As I was standing amidst the overflowing garbage on the boardwalk on Coney Island on July 4^th, which the oft-downsized Parks Department can apparently no longer afford to pick up (the trash bins in Prospect Park were not emptied on Monday July 3^rd either), and watching the police recruits, who will be replaced by those with so little ability that they cannot get a job for more than $25,000 per year, I wished more people were aware of the importance of the 2000 pension deal, which in an instant transferred $billions to retired and about to retire public employees from our then-future, now present.  As long as the benefits for the insiders, and cost to the rest, are separated by a few years in time, most people do not notice the connection.  They are vaguely dissatisfied, but they don’t understand why.  The ongoing losses to our quality of life are “inevitable.”  Now, it seems, more “inevitable” losses may be coming.

Since my "Grapevine" column is bi-weekly, I couldn’t hold on to this lil bit of info for 2 more weeks, so I have decided to do an addendum to this week’s column. There is word on the streets that former city-council-woman Tracey Boyland will challenge State Senator Velmanette Montgomery for the 18th Senatorial District in Brooklyn. This will be the first primary challenge to Montgomery in 10 years (Numan Sabree/1996), and it may signal a last gasp attempt by the Boyland clan to hold on to their dwindling dynasty.

It was interesting to see the Amsteradam News give front page status to the fact that Kevin Powell has withdrawn from the 10th Congressional race, a full 8 days AFTER I broke the story here on Room 8. Also late with that news-item were the New York Times, and other mainstream media.  STAY TUNED-IN TO THE BLOGS FOLKS, IT"S HAPPENING.

Now that the slot machines are shut down, the majority of people who don’t read the newspapers may have noticed that New Jersey, the richest state in the country, a state that therefore has a low social service burden and a large tax base, is nonetheless bankrupt.  Some may be wondering how this could have happened.  The answer is that the State of New Jersey has pursued many of the future-destroying policies of the State of New York, but to a greater extent and with a lower tax rate.

The City and State of New York reduced their contributions to their employee pension funds, allowed employees with 10 or more year’s seniority to stop contributing themselves, and drastically increased benefits by adding an inflation adjustment that was retroactive for those already retired.  As a result, required pension contributions have soared, leading to year after year of service reductions and higher taxes.  Moreover, some of the additional contributions New York City will be forced to make have been deferred, leading to even greater contributions in the future.  We’ll start paying for some of the 2000 pension deal in 2010.

 When you refuse to call a spade a spade; when you wont give jack his jacket, or Jim his gym-shoes; when you keep trying to defend the antics of a drowning brood; when you depend on others for jobs; when you are willing to grovel for your livelihood; when membership in select groups come with big perquisities; when you suspend your independence in thinking and analyzing; when you refuse to speak the truth, or even critique your friends and/or colleagues (especially when they are wrong); when you are simply a "coward"/ always afraid of some shit;  when you owe too many people big favors; when your head is way up other people’s butts; when you refuse to sacrifice for a cause, ideal or a principle; then your objectivity flies out the window, and your morality is convenient and selective-lacking any philosophical and / or religious underpinnings. And before you even know it, your knees are bruised because you have become another Monica-Lewinsky  for the (s)elected officials. Go look in the mirror.

As most of you know by now, this is my bi-weekly column where I bring readers up to date on things being said out there in the trenches and in the grassroots. I also try to cover events and happenings that won’t make it to mainstream media. Every now and again rumors will sneak into the mix, but for the most part I try my best to be as close to the truth as possible. Some people have asked me where I get my stuff, given that most elected officials in Brooklyn offer me no aid or comfort; far less information. I always tell them that after 33 years around Brooklyn’s politics, I have developed enough sources to get things right most times. I do have many many friends here. Plus, I do try to think, chew gum and walk straight at the same time. What has been amazing is the fact that I am seldom challenged on the veracity of my info. I must be doing something right; especially when I scoop the mainstream media at times.

If you read my prior posts, you know that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 New York City residents paid an estimated $149.19 for every $1,000 of their personal income in state and local taxes, either directly or through the businesses they work in or patronize, and that the residents of the rest of New York State (the part outside New York City) paid $128.03.  This compares with a national average of $104.09.  And, you know that nearly the entire difference was accounted for by higher local taxes, since New York’s state taxes, at $62.12 per $1,000 of personal income, were just slightly higher than the national average of $60.83 per $1,000 (and New York State income tax payments by residents of Connecticut and New Jersey in part offsets that difference).  This is an overview of where that additional money goes.

Most USA-born folks don’t know that the World Cup Soccer Finals and the Olympic Games (both quadrennial), are the sporting events most watched by people of this planet. Many of them think that such distinctions would go to baseball (World Series) and basketball (NBA Finals); so it wasn’t surprising to find many of my USA-born friends asking rather silly questions, about the event currently being hosted in Germany. But that’s okay; many of us foreign-born folks understand the narcissism and we do empathize. Right here in these dis-united states, there is a different world beyond New York City. Just go south and west of the Potomac. And, oh yes, there surely is a different world east of the Atlantic Ocean and west of the Pacific too. Sometimes we tend to miss these lil truths while living in New York. Sometimes; especially when we want too.

On another topic, Rock Hackshaw asked my opinion of government-funded healthcare, ie. "socialized medicine."  I responded by sending him an essay on health care finance I wrote a few years back during the recession, and he said I should post it here.  It’s long, but he seems to think it’s worth the read.

A spreadsheet backing up my assertions, produced some years ago, is attached.  The government share of health care spending is surely higher today.  Note also that when I make the case that, directly or indirectly, the federal state and local governments are already paying for most healthcare in any event, I included the share of private insurance that is purchased on behalf of public employees, but not the share purchased on behalf of public employee retirees, which I have no way to measure.  Add another few percent to the share of healthcare already funded by tax dollars, even as many are uninsured and get nothing despite paying taxes.

A development that is sure to raise more interest in the 10th Congressional race/ Brooklyn, is about to unfold. Kevin Powell, the young hip-hop guru, is about to withdraw from the race, leaving three candidates standing at this point. Those still entered are: Ed Towns (incumbent), Assemblyman Roger (The Dodger) Greene and Councilmember Charles Barron. Word on the street is that Roger’s candidacy is also shaky, because of his misdemeanor guilty plea and subsequent conviction.

Powell, whose entrance was met with controversy, hit the wall rather early, when his own writings were used to attack him. He is an admitted ex-woman-beater, and there were also stories of his wild party-hearty days of wine, women and song. Insiders are saying that this was no way to be introduced to the voters, and likened it to the introduction that Geoffrey Davis (the brother of deceased NYC Councilmember James Davis) received, when he was substituted as a candidate after his brother’s death. It can be recalled that Geoffrey’s baby-mamas dramas, problems with child-support payments, drug use, and prostitution solicitation, were all highlighted in the media right out of the box. He never recovered, and lost on the Democratic line to Tish James (WFP). It is the only time that the Working Families Party has won an election in New York City’s history.

Tuesday’s Daily News had a story about Thursday’s Bronx Democratic County Committee Dinner.

One line in the story got me thinking –

The party has also been criticized for creating so many political dynasties, with a number of incumbents’ sons and daughters in office.

I have heard this criticism many times. But is this unique to the Bronx? To New York City?  To Democrats?

To answer those questions, I decided to look at all the present members of the NY State Legislature and the NY Congressional Delegation to see how many were related to other elected public officials.