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If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog, and If You Want To Want to “Send a Message”, Use Western Union

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Like all NYS political parties aiming to keep or attain ballot status for the next four years by obtaining the necessary 50,000 votes cast on its line for Governor, the Working Families Party continues its efforts to sell the public on the idea that a vote cast on its line for Governor will “Send a Message.”

In the last few days, I’ve documented efforts by the Party to sell the public that a vote for WFP will “Send a Message” to stop the Brooklyn Bridge Park plan and stop the sale of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village; doubtless there are other local causes as well (“a vote for WFP will send a message that we need a new backstop on the baseball diamond at Orienta Point Park”). More globally we are told that a vote for WFP will send a message for “real campaign finance reform” (so the WFP can score more of what its blog calls “first amendment victories” when they get court rulings which gut the enforcement of such laws), “universal health care”, “fair funding for our schools” and “living wage jobs”. However, if the WFP’s mail is any indication, their primary pitch is that a vote on the WFP line for Governor will send a message to “Start Bringing the Troops Home”.

Katz Pajamas (Victorious Secrets)

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The “New York Post” prints a story accusing a scandal-wracked official up for re-election of having an affair with a member of the New York City Council. The "Daily Politics" blog, which had previously zapped all such comments, is now forced to acknowledge this rumor's existence. Both "Daily Politics" and "The Politicker”, among other outlets, subsequently print their own items, which attract a number of comments, some friendly to the Councilmember, some less so, saying that the story is untrue because the Councilmember is gay. Other rumors, some contradictory, some complimentary, emerge as well. "Daily Politics" attempts to zap many of these comments, but as the story leaves the blog’s front page, new comments appear unmolested. "The Politicker" just lets such comments linger. The whole situation raises many questions which seem worthy of discussion, but to even discuss such matters requires transgressing unwritten rules of behavior, which although never publicly acknowledged, have usually been unquestioned, even by most of those who violate them. More distressingly, to engage in such discussions requires transgressing some rules one might conclude are better upheld. That being said, there's clearly an elephant in the room, and it seems foolish to pretend that it's not there. So let me raise a few issues.

Strangest Election

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Every year, we hear a lot of hyperbole about elections – “This is the most important election of our lifetime”, “X’s campaign is the worst I’ve ever seen”, “Y’s ads are the nastiest of all time”, etc.

But I think I can say without fear of contradiction that this year’s election for Civil Court Judge in 7th District in Manhattan is the strangest in memory.

The 7th District boundaries are basically 110th Street west of 8th Avenue to the upper tip of Manhattan.

This year, 2 Civil Court judges are to be elected. As is most judicial races, the winners here are inevitably chosen in the Democratic Primary. However, that’s not what’s happening here. For one of the two positions, there is a Democratic candidate – Rita Mella, who is presently the Law Clerk to Brooklyn Surrogate Margarita Lopez Torres. But for reasons that are both too complicated and murky, there is no Democratic candidate for the other slot. And for reasons that are simple (they assumed there would be a full slate of Democratic candidates, there are no Republican, Independence, Conservative or Working Families Party candidates either.

What I Would Do: A Summary In Principle

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After several months of posting data and complaints, I have spent the last month detailing what I would do at the state level if it were up to me. Now that I’m on record, the reader will have some appreciation of my perspective as I attempt to judge the policies of the next administration in Albany. I really won’t know what they have done until the data comes in some years later, since you cannot go by what they say, but I’ll try my best. My point of view, however, isn’t just a collection of initiatives, or even root-and-branch overhauls, such as I have written about thus far. It is a set of policies and priorities the spring directly from fundamental principles. Do expect any of my specific suggestions to be enacted next year? No. But I am hoping that state government will move closer to the operating principles I would like to see, and farther from those that have been in effect in recent decades. As a summary, I’ll plagiarize what I wrote when I was a candidate for (or rather against) state –legislature as to what those principles theirs and mine — are.

Rudy’s Newest Friend

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In the past, I have posted some comments questioning how pro-choice, pro-Gay, anti-gun Republican Rudy Giuliani could campaign for various right-wing Republicans around the country.

But now, I found one who Rudy probably felt very comfortable campaigning with.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared at an event for Rep. Jim Gibbons, the Republican candidate, while on the other side, retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark stumped for state Sen. Dina Titus.

