Angry New Yorker |
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Semi-Daily Rants from New York City's Angry Man
"As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man, upon easier terms than I was formerly."
- Dr. Samuel Johnson, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Sept. 1783
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The NY Sun headline this morning reads "Albany is Next Stop for Congestion Pricing." We expect Albany to rubber stamp the Mayor's foolish idea and then, after 100 years of free East river crossings the captives in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island will be further penalized for deigning to enter Gotham proper. Other headlines we see in our quick scan read "$9 Million Tax Hikes for Banks" and "Cigarette Tax Hike: Gold Mine for Smugglers." Good luck, New York. You're going to need it. Update: Mirabile dictu. Congestion pricing failed to pass - a clear win for NYC. Bloomberg's quixotic quest that all wishing to enter the sanctum santorum of midtown pay tribute to the city and the MTA went out with a whimper. What next, Mayor? Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Confederacy of Dunces We've refrained from comment on the sordid Spitzer affair; silently rejoicing, however, that a man with a dangerous view of the law, statutory interpretation and enforcement has ended his career in both politics and law enforcement. Of course, as always, the people of NY are left holding the bag. But, now, only a day following his elevation to the governor's mansion we are fed the tawdry tale of David Patterson and his wife's multiple affairs. Query: Can anyone in Albany government keep their pants on? Across the river the gay ex-governor's disclosures induce cringing nearly daily, while the state budget is due in two weeks and is virtually guaranteed to contain unnecessary, unsustainable and unexplainable spending far beyond the fiscal means of the state and its citizens. Confederacy of dunces, indeed. Saturday, March 08, 2008
Shame on Bloomberg and Schumer We know it's often difficult to shame politicians, who, by definition, are generally beyond all shame. Nevertheless, we thought that the blind-eye, anything-goes treatment afforded to one Mr. Magassa, an illegal alien practicing polygamy in New York City, who, after a fire tragedy last year in the Bronx that claimed the lives of (one of) his wife and several of his children, details here, nonetheless had big guns such as Senator Schumer (NY-D) stepping in on his behalf in apparent direct opposition to the rule of law to not only prevent his deportation but to allow his re-entry into the U.S. after he finished transporting and burying his deceased family members in his native Mali. While a tragedy by any measure the aftermath was another stunning example of liberal relativism that equates no preference to U.S. citizenship, and is both passively willing to and actively engaged in granting non-citizen illegal aliens favoritism at the substantial expense of legal U.S. residents and citizens. We don't know about you, but we consider our status as a U.S. citizen to be one of the most valuable of possessions. Yet, Senator Schumer, of course, in acting on Mr. Magassa's behalf was only hewing to the liberal pantheon of positions. All of this is but preamble, however, for it was with no small amount of sadness, shock and, yes, outrage, that we noted that NY1 was heralding, "Malian Victims of Bronx House Fire Remembered One Year Later," here, noting, matter of factly, in recounting how Mr. Magassa is fairing in the past year that: A year later both men who are from Mali, West Africa are rebuilding their lives. They are devout Muslims. Magassa, who has other children says his religious beliefs allow him to have two wives. Over the last year, both women have given birth.Well, well, how nice for him and his many "wives." The fact that "his religion" allows him to have two wives would seem to conflict directly with both New York and U.S. law, and it seems the authorities should be doing something about this, no? After all NY Penal Law, Section 255.15, states that: " A person is guilty of bigamy when he contracts or purports to contract a marriage with another person at a time when he has a living spouse, or the other person has a living spouse. Bigamy is a class E felony." In addition to his earlier and ongoing violations of federal immigration law, a violation that Senator Schumer was eager to put aside, Mr. M. is apparently an open and notorious felon under New York state law. NY Penal Law, from our quick search, doesn't directly address polygamy, because no doubt in this day and age what rational legislator would believe it necessary to address a vestige from days long gone by? Unfortunately, it appears that in 2008 we do. And Mr. Magassa appears to have gotten over the loss of his "wive" and children quiet nicely, thank you very much, adding another "two, three" children, at least from the article's phrasing -- he's not sure. We know it must be tough to keep track when you have so many wives and so many children in your "family unit," but still, one wonders. As the National Review's Corner blog recounted, very perspicaciously, here:
