Atlantic Yards Opponent Daniel Goldstein: "I actually don't feel like I live in New York City or a free country anymore."

Atlantic Yards Report brings word of the latest ordeal suffered by Brooklyn homeowner Daniel Goldstein as developer Bruce Ratner and his partners in the state government move forward with their plans to build a basketball stadium on top of Goldstein's home:

Things are getting truly strange for Daniel Goldstein, spokesman for Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, who with his wife and child is the only resident left on Pacific Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

Goldstein lost his condo to condemnation last week and his street and two others were closed and made private.

Now that his street is closed to traffic--permanently at Fifth Avenue, and via guarded barriers at Sixth Avenue, anyone visiting Goldstein must provide advance notice, which means friends have been stopped by guards and kept him on the phone today with representatives of both Forest City Ratner and the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), which owns his property.

Writing at Reason.com last October, Goldstein explained why a wealthy private developer like Ratner should have no right to his home. Unfortunately, New York's highest court disagreed in a shameful 6-1 decision. Now, as Goldstein told the New York Post this week, "I've been told I can't have visitors unless I give advanced notice… I live in New York City and pay taxes, so there's no way that I should be treated differently. I actually don't feel like I live in New York City or a free country anymore."

At this point Goldstein and a few of the other holdouts still remain in their homes or businesses, awaiting formal condemnation proceedings. That includes the staff and patrons of Freddy's Bar, who will be hosting filmmaker Michael Galinksy tonight at 8:30 PM for a screening of clips and footage from Galinksy and Suki Hawley's forthcoming documentary on the Atlantic Yards boondoggle The Battle of Brooklyn. Check out the trailer for their film below, then watch Reason.tv's "Billionaires vs. Brooklyn's Best Bar," which chronicles Freddy's fight against eminent domain abuse.

Comments

[In Time Of War]

It's the government's world, we're just living in it.

[People Power Hour]

I've got the government's world hangin', bro....

[Suki]

Suki Hawley rocks!

[Almanian]

As if I need another reason to hate NYC. Between this and the salt thing...

You are DEAD to me, NYC!! DEAD to me!!!

[John]

Episiarch goes on his Joe rant over Obama. My Joe rant is over Kehlo. Fuck you Joe you worthless corporate shill piece of shit. Fuck you and I hope you and everyone else who supports this shit and has the nerve to call themselves liberals and anything but a corporate shill piece of shit die a painful death.

[crimethink]

Joe opposed the Kelo verdict if I recall correctly. He did support eminent domain for blight and such, but thought the necessary criteria weren't fulfilled in that case.

[John]

He was a big kelo supporter. And totally supported condeming blighted neighborhoods.

[Paul]

I don't believe he did. I specifically remember him deconstructing the Kelo dissent as historically inaccurate... or misinterpreted.

[The Gobbler]

A few years from now, when Ratner sells the team to another owner in another city, this is going to look even worse.

[John]

I doubt the Russian billionaire who is buying the Nets gives a shit about New York. And New York City's economy may not come back anytime soon. Who is to say it can support two basketball and three hockey teams anymore. There is nothing to say that five years from now Seattle doesn't build a new arena and the Nets become the new Sonics. God, that would be funny.

[R C Dean]

I doubt the Russian billionaire who is buying the Nets gives a shit about New York.

I doubt Ratner does, either. Or, for that matter, for most values of "New York", Bloomberg and the City Council.

[J sub D]

It's the Nets. The fucking perennial cellar dwelling Nets. Good luck finding another owner stupid enough to purchase them and another city willing to build an arena for them.

It's the 7 and 56, 33 games out of first, never won an NBA championship Nets.

[ed]

You don't understand. The Nets can't compete unless they have a shiny new arena. A shiny new arena will give the team a sense of pride, and that pride will transform them into a winning team, like the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Nationals.

[C. Bronson]

Maybe if a screwed over home/landowner went postal and killed the rich fucker stealing his property the other rich folks might think twice about doing it to someone else.

After all what is the point of being rich and owning a team if your DEAD!

All these rich people with their polticial ties that gets them anything they want need a wake up call that while they may indeed have money and lowly friends in high places their lives are just as easily snuffed out over their own greed as anyone else's!

[P Brooks]

Maybe that worthless fuck in the White house could take time out from his busy schedule to invite Mister Goldstein and Ratfuck to tea.

He, as a "Constitutional scholar" might find the conversation interesting.

[John]

He won't do that. But I bet the bastard will got to Nets game.

[Shyne]

He won't screw over his boy Jay-Z. Young Hov always wins...

[?]

I actually don't feel like I understand that guy's "or." This is what New York's been like since before anyone now living was born.

[Iason]

I'm just thankful that there are many other states besides mine for these New Yorkers to move to when they have to leave. San Francisco and Chicago are great places for the lefties.

[An impassive broadcaster]

YES Network will cover the groundbreaking live on Thursday...

[Paul]

I actually don't feel like I live in New York City or a free country anymore."

I present to you, the Bill of Temporary Privileges:

http://www.archives.gov/exhibi.....ights.html

[Robertthe size]

For a little while I wondered whether eminent domain would snowball such that after a number of years, real estate would essentially be useless, because nobody could have effective ownership. However I realize that lobbying to be advantaged by E.D. runs up against certain limiting factors, such that out of the total property in the world, only a tiny bit could be forced to change hands by such means over any given period of time, so land ownership would still be mostly secure. It's like being hit by lightning, etc.

[Hazel Meade]

Or decimation.

[MJ]

From what I've seen of the abuses of NYC government, if you lived in NYC why would also presume you lived in a free country in the first place?

[Hazel Meade]

Goldstein lost his condo to condemnation last week and his street and two others were closed and made private.

So much for "just compensation".

[Brian Sorgatz]

Goldstein is an enemy of Big Brother! (Good for him.)

[heller]

It's time for Goldstein to secede.

[jester]

Has he appealed to the comish of the NBA, Mr. Stern? Surely, Stern wouldn't want the stain of abuse on his precious league.