Category: News and Opinion

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/12/sheekey-obama-would-have-oblig.html

Normally I don’t do these Christmas parties that politicians and political organizations throw. You see, inevitably someone will ask me to dance, and then the “Mr. Bojangles” in me comes out. Then next thing you know, my “island blood” starts flowing and I am fighting with the deejay to play some calypso, reggae or soca. Sometimes the wannabee comedian in me takes over: then I am holding court in some corner, much to the chagrin of my host or hostess. I really don’t need to add anything further to my “bad-boy” political reputation at Christmas time; I’ve got enough detractors as it is already. That’s why the political Santa Claus usually drives his sleigh right past my house every year. I hardly ever get political presents (like high-profile big-money jobs; although I am over-qualified and overdue for one of them). I am often the “Rodney Dangerfield” of Brooklyn’s politics: “no respect”/lol.  

The New York State Department of Education has released its public school finance “masterfile” for the 2006 to 2007 school year. It may be found here. I’ve taken some of the data items in the file, attached more easily understood titles from the glossary, and done some summations, calculations and adjustments. The results are attached, and are discussed after the break. The data is for the school year impacted by former Governor Pataki’s last budget. It was Pataki’s first budget that slashed New York City’s state school aid, always low in proportion to its number of children, while increasing aid to the rest of the state. The observable results, among other things, sent my children out of the public school system and some of their friends out of the city. Later, Pataki instituted the STAR program, which directed more resources to school districts with the most, sending spending outside New York City to the moon. For a while it seemed that total state aid per student to the affluent downstate suburban counties, on average, would exceed the amount provided to New York’s generally impoverished children. But perhaps under pressure from the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit, Pataki reversed course. For fiscal equity, ironically, his last budget may be as good as it gets for the city’s children.

Yesterday was a a day of tragedy.

I will not second guess Israel's efforts at self defense because, unlike the Israelis, I don't have to live with the consequences of either action or inaction, but the fact that such actions may have been necessary does not minimize their tragic nature, it amplifies it.

Everybody knows what a Mideast Peace would look like and no one knows how to get there. Those on both sides who live in denial of these facts, including Gaza's Hamas rulers and most of the Lkud slate in next year's election (though possibly not Mr. Netanyahu) doom the world to more days like yesterday.

Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson have both threatened public employee layoffs. The purported goal is to induce public employee unions to agree to smaller and more widely dispersed sacrifices among all their members, in order to avoid the greater pain of layoffs for some of them. This, for those who haven’t been in a public agency or public employee union, and/or haven’t been paying attention for the past 25 years, is a farce, because when there isn’t enough money unions prefer layoffs to any other alternative. As their top priority, the unions look out for number one — the people who work for the unions. Next up are the retired and those about to retire, followed by the least motivated workers, who often require union hearing and grievance services. Those who just do their jobs and have the city and state ship part of their paycheck to their “representatives” don’t count for much, and those not yet hired count for nothing (thus all those “screw the newbie flee to Florida” contracts). But those who are laid off count for less than nothing, since once they are gone they can’t vote in union elections. So who cares? The unions only have to pretend to care until they are gone, and by threatening layoffs, the Mayor and Governor merely invite ritualistic shadow play while engaging in some of their own.

A fine and classy young lady named Caroline Kennedy -her father, John F. Kennedy was our 35th president, who was tragically assassinated in his first term- stated recently, that she was formally seeking to replace Hilary Clinton in the US senate. And just in case some of you are thinking that I am about to do a puff piece, in support of Caroline’s candidacy: you are wrong; I am somewhat ambivalent about her possible selection. New York’s governor David Paterson is on his own in that regard; he gets to choose Hilary’s temporary replacement. That’s his dilemma; and an interesting one too: given that in the past, he has benefited immensely from his familial background, connections and blood lines. His father was a very prominent political player in NYC and the first black Secretary of State for New York -with connections all up the quadoozle. Interestingly enough, David’s grandmother was born on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, and his grandfather was born in the Grenadines (I only mentioned this because I was also born in the Caribbean/lol).  

When wading into a raging stream of controversy, it is best to have one’s life support system laid out in advance; as such, let me note the following:

1) In over two and one half years of blogging on “Room 8,” I’ve never had one kind word to say about Councilman and State Senator-Elect Hiram Montserrate, but have managed a few nasty ones (some examples of which follow here, here, here, here and here).

In fact, Hiram’s do-wopping as a member of “Carl_and_the_Passions” (AKA “The Gang of Four”), followed by his decision to go solo and sign with a major label, proves there is no honor among thieves; Hiram could not sustain loyalty to any cause, even that of treason. As DINO wannabes Carl Kruger, Pedro Espada and Ruben Diaz have discovered, Hiram Monserrate can’t be bought at any price, only rented, on a very short-term lease. While I will not comment about a pending criminal investigation, my distaste for Councilman Monserrate is long standing and has nothing to do with his legal troubles (or at least with these legal troubles). So, let no one call me a shill for Hiram Monserrate.

Maurice Gumbs is like an older brother to me, and I don’t say this only because we were both born in Trinidad (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). I say it because he has given me so much good advice over the years that if I had only listened to him half the time, I would be much better off than I am today in so many ways; thus I have come to really appreciate his wisdom, love, concern and support. I have also come to accept that I listen to a drumbeat far different to many/lol. 

I have known Maurice for over 35 years now. We both won academic scholarships to the prestigious Queens Royal College -in the island’s capital (Port of Spain) – and later we both migrated to the USA, where we completed our formal and post graduate educations at different universities, before eventually settling into New York City’s routines. 

Mayor Bloomberg is calling on Governor Paterson to quickly pick a new Senator, even though Hillary Clinton has not resigned and the Senate is not in session.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/12/22/2008-12-22_bloomberg_defends_caroline_kennedy_as_re-2.html

"The governor should make a decision reasonably quickly because this is just getting out of control,"

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12012008/news/regionalnews/plax_turns_himself_in_141719.htm

Mayor Bloomberg speaking about a football player who allegedly injured himself.