Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Memo to the Mayor-elect
Eight days after his election, Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio is getting down
to the unglamorous work of the transition. He's hiring staffers and
administration officials, setting policy priorities, working on his
inaugural speech, and contemplating a move to Gracie Mansion.
Lots to do with the clock is ticking towards midnight January 1st 2014!
You don't get to become the mayor of this town without being a pretty bright guy, and nearly everyone agrees that De Blasio is plenty smart. But, this being NYC, we're literally crowded with smart people, including captains of industry, other politicians, and celebrities of every stripe. All of them probably think they'd be a great mayor and have lots of advice to offer the soon-to-be 109th Hizzoner.
Lots to do with the clock is ticking towards midnight January 1st 2014!
You don't get to become the mayor of this town without being a pretty bright guy, and nearly everyone agrees that De Blasio is plenty smart. But, this being NYC, we're literally crowded with smart people, including captains of industry, other politicians, and celebrities of every stripe. All of them probably think they'd be a great mayor and have lots of advice to offer the soon-to-be 109th Hizzoner.
This slide show article has lots of people offering advice and it is telling. Most of
them want De Blasio to craft policies that will benefit their businesses
and industries. Others offer platitudes: better schools! lower crime!
more affordable housing! improve transportation! None of them are offering
advice on how he would actually pay for and implement any of this stuff. They just want him to do it.
Now I'm not a leader of anything or a celebrity so certainly my advice to the mayor-elect is even less important. Unlike these people and most people in this town, I don't think I'm the smartest person in the history of creation. In fact, I'm 99.999999999999999999999% sure I'm not.
But I'll give it a try nonetheless.
Dear Mr. Mayor: please keep your promises, do your best, and don't listen to the critics. Don't forget the people who supported you and ignore the people who didn't. Don't take any attack lying down. Raise taxes on the rich, provide universal pre-K, provide job training programs, and build more affordable housing. And be straight with the people about how you're going to pay for it.
That's it. That's my advice. Hope he follows it. Then again, remember, I don't claim to be that smart.
Now I'm not a leader of anything or a celebrity so certainly my advice to the mayor-elect is even less important. Unlike these people and most people in this town, I don't think I'm the smartest person in the history of creation. In fact, I'm 99.999999999999999999999% sure I'm not.
But I'll give it a try nonetheless.
Dear Mr. Mayor: please keep your promises, do your best, and don't listen to the critics. Don't forget the people who supported you and ignore the people who didn't. Don't take any attack lying down. Raise taxes on the rich, provide universal pre-K, provide job training programs, and build more affordable housing. And be straight with the people about how you're going to pay for it.
That's it. That's my advice. Hope he follows it. Then again, remember, I don't claim to be that smart.
Monday, November 11, 2013
On the streets where we lived
Legendary New York writer Roger Rosenblatt recently published a memoir, and appeared on WNYC radio talking about, his childhood in NYC.
For anyone who ever grew up somewhere and moved away -- even if it was just to another neighborhood -- it's a strange experience coming back to the streets of your youth. You get a weird sensation of nostalgia tinged with displacement. You remember the buildings and stores and other identifying markers of the neighborhood that used to be there but are no longer. And you see those things that still are there, remembering your youth and earlier times, and you wonder how they survived and if they will continue to do so.
In NYC, longing for the past and being excited for the future go hand-in-hand. And it begins on the streets where we grew up and lived and live today, the future and past existing all at once.
In NYC, longing for the past and being excited for the future go hand-in-hand. And it begins on the streets where we grew up and lived and live today, the future and past existing all at once.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Bloomberg Likes Twitter, not Successor
I just checked out Mayor Bloomberg's personal Twitter page and noticed something interesting: he does not, in any way, congratulate Mayor-elect De Blasio on his election. He does, however, congratulate Twitter on their big IPO today.
Just a little insensitive and out of touch, Mike? Or perhaps a little bitter?
And people wonder why De Blasio won in a huge landslide.
