Some West Side pols, like Rep. Jerry Nadler, are whining that the public has been shut out of planning for a new Port Authority Bus Terminal.
So how do they protest? By boycotting a meeting that would have included them.
What phonies.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the nation’s busiest — and it’s a disgrace. Yet Nadler, Manhattan Beep Gale Brewer and other pols want to keep it that way. Last week, they blew off a meeting with Port Authority officials to discuss the plans.
What are their objections? They claim the process has been flawed and secretive. They cite “concerns” about historic sites in the area, air quality and residents and businesses that might have to move.
And they’re threatening to hold up federal, state and city approvals — unless a design competition for the new terminal is restarted after their concerns are addressed. That is, never.
OK, no one likes dramatic change in their neighborhood. But the needs of the entire region are at stake. Shouldn’t Nadler & Co., as political leaders, think more broadly?
It’s a typical scenario. Plans for some development trigger staged outrage, boycotts, letters, news conferences, lawsuits, op-ed pieces . . . Sometimes the sticks-in-the-mud manage to kill some good ideas.
When they don’t, it’s often because they’ve been bribed with goodies “for the community.” The greater the outrage, the bigger the bribe. (Extortion? Pretty close.)
And the Nadler clan doesn’t even seem serious: They say they’re “not willing to give an aura of legitimacy” to the process — but they look forward to meeting with the PA to address their concerns. Huh?
Elected officials have a duty to look out for the broader community — not the interests a narrow few. Threats to block progress toward a new terminal will only mean prolonged misery for the region.