NJ.com Needs to Stop Publishing Misinformation about LSP

Submitted by nuncio_populi t3_11vu7co in jerseycity

With last week's announcement that the NJ DEP will live up to its name and protect the natural environment in LSP from overdevelopment, the People's Park Foundation and its lackeys have rolled out the astroturf so Fireman can keep his tacky dreams alive. NJ.com should be ashamed of publishing this group's lies that the DEP doesn't care about Jersey City residents and that redevelopment plans won't come with amenities for the community. As an added bonus, this time the People's Park bullshit comes wrapped in the guise of racial justice.

So, I say this on behalf of my family: I want my daughters to be able to see the wetlands and woodlands restored. I want them to have public recreational amenities within walking distance. I want them to benefit from having a buffer between our home and the surging seas when the next Sandy hits.

I want the park to be protected and not developed into concert venues and ball fields that fit a few thousand spectators. I want them and tens of thousands of others to enjoy biking on miles of winding trails and playing team sports in the open air, and to never have to worry about losing it all because one wealthy man thought he was more important than us.

If Richard Smith of the NAACP were truly concerned about environmental justice and racial equity for Jersey City, he'd be writing his op-ed to oppose the Turnpike expansion which will bring more diesel-spewing trucks and cram thousands of cars onto the streets. Instead, he — and the others like Hurley who have been bought and paid for by Fireman — wants to pave over our bourgeoning slice of paradise in LSP.

Enough is enough. NJ.com needs to stop publishing misinformation in the guise of Op.Eds.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2023/03/jersey-citys-brown-and-black-communities-deserve-a-better-liberty-state-park-opinion.html?outputType=amp

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GoHuskies1984 t1_jcv1516 wrote

I just saw this story. Jesus Christ the pro park development team is now claiming that to NOT develop Liberty State Park is racist????

Fuck these people.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcv67u3 wrote

Well, that's the lie, right? Richard Smith claims that those of us who oppose the People Park plans also oppose any work being done in the park, and that simply isn't true.

If what the state has indicated is true, we're going to be getting some nice ball fields, restored wildlife habitat, and miles and miles of new trails because they'll have remediated the contaminated interior.

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objectimpermanence t1_jcwbu1i wrote

They’ve been claiming that for a while actually.

An interesting irony that someone else pointed out the last time this was in the news a lot was that Fireman’s opponents were disproportionately white, as left wing environmental groups tend to be. Meanwhile, Fireman has an NAACP board member and several local black leaders on his side.

Honestly, I can understand why some people see the appeal of Fireman’s side. LSP is noticeably bereft of active recreation opportunities and the park’s supporters generally have little interest in changing the status quo when it comes to the type of amenities in the park.

Not everyone considers themselves an environmentalist or an avid birdwatcher. As far as I can tell, the park’s supporters have made few concessions to the demographic of park users who want LSP to have more amenities like Central Park.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcwps23 wrote

I’ll say it again louder for those who willfully refuse to hear: THE STATE DEP PLAN INCLUDES 60 ACRES FOR SPORTS.

The People’s Park plan is a gross overdevelopment of the park that would pave over large open spaces to put up closed-off stadiums and concert venues. Not even Central Park has anything comparable to what Fireman’s cronies want to put up.

Also, what a bad take: A park goer doesn’t have to be an environmentalist or bird watcher to enjoy nature. A state park is supposed to be a resource to enjoy being outdoors; it’s not supposed to be Disney Land.

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davebozo t1_jczvmad wrote

is there anywhere to see renderings of the different proposals?

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jczzkud wrote

Sure. Copying this from a response I gave on a different thread. See below:

Last year, the state legislature passed a $100 million act to fund Liberty State Park. There are two competing visions for the land:

The original plan calls for wetland, woodland, and grassland restoration to create wildlife habitat and scenic, passive recreation for all visitors to the park plus an additional sixty acres of sporting facilities, active recreational fields open, and a cultural center – all open to the public. The park also lies in a flood plain so habitat restoration will actually add a buffer to protect low-lying neighboring communities, particularly parts of Jersey City — Greenville, Bergen-Lafayette, and Downtown. You can see an older version of the state's plan here.

The alternative plan is promoted by the People's Park Foundation, which is funded by billionaire golf course owner Paul Fireman. This plan calls for the park to be turned into concert venues with multiple stadiums to be built and concession vendors spread throughout to "generate revenue." Predecessors to the overdevelopment plan have called for a new marina for yachts (conveniently located by Fireman's golf course) and, in the past, an outlandish formula-1 racetrack.

