Posted on 07/20/2006 8:45:04 PM PDT by auzerais
Clinton Wears Out His Welcome
Remember the fanfare when Bill Clinton decided to house his offices in Harlem after the end of his presidency? The community turned out in droves to welcome the man that some called "the first black President," declaring that his decision to lease offices in the area would spark an economic resurgence. His decision and the $354,000 lease created headlines for weeks.
Today, that decision has created different headlines. His formerly enthusiastic neighbors now blame him for the increasing gentrification of Harlem, raising rents and displacing the disadvantaged:
Harlem residents gathered outside President Clinton's office yesterday to protest against the former president as a symbol of Harlem's gentrification and the displacement of its residents.
The Harlem Tenants Council hosted the protest at 125th Street between Lenox and Park avenues that was attended by about 40 mostly elderly, African-American residents of the area. A HTC co-founder, Nellie Bailey, said the primary goal of the protest was to draw attention to what she calls a "housing crisis in Harlem," due in part to displacement because of price increases by landlords and evictions.
"We're hoping to have a dialogue with a president of enormous influence," Ms. Bailey said, "so he can understand the concerns of Harlem tenants," including the lack of a comprehensive, beneficial housing policy and legal services. A Clinton Foundation spokesman, Jay Carson, declined to comment on the protest.
Economic resurgence has its problems, and gentrification qualifies as one of the biggest. As property values increase, landlords have to get better rent and lease terms to keep up with bigger mortgages and tax bills. Property values tend to increase when high-profile tenants start taking up available lease space, such as Bill Clinton did in 2001.
It's unfair of Harlem residents to target Clinton for their woes, or at least him alone. New York has a number of factors that play into the sharp increase in housing costs, most of which have to do with their high tax rates and top-down rent control. The latter comes from a market that has too much demand and too little supply in the first place. Eventually that market effect would have driven people to Harlem for better prices; Clinton just made it trendy to do so.
It's a bit more than ironic that Clinton would get the blame, after the reams of fawning press he garnered for his move to Harlem and the interminable PR of how much the African-American community loved him. Apparently, Harlem residents would love Bill Clinton to go to the Upper West Side for a while.
Or, A: One sucks and one blows.
Your tagline is nonsense .
A la Boomhauer.
I like to call it Prezi-Dew.
Now that's funny !
How about Prezi-please don't?
"As I remember it. The Clintons origianlly tried to setup the offices in some really expensive area of mid-town Manhattan and have the US tax payers foot the entire bill for the rent and furnishings. After a lot of bad press about how much money they were playing to spend on all this, they, then with much deliberate publicity, annouced they were moving the offices to Harlem. This brought many laughs because everyone knew that the Clintons were caught in another scam and only picked Harlem to appear like they really cared about hanging with poor "
Good memory, I believe your right.
So does that mean in a sense, that Klinton has too .....?
I don't get it.
ping legacy
Then what was she doing in Harlem?
LOL! file under: no good deed goes unpunished!
Hey, what goes around, comes around. Lenox Hill and that area used to be nice neighborhoods. Nobody was picketing when they were run into the ground and became ghettos.
Really? Then why has the Bush Administration and the Republican congress spent more than any other amdinistration (even when you take out military/war expenditures?) I respect Bush's determination and steadfastness on the war against terrorism but he's been an a great friend to big government.
He's no Reagan. And his pandering to the NCAALP today was quite nauseating. It's too bad the republican party has been neutered. If onlyl they could grow their balls back.
You probably never will. It was in regards to your trailer post .
LOL! I had to stop and do a doubt take. Forty? As in 4-0? A protest in NYC with 40 people? Correction. That's (quote) "about" (unquote) 40 people. Oh good grief!
He not down wit da b!tches and the hoes ?
Wow! The Law of Intended Consequences
"You probably never will. It was in regards to your trailer post ."
Sorry, I didn't understand that post either.
Is something going on that I'm missing?
You are so right. Slick wanted to rent suites of offices in Carnegie Towers, a prestigious office building in Midtown Manhattan.
It was the other tenants in the building, major big name law firms and businesses who objected and filed complaints with the city. It would have caused tremendous traffic jams, security problems, and general disruption for the others in the building.
Slick, realizing he would be rejected by the buiding, showed up in Harlem and took space there.
It is all about him, and his WINO Slickette, of course!
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