Angry New Yorker

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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Sunday, March 26, 2006
 
Illegal Immigration Madness

Some days we wonder if somehow we were in a car accident or knocked unconscious years ago, or simply feel asleep under a sycamore like some modern day Rip Van Winkle and awoke TODAY in a by comparison distant crazy future. How else to explain recent mass rallies by illegal immigrants whereby those here ILLEGALLY -- as in unlawfully, as in breaking the law -- somehow put forth the proposition that they're entitled to not only gather enmass, but in doing so make demands on the rightful citizens of the sovereign country of the United States. It's madness. We can't imagine going to say, Bermuda, staying illegally and then getting on a soapbox in the town square to tell the people of Bermuda they should give us a cabana on the beach, benefits and a path to citizenship. The thought of it, the sheer gall required, would never enter our heads.

On the plus side, these marches by illegal aliens are working to ensure they sign their own deportation orders, because marches by illegal aliens do NOTHING but harden citizens against them and guarantee passage of stricter immigration laws. We'd certainly vote to deport the lot, no matter the cost, were it put to a referendum. Out you go, and don't let the door hit you on the way.



posted by anonymous at 10:42 PM

Sunday, March 19, 2006
 
It's been a long time since the "Empire" state lived up to its moniker. And the past twenty years of legislative and executive leadership have done precious little in real terms to address the issue. Harsh? Maybe not harsh enough. Read this:
"New Yorkers, lured by more lucrative opportunities elsewhere, have been voting with their feet: from 1995 to 2004, New York lost nearly 1.7 million residents to other states.[5] New York’s rate of outmigration was well over the northeast region’s average and the worst of any state from 2000 to 2004, according to census estimates.[6] An influx of foreign immigrants and their higher birthrates have kept New York’s total population from dropping, but the relative loss of residents to the rest of the U.S. has been severe enough to cost the state ten congressional seats since 1980.[7]"
The full depressing report, Albany Inc., is available here. [3MBPDF]

posted by anonymous at 2:04 PM

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
 
More Legislative Madness from Our Knee-Jerk State Legislature

Get this, according to NY1 the "highly-publicized death of Manhattan grad student Imette St. Guillen has inspired a new piece of legislation. The bill called 'Imette's Law' calls for every business with a state liquor license to install security cameras at all entrances and exits of their buildings. St. Guillen's former boyfriend, also a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, proposed the idea to Assemblyman Felix Ortiz who sponsored the legislation."

First, why is Assemblyman Ortiz giving special weight to the suggestions of her "former" boyfriend? Though we don't know if the boyfriend was rendered "former" because she's deceased, or that was his status prior to her untimely demise, but in either case, who the hell cares what he is? He's not family, he's not blood, he's not even a "life partner."

Second, whoever started this now full-fledged trend of naming laws after unfortunate victims should be hunted down and flogged. Enough of Amber's Law, Bambi's Law, Little Tiny Baby Snuggles Law! Enough! No mas. Laws apply to all people, and creating laws based on the single tragic consequences of one victim is a trend that is destined to lead us all steadily to ultimate disaster.

Third, let's hope this piece of pandering doesn't pass to begin with, but what would it accomplish? It wouldn't prevent any such crime. It, in theory, might make it somewhat easier to track down someone like the killer here, but hey, the cops didn't have much trouble tracking him down as it is did they?

But since the legislature's only tool is a hammer everything looks like a nail to them. As the good folks over at Power Line noted this past week, "[o]ne of the basic problems in our society is that nearly all informal sanctions have been forfeited, so that there is hardly any middle ground between passive acceptance of antisocial behavior and a felony prosecution. Legislation and criminal prosecution are blunt instruments that cannot be brought to bear against every deviancy that may arise." 'Tis true.

posted by anonymous at 5:16 PM

Thursday, March 02, 2006
 
And the Last Shall Be First (to be sued) [From Gotham Gazette]

Voting Lawsuit

The Justice Department sued New York State yesterday for failing to modernize its election system and replace its aging voting machines. After the 2000 presidential elections, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which requires states to comply with new voting guidelines. New York has accepted $221 million in federal funds for overhauling its system, but decisions about which voting machines to purchase have stalled in Albany. It is the first lawsuit of its kind. The federal government says New York ranks last among states when it comes to implementing the guidelines.

posted by anonymous at 5:34 PM

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