For context, Fireman has long coveted an environmentally sensitive portion of Liberty State Park called Caven Point to expand his golf course. His People's Park Foundation has been running a campaign in the op.ed section of NJ.com for the last year either claiming that the first plan does not exist or grossly underselling the state's vision for the park. They try and conflate opposition to their plan with the false idea that the state wants to abandon Liberty State Park.

Edit: Added in the links.

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davebozo t1_jd030xx wrote

in this latest version of fireman plan does he get any portion for his golf course? Also, the DEP needs some better renderings to compete with the other proposal.

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Belindiam t1_jd5499m wrote

The Fireman people's plan is not to scale but merely a utopian rendering. There simply isn't the space to it all.

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yucca_beluga t1_jcz17ul wrote

the problem with that argument is that those "amenities" aren't actually going to benefit the people who need them. it will largely benefit the people who live in the most expensive parts of downtown with the easiest access to the park. additionally concert venues etc. just means more instances where access to the park is going to be restricted to those who have the funds for concerts.

Some of us just want to retain open spaces that anyone can enjoy.

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ffejie t1_jcv786u wrote

I am amazed that the big selling point is a new stadium for high school football? I'm sure some football families care, but when we already have other facilities for this, why exactly do we need to give up greenspace for a new stadium?

"Other communities have better stadiums!" has to be the least impressive reasoning I've seen for this scale of development. Why not just upgrade the existing JC facility if you truly cared and wanted to waste a bunch of money?

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcvf94t wrote

Great point. You know – if Fireman really cared that much about the welfare of our children, he could donate his golf course to build these plans. I don't know why his foundation needs the state's land.

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DirectorBeneficial48 t1_jcvnnwa wrote

As an alum from the public school system who played football there, Caven Point is significantly better than it used to be. That's a very nice turf, which is way better than the mud it used to be.

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nervousopposum t1_jcv8wmh wrote

I just read this story and immediately came to Reddit hoping that others would also be angry about this article

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcveul8 wrote

I have half a mind to write to NJ.com myself to call them out for this nonsense but I know they won't publish it.

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StoryofTheGhost33 t1_jcvboif wrote

Fireman has pushed this BS that if he can expand his golf course for bullionares he can also expand his First Tee program.

The First Tee program already exists or existed (I'm not sure where it stands) and he has billions of dollars to expand it/restart if he really wanted to. He also has the land to do it. He doesn't need more land.

Note this is nothing new. They have been pushing these opinion pieces for many many years.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2018/03/first_tee_provides_much_more_than_golf_program_off.html

Preventing privatization was a gigantic win for our community! This has been such a long road to victory.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcvf1sx wrote

I keep calling out these pieces every time I see them because I want to make sure we all stay engaged. He and his "foundation" are trying so hard to get their private development. For the sake of my children, I do not want to see that happen.

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uieLouAy t1_jcv3b51 wrote

Tell me Paul Fireman made a big donation to the NJ NAACP without telling me Paul Fireman made a big donation to the NJ NAACP.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcv6bv8 wrote

Who needs real friends when you can just buy people to say nice things about your ideas, am I right?

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mooseLimbsCatLicks t1_jcvi0an wrote

I saw this and also am surprised how much bullshit NJ.com publishes. Also surprised at how full of shit the nj naacp head is.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcvjxu2 wrote

It's some serious horseshit. You literally have the NJ Turnpike expansion plan through Greenville's backyard but, no, the real environmental injustice would be not letting a billionaire build a stadium, concert venue, and expand his golf course on public land.

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Empty_Smoke_6249 t1_jcwp18w wrote

Not the first first time an NAACP member has sold their soul to the highest bidder. Sad, but the reality is people like Fireman have been playing this game for a while. As a POC, it pisses me off, because when Black/brown kids inevitably get screwed over by Fireman, this Richard Smith guy will claim he was deceived.

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AccountantOfFraud t1_jcv0vss wrote

NJ.com is a corporate owned "news" site. Of course it going to take the side of a local billionaire.

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Irish-Bronx t1_jcv42e1 wrote

Everything everyone everything is racist. The word has lost all meaning.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jcv6kj2 wrote

I give Fireman credit. It's a clever gambit to get a local NAACP leader call an actual community-based and state-led redevelopment effort racist in order to keep the door open for a private developer to do his shady deals.

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