Every once in awhile, a public official commits an act so grand, so benevolent that it threatens to restore my tattered faith in politicians. Late last month, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz - a politician with a showman's flair - announced that he was allocating $1.1 million (out of his $37.7 million capital funds budget) to Issue Project Room, so that they can execute the necessary renovations on their new space at 110 Livingston Street, which was awarded to them by the city on a rent-free 20 year lease.

Whatever you wanna say about Marty, you gotta love his rationale:

“Issue Project Room is well respected, avant-garde, cutting-edge, in-your-face — you know what? That’s Brooklyn too,” Mr. Markowitz said. “I don’t understand half the things they do, and when they tell me about them, they lose me. But that’s not the point.” (from NY Times, 7/8/09)

Damned straight. The only problem now is that IPR is still about $300k short of their total fundraising goal, so they still need help. They're suggesting donations in amounts of $110 or $1,110, but every bit counts. More information about how to contribute here.