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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Nanny State Redux

Anyone care to hazard a guess when our paternal nanny state finally passes a law requiring everyone just walking down the street to wear a helmet? Don't laugh... it's coming. First they came for the bicyclists, then the roller bladers, and now the skateboarders. ;-)

From NY1.com

NY Passes Law Requiring Young Skateboarders To Wear Helmets

NOVEMBER 24TH, 2004
Parents thinking of buying their kids a skateboard for Christmas will soon be legally required to supply a helmet as well. That’s because Governor George Pataki on Wednesday signed a new law requiring any skateboarder under the age of 14 to wear a helmet. The law extends a measure that previously only covered bicyclists and roller bladers. The new law also makes it illegal for skateboarders to hitch a ride on the back of cars and buses. The legislation takes effect January 1st.

posted by anonymous at 5:43 PM

 

Good news... Read the entire article here.

Bush Does Better, and Other Election Results In NYC
by Andrew Beveridge
November, 2004

Among the thousands of Americans posting pictures of themselves apologizing to the world for the election of George W. Bush on SorryEverybody.com are surely a sizeable number of New Yorkers. After all, three quarters of the voters in New York City, we have been told again and again since November 3, pulled the lever for John Kerry for president. But this, as it turns out, may be even less than the slim consolation it has been for Kerry supporters this month. The fact is, Bush did better in New York City than he did four years ago.

Bush had a total of 544,359, or 24.5 percent of the vote in New York City. In 2000, he had only 18.2 percent.

Kerry received 74.3 percent; in 2000, Gore received 77.9 percent. The percentage for Bush increased in every borough except Manhattan. Bush actually received the majority of voters in Staten Island (56.7 percent). In 2000, Gore received the majority.

Indeed, looking at all 3142 counties in the United States, Staten Island had the 20th highest increase in support for Bush. Brooklyn had the 105th highest increase.

Nationally, Bush did better among every category of voter except the young and very old (over 85.) Why should we expect New York City to be any different?

Election Results 2004
Bronx	82.3%	16.7%	0.7%	0.3%	-3.9%	4.9%
New York	81.7%	16.6%	1.4%	0.3%	1.9%	2.4%
Queens	70.8%	28.0%	0.9%	0.3%	-4.2%	6.0%
Richmond	42.1%	56.7%	0.8%	0.4%	-9.8%	11.7%
Total	74.3%	24.5%	1.0%	0.3%	-3.6%	6.2%

Election Results 2000
Bronx	86.3%	11.8%	1.4%	0.6%
Kings	80.6%	15.7%	3.2%	0.5%
New York	79.8%	14.2%	5.5%	0.5%
Queens	75.0%	22.0%	2.5%	0.6%
Richmond	51.9%	45.0%	2.5%	0.6%

posted by anonymous at 9:10 AM

 
More MTA Madness

The thing speaks for itself... and the MTA wants to hike our fares. I don't think so.

MTA spends $1M on staff cars

BY JOSHUA ROBIN
Newsday Staff Writer

Nearly 70 Bridges and Tunnels employees at the financially troubled MTA are given $1 million worth of cars to commute to and from work, according to records obtained by Newsday.

The subsidiary's fleet is the largest among the more than 130 vehicles that Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees may use for commuting. By contrast, only three of the top officials at the MTA's headquarters are assigned cars. At NYC Transit -- which employs more than 25 times the number of people than at Bridges and Tunnels -- only 46 people are assigned cars.

The Bridges and Tunnels figure exceeds even the number of vehicles in the agency's 61-vehicle law enforcement fleet.

Read the entire article here.



posted by anonymous at 8:57 AM

 
To think I once earnestly supported the ACLU. But as a former Eagle Scout, I've found the ACLU's effective "jihad " against the Boy Scouts indicative of s wrong with the left these days. Still, one thing's for certain, the ACLU will never get a dime from me again. Ever.

Military Bases Warned on Boy Scouts

Mon Nov 15, 4:46 PM

By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO - The Pentagon (news - web sites) has agreed to warn military bases worldwide that they should not directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has improperly supported a group that requires members to believe in God.

The settlement, announced Monday, came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) of Illinois, which says American military units have sponsored hundreds of Boy Scout troops.

"If our Constitution's promise of religious liberty is to be a reality, the government should not be administering religious oaths or discriminating based on religious beliefs," said ACLU attorney Adam Schwartz.

The Pentagon said it has long had a rule against sponsorship of non-federal organizations and denied the rule had been violated. But it agreed to send a message to posts worldwide warning them not to sponsor Boy Scout troops or other such groups.

Read the entire thing here.

posted by anonymous at 11:20 PM

 
The Autumn edition of City Journal is out. I read every article of every issue, and I'm better for it.

