I realize that it's been a while since I've posted here. I've been busy, but more than that it's been a struggle to find the motivation to find new ways to write about a process that's gone very far south. I will do my best to keep on top of things, even if it means more frequent but shorter posts.
I thought this fun idea - with a gratuitous picture of Angelina Jolie thrown in for good measure - was a good place to return. Enjoy:
An Unbiased Comparison: Angelina Jolie vs. the Lighthouse Project
Conception
Angelina Jolie: Born June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California.
Lighthouse Project: Conceived in 2002-2003
Genealogy
Angelina Jolie: Daughter of actors Jon Voight (who may or may not have previously owned George Costanza's LeBaron) and Marcheline Bertrand.
Lighthouse Project: Conceived by main visionaries Charles Wang and Scott Rechler
Debut
Angelina Jolie: Made professional acting debut in 1993's Cyborg 2 as "Cash" Reese
Lighthouse Project: Unveiled September 2004 as a 77-acre, $1.6 billion project
Perhaps Best Known For...
Angelina Jolie: Her relationship with Brad Pitt
Lighthouse Project: Being the most widely-supported large development in Long Island history, with supporters outnumbering opponents 2-1.
Re-Invention
Angelina Jolie: Became known for her international humanitarian work and the children she has adopted out of terrible circumstances, both by herself and with Brad Pitt.
Lighthouse Project: Re-born as 150-acre, $3.8 billion project after Charles Wang brought Scott Rechler and Rexcorp aboard.
Number of Times Mentioned by Name in Ed Mangano's State of the County Address
Angelina Jolie: 1
Lighthouse Project: 0
Bottom Line
The Ed Mangano of recent weeks has been a far cry from the staunchly pro-Lighthouse candidate who sat down with me back in October. He didn't mention the Lighthouse by name, merely devoting a sentence in his State of the County to congratulating Kate Murray for moving the process forward. In the same vein, as reader mrlbem pointed out, Mangano spoke at a breakfast March 12 at Crest Hollow Country Club and sounded downright ambivalent about the Lighthouse Project. He has been deferring to the Town of Hempstead with greater regularity on the project, and he seemed to believe it would be fine to either move forward with the Lighthouse Development Group or spend months/years finding someone else.
At the same time, sources have whispered about Charles Wang increasingly stepping away from the project in recent months. The radio silence has gone on, and it took a mention of Angelina Jolie - where there was none for the Lighthouse Project - to make me truly realize that we need answers. Now.
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Had parent-teacher conferences today and towards the end the conversation turned to the teacher's 22 and 24 year old kids. The teacher was saying how there is no way that her kids can afford to live on Long Island and that she is encouranging her OWN kids NOT to do so. That she will follow them whereever they go. Then there was the other night when I was out with some friends and every person at the table (from the informed, to Islander fans, to those who were say, less than informed) couldn't believe this thing wasn't getting done. It is really sad. Fast forward 25 years and the Island is going to be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteMangano is just another bum. I don't expect anything from him.
ReplyDeleteI guess we will just have to see what happens...
ReplyDeleteIf Wang accepts the "Scaled back version". There may yet be hope. If not I don't know.
I still have vision of another "Source" mall on Hempstead Turnpike. I certainly hope I'm wrong.
Unfortunately, as I have said before, I believe the damage has already been done. Since Charlie and Kate could not come to a compromise to this point and most of the bickering has been public (until Charlie's silence since Oct. 3) It tells the other business that is very difficult to impossible to develop on Long Island and that...THAT is the legacy of this fight.
I hope I am wrong about my opinion, but that is how I read it at this point
--Islanderbill
i lived on the western side of houston, texas during the early 1980's. the city was booming and the area i was in looked much like a new, suburban oasis with restaurants, clubs, apartment complexes, tennis courts, retail shops opening and bustling daily.
