I'm going to break ranks here. I bleed orange and blue and everything, but I'm getting a little tired of this Texas Hold'em all-in approach to the "Lighthouse Project." I'm in favor, I'm in favor and I want it to happen but good holy christmas--what's the rush? Is the reason you're not going to an Islanders game really because of the arena? I mean, if they were contenders are you telling me you'd be staying home because there's not an expensive steak restaurant there? Please.
What's more disturbing is the complete lack of interest on the environmental impact of this project. Again, I want it to happen, but if Hempstead has to take some time to get their collective heads around what this will do to the environment then I am fine with that. I like my water to be as unpolluted as possible and if that means I have to go to some more games and park in a crumbling parking lot and watch an antiquated scoreboard then I'll survive. Think I'm overreacting? Check out this article from the same paper that's treating Wang like he's Ghandi.
Call me a whiny liberal environmentalist if you want (hell, I'm just happy someone's reading this blog) but here's how I see it: One of the richest men in America uses a hockey team to strong arm some local politicians into approving a gigantic building project. As far as I know it's environmentally sound, but if the project were somehow to be considered a huge environmental liability, how could these politicians possibly stand up to the onslaught of Newsday and Wang dragging us fans along with them? I'm guessing the politicians would be strung up before getting a chance to explain the delicate intricacies of our aquifers or whatever other problematic impact the project might present. I don't exactly know how to take the moderate road of wanting the team to stay and getting a new arena while avoiding feeling bullied into supporting Wang's project on his terms. Open to suggestion...
Related articles (for those wondering where the hell this all came from) here and here.
2 comments:
You know, you're down there, so you've got a better idea of the feasibility of the plan in terms of people actually wanting to live there. Is this next to anything? Does it make any sense? Or is it a suburban cocoon thing, where you've still got to drive an hour on the LIE to get anywhere?
I'm with you in that I could give a shit what the building is like. I go to games in Binghamton, and the atmosphere is great. Games at Cornell, where you're practically paralyzed by the seats, also great. Good teams, good fans, good atmosphere.
So, you tell me, does it make sense to build a city right here? Because I'm pretty ambivalent about the whole thing, and also don't understand why Wang needs to build his own city to keep a hockey team on Long Island.
Ok, your turn.
The short answer is that I hope the project goes through, BUT there are some questions:
Pros
-Gives LI a 'center.' Our own Times Square
-More jobs
Questions
-Can the Parkway handle the traffic? I think they'd need to expand it.
-Will it be environmentally sound? I have no idea.
I like Wang despite my post and I think he generally has good things in mind for the team and the project but he's still a guy trying to make a buck and we the fans and residents have to be careful that we don't end footing the bill for this thing one way or another. My only point is that I don't mind that this process is taking a while. I know the guy's losing money, but even he said he knew what he was getting into so let's not try to rush thing. Or at the least, don't let anyone paint this as a Wang vs. Hempstead fight. I think everyone wants the same thing but it's the jobs of the officials to make sure that all concerns are met. Let them do their jobs.
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