Query: Will Lincoln Restler and Chris Owens call for the resignation of Councilman Jumaane Williams?
The Latest
The Gateway (TRAVIS-ty Edition)
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"You talkin to me" Department: Hack Commissioner (you decide if the pun was intended) David Yassky will introduce the 7:45 showing of “Taxi Driver.”
Actually, I think David is more like the Albert Brooks’ character than DeNiro’s.
Tier V and Tier VI Are Not Enough
|They are just a way for current workers and retirees to give back nothing while claiming they have sacrificed, while public services are destroyed. That's what happened in New York City in the 1970s, after all, despite Tier IV. Just ask an honest actuary writing for Governing Magazine. Two recent reports, he said, show "the obvious need to adjust pension and retirement benefits of current employees as well as new hires — a concept that until now was avoided by politicians across the country and is now a heated topic pending in several courts today." That’s because “the stock market alone cannot save today’s pension funds from the $800 billion in underfunding problems that they have accumulated from overly generous benefits increases, a decade of stock-market underperformance, and employer underfunding. To make matters worse, nearly $2 trillion of liabilities of retiree medical benefits program are almost completely unfunded.”
For his opinion as to what should be done, read the linked article.
NYC COUNCIL MEMBER JUMAANE WILLIAMS RESPONDS TO MY MOST RECENT “VINES” COLUMN (INTERESTING).
|In my most recent “Vines” column, I was a bit hard on council member Jumaane Williams; I would admit that. I even felt it was justified based on the information I was working with. So it wasn't at all surprising when he called me to defend his position. This column essentially delves into the gist of the council member's response.
Mr. Mayor, it’s not looking good. Your Legacy is on the line
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The Gateway (Eileen Dugan Memorial Edition)
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In honor of St. P’s Day, the attached blog post asks if anyone has any Eileen Dugan stories they'd like to share.
Dozens.
President picks Kansas, and not St. John’s for March Madness
|Every year the lst fan in chief, that is of course President Obama makes his annual March Madness selection.
Drum roll please……….The President is picking Kansas as the 2011 national champion.
Of course all of us in the NYC area are hoping for greatness for St. Johns or at least for Syracuse University, but the President doesn’t have much expectations from St. John’s.
Possible Fairness in Michigan
|Where folks have found out the hard way that government of the seniors, by the seniors, and for the seniors eventually leaves no one left to pay for the seniors. New York suckers take note. "More than 1,000 chanting protesters rallied at the state Capitol today against a proposed tax on retirement income that Gov. Rick Snyder called a necessary move that had silent support from many people. The governor’s mantra of 'shared sacrifice' isn’t sitting well with many retirees, though."
Michigan's Governor is open to criticism because he is using some of the revenues from having retirees pay the same taxes as those who are working to cut business taxes. The fact that the state has lost a huge share of its jobs — and the young workers that go with them — over ten years does not seem to concern those with retirement income, which in that state is now higher than the hiring wage. Here in NY, it would be nice if we just had more money to pay for public employee pensions and retiree health care without destroying public services.
The Camino of Capitalism
|Capitalism is a means to ascent. When we reach the summit it will die and we will all be free.
Capitalism equals competition and that advances civilization in a brutal yet necessary way forcing us toward some type of utopia.
Once we reach that state the need to compete and to advance and for capitalism ends for we have arrived at our destination.
Complaint Box
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COMPLAINING POL: Gatey, if you care to write an extended diatribe about what you are inferring from a statement that i release, i would recommend giving me a call beforehand.
GATE: When you consult me in advance about what you release to the public, I will gladly return the favor
Why do some pols (Charles Barron–who is not the whiner above– most comes to mind), not understand the simple difference between a reporter and an opinion writer?