A quarterly magazine of urban affairs, published by The Manhattan Institute, edited by Myron Magnet.

Heather Mac Donald Homeland Security? Not Yet Political correctness still makes us pull our punches. Steven Malanga The Myth of the Working Poor Two Americas? The scaremongering bestsellers that say so are economically illiterate. Kay S. Hymowitz Dads in the ‘Hood Black America starts facing up to the tragedy of the Accidental Father. Robert P. George & David L. Tubbs Why We Need a Marriage Amendment An imperial judiciary won’t leave same-sex marriage to the states. Peter Huber & Mark P. Mills Can Terrorists Turn Out Gotham’s Lights? Here’s how to strengthen our vulnerable power grid. Robert Adam, Franck Lohsen McCrery, Peter Pennoyer, Richard Sammons, John Simpson, Thomas Gordon Smith, & Alexander Stoddart Reimagining the Far West Side Renowned architects bring the classical New York skyscraper tradition into the twenty-first century. Urbanities Jonathan Rose The Classics in the Slums John Fund How to Steal an Election Stefan Kanfer Sondheim vs. Sondheim Departments In Prospect Soundings The Truth About Iraq Give Us the Money We Don’t Need Car Alarms I Wed Thee, and Thee, and Thee Rather Not Spinning the Economy Down Torn Jeans What’s the Matter with Thomas Franks? Inclusive Failure Theodore Dalrymple Oh, to be in England The Frivolity of Evil Letters Contributors Howard Husock Stafford Diarist The Prince of Poisoners

posted by anonymous at 1:13 AM

 
And some people wonder why I'm the angry New Yorker....

Voter Turnout In New York Was Among Lowest In Nation
NOVEMBER 09TH, 2004

Despite long lines at the polls in the city, voter turnout across the state on Election Day last week was among the lowest in the country. Only about 46 percent of New York's voting age population cast ballots for president, a drop of 1.5 percent from 2000. The figures are based on unofficial voter returns. The turnout puts New York 46th in the nation out of all 50 states. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine and New Hampshire topped the list with turnouts around 70 percent.


posted by anonymous at 9:38 AM

 
The New York City Madness continues...
The issue isn't that we don't spend enough money on our school here in New York City. We spend more per capita than any place else in the country, except Washington, D.C.. But we waste more than anyone else, too, thanks to the Teacher's Union headlook and redtape that would plug Mount Vesuvius.

from NY1.com
City Council To Probe School Supply Shortage
NOVEMBER 09TH, 2004

The City Council wants to know why teachers in the city’s public schools are paying for supplies out of their own pockets, including toiletries.

The Council’s Education Committee is holding a hearing Tuesday to look into supply shortages in school bathrooms, such as paper towels toilet paper and soap. Some parents say the have also bought the supplies themselves.

The Department of Education says parents are never required to buy supplies, adding that it is well stocked with toiletries.

Teachers can get reimbursed up to $200 a year for the things they buy for the classroom, but many say they spend far more than that. A previous Council survey found the average teacher spent $400 of his or her own money on supplies last year.

“There's no news in that story,” Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said Monday. “You know, when I was a teacher in 1969, I spent my own money. I remember it. I was teaching set theory to sixth grade mathematics students and I bought at a five and dime with my own money.”

However, Klein did say he is committed to fighting for more resources for schools.
posted by anonymous at 9:34 AM

 
Rednecks Unite?

The incomparable Mark Steyn in the UK's The Daily Telegraph pulls the curtain back from the EuroElites and calls it the way it is:

Believe it or not, it wasn't just rednecks who voted for Bush
By Mark Steyn
(Filed: 11/07/2004)

"The big question after Tuesday was: will it just be more of the same in George W Bush's second term, or will there be a change of tone? And apparently it's the latter. The great European thinkers have decided that instead of doing another four years of lame Bush-is-a-moron cracks they're going to do four years of lame Americans-are-morons cracks. Inaugurating the new second-term outreach was Brian Reade in the Daily Mirror, who attributed the President's victory to: "The self-righteous, gun-totin', military-lovin', sister-marryin', abortion-hatin', gay-loathin', foreigner-despisin', non-passport-ownin' rednecks, who believe God gave America the biggest dick in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land 'free and strong'."

Well, that's certainly why I supported Bush, but I'm not sure it entirely accounts for the other 59,459,765."

Read the whole thing here.

posted by anonymous at 1:07 AM

 
Bush's Mandate

According to C-SPAN's latest vote tally as of Nov. 7th, Bush's popular vote tally is even larger at :

Total Votes % Electoral States Won
Bush 59,651,290 51 286 31
Kerry 56,158,908 48 252 20

posted by anonymous at 4:36 PM

 
No surprise here. It's become the equivalent of a parlor trick in politics these days to announce an outrageous fee hike, and then slip in a much lower, but still sizable increase while those, not realizing the shell game being played before them, breath a sigh of relief. MTA, we're on to you, too. OPEN YOUR BOOKS!!!