Lou Reed's NYC
With the death of Lou Reed and Ed Koch -- and now the election of Bill De Blasio -- is feels like NYC has really turned a page.
Some think that our future is bright, others think we're doomed. Only time will tell.
In 1989, it sure felt like we were doomed. Ed Koch was in his last year as mayor and the city was spinning out of control. That year, Lou Reed produced one of his greatest albums, "New York", about the city in all its horrors and wonders.
This article takes a great look at this album and what it said about Lou Reed and NYC in Ed Koch's NYC in 1989. As the saying goes, it shows that some things in this town have changed -- and some things haven't.
Election 2013 Wrap Up
It's all over but the kvetching. The New York City elections of 2013 are officially over and here's how it played out:
De Blasio won with 73.3% of the vote to Lhota's 24.3%. In raw numbers, that's 752,604 votes to 249,121 (roughly 1 million people voted). De Blasio did well all over the city, sweeping Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and northern Staten Island. Small conservative enclaves went for Lhota: the Upper East Side of Manhattan, parts of northeastern and central and southern Queens, southern Brooklyn, southern Staten Island, and little parts of Riverdale and City Island in the Bronx. Basically, De Blasio got the meal and Lhota got the table scraps. De Blasio won in every demographic and age group. It was a complete and total route.
The borough president and DA races played out as predicted yesterday. Four Democrats and 1 Republican will run the boroughs and four Democrats and 1 Republican will prosecute criminals. No surprises there.
City council races also played out much as predicted with a couple of interesting results in Queens. In Bayside, Democrat Paul Vallone bested Republican Dennis Saffran. This is the swingiest swing district in NYC but Vallone won by nearly 60% -- proving its effectiveness as a bellwether for the city as a whole. Meanwhile Republican Erich Ulrich held on in Howard Beach winning with 53% of the vote, the closest council race of the night. Vallone's win was due largely to the Democratic trend this year but Ulrich's had much to do with the power of effective incumbency which helped him to defy the trend. So we will have 48 Democrats and 3 Republicans in the city council next year -- a net Democratic gain of 1 seat.
What's interesting about this election is that it's two things at once: a strong mandate for progressive policies but also a re-affirmation of the status quo in terms of who, for the most part, will actually carry them out. It's like traveling to a new location with a GPS.
As NYC enters a new era, we are a city thirsting for both change and stability, keeping the progress we've made (in crime, education, public health, the budget) while also making a new kind of progress (in jobs, housing, education).
How it plays out over the next four years is the big question currently hanging over our city.
De Blasio won with 73.3% of the vote to Lhota's 24.3%. In raw numbers, that's 752,604 votes to 249,121 (roughly 1 million people voted). De Blasio did well all over the city, sweeping Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and northern Staten Island. Small conservative enclaves went for Lhota: the Upper East Side of Manhattan, parts of northeastern and central and southern Queens, southern Brooklyn, southern Staten Island, and little parts of Riverdale and City Island in the Bronx. Basically, De Blasio got the meal and Lhota got the table scraps. De Blasio won in every demographic and age group. It was a complete and total route.
The borough president and DA races played out as predicted yesterday. Four Democrats and 1 Republican will run the boroughs and four Democrats and 1 Republican will prosecute criminals. No surprises there.
City council races also played out much as predicted with a couple of interesting results in Queens. In Bayside, Democrat Paul Vallone bested Republican Dennis Saffran. This is the swingiest swing district in NYC but Vallone won by nearly 60% -- proving its effectiveness as a bellwether for the city as a whole. Meanwhile Republican Erich Ulrich held on in Howard Beach winning with 53% of the vote, the closest council race of the night. Vallone's win was due largely to the Democratic trend this year but Ulrich's had much to do with the power of effective incumbency which helped him to defy the trend. So we will have 48 Democrats and 3 Republicans in the city council next year -- a net Democratic gain of 1 seat.
What's interesting about this election is that it's two things at once: a strong mandate for progressive policies but also a re-affirmation of the status quo in terms of who, for the most part, will actually carry them out. It's like traveling to a new location with a GPS.
