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SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM MY SCRAMBLED BRAIN: ON THE FUTURE OF “ROOM EIGHT NEW YORK POLITICS (www.r8ny.com)” AND BLOGGING IN NYC

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I am quite aware that I do not write as often as I used to, but I did put you all on notice. I also gave some of the many reasons why I have chosen to decrease my output. Now it looks as though another writer/blogger is probably going the same route. That’s not good for NYC political-blogging. Over the years we have lost many political-bloggers in this city: or have we already forgotten Maurice Gumbs? 

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The Gateway (Glory Days Edition)

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Back in my High School days in Paramus NJ, a gay teacher named John Gish, who was not technically out, was removed from the class rooms by the Paramus School Board for the heinous act of heading a political group which merely advocated for Gay Civil Rights. Later he was set up in a dubious drug bust and fired outright.

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Worst Ever Wealth Gap Between the Young and Old

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According to a study reported by the Boston Globe, the wealth gap between older and younger Americans is the largest ever. “The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday. While people typically accumulate assets as they age, this wealth gap is now more than double what it was in 2005 and nearly five times the 10-to-1 disparity a quarter-century ago, after adjusting for inflation.”

This study only measures financial wealth, and a full picture would be much worse for younger generations. For most of U.S. history younger generations were better educated than older generations as education expanded and improved, but this is no longer the case. You can blame the schools, or blame the fact that those now over 55 did a less good job of parenting, but education in this country has plateaued at best. Then there are the public debts, which older households ran up but won’t be around to pay back, since even now there is talk of tax cuts despite huge deficits. And the state of the infrastructure, previously improving but in recent decades deteriorating as the U.S. invests two percent of GDP, or about half the level of Europe. In Boston, the transit system is not only bankrupt (as in the New York area) but it is also falling apart. Finally there are public employee pensions in state and local government and old age benefits provided by the federal government. These were allowed to soar in cost without limit and were retroactively enhanced for older generations, but are being slashed for younger generations who will face poverty when they reach old age.

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