Archives Paper

Samantha McCarthy
Dr.Luke Vasileiou
Eng. 103
9 May 2011
Planned Shrinkage
During the 1970s New York City Roger Star made a proposal called “Planned Shrinkage”. This proposal introduced him as the housing administrator in the south Bronx and Brownsville, where the two neighborhoods was undergoing acute population and housing erosion. Roger Star stated that “there’s only one way to make a housing problem, and that to start with vacant land”. His plans were to build houses on vacant land out in rockaway and move the first section of Brooklyn slums out to those empty Brooklyn buildings in rockaway, and then empty the second section of slums in Brooklyn and move those people out there. Afterwards he wants to demolish their homes so they could build new housing in Brooklyn, which would remain empty. The whole argument between roger star and Robert Fitch is roger wanting to do all this moving in and out and building up without contacting with the people on what his ideas are and finding out whether they like it or not.
Roger felt that all his life people always told him what he can’t do and what not to do and he always did it anyways. Was the problem really the housing priorities of was his forces mostly on the clearance of the slums that on the middle class housing, the city is spending unnecessary sums in services and money on Ares that are now being demolished and the costs are getting outrageous. Everything would have worked out better if the land in south Bronx had extensive vacant area because then they would have a greater redevelopment value.
The city was losing almost about 1% of its populations a year and has lost 400,000 people since the 1970s.Demographics is unsure if the residents are moving to other neighborhood or whether a migration of the part of the poor city and the northeast is under way. Roger star stated that “he is not talking about forced migration or anything related to that. He also denied that he would ever propose that the south Bronx become a national park after the residents moved out. The city was not in good shape because are borrowing money, but had the ability to pay all of it off. Today the city suffered from a cash flow problem, the lack of wealth creation to support the immense obligation, because they have to take care of the people who can’t take full care of themselves.
The fact in matter with an increase in population will lead to decline within jobs and force the city’s obligations to become smaller. In order to live on the future revenue they would have to shrink down the subways system extremely and do the same for the bus lines. Roger star thought that he could have the city’s responsibilities shrink by having private people from the outside do it.
Fitch speaks on star wanting to cut back on services, which mean it would be recycled as privatization. He replied saying he wasn’t driving out anyone from the city; the people were just leaving themselves. Star made two arguments saying he didn’t realize there was an extent of immigration but then also talked about job shrinkage as if everything he was trying to pursue was right. In the 1977 there were many more jobs then there is today. The only thing that has exceeded was the financial district in the past few years. But certainly after 5-6 years they had a decline after the market dropped. Wall street today has many more jobs than has many more jobs than they had in the 1969 of course.Roger states that there will be a shrinkage in wall street again because the stocks can’t just go up and because of that in effect people will start to get laid off again.
Thursday May 15, 1975 president fords a legislative of the federal assistance denial to the people of the city of New York in there tragic time of finical crisis. Several business and financial taxes amounted to be a little over 3% of the city’s budget. The idea to balance out the city’s budget they would have to cut off several services, which can affect 8 million people and put their safety and health at a risk. Several hospitals, schools, firehouses would have to be closed down as well. Police protection in every area would increase and the remains services would inefficient beyond what the citizens are used to. (Joint statement by Governor Care and Major Abraham D. Beame).
Based on Major Abraham D beame there are several kinds of service that he asks Washington and the rublican party in Albany to live by. For example, making calls to 911 will now be screened and the less important calls would be unanswered. Crossing school guard’s position will be dropped by 7,251. Neighborhood family care center and other citizens units are closing. The Sanitations department is refusing to pick up 1/3 of the trash, so 2,882 of their positions were dropped. The highway and streets that are due for maintenance and repair will be reduced by 50%. The financial community is reducing everything from the city which is punishing them further. He proposed a plan that gives more opportunity, to close all gaps from the 1975-76 without borrowing extra money from groups or other institution. This plan will leave the city to be living and expanding without struggling for survival. Six councilmen are now demanding Roger star to quit his $45,418 a year job as the leader of the city’s housing and development administration. Star and the mayor both refused the offer on resignation.

LaGuardia and Wagner Archives beame Oral history collection
Interview with roger star, by Robert Fitch, 9-2-93
Daily news March 5, 1976
Lawa beane collection bx 070012