As NYC enters a new era, we are a city thirsting for both change and stability, keeping the progress we've made (in crime, education, public health, the budget) while also making a new kind of progress (in jobs, housing, education).
How it plays out over the next four years is the big question currently hanging over our city.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Election Night Live Blog
11:32 PM - Here's the run down thus far:
NYC elected its first Democratic mayor in 20 years.
NYC elected a new Comptroller and Public Advocate, both Democrats.
Four new borough presidents were elected in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn (3 Democrats) and Staten Island (1 Republican). The Bronx borough president (1 Democrat) was reelected.
The City Council still has still competitive races in Howard Beach (Queens), Brighton Beach (Brooklyn), and Bayside (Queens). Otherwise there are 2 safe Republican seats and 46 safe Democratic seats. I'll update these races tomorrow.
The Manhattan DA Cy Vance (Democrat) is a safe bet for reelection. And it looks like Ken Thompson (Democrat) will finally oust Charles Hynes (Democrat turned Republican) as Brooklyn DA.
That's the conclusion of Mr NYC's first election night live blog. Hope you enjoyed it. See you again in four years.
11:01 PM - Referendums that has passed thus far: Civil Service Credits, Debt Limit, Land Dispute.
11:00 PM - Ruben Diaz re-elected as Bronx Borough President.
10:58 PM - District 32 city council race is back to being a nail-biter. Simon is leading by about 2 points.
10:57 PM - "We all rise together." De Blasio has concluded his victory speech.
10:55 PM - De Blasio says that inequality in NYC has been "decades in the making" but "we stand united by a shared optimism ... our toughness is unmatched, our will is unbreakable ... the road ahead will be difficult but it will be traveled."
10:52 PM - De Blasio vows to fight hospitals from becoming luxury condos.
10:49 PM - De Blasio declares that people's success should be due to their hard work and dreams and not "their zip code."
10:48 PM - Democrat Chaim Deutsch now leading Republican Storobin in District 48.
10:45 PM - De Blasio gives a shout out to his Italian ancestors and thanks Joe Lhota for a spirited race. Says he wants to earn the trust of those people who didn't vote for him.
10:43 PM - De Blasio thanks his supporters.
10:41 PM - De Blasio declares "our work is just beginning ... the people of this city have chosen a progressive path ... together as one city." Then repeats this part in Spanish.
10:38 PM - Bill De Blasio taking the stage to deliver his victory speech.
10:37 PM - James Oddo elected Staten Island Borough President (first Republican victory of the night).
10:35 PM - Bill De Blasio's wife is introducing her husband at the victory party in Brooklyn.
10:34 PM - Gale Brewer elected Manhattan Borough President.
10:23 PM - In the Brighton Beach City Council race (District 48) Republican David Storobin is currently leading his Democratic and Working Families Party opponents. Scary. This will be an interesting one.
10:18 PM - Exit polls show De Blasio winning Queens by 65%. Along with a Democrat leading an incumbent Republican in a conservative City Council race, this election is bearing out my previous blog post about Queens being "the Ohio of NYC." Looks like Queens went hard for Democrats this year, thus giving De Blasio a huge margin - and a real mandate for his agenda.
10:12 PM - More results in Howard Beach (District 32) race in: Simon is leading 54% to 46%.
10:06 PM - Kenneth Thompson leading Charles Hynes in Brooklyn DA's race.
10:01 PM - Some City Council results are coming in: closest race is in Howard Beach, with Republican Eric Ulrich and Lew Simon currently splitting the vote 50/50. This will be an interesting one.
9:57 PM - Scott Stringer declaring victory as Comptroller-elect.
9:46 PM - All NYS ballot initiatives are leading.
9:45 PM - Republican Joe Lhota is conceding the race for mayor. Guess De Blasio is polishing his victory speech.
9:35 PM - Tish James making her victory speech, declaring herself Public Advocate-Elect. No real results in but she had no Republican opponent. Becomes the first black woman elected to city-wide office.