It's time we stood up to this nonsense and insisted that "multiculturaism" does not trump the rule of law. Otherwise we are in for some very rough times ahead. Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Eliot "Schadenfreude" Spitzer - or Fractured Fairytales from the Empire State We must say, we rather enjoy the mess Governor Spitzer has created for himself. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Today the steamroller is not only out gas, but appears to have run over his own foot in recent months before coming to a halt on the shoulder. Despite Spitzer's campaign pledge that everything would change, recent months have revealed nothing appears to have changed, and as the State and New York City begin facing the reality that tax revenues are DOWN (we muse sotto voce whether the fact that residents, not counting illegal aliens hoping to get driver's licenses, are leaving the state have had an effect), the music chair of the coming budget fandango should be amusing to behold to all but NY taxpayers as the long line of interest groups Spitzer has made promises to knock on his door to collect. Tuesday, September 11, 2007
"The World Needs Anger." You've probably never heard this statement voiced in polite company in recent time. Yet the common man of just two generations or more ago would have understood it. We here at Angry New Yorker know it to be true. The world DOES need anger. But not the blind, fist-pumping, burn-an-effigy anger all too common in many corners of the world and B-roll footage. Rather, the world needs "righteous anger" that takes umbrage at evil and injustice and channels the angry energy into appropriate action. It's the type of anger we try to cultivate here. So we were pleased to note on an essay by David Rusin in today's Pajamas Media that makes just this point on the anniversary of 9/11. The essay is worth a read, and is entitled "Looking Back in Anger" and quotes Father Bede Jarrett who understood well that, "The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough. " When I was a kid the big question in NYC was, "where were you during the blackout of '77?" In the 21st century the generational question now is, "where were you on 9/11?" I'm sure each of us remembers vividly where we were that morning, though, as to be fully expected, some in America have either unconsciously forgotten or decided consciously to forget. Time has a powerful way of healing all wounds and wounding all heels. And every disaster that in its time "changed everything" eventually faded, regardless of those who'd prefer they didn't. Memories were designed to fade, and it's probably better they do, else much of life would be unbearable. Who today even knows about, let alone actually commemorates or remembers, the General Slocum disaster in NYC? Monday, August 13, 2007
After spending upwards of 40 years as citizens and residents of New York city it's actually a bit stunning that we're leaving. That's right, we're moving out. Good bye NYC, so long New York State. Of course, we aren't exactly moving, unfortunately, to "red state" country -- only up I-95 to Fairfield, CT. But still, it's OUT OF NEW YORK CITY. One expected benefit going forward is that our perspective, removed from the eye of the tumult, will henceforth be more measured, more prospective and introspective, than it has been to date as the rain upon rain of inanities and misguided policies flowed down on our collective heads year after year. Without having to keep one hand on the umbrella and the other guarding our wallets both hands will now be free for more productive endeavors. There's a tremendous amount we'll miss -- after all NYC is in our DNA -- but still more that we won't. Nevertheless, with many many friends and family members firmly ensconced in NYC and surrounding environs we'll be back, often. However, for now... the new issue of City Journal is out.
A PREVIEW OF THE SUMMER 2007 John Robb Steven Malanga Heather Mac Donald David Gratzer Sol Stern Myron Magnet Arthur C. Brooks Judith Miller Theodore Dalrymple War and Peace Studies Victor Davis Hanson Bruce Bawer Nicole Gelinas Departments In Prospect Soundings Street Cleaning in Philly Do Immigrants Still Nourish Cities? Four Score and Seven Manatees Ago Time Out Londonistan Letters Contributors Jerry Weinberger |
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CJ PODCAST: Steven Malanga discusses this story