Do you recall hearing that Giuliani's administration was briefly considering putting all the homeless people on a barge that would circle Manhattan? I remember hearing this, but of course now that I can't find any back up, it seems more like a nutty rumor than reality.
Your remarks and lively debates are welcome, whether supportive or critical of the views herein. Your articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to an article are welcome.
However, commentary that is intended to "flame" or attack, that contains violence, racist comments and potential libel will not be published. Facts are helpful.
If you'd like to make personal attacks and libelous claims against people and businesses, then you may do so on your own social media accounts. Also, comments predicting when a new business will close ("I give it six weeks") will not be approved.
Nope, it was true - altho as I recollect the barges were not going to be moving, they were to be anchored in the East River. (Eastside River?) But the courts put the kibosh on that idea. Bloomberg floated (sorry, accidental pun) a similar idea early in his administration, he actually had members of his administration go down to the Bahamas to look into buying old cruise ships and bringing them up to NY for the same purpose. That one obviously didn't go anywhere either.
ReplyDeleteI know that Bloomberg explored the idea:
ReplyDeletehttp://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20021121&slug=homeless21
Don't know about Giuliani.
-- Tom
I don't know that it was for homeless people, but Giuliani did bring in several barges that were used in the Falklands war and had them converted to prisons. They were moored in pier 40 on the Hudson River.
ReplyDeleteThey used for housing the overflowing inmates that his administration rounded up.
I remember seeing them when I lived on the west side.
they should consider putting the Woo-Woo! ers on a barge that would circle Manhattan. they can Woo-Woo! all they want.
ReplyDeleteHah, that's a pretty good capsule comparison of Giuliani vs Bloomberg - same shit, different strategy. Giuliani proposes a barge - positioning the homeless as human garbage. Bloomberg proposes cruise ships - gee, who wouldn't want a cruise? Almost makes me jealous of those lucky homeless people. Plus staff members got a bahamas trip out of it.
ReplyDeleteThe usual revisionist history where the great liberals assume that everything that happened in NYC that might now seem objectionable occurred during the Giulini years.
ReplyDeleteThe barges were bought by Mayor Koch in the late 1980s, for some at the time ungodly sum. They were moored in several places, including the West Village, LES and the Bronx. They were former troop carriers turned into prison ships, and used as prisons for several years (as were some retired SI Ferry boats). The two in Manhattan were closed in 1992.
There was some suggestion during the Dinkins years to use them to house homeless families in the early 1990s. Giuliani sold them within a few months of taking office.
Sounds both pragmatic and fun.
ReplyDeleteI'd heard it was disused cruise ships...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I know someone who did time on the floating prison and he said the food was much better there than on Rikers.
I hate Giuliani and Bloomberg but Anonymous is correct.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikers_Island
Guys I was riding my bike the other day and got excited and I did a big wooooo! I felt bad about it but I think the crazy wild bike ridin' NYC man woo is different than the late night annoying sidewalk drunk woo!
ReplyDelete