For thirty years, during which time Governor Paterson’s generation and those before have dominated the state legislature and much else, they have continually voted themselves an irrevocably good deal every time the economy was up and money was rolling in. And then imposed “shared sacrifice” on younger generations and those without connections every time the economy was down and money was scarce. From public debt to the infrastructure to the environment to seniors who pay no tax while young people with the same income are taxed double, the story has been the same. And in public service, as I wrote here, public employee unions have pursued, and the state legislature has passed (generally without a single ‘no’ vote), ever richer pensions after ever shorter careers every time the economy was up. And claimed the time spent living in leisure off other people would cost nothing. In reality, this has been balanced by lower pay and benefits for future public employees every time the economy was down, part of a pattern of younger generations (except for the very rich) being worse off economically in every way ever since 1973. In exchange, the unions have told their members they have the right to do a worse job, since they were underpaid.

Several months ago, the man who claimed that on day one everything would change had a chance to veto a bill that simultaneously allowed NYC teachers with seniority to walk out the door at age 55 and live off others for the rest of their lives, and cut the take-home pay of future teachers significantly. The usual. Eliot Spitzer signed it, a couple of weeks before it was revealed he was screwing the young literally as well as figuratively. Now Governor Paterson faces the same choice between fairness and privilege.

http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_184100548.html

JACKSON (AP) July 02, 2008 10:05 am

— Mississippi Congressman Chip Pickering has told The Clarion-Ledger that he filed for divorce from his wife, Leisha.

Pickering, a 44-year-old Republican, announced in August 2007 that he would not seek re-election this year. He said then that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and their five sons.

Rhoda Jacobs was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1978. Four years later the lines of her district were changed up a bit and it obviously became a minority-majority district. This meant that more than half the residents were non-white. This was when the demographics of Flatbush were changing with each passing day, as Caribbean-Americans moved in to these areas like nobody’s business. 

That year (1982) she beat back the first of many spirited challenges by blacks who have run against her. The opponent was a Trinidad-born attorney named Anthony Agard. He was the first of three men born on that island to challenge Ms. Jacobs. They have all lost. Ten years later the demographics changed even more as piece of the district was carved out to create the 58th AD (Nick Perry). In 2002 it changed yet again but only slightly. The district is now over 85% non-white. About half the residents were born in the Caribbean. Strangely enough there is a significant Hispanic population here (about 15%) that hardly votes. 

“There’s no question that mayoral control has done really positive great things.”—-Dan Squadron

“We need to get parents back in the process in a real way; we need to empower them. I feel the legislature was mislead by this Mayor…”—State Senator Marty Connor

As Mike Bloomberg moves towards creating a Charter Commission to extend his tenure in the Mayor’s Office to lives in being plus 21 years, by expanding the public‘s right to return him to office, he does nothing to allow voters to actually express their opinion on the real issues that impact their lives.

Next year, the legislature will vote on the crucial issue of whether to extend the experiment of absolute monarchial Mayoral control over the public school system. And yet, in all the City there is only one opportunity this year for voters to express a clear cut choice on this matter of monumental consequence. As such, it is likely that all eyes will be on the race for State Senate between incumbent Marty Connor and upstart Dan Squadron to gauge whether the much ballyhooed public anger over the manner in which school are run is really of much political consequence. 

You all know that incumbent state senator Kevin Parker (21SD) is in the fight of his political life, as he tries to fend off challenges from council members Stewart and Felder in what is turning out to be a relatively quiet race so far (surprisingly). Parker is being tested again because he doesn’t how to not make enemies; while Stewart is testing whether or not the fallout from the legal woes of two of his staffers is politically fatal. Felder is just testing the waters; trying to turn a single hit in 2001 into a double in 2008. He is looking to steal second base so to speak. In baseball terms: he is running both fast and hard. 

Okay; so Congressman Ed Towns may fire me from the present campaign after he reads this column; that’s not my intent, but I have always been one to call a spade a spade and at this stage of my life I don’t see that changing. In the 40th Assembly District both Congressman Ed Towns and New York City councilmember Charles Barron have done someone wrong. And it didn’t start with this year’s race. The person wronged is Kenneth S. Evans. 

Does this mean that I no longer support Ed Towns for re-election: hell no. Towns is the superior candidate this year; and it isn’t even close. That’s the main reason why I accepted his offer to join his campaign this year. From my qualified position, he is the better candidate: period. Kevin Powell is not ready. Plus; during these fiscal hard times do you really want a rookie in Congress? Ed Towns has brought home billions of dollars for Brooklyn over the years; he will continue to do so: Powell is not the answer.

“For years, Senator Connor has failed to muster the funds and political will to get [Brooklyn Bridge P]ark built. He has had ample opportunity to display leadership that delivers results and has not done so”        

–State Senate candidate Dan Squadron on Brooklyn Bridge Park 

In the 40th Assembly District in Brooklyn they are searching for a replacement to former assemblywoman (and also former district leader/female) Diane Gordon. The last time we looked Diane got 2 to 6 years in prison, for attempted bribery and other things. And right now there are six candidates in the upcoming democratic primary vying to replace her. They are namely (with odds); Earl Williams (the male district leader/ 2to1), Inez Barron (the wife of councilmember Charles Barron/3to1), Kenneth (Ken) S. Evans (the former head of the NY Urban League/6to1), Nathan Bradley (the former chief of staff for Diane Gordon/10 to1), Winchester Keys (the former chief of staff to the former assembly member Ed Griffiths/15 to1), and a newcomer named Donizetta Brown (who remains somewhat of a mystery up to this point/50to1). 

For years, some Brooklyn loudmouths on the left of the political spectrum have been using Congressman Ed Towns as a whipping boy of sorts; despite the fact that Ed Towns voted against the Iraq invasion and all subsequent wasteful defense spending. He has also gotten a 100% voting scorecard from groups like the National Abortion Rights Action League and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, so you would think that some lefties would be pleased at his recent ratings; but I guess not, since I don’t see those left-wing endorsements coming in for Towns.

We saw the lefties jump all over young ivy leaguer Barry Ford -when he twice challenged Towns a few years ago- embracing him like he was the prodigal son; and although in 2006 they were reluctant to support Charles Barron, “Chuckie B” still did surprisingly well in pockets of Brooklyn’s 10th congressional district where lefties reside (go look at the results). Now this year Kevin Powell shows up to challenge Towns, and lefties are surprisingly silent; I wonder why. 

“At twenty-one or twenty-two, so many things appear solid, permanent, and terrible, which forty sees as nothing but disappearing miasma. Forty can't tell twenty about this. Twenty can find out only by getting to be forty”

–Joseph Cotten in “The Magnificent Ambersons”, speaking the words of Booth Tarkington as adapted for the screen by Orson Welles, who was pretty close to twenty at the time (maybe if he were forty, he wouldn’t have taken off for Mexico and points beyond, leaving the studio powers that be the opportunity to lop  over a half hour off his masterwork).

I recently came to conclusion that I’d done the Kevin Powell thing to death, and that nothing good, and something bad (diminished readership) could come of wading in those muddy waters again. I was about to promise to refrain from posting any further Powell pieces, with one caveat–Powell would have to agree to do nothing stupid for the balance of his campaign. Given the campaign trajectory so far–even the left-centric “ Daily Gotham” is treating Powell as a joke, this was a hula hoop sized loophole. But hell, I was glad to cut Powell a break, especially after he promised to have Richard Pryor perform at his next fundraising event.