Yeah, Bruce Ratner and his government enablers continue the charade that all is well in Ratnerville—what with his planned "ground breaking" in December and all. But that's absurd, and impossible, unless they plan some nonsense ribbon cutting kabuki of shovels and fanfare signifying nothing meaningful about actually constructing their arena and skyscrapers.

C'mon. Get real.

Haven't any of them noticed we are in the biggest financial crisis since World War 2 or the Great Depression depending upon who you ask? Didn't they just watch Wall Street's meltdown? Didn't they witness an extremely skeptical State Court judicial panel on September 17th? Haven't they seen the credit market? Are they not privy to the real estate crash? Are they unaware of the office vacancy rate in NYC? Have they not heard the "NO" from government officials in response to their continual lobbying to suck more money from the taxpayer? Have they not taken note of escalating construction costs? Did they not notice that the Barclays Center Arena is the most expensive ever proposed at $950 million and is sure to rise in cost? Don't they remember saying that the project was supposed to provide "affordable" housing? Have their calendars malfunctioned to such an extent that they didn't notice that the arena that was supposed to open in 2006, at the end of 2008 still languishes with its required land still in the hands of other owners?

Surely someone with political power has noticed that Ratner no longer even shows Phase 2 of the project in his model—that's the phase that purportedly was going to bring the bulk of the "affordable" housing and the "privately-owned, publicly-accessible open space." Right?

We've gotta believe that nobody envisioned a white elephant arena surrounded by parking lots. Nobody could have ever predicted such a thing.

People have heard that the City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson "doesn't even know what that project is any longer." He said that, didn't he?

Someone is taking note, we're confident, that Ratner wants federally tax-exempt bonds for his privately owned arena, which would be a net loss for New York City, while the federal government is on the verge of spending something like $700 billion in taxpayer money to bailout Ratner's fellow fat cats. Tax exemptions for no return, but rather a loss? Are you kidding?

Did someone, maybe, notice that luxury suites may not be so attractive these days?

Somewhere, someone was reading the Times and read that Barclays Bank has an out from its $400 million naming rights deal with Ratner come December. Anyone?

It can't just be the folks in Washington who have heard that Congressman Kucinich is taking a very close look at tax-exemption shenanigans on the part of the Yankees and Nets. Right?

Because it sure seems like the three people in government with the most power to rein in Atlantic Yards have "the end of Atlantic Yards" just on the tip of their tongue. They just haven't quite put two and two together yet.

Those three would be:

Governor Paterson did say that when these projects become too costly then maybe government needs to "change its mind." We noticed that, and concluded that Atlantic Yards is indeed too costly and too risky.

Last week New Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) CEO/President Marisa Lago said, "the need for strategic economic development is actually keenest in a down economy." We noticed that as well, and concluded that there is nothing strategic at all about Atlantic Yards.

Mayor Bloomberg told Tom Brokaw, "We may have to stretch out some construction projects, we may have to ask people to do more with less.  We may not be able to have the frills at the edge." We noticed that too, and concluded that "frills at the edge" would include a publicly subsidized, privately-owned $950 million-and-rising arena (the most expensive ever proposed), which would pay no property taxes, create very few new jobs and be a net loss for New York City all while providing a tidy profit for developer Bruce Ratner.

Now—who is going to connect all the dots?

Who is going to call Ratner's Folly what it is: a game of pretend in desperate need of some realism by our political leaders.