ReplyDeleteas soon as 2000, the same area had deteriorated into an unkempt, rundown, trashland (even while the city as a whole continued to do well). i don't know if nassau county will end up like that BECAUSE the LH doesn't get done. but the trend is long in that direction and those in position to do something about it are trained on other ambitions. when you have schoolteachers telling their kids to bail out, the signs are bad. i grew up in nassau county. i am sure there are many long time residents who think "that can't happen here." it can, and i can tell you firsthand it won't take 25 years to reach some shocking depths.
With regards to the Lighthouse Project, I feel we all have been sold "Jon Voight's LeBaron." It was his Lebaron alright - "John (with an H) Voight the Periodontist."
ReplyDeleteInstead of a visionary, next-generation destination for Long Island, we will get a ho-hum scaled down, mundane suburban development.
Hey Nick, thanks for writing even tho its been hard to find anything new to talk about...I still visit your site at least once or twice a day crossing my fingers for something new to be posted I understand why you haven't had much to post about and its not your fault even if you are busy...I feel bad for Long Island and the people like you because you worked so hard to inform us and effect positive change...I say we need to elect you for office...
ReplyDeleteNick for president!!!:-)
Typical politician. Im not really surprised he didnt mention LHP...
ReplyDeleteNext time I run into this professional hand shaker...he'll hear my mouth.
I believe the project is dead. Hey, I'm a staunch right winger and I can tell you that if the TOH was willing to re-elect Kate Murray, a RINO, they will never move any worthwhile project in the TOH. Kate Murray is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal and the entire Nassau RINO Party will continue to support her to the detriment of Nassau County and Long Island. If you've ever seen her TV commercials you know she's nearly as far left as our socialist president. Forget about pro-growth, pro-business, pro-job policies in her kingdom. She's too busy hugging trees and saving the planet with Al Gore. These two dillusional people are a perfect representation of what's wrong with America. In the meantime I would like to use the rest of this space to encourage Brooklyn, Queens and Suffolk to find a way to keep the Islanders on Long Island, Kate be damned!
ReplyDeleteThe teacher is giving her children the correct decision for a better future. Long Island has been going downhill for many many years. I left the Island back in the 80's thinking it was bad then, I can only imagine how much worse it has become over the years. To think that one of your readers is calling Murray a liberal is the biggest bullshit I've ever heard. Murray a liberal hanging out with the likes of Mondello, Mangano, and the rest of the do nothing Republicans for the last 10 years (LHP), man you had better get your head examined.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone - it's such a sad comment on Long Island when people are openly advising their children to leave and never look back. I've received the same advice, and I have to say it's only a matter of time before I follow through on that advice and never look back. I've only stayed here so long because it's more expensive to live in the city and I'm bootstrapping a start-up, so that's where most of my money has been going.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the comments from Islanderbill, Day1, and Marc are coming sadly true. If the Town guts this as badly as they seemingly want to, we will all have been sold John Voight's LeBaron - just another ho-hum waste of space rather than a new beginning.
IslesPassion21 - Thank you for the kind words. It would suck to invest so much energy into something that failed, but I'm far more upset for Long Island than I would be for my own sake. It's never good to hang a big sign on Long Island saying "Big Ideas Not Welcome Here."
To the last 2 commenters: I've tried to cut this as down the middle as possible, especially since I don't belong to a political party. You are both entitled to come down on whatever side of the political spectrum, but keep it off this site. I have never deleted a comment written by someone other than myself, don't make me start now.
Kate Murray, from my perspective, is trying to cater to the people who aren't in danger of moving off Long Island, because those are the people that will continue electing her and her ilk to office. People always talk about how Kate Murray is so popular, but what tough decisions has she made that would risk alienating the rank-and-file? It's hard to hate someone who's never made a controversial decision.
I work as part of a management team for a very successful fortune 500 company. I can tell you Kate Murray could never work or lead a fortune 500 company that seeks innovative ideas, or has to make difficult decisions to stay compeptitive and grow. She is a complacent politician who had her job given to her by supporting old initiatives. She is very fortunate her Dad or family member gave her a job at the TOH. She is a failure in my book, her success has been nothing more than a silver spoon. Kate could never make it in the real world, she would have been terminated or fired for being short sighted and incompetent.
ReplyDelete