FROM NY1.COM
MTA: Fare Hikes Likely Lower Than Expected
NOVEMBER 05TH, 2004

Just last week it looked like subway and bus fares were about to go through the roof, with the price of a monthly MetroCard going all the way to $84.

But Thursday, top MTA officials reversed course, saying that may not be necessary. With more tax revenue pouring in than expected, [ed. note - shocked! shocked! to find more tax revenue. My word!]the agency now appears likely to settle on a more moderate fare increase.

The cost of a monthly MetroCard would go up from $70 to just $76 - a sizable increase, but not as much as the $84 price tag the MTA was talking about last week.

The other big change is in express bus fares, which had been slated to go up by $2 each way. Now the MTA is recommending just a $1 increase, from $4 to $5.
{Just a $1 increase?!? Earth to NY1 -- that's a 25% increase. That ain't "just" in my book.]

Weekly MetroCards would still go from $21 to $24, as proposed earlier, and tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels would go from $4 to $4.50, or, on the smaller crossings, from $2 to $2.25.

The increased revenue - about $300 million - would also eliminate the need for layoffs. The MTA had previously threatened to lay off about 1,200 workers. [ed. note - threatened? I wish they'd layoff 1,200 of those do-nothing folks I've seen working at the MTA]

While the MTA still plans to go ahead with plans to close down 164 booths, the clerks will remain as roving customer service agents. [ed. note - roving customer service agents" -- oh, sure, that means they'll be roving right over to the coffee shop.]Also, plans to cut back on off-peak bus service will be phased in much more slowly.

Also, the G train will be saved. The MTA had proposed cutting the line in half so that it would terminate at Court Square in Long Island City at all times.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says with the city's budget problems, it does not have enough money to bail out the MTA. He also says the agency has to figure out how to run more efficiently.

“I’ve started to work with each of the agency heads and say, ‘You’re going to have to cut three percent the rest of this year, which would translate into six percent if it was for a whole year next year,’ and they’re going to have to do the same thing," Bloomberg said Friday on his weekly radio show.


posted by anonymous at 4:02 PM

 
A friend on the left comments...

"Driving through Bush Country, looking Jewish with Massachusetts plates on my Lexus, I felt really self-conscious. 51 percent of the electorate looked the other way and re-elected a President who started a war with a far-away country that was no threat to the US. Why do people like me feel so scared of what this country has become? Simple. How do we know they won't go to war with us? "

Now I should note that the author of these words, a former friend, who unilaterally decided that I, having revealed myself to be a republican, was no longer worthy of continued friendship or even continued communications, is very well known in the tech community. But to answer his rhetorical questions (and we on the right are the "simple-minded" ones, eh?) the reason you feel scared, sir, is almost the same reason we on the right felt scared until the election results were in: you don't trust us; we don't trust your world-view. But there's a subtle though profound difference between the two, which is revealed by the very question "how do we know they won't go to war with us?" Ahem, Republicans (or as the left calls us "Repubs" or "Rethugs") haven't been vandalizing Kerry supporters' property, stealing Kerry signs, shooting up local democrat party headquarters, or spewing 24x7 venom (for a sample I point you to the Daily Kos comment areas, here , for a taste of the post-election post mortum underway on the left, or the idiotic Jane Smiley's mindbending diabtribe, in Why Americans Hate Democrats—A Dialogue. The unteachable ignorance of the red states, which states "Cheney is the capitalist arm and Bush is the religious arm. They know no boundaries or rules. They are predatory and resentful, amoral, avaricious, and arrogant.").

My former friend then continues to ratchet up the gall quotient by saying:

Speaking as a person who has lived in blue states all my life (a variety of them) I was pretty shocked that Bush was re-elected. I think you guys [who voted for Bush] sold out too cheap, but now we're going to find out what it feels like to have a government that doesn't reflect our values, and I understand this is something you've been living with for a long time. But the problem is, I still don't think you've got it. We're all going to find out that there are much more important values that Bush and his team don't share, generosity to the poor, respect for human life (Iraqis are people too), a love of the freedoms passed down from our forefathers, and on and on. (emphasis added).

What utter unadulterated bullshit. What a sparkling exemplar of why the democrats lost, and why they will continue to lose nationally should they hold onto to such a false reading of reality. Read between the lines. He's saying, "only the left cares about the poor", "only the left respects human life", "only the left loves the freedoms passed down from our forefathers." I could Fisk further, but seriously, why bother?

On the plus side, the French, Germans and those skuttling diplomats in the U.N. are now on notice that the American people are on to them. That means, you, too, Kofi.

posted by anonymous at 3:22 AM