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Mayor Cory Booker: Devils owner let Newark down


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Who gives a sh!t what others think, don't let the PC police bother you. What you said has a lot of truth behind it and some people have a hard time accepting that some of what you said is very true.

The last 2 out of 3 home games this year I was asked for money several times and was told some stupid story that I had to ignore and walk right on by. I'm sure there are some people that don't appreciate bringing their kids to a game and have to be annoyed by people asking for money.

Cory Booker has done jack sh!t to improve Newark and other then a hotel/few restaurants right around the arena, the city of Newark is still a big sh!t hole that most people should avoid.

If I go alone, or get separated from my group before or after the game, then I am pretty much guaranteed to get asked for money at least once by a homeless person. I am not talking about some guy laying there asking for change, but approaching me and giving me some story.

For me it is just awkward but I kindly say no as best as I can and then just move on. I have only been to the point of where I felt harassed only about once or twice ever, but really it is no big deal. However, I can see how many people would be put off by it so overall I do agree with you.

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Who gives a sh!t what others think, don't let the PC police bother you. What you said has a lot of truth behind it and some people have a hard time accepting that some of what you said is very true.

The last 2 out of 3 home games this year I was asked for money several times and was told some stupid story that I had to ignore and walk right on by. I'm sure there are some people that don't appreciate bringing their kids to a game and have to be annoyed by people asking for money.

Cory Booker has done jack sh!t to improve Newark and other then a hotel/few restaurants right around the arena, the city of Newark is still a big sh!t hole that most people should avoid.

And the Ironbound, and most of North Newark, and Upper Vailsburg, etc.

Go to Philly, Baltimore, DC, Detroit etc. for games and come back to me about too many bums. I've dealt with that crap in a couple of those places too, as well as families. Don't like it? Send a message and Boycott.

Edited by Marv4Life
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And the Ironbound, and most of North Newark, and Upper Vailsburg, etc.

Go to Philly, DC, Detroit etc. for games and come back to me about too many bums. I've dealt with that crap in a couple of those places too, as well as families. Don't like it? Send a message and Boycott.

Well Ironbound was always pretty decent compared to the rest of Newark.

However if all of your posts in defending Newark are just comparing them to the worst areas of certain cities or cities with historically high crime, then you are not exactly making favorable comparisons by any means. Just because it is less of a sh!thole than another sh!thole doesn't make it any better.

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And the Ironbound, and most of North Newark, and Upper Vailsburg, etc.

Go to Philly, Baltimore, DC, Detroit etc. for games and come back to me about too many bums. I've dealt with that crap in a couple of those places too, as well as families. Don't like it? Send a message and Boycott.

So because Newark has less bums then other cities it's ok? :rolleyes:

It doesn't bother me as I just ignore them and keep walking but like I said I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't like it and it shows that loud mouth Cory Booker has done jack sh!t to improve anything in this city.

And the Ironbound is one of the better areas because the Portuguese try to keep it that way.

Edited by Satans Hockey
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My point is I go to these teams' message boards featuring teams from those cities I mentioned and I rarely hear fans constantly whining about bums, crime, QOL, etc around the places they play like they do here or Devils' forums elsewhere.

Again, don't like it, boycott. Or tell a police officer the next time you go like I do when I'm at Penn Station. Or hit Mayor Booker on Facebook and Twitter and share your grievances. Usually he's responsive when it comes to these matters. I hear the NPD has a Twitter account.

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I've been a STH for three seasons now and take the train every game. Not once from Penn Station through Gateway and around any area around the building have I ever felt uneasy or pestered by anyone.

I've gone myself or with family and its been the same. We take in the enjoyment and don't worry what others do.

Ill say it again this time on a message board. Its the suburbanites who live in their little bedroom community "shell". NJ is full of upper middle class white families who are ridiculously ignorant and afraid of their own shadows.

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Ill say it again this time on a message board. Its the suburbanites who live in their little bedroom community "shell". NJ is full of upper middle class white families who are ridiculously ignorant and afraid of their own shadows.

Yep. Especially the sheltered Bergenites. But nobody will admit that.

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There are a lot more panhandlers around Broad Street than Newark Penn or the Gateway. Mainly due to having far less of a police presence there.

I got hit up at Championship plaza during fan fest at the last game.

It is highly unlikely that someone will get mugged around the Rock, but it still is not the most pleasant area.

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So because Newark has less bums then other cities it's ok? :rolleyes:

It doesn't bother me as I just ignore them and keep walking but like I said I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't like it and it shows that loud mouth Cory Booker has done jack sh!t to improve anything in this city.

And the Ironbound is one of the better areas because the Portuguese try to keep it that way.

I'm sorry but when did 'getting rid of bums' become a mayor's mandate? New York is not free of homeless people hassling people on subway trains, or panhandlers outside of grocery stores/convenience stores, or the like. It's just an accepted part of living in the city.

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I'm sorry but when did 'getting rid of bums' become a mayor's mandate? New York is not free of homeless people hassling people on subway trains, or panhandlers outside of grocery stores/convenience stores, or the like. It's just an accepted part of living in the city.

You're right and I agree but Cory still hasn't done a single thing to improve this sh!t hole of a city.

Edited by Satans Hockey
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The homeless thing again? Every city has homeless people, and they aren't just in the "bad" areas. I've never seen more than when I was in San Antonio a few years back to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk. MSG is surrounded by them and a ton of them are whacked out on crack. The Vegas Strip, the French Quarter in New Orleans, Beale Street in Memphis ... all their cities' crown jewels of tourism, and all crawling with homeless people. Hell, a co-worker of mine just came back from Honolulu and said he's never seen more homeless people in his entire life. Honolulu!

