It has been 32 years since an outgoing New York Governor was of a differing party than his successor, but at the same time, of the same party as the Majority in the State Senate, the body which has authority over matters of advice and consent. Since the last three partisans transitions in the Governorship have taken place after periods of 12, 20 and 16 years, the resulting opportunity has created an atmosphere analogous to a going out of business sale, with Republicans picking away at the carcass of state like a pack of ravenous wolves, hungrily leaving nothing but a few bones, which they’ve then boiled down into soup, slurping up every last nourishing drop, and then, sticking their bread in to soak up any remaining excess.
Category: News and Opinion
Dov of War
|Those who’ve followed my basically pro-Olmert writings on the topic of Israel may be surprised to learn that the recent ads taken out in Jewish newspapers by Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind, calling for the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, do not bother me overly much. From one thing, such distractions keep Hikind from spending time defending the rights of local Jewish youth to beat up Pakistanis; they also serve the laudable function of making sure he does not have as much time to contribute his public policy input in places like Albany, where it might actually have an impact.
An Oath of Office and an Oaf of Orifice
|It is rumored that, when attending college, one of the members of our esteemed City Council took their oath of office for the Student Senate with his hand solemnly placed upon a copy of William Riordon’s “Plunkett of Tammany Hall’. Riordian’s book, like De Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America”, is a profoundly American historical document (and, unlike De Tocqueville’s, one which was written by an American), and it surely embodies many of the values of the political culture which are part and parcel of what conservative commentator Dennis Prager calls “American Civilization”. Would such an oath be acceptable to Mr. Prager?
The Race For Yvette Clarke’s Seat Is Warming Up Folks
|Wellington Sharpe called to inform today, that he is seriously considering a run for the 40th City Council seat being vacated by Yvette Clarke- who becomes a congresswoman from January 1st, 2007. Sharpe, a longtime Caribbean–American political activist, as well as a successful businessman in the Brooklyn community, has run for this seat before, when he was one of seven candidates who vied for the seat in 2001. He also ran for the State Senate in both the 20th and 21st districts.
Like Una Clarke-who first represented this district in 1991- Sharpe was born on the island of Jamaica, West Indies; this will surely help him in a district with a high immigrant population. When pressed as to why he is now considering a race he had earlier seemed reluctant to run in, Sharpe said that “the support for my candidacy here has been mind-boggling”. He went on to state that of the presently declared candidates, no one seems to be emerging from the pack. Sharpe further added that his phone has been ringing off the hook about this race, ever since Yvette won the congressional primary; with people inquiring about his intentions and speculating about his chances of winning. “Every where I go, people keep asking what was I going to do”, he also said. This is the back-drop for his reconsideration to enter here. He has also been approached about running by various leaders in the community, who seem leery of the present crop of entrants.
Another Raid on the Unemployment Insurance Fund
|In the 1990s, the Pataki Administration brokered a deal between "business" and "labor." Unemployment insurance taxes were cut and unemployment payouts were raised, an "everybody wins" deal. Those who became unemployed and stayed unemployed in a booming economy when just about everyone was working got more money. And employers who were getting ready to lay people off and leave the state paid less in.
The only problem — New York was one of two states which failed to follow the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Labor and build up a big trust fund for hard times. Then the future arrived, and the state had to borrow from the federal government to pay benefits, and impose a massive unemployment insurance tax increase to pay it back, in a recession at the worst possible time. Those who left the state, of course, didn't have to pay the tax, but anyone dumb enough to start a new business here when we needed them most did.
Another Raid on the Unemployment Insurance Fund
|In the 1990s, the Pataki Administration brokered a deal between "business" and "labor." Unemployment insurance taxes were cut and unemployment payouts were raised, an "everybody wins" deal. Those who became unemployed and stayed unemployed in a booming economy when just about everyone was working got more money. And employers who were getting ready to lay people off and leave the state paid less in.
The only problem — New York was one of two states which failed to follow the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Labor and build up a big trust fund for hard times. Then the future arrived, and the state had to borrow from the federal government to pay benefits, and impose a massive unemployment insurance tax increase to pay it back, in a recession at the worst possible time. Those who left the state, of course, didn't have to pay the tax, but anyone dumb enough to start a new business here when we needed them most did.
The Political Economics of the Bump on my Forehead
|A couple of years ago, a bump grew on my forehead. It didn't hurt, and by the time someone noticed it, it had stopped growing. Concerned friends and relatives began to push me to see a physician, fearing it might be cancer or some other dangerous condition. Finally I relented and my worst fears were realized — I had taken time out of my all-too-limited life to find that what I had was nothing more than a bump on my head. This didn't satisfy anyone, and I continue to be bothered about getting it removed. The question is whether I should do so, and whether everyone else should help to pay for it with tax dollars.
I spoke with my health insurance company, which said I would have to go to the doctor who would confer with the company on whether a removal was "medically necessary." My observation is that for purposes like this, "medically necessary" depends in part on how hard one is willing to push, and how adept at working the system one is. I also observe that if the procedure were not covered by insurance and I paid for it myself, I would probably pay less that the insurance company would be charged.
The Political Economics of the Bump on my Forehead
|A couple of years ago, a bump grew on my forehead. It didn't hurt, and by the time someone noticed it, it had stopped growing. Concerned friends and relatives began to push me to see a physician, fearing it might be cancer or some other dangerous condition. Finally I relented and my worst fears were realized — I had taken time out of my all-too-limited life to find that what I had was nothing more than a bump on my head. This didn't satisfy anyone, and I continue to be bothered about getting it removed. The question is whether I should do so, and whether everyone else should help to pay for it with tax dollars.
I spoke with my health insurance company, which said I would have to go to the doctor who would confer with the company on whether a removal was "medically necessary." My observation is that for purposes like this, "medically necessary" depends in part on how hard one is willing to push, and how adept at working the system one is. I also observe that if the procedure were not covered by insurance and I paid for it myself, I would probably pay less that the insurance company would be charged.
Christkillah’s Consumer Guide (Holiday Conciliation Edition)
|Pick Hit
Chris Owens and the DDDB Hallelujah Chorus: Tis The Season (NIMBY Single ’06).
Sez Bouldin: “At the risk of Gatemouth sharpening every one of the knives in his drawer, here you go"
Sez Gatey: Don’t be callin’ me Ebenezer!
Chris has filled out and so has his voice; put a tatoo of the side of his face, and he could almost be Aaron Neville (although if he doesn’t lay off on the latkes and jelly donuts at his maternal family’s Chanuka party, next year’s comparison could be to Solomon Burke), and the performance itself is the funniest Christmas song by an African-American since Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run”, although in this case, not all the laughs are intentional (although, surprisingly enough, some are).
My objections are as follows:
What the hip folks will be wearing when lobbying the legislature early next year.
|http://www.cafepress.com/bluegreenred.71542210
I'll bet it's a limited edition of five (which is probably five more votes than those attained by the person who will eventually get the job).