that:

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to in ANY way support the private development of the proposed office/hotel- it is a private development NOT a public works project;

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way threaten, harass, intimidate, or forcibly expel the co-owner of the property Tom Pine- a productive, law-abiding citizen- and his business (Race Office Supply) from his property- this is a free country and the price of something is determined on the basis of what the interested buyer and seller freely agree to- NOT what Ferguson or any other Ithaca official decides is a “fair” price.

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way pressure and basically extort one side to enrich the other- this is barbaric and also completely unacceptable;

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to in any way execute an eminent domain proceeding to seize the property from Pine and the widow against their will and hand it over to another private party (Ciminelli)- This is a free country and we just got rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Baathists in Iraq- you do NOT tolerate tyranny, theft, and extortion carried out by Ithaca officials with YOUR taxmoney here in the USA;

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to convey the woman's ownership interest without any compensation to her- this is the land of the free NOT the land of the thieves and American citizens are NOT entitled to being embezzled- INCLUDING widows.

-NO! You do NOT want Ithaca officials using YOUR taxpayer monies to fund kickbacks of ANY kind- we are NOT interested in having local officials practice Taliban and Baathist economics.

FREEPERS, I ask you again to take a few minutes to consider the threat this situation poses to ALL Americans because the crooked lawyers and corrupt officials involved are sharing their techniques with others of their ilk around the country.

This case could set a precedent where eminent domain is used to extort concessions from one party of a private commercial transaction to the benefit of another and DIRECTLY at taxpayer expense to boot!

NOTE: HUD's Inspector General (tel: 202-708-0430) cited Ithaca agencies as lacking the controls necessary to properly administer taxmonies given to them. In fact, when HUD's Inspector General discovered monies had not actually been spent in the manner specified and asked for the whereabouts of these monies, these Ithaca officials involved simply took monies from another taxpayer funded account and replenished the funds missing from the other! In other words they took money from one taxpayer funded account to cover their embezzlement from the other and, thusly, also continue to keep a few steps ahead of the United States Attorney's Office too.

If you share concern across this threat to our great Republic and all of her productive, law-abiding citizens, call Gary Ferguson (Tel: 607-277-8679) and the other Ithaca officials involved (See Below) and let them know No Means NO!

Ithaca Mayor Alan J. Cohen Phone: (607)274-6501 Email: mayor@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Paulette Manos Phone: (607) 273-4170 Email: paulettem@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Susan Blumenthal Phone: (607) 272-3931 Email: susanb@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Patricia Pryor Phone: (607) 273-1741 Email: patp@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member David Whitmore Phone: (607) 273-1254 Email: davidw@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Diann Sams Phone: (607) 277-8188 Email: dianns@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Patricia Vaughan Phone: (607) 273-3870 Email: patv@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Carolyn Peterson Phone: (607) 272-8129 Email: carolynp@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Peter Mack Phone: (607) 253-7070 Email: peterm@cityofithaca.org

Ithaca Common Council Member Daniel Cogan Phone: (607) 273-2076 Email: dcogan@cityofithaca.org

[Publicus]

Further to previous postings on this threat ("Ithaca"), here's another update.

[Soaring Feather]

bump to the top

[Calpernia]

Call for a federal investigation. The FBI has to come in and seize the records. NOW.

[NativeNewYorker]

Tom Pine, who owns a 50 percent stake in the property on which the project is slated to be built.

Out of curiosity, who owns the other half?

[MeekOneGOP]

[Publicus]

Your bump note is blinking over a small black square which has yellow letters at the inside bottom but is not legible.

[Publicus]

Although on "my comments" page it is a black, blinking square, the page upon which you posted beneath article IS displaying your note properly. (Falshing letters- "bump to the top")

[MeekOneGOP]

Hmm? Strange. Thanks for the heads up.

[MeekOneGOP]

Oh. I've had that happen a lot when the image in 'my comments' isn't loaded right. I think a refresh usually corrects it. Thanks.

[Publicus]

"Out of curiosity, who owns the other half?"

George E. Lambrou paid for the other 50% share in the property and he shared that portion with his business partner, Gus- which means Pine owns 50%, George owns 25% and Gus owns 25%.

According to public records, George bequeathed all his interests to his wife of 30 years, Evelyn- which makes her 25% co-owner of the property.

[Publicus]

You're right. The refresh worked. Your flashing note is displaying perfectly now.

Just out of curiousity, how did you do it? Yesterday, I copied some beautiful pix of the christening of the USS Ronald Reagan but the "Your Reply" box wouldn't take them using paste function.

[MeekOneGOP]

Glad it worked.

Just out of curiousity, how did you do it? Yesterday, I copied some beautiful pix of the christening of the USS Ronald Reagan but the "Your Reply" box wouldn't take them using paste function.

I'm not sure I understand how you mean. Check out THIS post (#116 - link should go directly there) and if that doesn't answer your inquiry, let me know.

That thread has some good information and tips and might be worth bookmarking . . .

[Publicus]

Thank you very much!

[MeekOneGOP]

You bet. My pleasure.

[NativeNewYorker]

thanks