The surfeit of closings and restrictions for the convention this week have produced a predictable and deserved outcry from the usual quarters. But unless you are listening closely for those voices, you will find little sympathy for those critical of the massive, albeit relatively brief, disruption of civic life by an event that purports to celebrate democracy. Well, such is the spin media provide without much thought, when in fact the political convention is a dastardly process with much more in common with dictatorships than anything else, as either party would prefer that this moment be the coronation, rather than prelude to the discomfort and expense of an election. It’s unfortunate that we can’t put a permanent physical face to them in the same way one could to Tammany Hall, or 110 Livingston Street.
No, what we can learn this week is how the gradual erosion of public space (which, to be fair, doesn’t have much of strong precedent in most parts of this country) continues with little resistance on the part of the those who encounter it daily, or next to no comment from those ostensibly charged with providing an objective voice on these issues. When the largest media conglomerate throws the opening party in its mall, a vigorously guarded private space, one shouldn’t expect a great deal of criticism when the thousands of people who diligently (and in many cases, without alternatives) support public transit are told to ‘avoid’ their only terminal.
But it’s a point that is worth keeping at the forefront, because the incursions are constant, incremental, and systemic. The vibrancy of any city, and particularly this one, depends upon the autonomous existence of its citizens. But if this is too socialist, think then about what drives revenue and consequently what is an equitable distribution of right. Streets can be owned, rented and closed with little warning, with the full compliance by the city, at times for little or no fee, provided a ‘business interest’ is served. With a tax burden that is falling steadily towards the wide bottom (federal income and capital gains tax, which hit the top end most dramatically, are a net outflow for the city), the continued obeisance of the city ranges from regrettable to appalling. Tax abatements are issued against corporation tax, not payroll tax. More and more of our city services are funded by sales and various proto-VAT taxes (look closely at your phone bill), but we are expected to demurely defer to the various land grabs: sidewalk cafes, movie shoots, events that close large areas (Disney in the Sheep Meadow, for instance), so that when we are allowed unfettered access, it is then promoted as surplus, as an heretofore unrealized benefit.
The other agent that is an integral role in the preservation of public space is the tourist. The significance of revenue cannot be understated, and there is also a measurable value of cultures intermingling, even if only for a short time. Tourism is one of those sea change events that deserve the same critical eye, since some of the forces (or their proxies, quasi public business associations that field their own security forces) driving the privatization of space are those profiting most handsomely from tourism. But tourism requires people. Every attempt will be made to render environments simple. It is not a grand cabal, simply the deadening required for the efficient transaction of capital. Nodes are celebrated only if the can be serviced in an orderly way. Otherwise, we see the logical reaction of rendering previously unique locations as similar by the presence of repetitive stores and restaurants. Can’t make it to Toys-R-Us in Times Square? Go to Union Square! They got one too!
But if culture is work, then maybe we should surrender the battle. It’s supposed to be fun, right? Not here, where if you can make it, then anywhere. That implies a certain amount of grit and determination is required to simply earn your chance to plant a stake in the ground. Except they keep trying to cordon off where and when you can. Another tedious scrum we have to wade through. Show your colors this week. Throwing bottles is for excitable college students. Being as difficult as you damn well please to get your way, and not budging an inch is the way we do things are around here. Wear it with pride.
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It makes you blue.
The surfeit of closings and restrictions for the convention this week have produced a predictable and deserved outcry from the usual quarters. But unless you are listening closely for those voices, you will find little sympathy for those critical of the massive, albeit relatively brief, disruption of civic life by an event that purports to celebrate democracy. Well, such is the spin media provide without much thought, when in fact the political convention is a dastardly process with much more in common with dictatorships than anything else, as either party would prefer that this moment be the coronation, rather than prelude to the discomfort and expense of an election. It’s unfortunate that we can’t put a permanent physical face to them in the same way one could to Tammany Hall, or 110 Livingston Street.
No, what we can learn this week is how the gradual erosion of public space (which, to be fair, doesn’t have much of strong precedent in most parts of this country) continues with little resistance on the part of the those who encounter it daily, or next to no comment from those ostensibly charged with providing an objective voice on these issues. When the largest media conglomerate throws the opening party in its mall, a vigorously guarded private space, one shouldn’t expect a great deal of criticism when the thousands of people who diligently (and in many cases, without alternatives) support public transit are told to ‘avoid’ their only terminal. But it’s a point that is worth keeping at the forefront, because the incursions are constant, incremental, and systemic. The vibrancy of any city, and particularly this one, depends upon the autonomous existence of its citizens. But if this is too socialist, think then about what drives revenue and consequently what is an equitable distribution of right. Streets can be owned, rented and closed with little warning, with the full compliance by the city, at times for little or no fee, provided a ‘business interest’ is served. With a tax burden that is falling steadily towards the wide bottom (federal income and capital gains tax, which hit the top end most dramatically, are a net outflow for the city), the continued obeisance of the city ranges from regrettable to appalling. Tax abatements are issued against corporation tax, not payroll tax. More and more of our city services are funded by sales and various proto-VAT taxes (look closely at your phone bill), but we are expected to demurely defer to the various land grabs: sidewalk cafes, movie shoots, events that close large areas (Disney in the Sheep Meadow, for instance), so that when we are allowed unfettered access, it is then promoted as surplus, as an heretofore unrealized benefit. The other agent that is an integral role in the preservation of public space is the tourist. The significance of revenue cannot be understated, and there is also a measurable value of cultures intermingling, even if only for a short time. Tourism is one of those sea change events that deserve the same critical eye, since some of the forces (or their proxies, quasi public business associations that field their own security forces) driving the privatization of space are those profiting most handsomely from tourism. But tourism requires people. Every attempt will be made to render environments simple. It is not a grand cabal, simply the deadening required for the efficient transaction of capital. Nodes are celebrated only if the can be serviced in an orderly way. Otherwise, we see the logical reaction of rendering previously unique locations as similar by the presence of repetitive stores and restaurants. Can’t make it to Toys-R-Us in Times Square? Go to Union Square! They got one too! But if culture is work, then maybe we should surrender the battle. It’s supposed to be fun, right? Not here, where if you can make it, then anywhere. That implies a certain amount of grit and determination is required to simply earn your chance to plant a stake in the ground. Except they keep trying to cordon off where and when you can. Another tedious scrum we have to wade through. Show your colors this week. Throwing bottles is for excitable college students. Being as difficult as you damn well please to get your way, and not budging an inch is the way we do things are around here. Wear it with pride.