9:33 PM - With 1% of vote reporting, De Blasio leads Lhota 72%-27%.
9:19 PM - On NY1 caller attributes De Blasio victory to Occupy Wall Street movement.
9:10 PM - Uncontested city council races (in districts 1, 9, 21, 25, 26, 35) all won by Democrats.
9:02 PM - NY Times publishes exit poll: De Blasio elected mayor. But real results not in yet so it ain't official (obviously).
9:00 PM - Polls have closed across the city. Game on!
8:40 PM - It's election night in NYC! In 20 minutes the polls will close and results will start pouring in from around the city. This is an experiment: Mr NYC will blog election results as the races are called in real time. I'll try post as many as humanly possible. Off we go!
NYC elected its first Democratic mayor in 20 years.
NYC elected a new Comptroller and Public Advocate, both Democrats.
Four new borough presidents were elected in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn (3 Democrats) and Staten Island (1 Republican). The Bronx borough president (1 Democrat) was reelected.
The City Council still has still competitive races in Howard Beach (Queens), Brighton Beach (Brooklyn), and Bayside (Queens). Otherwise there are 2 safe Republican seats and 46 safe Democratic seats. I'll update these races tomorrow.
The Manhattan DA Cy Vance (Democrat) is a safe bet for reelection. And it looks like Ken Thompson (Democrat) will finally oust Charles Hynes (Democrat turned Republican) as Brooklyn DA.
That's the conclusion of Mr NYC's first election night live blog. Hope you enjoyed it. See you again in four years.
11:01 PM - Referendums that has passed thus far: Civil Service Credits, Debt Limit, Land Dispute.
11:00 PM - Ruben Diaz re-elected as Bronx Borough President.
10:58 PM - District 32 city council race is back to being a nail-biter. Simon is leading by about 2 points.
10:57 PM - "We all rise together." De Blasio has concluded his victory speech.
10:55 PM - De Blasio says that inequality in NYC has been "decades in the making" but "we stand united by a shared optimism ... our toughness is unmatched, our will is unbreakable ... the road ahead will be difficult but it will be traveled."
10:52 PM - De Blasio vows to fight hospitals from becoming luxury condos.
10:49 PM - De Blasio declares that people's success should be due to their hard work and dreams and not "their zip code."
10:48 PM - Democrat Chaim Deutsch now leading Republican Storobin in District 48.
10:45 PM - De Blasio gives a shout out to his Italian ancestors and thanks Joe Lhota for a spirited race. Says he wants to earn the trust of those people who didn't vote for him.
10:43 PM - De Blasio thanks his supporters.
10:41 PM - De Blasio declares "our work is just beginning ... the people of this city have chosen a progressive path ... together as one city." Then repeats this part in Spanish.
10:38 PM - Bill De Blasio taking the stage to deliver his victory speech.
10:37 PM - James Oddo elected Staten Island Borough President (first Republican victory of the night).
10:35 PM - Bill De Blasio's wife is introducing her husband at the victory party in Brooklyn.
10:34 PM - Gale Brewer elected Manhattan Borough President.
10:23 PM - In the Brighton Beach City Council race (District 48) Republican David Storobin is currently leading his Democratic and Working Families Party opponents. Scary. This will be an interesting one.
10:18 PM - Exit polls show De Blasio winning Queens by 65%. Along with a Democrat leading an incumbent Republican in a conservative City Council race, this election is bearing out my previous blog post about Queens being "the Ohio of NYC." Looks like Queens went hard for Democrats this year, thus giving De Blasio a huge margin - and a real mandate for his agenda.
10:12 PM - More results in Howard Beach (District 32) race in: Simon is leading 54% to 46%.
10:06 PM - Kenneth Thompson leading Charles Hynes in Brooklyn DA's race.
10:01 PM - Some City Council results are coming in: closest race is in Howard Beach, with Republican Eric Ulrich and Lew Simon currently splitting the vote 50/50. This will be an interesting one.
9:57 PM - Scott Stringer declaring victory as Comptroller-elect.