Giuliani spoke to Gibbons' supporters only for about two and a half minutes before being whisked away to a private fundraiser. He urged them to do everything possible to get their candidate elected.

What I Would Do About Energy

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Given that all energy sources have environmental impacts and risks, people have to accept that while none is perfect some are better than others. Natural gas, solar power, wind and (waste disposal aside) nuclear are less damaging and less risky than coal, with its massive environmental impact, and oil, with its significant impact and politically uncertain sources of supply. And with hostility to the United States in the world, hostility to the Northeast in the United States, and hostility to New York City (and, by connection, the rest of Long Island) in the Northeast, Downstate would be wise to meet its own energy needs to the extent possible, and to diversify sources of supply otherwise, even at a somewhat higher cost (which would also encourage conservation) and despite some impact and risk. For New York City, relying on Upstate New York for additional electric power is a bit like relying on countries where Osama Bin Laden is popular for oil.

Browbeaten, Intimidated and Humiliated Into Not Betraying Its Principles, WFP Finally Does The Right Thing In Suffolk

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Chronology:

On October 28, 2006, in an article dissing the Working Families Party, I wrote:

“In the Senate Dem’s number two targeted race, against Republican Caeser Trunzo, WFP took sides in the Democratic endorsing the thoroughly decent David Ochoa against the thoroughly decent Jimmy Dahroug, who won the primary. As of this morning, WFP’s website still indicates support for Ochoa, whose presence in the race only helps Trunzo, and WFP has billboards all over Suffolk urging a straight vote on its line to ‘send a message’, which, I assume is ‘Joe Bruno, you owe us big’”

Downstate New York State Energy: NIMBYs Gone Wild

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In prior posts, I covered the energy situation for transportation. The good news is that New York City is an inherently energy efficient place, thanks to its high transit use and many pedestrian trips. The bad news is there is no political leadership to improve things further, by organizing a large-scale carpooling system for places not readily accessible by transit, for example. This post is about the energy required for other purposes, for heating, cooling, and use in buildings. Here again, the good news is that New York City is inherently efficient, since attached houses, apartment buildings, large office buildings, and other commercial space in multistory mixed-use buildings have less exterior surface area per square foot, and thus require less energy to heat and cool. And, the New York City lifestyle is energy efficient, because New Yorkers have less (because there is nowhere to put it) but do more. Making, moving and disposing of goods takes more energy than services, which rely on the human energy New York has in abundance. The bad news is that Downstate New York faces a local shortage of both electricity and fuel for heating, cooling and cooking — above and beyond the overall energy problem in the Untied States and the world — based on access to supply. And NIMBY’s gone wild, both outside the Downstate area and inside it, are blocking any and all possible solutions to that shortage, stoked by puffery from pandering local pols.

Productivity: Economic and Political Definitions

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Charles Brecher of the Citizens Budget Commission, in a New York Times essay, called on the MTA to enact productivity initiatives equal to the 2.5 percent average annual productivity gains achieved in the private sector, in order to reduce expenditures over time. As someone who has thought about this a great deal I agree with the concept, and not just for the MTA, but not with the number, for reasons discussed below. In political debates, however, the term “productivity” has been used for policies that have nothing to do with its economic definition. Economic productivity is an increase in output given the same amount of work, or a decrease in work for the same amount of output. Political “productivity” can be a reduction in total compensation for workers (generally non-wage benefits), an increase in hours or days worked given the same pay, or a decrease in the quality of services. Any and all of these may or may not be justifiable, but they have nothing to do with productivity. In general, a real productivity gain does not produce losers. By stretching the term where it does not belong, conservative policy advocates have created opposition where none should exist.

Render Unto Spitzer

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Earlier this year, some observers expressed shock that the right wing “Jewish Press” made an early and emphatic endorsement of Eliot Spitzer for Governor. I was not surprised. The endorsement proved that, however conservative the "Jewish Press" may be on social issues, the Orthodox Jewish establishment is more interested in being on the side that's winning, with all that entails, than with any social agenda. Or as one Rabbi once said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's". Or was that render unto Spitzer? (and with which character in the quote does he identify?)