Purely by accident Tom Friedman may have stumbled on the real reason for opposition to the Young Men's Islamic Association proposed to be located at the Holy Mother Coat Factory:

"When we tell the world, 'Yes, we are a country that will even tolerate a mosque near the site of 9/11,' we send such a powerful message of inclusion and openness. It is shocking to other nations. But you never know who out there is hearing that message and saying: 'What a remarkable country! I want to live in that melting pot, even if I have to build a boat from milk cartons to get there.'”

It's a good thing the building's not located in Arizona. Op-Ed Columnist – Broadway and the Mosque – NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com 　

Do We Need Gay Bars?  Do We Need Black Churches?

By Michael Boyajian

I had written recently about an LGBT get together at Bethel Woods and in that article I quoted Stephen Hengst of Big Gay Hudson Valley who postulated whether we need gay bars anymore.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/17/nyregion/radio-caller-and-giuliani-clash-on-son-s-death-at-hands-of-police.html

After the commercial break, the Mayor continued on the same theme: ''Those are actually the basic fundamental questions that need to be asked, that often aren't and then we displace the responsibility to the police. What about the parents? How was the child brought up? What values were they given? What ethics were they taught? What happened in their church? What didn't happen? These are the basic things that create a lawful society, a decent society.''

At the risk of receiving comments that I’m once again subtly defending the indefensible, I’m presenting a report on the first 3 days of hearings on petition challenges at the New York City Board of Elections.

According to Governor Paterson, as quoted by The Daily Politics, “the temporary reinstatement of the 4% state sales tax on clothing and shoe purchases of $110 or less will put a strain on those who can least afford it.” The state had backed away from a proposal to tax hedge fund managers the same way those working in other industries are taxed, because doing so might drive that industry out of the state. But all taxes on residents hurt their standard of living, and all taxes on businesses and their owners drive economic activity away. Why should spending on clothing, or the hedge fund industry, receive more consideration than anything else? After all, we’ve lost plenty of industries in this state over the past 40 years, and have a high tax burden overall.

Shutter Island Comes to Fishkill

By Michael Boyajian

The Fishkill Town historian Willa Skinner once tried to explain the mentality of Fishkill to a local newcomer and activist, Mara Farrell, as being something based on the society that once surrounded what was the largest facility for the criminally insane in the country and the town’s largest employer.

Verdict: Nelson is credible because she's clearly too dumb to lie; and therefore she is credible in her assertion that no one else in the campaign ordered her to say stupid shit to a reporter. Further, the reason she gives for the memo's existence rings true–in fact, it's a slightly cleaned up version of the reason I found most likely (she's says poaching the other guy's money; I said drying it up). Fired aide in 'Jewish money' flap speaks – Maggie Haberman – POLITICO.com www.politico.com

A Question For Congressman Peter King –

Would you oppose the establishment of a Catholic Church building near the hotel in Brighton, England where your terrorist friends in the IRA set off a bomb that killed 5, narrowly missing Margaret Thatcher?

http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-history-brighton-hotel-bombing.htm

One assertion from insurgents and the press about New York politics is that our hyper-technical election laws required candidates to get at least twice or three times the number of required signatures to get on the ballot.

Clichés become that way for a reason; Real Estate is accurately called "The New Pornography" because it appeals to prurient interests and is utterly without redeeming social importance.

Much like porn, in this article we learn that something seemingly small and insignificant has grown to ten times its original size; and, like in the Senator's own love life, one can rest assured that the now engorged value will be shared only with Iris Weinshall.

Mazel Tov to them both.

And like the Senator's love life, most of us would prefer he keep the details to himself.

But instead, we learn that Chuck Schumer is not merely a real estate horndog (a discrete but secret vice of many seemingly normal folk) but an exhibitionist as well.

Previously, when he'd been accused of waiving his Weiner in public, we thought he was talking about Anthony (a native Sloper who could surely opine about the only "values" Chuck is seemingly interested in).

For once, Chuck's antennae (the political kind) has failed him grievously. One would think he would have noticed while waiting on the checkout line at "Back to the Land" that even many diehard opponents of Atlantic Yards have been cursing a blue streak about Daniel Goldstein's sweet buyout deal, and wondering when their pot of gold will ever come in.

Schedefraude is Brownstone Brooklyn's greatest spectator sport. The good fortunes of others (especially the monetary kind) are a stone buzzkill.

The Brownstone version of Schumer's mythical Bailey family will not be pleased. Chuck Schumer Paid $157,000 For His Park Slope Apartment | The New York Observer www.observer.com