Homeless people are in every city. We now have an arena in a city. Either deal with it, or take the Gateway.

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Also, anyone else notice the new parking meters the city rolled out in the last 2 home games? They now have an event parking fee of 15 bucks to part on the street on broad right near the arena. Makes me wonder if they are going to keep adding these things to all the spots near the arena.

Edited by Satans Hockey
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Used to work in Newark, Gateway Plaza. Had to take the train home past midnight on a few occasions. Newark Penn Station is a pretty creepy place at that time. Would also go out for smoke breaks and get harassed every so often. (The same homeless woman would come up to me and demand five dollars for a train ticket.)

Still, it has absolutely zero to do with whether I would or would not go to a game, and I imagine that's the same for 99 percent of the potential market of potential ticket buyers.

New York Penn Station and the surrounding area has just as many panhandlers, but it hasn't stopped people from selling out the Garden on virtually every night.

And really, what would you propose Mayor Booker do about the homelessness problems in Newark. You can build all the shelters you want, but, legally, you can't force anyone to stay there. He could have the most ingenious plan to revitalize Newark, including having Google, Facebook and Apple relocate their headquarters there, and you'd still have the same amount of homeless people.

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http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2012/04/mayor_cory_booker_devils_owner.html

By Cory Booker

I’ve never publicly criticized someone as I did Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek last week. To some, this seemed out of character, especially because I’m one of those who believe the over-the-top way we talk to each other in our democracy often undermines our ability to solve complicated problems and advance toward common aspirations. Thus, I feel I owe it to our community to further explain why I believe my comments were warranted.

My anger isn’t simply about the arbitrators’ decision. The courts will eventually decide the revenue dispute and hopefully rectify what was never anyone’s intention: that the city should be paying more to Vanderbeek than Vanderbeek is sharing in direct revenue with the city. Instead, my outrage with him is centered on the public commitments he made to our city.

No matter what your political inclination is, you have to say that for a mayor of one of America's largest cities to come out publicly like this it must mean something. I don't know the details, but VBK must be an absolute scum bag for Booker to do this. Think of it, would Booker commit political suicide for something inconsequential and irrelevant- I think not.

Don't be such homers guys, think outside the rink for a moment...

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No matter what your political inclination is, you have to say that for a mayor of one of America's largest cities to come out publicly like this it must mean something. I don't know the details, but VBK must be an absolute scum bag for Booker to do this. Think of it, would Booker commit political suicide for something inconsequential and irrelevant- I think not.

Don't be such homers guys, think outside the rink for a moment...

You need to go read the facts.

Edited by Satans Hockey
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No matter what your political inclination is, you have to say that for a mayor of one of America's largest cities to come out publicly like this it must mean something. I don't know the details, but VBK must be an absolute scum bag for Booker to do this. Think of it, would Booker commit political suicide for something inconsequential and irrelevant- I think not.

Don't be such homers guys, think outside the rink for a moment...

Politicians often commit political suicide doing stupid things, this appears to be one of those times, if that's you're view.

I don't think this is political suicide though, I think it's calculated to make himself look like the little guy fighting for Newark against the big baddies.

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I've been a STH for three seasons now and take the train every game. Not once from Penn Station through Gateway and around any area around the building have I ever felt uneasy or pestered by anyone.

I've gone myself or with family and its been the same. We take in the enjoyment and don't worry what others do.

Ill say it again this time on a message board. Its the suburbanites who live in their little bedroom community "shell". NJ is full of upper middle class white families who are ridiculously ignorant and afraid of their own shadows.

Amen brother. Some of NJ's middle/upper class families frown upon the suffering and bad fortune of a few pan handlers in Newark, while some of their kids or even their own spouses snort lines and do drugs in the comfort of their own basements - but hey, that's not a crime right?

Unreal. Be generous. Give a few bucks and keep moving. It's no big deal.

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FWIW, I've heard theories that Booker is seizing the opportunity to jump on the "99%" political jargon bandwagon, pitting himself against a Wall Street "1%" bad guy like Vanderbeek in an effort to further endear himself to downtrodden Newark residents. Again, take it FWIW, but as far as theories go, I've heard worse.

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Political suicide? How many times was Sharp James indicted and not only kept being reelected mayor but also a state senator at the same time. In fact this type of angling by Booker only aids his position in angling himself as the mayor fighting for his city against "fat cat" sports. His constituents are gullible enough to buy it.

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The homeless thing again? Every city has homeless people, and they aren't just in the "bad" areas. I've never seen more than when I was in San Antonio a few years back to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk. MSG is surrounded by them and a ton of them are whacked out on crack. The Vegas Strip, the French Quarter in New Orleans, Beale Street in Memphis ... all their cities' crown jewels of tourism, and all crawling with homeless people. Hell, a co-worker of mine just came back from Honolulu and said he's never seen more homeless people in his entire life. Honolulu!

Homeless people are in every city. We now have an arena in a city. Either deal with it, or take the Gateway.

Or Newark can just do what they did in Cypress Creek.

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No matter what your political inclination is, you have to say that for a mayor of one of America's largest cities to come out publicly like this it must mean something. I don't know the details, but VBK must be an absolute scum bag for Booker to do this. Think of it, would Booker commit political suicide for something inconsequential and irrelevant- I think not.

Don't be such homers guys, think outside the rink for a moment...

So an independent arbiter ruling for JVB means nothing?

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I know this thread started as being relevant to the Devils and everything but... this thread is drifting further and further and further away from the Devils / Hockey. Maybe it's in the wrong forum at this point, or maybe I'm off base... just my opinion.

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