Category: News and Opinion

GATEMOUTH: Occupy-ers plan to disrupt Iowa caucuses? Is Occupy’s new slogan "We gotta save the world from democracy"?

According to the New York Times, “New York City will pay the federal government $70 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the city of overbilling Medicaid by improperly approving home care for frail and elderly clients.” The care in question was personal care, “which could include housecleaning, dressing, bathing and shopping and could cost $75,000 to $150,000 a year.” Actually, it only costs that much when provided in New York City. Which is why the last time I checked, New York State accounted for a huge share of U.S. Medicaid spending on “personal care.” Many states do not even offer personal care as part of their Medicaid program.

Of course “New York City will pay” is not an accurate description of what will happen. The people who live in New York City, and will live in New York City in the future, will pay. They will have their services cut further. They will have their taxes increased further. All to pay for the federal share of underserved services for seniors, with the city’s share having been paid already. Who should the sacrifices be targeted to? Social services for children? Public schools? Should we accept fewer police officers? Stop repainting the Brooklyn Bridge? Raise the property tax? I’d like to see the New York City Council have a debate and identify specifically who will be made worse off to pay this $70 million. As a clue to who is being and will be made worse off the pay for $billions Generation Greed has made off with, leaving debts and unfunded pension obligations behind.

If Room Eight is really “New York’s Best Inside-Baseball Scorecard,” how come no one here noticed this item from the 10/18/11 Village Voice until 10/31?

I’m amazed at the over-reaction, in some quarters, to Occupy Wall Street. A bunch of young adults who have nothing better to do, thanks to the lousy economy engineered by those older, sit around in a park and beat on some bongo drums, and suddenly the world is coming to an end. I get the feeling certain people and media outlets are outraged they aren’t doing anything that would allow them to be arrested and thrown in jail. The reason, I believe, is that Occupy Wall Street is undoing the carefully engineered amnesia about the events of and leading up to the financial crisis of 2008, followed by a mass attempt to deflect blame elsewhere and gut any new financial regulation. But there is a way for Occupy Wall Street to really, really terrify the top one percent.

Chanting “End Capitalism” isn’t going to get it done, because once alternatives are considered not only would most Americans prefer the free market alternative, but probably most of those in Occupy Wall Street would as well. Given who controls our federal and state governments, would they really want to give those governments even more power and control over their lives? To decide where they could shop, what they could buy, what would be charged, where they would work and what those working in different fields would be paid – presumably based on campaign contributions and connections with powerful lobbyists? Would they really want to have no alternative to “Too Big to Fail” state-connected organizations, and no possibility of them being challenged by new, competing organizations? No. But there is a very capitalist chant that would have the top one percent recoiling in terror and sputtering with rage. That chant is…“Cut Executive Pay In Half and Increase Dividends.”

To my surprise, a local black activist of the “progressive” school has reacted with much disdain for my inclination to support Hakeem Jeffries for Congress against Ed Towns.

When I first heard the Chelsea for Congress story, my response was “this reeks of bullshit,” as Nita Lowey does not appear to be retiring, though perhaps there are some who'd like to push her out.

Back in the summer of 2003, freshman NYC council member James Davis was shot to death in the NYC council chambers at City Hall; mere moments before a stated meeting of the council was called to order.  The most poignant memory of that terrible event was probably that of a distraught Geoffrey Davis (James’s younger brother) continuously sobbing:”they assassinated my brother; they assassinated my brother”. Television-news coverage showed the palpable grief. The pain was real. James and his younger brother Geoffrey were real close. James was Geoffrey’s first hero.

Mayor Bloomberg helped to destroy the future of the New York City schools by agreeing to allow teachers to retire seven years earlier, a decision that will suck money out of the classroom year after year for decades. But now he wants to make it up to us, by having New York City taxpayers foot the bill for a project to make it easier for middle and upper middle class New Yorkers to leave the city and its local income tax behind and move to New Jersey, where the kids could get an education. According to the New York Post “Mayor Bloomberg is pushing forward with a proposal to extend the No. 7 train to New Jersey and get the project locked in before he leaves City Hall in two years.” Even as the rest of the NYC subway collapses due to soaring debts, and other retroaction pension enhancements passes some years earlier.

Revenge is Sweet Department: Occupy Albany comes out swinging for the Millionaire's Tax. Good for them!