Author: Rock Hackshaw

Every ten years in the good old USA (United States of Amnesia), you can expect a big political fight over reapportionment. That’s when the lines for legislative districts are redrawn based on population growth (or decrease) and demographic shifts. This usually happens after the constitutionally mandated nationwide census-count.  

A couple years ago I wrote about certain forces (and interests) in this city that had placed a bull’s-eye on Congresswoman Yvette Clarke’s back. I got the usual suspects to call in (and e-mail) saying I am too focused on the political gossip of Brooklyn.  I wasn’t kidding. In fact I have written a few times now that that Yvette Clarke was in some people’s gunfights. I even elaborated on some of the speculative reasons why this was happening.

Since I am in my seventh year blogging in NYC, I am going to introduce a new format shortly, to supplement my “Vines” column (which I hardly do anymore anyway). I will call it “People Are Saying”. It will bring you some choice tidbits of political gossip, from my many wide and varied sources: developed after thirty nine and a half years in NYC politics.  I will try to make it a quarterly column. So strap in when you see it show up. I will try to debut said column later this month, or sometime next month. I am still working it out in my head.

Displaying a marked frustration with the troublesome reapportionment process, State Senator John Sampson (Brooklyn) today called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to veto the proposed lines being pushed by the legislature’s redistricting process.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) -an office of the US Department of Education- the 2010 numbers show that 27percent of all US citizens have obtained at least a Bachelor’s degree (BAs=17.1 & MAs/Equiv=9.9); from some institution of higher learning. Males had a slight edge on females in regard to gender.

Of course I am caught up in the current Linsanity which has overtaken the sports world. What do you expect? After all, I did write a column on the New York Knickerbockers (Knicks) last Christmas, where I predicted that the Knicks will soon become the NBA Champions. Go dig it up from my archives. I based this prediction on the arrival of both Tyson Chandler (the perfect fit to anchor the Knicks defense) and the play of a healthy Baron Davis at point guard (not Jeremy Lin’s emergence). We all knew that the two building blocks (Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony) were already in place.

It’s not nice to call people names. Period. And yet sometimes you could; and even maybe sometimes you should: especially when their blandness and sterility negatively affect the lives of millions they are supposed to be representing in the corridors of power. Let’s take a look at the State Legislature’s Black and Hispanic Caucus. 

I am often asked by those who are politically sick and tired of being sick and tired, what can be done to effectuate real change in the politics, at all three levels of government (federal, state, city/local). There are no easy answers. One thing I do know is that politics must never become a spectator sport. People of goodwill and strong ideals must participate in the process, no matter who else isn’t. 

If you keep fucking with the theories behind democracy, the way elected officials who are shallow, spineless, ruthless, power-hungry and egotistical (democrats and republicans) do, then expect one day to have an “Arab-spring” (political revolt) right here in the good old US of Amnesia. When will we ever learn?

Come September 2013, state senator Eric Adams (20SD/Brooklyn) will be a candidate in the primary election, seeking the democrat’s nomination for Brooklyn’s Borough Presidency. A win in the primary will give him at least a ninety-nine per cent chance of winning the general election; since in Brooklyn, democrats have a minimum five to one edge in registration, over all other political parties combined. Adam’s will be attempting to make history, by being the first black person (male or female) elected to that office.