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?)
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Chris Owens Should Run For The 40th City Council Seat
|This advice is unsolicited. It comes after taking a long look at the field of entrants for the 40th City Council seat that Yvette Clarke must vacate soon, as she steps up to Congress. It comes after reading the response from Chris Owens to my “Grapevine #8” column, last Saturday (see “comments” section of the thread). I believe that Chris Owens will make the best candidate in this upcoming race; the problem is that he doesn’t intend to run.
Since that column, there have been a few new developments in the race, for example, recent rumors have Roy Hastick (founder of Caribbean Chamber of Commerce) moving to the head of the line and reconsidering his stance on running or not. I am told that the Clarkes (Yvette and Una) will support Roy if he decides to go. It’s also said that Haitian-American Michelle Adolphe is seriously considering the race, so too Wellington Sharpe. Then there are at least two possible entrants that I am not at liberty to divulge at present, and someone named Victor Babb who is nothing short of a political unknown.
Tricks Not Treats From Some Republicans
|As a pre- Halloween gift to the gullible, Urban Elephants posted a third hand report claiming that dead people are voting for Democrats in New York.
Via Instapundit, just in time for Halloween, despite Republican John Ravitz serving as head of the Board of Elections, it seems that the dead still vote frequently here in NYC– generally for Democrats.
So what will it take to clean up the New York voter database once and for all?
What I Would Do About Transportation Finance
|Would-be Governors Eliot Spitzer and John Faso are saying the right things about transportation finance. That is the good news. They want to see major mass transit projects built to support the Manhattan-based economy that is the tax base of the entire state. Spitzer called the finances of the MTA the “greatest transportation concern” and said fare and toll increases, increased local funding, and other tax increases, as well as efficiencies, would be required – reversing 12 years of policy. Faso agreed. They both called for weaning the MTA off debt by going to pay-as-you-go financing; hopefully they have the same idea about financing road construction elsewhere in the state. The candidates even mentioned making tough decisions, a big change after the something-for-nothing-now, then move-to-Florida-later policies of the recent past. All good.
What I Would Do About Transportation Finance
|Would-be Governors Eliot Spitzer and John Faso are saying the right things about transportation finance. That is the good news. They want to see major mass transit projects built to support the Manhattan-based economy that is the tax base of the entire state. Spitzer called the finances of the MTA the “greatest transportation concern” and said fare and toll increases, increased local funding, and other tax increases, as well as efficiencies, would be required – reversing 12 years of policy. Faso agreed. They both called for weaning the MTA off debt by going to pay-as-you-go financing; hopefully they have the same idea about financing road construction elsewhere in the state. The candidates even mentioned making tough decisions, a big change after the something-for-nothing-now, then move-to-Florida-later policies of the recent past. All good.
Of Spitzer, Faso, Hevesi, Pirro, Gay Marriage, Gatemouth, Wonk and Cheap Shots.
|Right here on Room Eight- over a month ago (9/28/06) – I proffered that John Faso was absolutely correct in calling for Alan Hevesi’s resignation as State Comptroller (see my column “Faso/Spitzer”). I also felt that up to that point in time Eliot Spitzer had downplayed the seriousness of Hevesi’s actions. I proffered that Hevesi had lost his credibility and had abused the public trust. I stated flatly that I couldn’t vote for him. I even went further to state that he was unfit to hold this office. I also said that Spitzer should be moving “to establish and uphold higher standards of ethics, decency and behavior” (observe that I never used the word ‘morality’ here) for public officials. That was over a month ago.
Robert Novak – Wrong Again!
|Saturday’s Robert Novak column included this whopper –
“Recipients of mail from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) were surprised this past week to receive a fund-raising appeal signed by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.”
“Secretaries of state, by tradition, stay away from partisan politics while in office. Former holders of the position generally follow the same practice. Nobody can remember fund-raising solicitations from Colin Powell, Warren Christopher or Henry Kissinger.”
The “Son of Star” (aka Bruno’s) Check Has Arrived
|It came in today's mail. It is for $57.82.
Gee, perhaps despite just about the highest state and local tax burden in the United States (including a virtually unique local income tax), schools I for the most part couldn't send my kids to, libraries open a few hours four days per week, and an infrastructure future threatened by soaring debts, perhaps the State of New York isn't so bad after all. WRONG! And the "bastard child of STAR" proposals by the candidates for Governor to expand the system don't thrill me either.
The “Son of Star” (aka Bruno’s) Check Has Arrived
|It came in today's mail. It is for $57.82.
Gee, perhaps despite just about the highest state and local tax burden in the United States (including a virtually unique local income tax), schools I for the most part couldn't send my kids to, libraries open a few hours four days per week, and an infrastructure future threatened by soaring debts, perhaps the State of New York isn't so bad after all. WRONG! And the "bastard child of STAR" proposals by the candidates for Governor to expand the system don't thrill me either.
The “Son of Star” (aka Bruno’s) Check Has Arrived
|It came in today's mail. It is for $57.82.
Gee, perhaps despite just about the highest state and local tax burden in the United States (including a virtually unique local income tax), schools I for the most part couldn't send my kids to, libraries open a few hours four days per week, and an infrastructure future threatened by soaring debts, perhaps the State of New York isn't so bad after all. WRONG! And the "bastard child of STAR" proposals by the candidates for Governor to expand the system don't thrill me either.