The Stony Brook University Hotel is: Jobs, Baby, Jobs

By Mary MacElveen
November 7, 2009

A new report was released on Friday (November 6th, 2009) citing that the unemployment rate presently stands at 10.2 percent. That figure is nothing to sneeze at during this cold and flu season. It means that America is sick when so many Americans are out of work, or quite frankly have given up looking for work. In my opinion, this is a pandemic that has spread coast-to-coast with absolutely no relief in sight.

In my opinion THE MOST POWERFUL words in today’s economy are: “I have a job”, but for millions they do not feel such power. For many past bread-winners, they are finding it tougher and tougher to put mac-and-cheese on the dinner table.

In the past, I have reported where food pantries are barren due to our economic crisis. We can do better than that for our citizens and we must.

Just recently, I read a Newsday article that made the bile rise from beneath my throat. Newsday reported where Stony Brook University plans to build a hotel on their campus to be used in a multitude of ways. In my opinion the building of this hotel on the Stony Brook campus is a win-win situation. The reason, the bile rose within my throat is because some opposed the construction of it. Idiots!

While some are concerned this project will encroach upon the green-belt of Suffolk County, NY, exactly where have their voices been as suburban sprawl has encroached upon our county year-after-year? This suburban sprawl has put many to work and now through this sole-project, they are worried the green-belts will be decimated? Oh please as one looks at one baron strip mall after another.

I am still scratching my head that suburban sprawl has not been met with this same ridicule and protest as this lone hotel project has been.

According to Newsday some civic leaders: “worry that placing it on 11 acres in a wooded area near the campus' main entrance will jeopardize a "greenbelt" of trees along Nicolls Road and commercialize the roadway.” I would invite these civic leaders to look at Suffolk County as a whole and not the microcosm of this project. Just look upon the environmental impact at the expansion of Route 347 has had to Suffolk County. I have written of that before.

You want to look at an eye-sore? Just look at the development project that replaced the former Davis Peach Farm in Miller Place, NY to know what I speak of. The Davis Peach Farm produced local produce, now the land is block-upon-block of cookie-cutter homes with increased traffic surrounding the development. No one said boo about this development being built.

Malcolm Bowman, a professor of marine and environmental sciences stated: “The campus forest is our heritage, and we built this great university in the center of this forest, so we must do everything we can to minimize the damage," Let him state that to a tradesman who has been out of work for a long time and needs to feed his family. It will NOT compute. Me, personally, I would love to see that exchange.

Stony Brook University who has been at the forefront of building this hotel stated that the building of this hotel has been in the works since 1989 was not an “impulsive decision” In fact, Stony Brook University stated: “It took 20 years to come to an agreement with a developer that was interested in preserving the buffer and working within the university footprint guidelines.”

So for those who have a knee-jerk reaction opposing this hotel’s construction, you will see it has been a well thought out project.

Having acquainted myself with Kara Hahn via numerous Democratic functions in the past, I paid close attention to her sentiments on this hotel’s construction where she said, “her group was opposed to commercialization along Nicolls Road. She said after meeting with university officials last week, "I think they understand our concerns and I hope to work with them so we can maintain that buffer.", I have to wonder how many food pantries she has visited lately or has she been paying attention to the unemployment rate? Kara, people are starving for work and food.

Quite frankly, this hotel’s construction is about, jobs period. Jobs are our lifeline where breadwinners can come home with the bacon in order to feed their families. Those who will build this hotel will take their earnings to many points along the way feeding our economy. A local supermarket where these construction workers will shop to bring home that bacon will thrive from this incoming business as well as local delis and 7/11s. Should these construction workers need items to construct this hotel, the Home Depots or Lowes will benefit from increased dollars going into their companies. All of these companies that I have mentioned will surely see increased sales where they can retain their employees and their employees will NOT fear being laid off in this strenuous economy.

Once this hotel is completed, just think of the jobs it will bring to this local area. Not familiar with hotel market: imagine how many maids, laundry personnel, barkeep, restaurateurs, chefs, waitresses, front clerks and the list is endless that they can employ. These are good paying jobs where we as a nation need to put people back to work. If any of these personnel find themselves in these new jobs, think of where they can spend their money. The list is endless, but more importantly, they can put food on the family table. It truly boggles the mind how anyone can stand in the way of this economic progress.

This is purely a local stimulus package which should not be stopped, but embraced for the workers it will employ. I say, go for it!

Author’s email address is xmjmac@optonline.net

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