Most Depressing Thanksgiving Article

NYU undergrads say that for the right price, they would sell their vote. Two thirds would give up their vote for a free ride to NYU. And half said that for $1 million, they'd give up their vote forever.

More than 3,000 undergrads were surveyed for the study, conducted by an NYU journalism class. The study found that "sixty percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for tuition also described their families' income as upper middle or high."

Not everyone can be bought, though - one undergrad responded that "anyone who'd sell his lifelong right to vote should be deported."

[Src: Most say their vote has a price, Lily Quateman, Washington Square News]
Media Credit: Illustration by Dana Laventure/WSN

Homelessness Hits Record High in NYC

And yet...

Source: Coalition for the Homeless' eighth annual State of the Homeless report [pdf]

Brooklyn News Roundup: Transportation, Biking, Red Hook

Transportation News
Mayor Gets Bumper to Bumper Criticism From Borough: Brooklyn neighborhood associations criticize mayor for focusing on maximizing traffic flow instead of calming traffic. [Courier-Life Publications]
Every Group Hates Traffic: “Brooklyn’s gotta grow. But it’s gotta grow smart.” [The Brooklyn Papers]
Mayor Bloomberg Says NYC Traffic Congestion is Good: “We like traffic, it means economic activity, it means people coming here.” [StreetsBlog]

Biking News
NYPD Sets Up Checkpoint to Ticket Cyclists on Central Park Bike Path [Bike Blog]
Brooklyn Bike Riders Forum Tracks Brooklyn Bridge Dragnet [BBR Forum]
Straight From the Horse's Mouth: “A loyal bike blog reader ran into a scooter cop on the Manhattan bridge and stopped to chat with him. He said he was from the 84th precinct in Brooklyn and that there was going to be a detail of cops on all the bridges from now on.” [Bay Ridge Talk]
New Blog Opposes NYPD’s Proposed Parade Rule [Assemble For Rights via Gowanus Lounge]
Bicycle Tsar Quits, Saying Goal To Increase Safety, Lanes Is Stymied: “The city certainly hasn't done everything that it can do to make it safer, or to really use bicycles. . . Right now there are a lot of obstacles that the city can improve and in recent years has even created.” [NY Sun]
City Bike Boss Rips Brass and Pedals Off: “Former Bicycle Program Director Andrew Vesselinovitch blamed the DOT for installing dangerous bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge bike path and for failing to build more bike lanes.” [NY Daily News]

Red Hook News
Advocates Refuse to Give Up On Red Hook Graving Dock: “Ikea could choose to be a hero—if it preserves the graving dock.” [Courier-Life Publications]

Brooklyn News Round-Up: Mafia, Corruption, Bikes

● Lawyers for 'Mafia Cop' found not incompetent, signals Brooklyn federal judge. Lawyer declares himself "to be "a 'trial man,' a lawyer who did not 'play footsie' with his clients or stoop to holding hands." [NY Times]

● Greenpoint Terminal Market owner Joshua Guttman arraigned June 26th in Brooklyn Criminal Court; D.A. threatens $2.8 mil fine. Guttman cited back in January 2005 for the state of crumbling waterfront piers; stands to profit tremendously from redevelopment of site. [Brooklyn Eagle]
● Greenpoint fire erupted shortly after a $420 million deal to sell the property to a reputed slumlord fell apart. Investigators note that at least four suspicious fires had been set at the Guttman's properties in the past 15 years. [NY Daily News]
● Leszek Kuczera, man accused starting fire at Greenpoint Terminal Market, indicted June 22nd on charges of burglary, arson and reckless endangerment. [Brooklyn Eagle]
● "No way he set the fire," says Kuczera's boss. [Gothamist]
● Kuczera was working upstate, fixing up old campground to turn into a Polish resort, boss says. [NY Daily News]

● Brooklyn filmmaker killed biking to work on Houston Street yesterday. [NY Times]
● 56 year old doctor biking on Hudson River Park bike path Sunday was hit and killed by a Police Department tow truck. [Gothamist]
● Transportation Alternatives calls on the City to ensure that all street construction is performed in a lawful manner [Trans Alt]
● Want the streets to be safer for bicyclists? Take the Department of City Planning's Bicycle User Survey 2006.

● Boy George gets off. [NY Times]