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Went Back to the City But My City Was Gone
By Michael Boyajian
My wife and I recently spent some time in New York City after I had been away from it for some time. The water was ice cold and still the best I had ever tasted and the streets were still filled with a feeling of youth mixed with dapper and sometimes eccentric seniors.
Two items posted this weekend on the Gatemouth Blog Facebook Page proved themselves through discussion to be worthy of more than a passing glance.
WOW! You Heard It Here First Department:
Supposedly Purer Than Thou anti-development, anti-establishment, Doug Biviano is circulating joint nominating petitions with Mark Pollard, the pro-development shill Bruce Ratner is running against State Senator Velmanette Montgomery.
Does this make Biviano Ratner's means of punishing Joan Millman?
If Friedman is right, then the question becomes whether the Israelis have displaced the Palestinians as the ones who, in Abba Eban's damning phrase, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Money quote: "Which brings me to the surprise. Israeli defense officials were clear with me: The Palestinian security forces built by Abbas and Fayyad in the West Bank are the real deal, and their effectiveness is a vital stabilizer of the current timeout. But Abbas and Fayyad will not be able to sustain this timeout if Netanyahu resumes settlement-building in September, when the partial freeze expires, and if Israel doesn’t soon start gradually transferring control of major West Bank Palestinian towns to the Palestinian Authority." Op-Ed Columnist – War, Timeout, War, Time … – NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com
The Afghan War, the Afghan Tragedy
By Michael Boyajian
Let’s not even discuss how the Bush Administration let the Afghan War fester while they romped around Iraq or how Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. Let’s not even speculate that General Petraeus will somehow pull off a heroic military miracle there. Let us talk about the current reality.
Republicans Want to Halt Spending on Elections
By Michael Boyajian
In perhaps the greatest challenge to democracy in the history of the United States of America Dutchess County Republicans want to halt spending on elections. A New York City Republican leader once made a similar statement and was unceremoniously drummed out of the party in that locale.
In my junk folder was mail I thought said "Make Your Pension Grow," and I eagerly opened it, but it turned out I'd misread.
You know you are getting old when your pension excites you more than your penis.
No, I don't buy most of it, but it is worth considering, especially given the conservative source.
Money quote: "The oil spill isn’t Katrina: The Bush administration’s terrible handling of Hurricane Katrina convinced many people—including many otherwise supportive of the administration’s stated policies—that it simply could not govern. Whatever the Obama administration’s errors in handling the oil spill, it isn’t Hurricane Katrina. The only deaths to have resulted from the spill were clearly the fault of BP and its subcontractors. Whatever additional human suffering results from the spill will accrue mostly to people who lose their jobs as a result and, since they’ll likely collect at least something from BP, most will probably be better off than those who lose their jobs for other reasons. The key images from the spill are oil-stained birds, not suffering people." Why the Dems May Be Celebrating in November | FrumForum www.frumforum.com
Jim Maisano: A Different Kind of Republican
By Michael Boyajian
When I first met Republican Jim Maisano it was before he had joined the Westchester County legislature. We got to talking about Ronald Reagan and that inevitably led to talk of the Iran Contra Affair. I pointed out the political symbolism of Oliver North standing before an investigative Congressional Committee in his Marine uniform with hand raised swearing to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Governor David Paterson deserves better than being called the “Accidental Governor.”
When it comes to the budget, Paterson is taking one for the team. He's biting the bullet on Andrew Cuomo’s behalf. Mr. Cuomo, the gov-in-waiting should thank Paterson immensely. Perhaps it explains why publicly Cuomo in general has been offering praise Paterson’s way.
Think about it.
Most governors in Paterson’s shoes with only a few months to go, would only be concerned about their legacy. In other words, Paterson could punt on the state’s horrible budget situation, simply passing on the enormous problem to the next guy.
More Woes for Town of Fishkill
By Michael Boyajian
The Senator Stephen Saland bill proposing that the Town of Fishkill be allowed to issue bonds to cure its $6.5 million deficit has been amended with a requirement that the Town’s bond hearing be open to the public.
I couldn't let this pass. The New York Post reports that most New Yorkers consider the state government to be dysfunctional. I've said in response that all levels of government, and corporations have been functioning very well for those siphoning money from them. Two kinds of people have been getting richer: the top executives that sit on each others' boards and vote each other compensation that even pro-business, pro-capitalist (but more or less honest) publications such as The Economist and the Financial Times call larcenous. And today's senior citizens, who have voted each other benefits they have refused to pay for, passing the cost to future generations who will be poorer. Especially retired public employees. Well guess who the Post's F. Dicker spoke to get man on the street complaints about dysfunctional government?