9:46 PM - All NYS ballot initiatives are leading.
9:45 PM - Republican Joe Lhota is conceding the race for mayor. Guess De Blasio is polishing his victory speech.
9:35 PM - Tish James making her victory speech, declaring herself Public Advocate-Elect. No real results in but she had no Republican opponent. Becomes the first black woman elected to city-wide office.
9:33 PM - With 1% of vote reporting, De Blasio leads Lhota 72%-27%.
9:19 PM - On NY1 caller attributes De Blasio victory to Occupy Wall Street movement.
9:10 PM - Uncontested city council races (in districts 1, 9, 21, 25, 26, 35) all won by Democrats.
9:02 PM - NY Times publishes exit poll: De Blasio elected mayor. But real results not in yet so it ain't official (obviously).
9:00 PM - Polls have closed across the city. Game on!
8:40 PM - It's election night in NYC! In 20 minutes the polls will close and results will start pouring in from around the city. This is an experiment: Mr NYC will blog election results as the races are called in real time. I'll try post as many as humanly possible. Off we go!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Bloomberg: The Exit Interview
We are just days away from selecting Michael Bloomberg's successor. And in two months, NYC government will be Bloomberg-free.
This is a very sad state of affairs -- for the media and the man himself. It's a relief for everyone else.
This "exit interview" from Forbes shows that he clearly thinks he did a great job. The city is perfect, everything's just great, and no one is really fit to replace him. All of our city's problems, according to him, are problems of "success."
And if you believe that, I can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
Talking about selecting Bloomberg's successor ...
On election night, I strongly recommend watching NY1. They have very good, no-nonsense political coverage. Also, WNYC Radio has a wonderful Election Tracker that will bring you results from all the races as the votes start pouring in all over the city (polls close at 9 PM on election night).
It'll be exciting! 'Till Tuesday.
This "exit interview" from Forbes shows that he clearly thinks he did a great job. The city is perfect, everything's just great, and no one is really fit to replace him. All of our city's problems, according to him, are problems of "success."
And if you believe that, I can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
Talking about selecting Bloomberg's successor ...
On election night, I strongly recommend watching NY1. They have very good, no-nonsense political coverage. Also, WNYC Radio has a wonderful Election Tracker that will bring you results from all the races as the votes start pouring in all over the city (polls close at 9 PM on election night).
It'll be exciting! 'Till Tuesday.
Gettin' busy in NYC
"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere."
And you can have lots of sex too!
Did you know that New Yorkers "do the nasty" 156 times a year (on average)? Did you know that nearly a million New Yorkers reported having more than two partners a year? And almost half a million had three or more bedmates per year?
Did you know that New Yorkers "do the nasty" 156 times a year (on average)? Did you know that nearly a million New Yorkers reported having more than two partners a year? And almost half a million had three or more bedmates per year?
We're way above the national average which is about 100 times a year. We rule.
And ... dang! We iz a horny bunch.
Sadly, however, this is not being accompanied by safe-sex habits. Apparently only one in three New Yorkers shtupted with a condom last year -- that's nearly 66% who went "raw." This has also led to higher than average STDs rate in this town. Not a shock: more love + no glove = lots of people with STDs.
Therefore I urge my frisky fellow citizens to please, for the love of God, play it safe. It's great you're all getting action and everything but STDs ain't worth. Again, please, be careful! This is one thing our city doesn't want to be Number 1 in.
This message was brought to you by A Very Concerned Mr NYC for Safe Nooky.
And ... dang! We iz a horny bunch.
Sadly, however, this is not being accompanied by safe-sex habits. Apparently only one in three New Yorkers shtupted with a condom last year -- that's nearly 66% who went "raw." This has also led to higher than average STDs rate in this town. Not a shock: more love + no glove = lots of people with STDs.
Therefore I urge my frisky fellow citizens to please, for the love of God, play it safe. It's great you're all getting action and everything but STDs ain't worth. Again, please, be careful! This is one thing our city doesn't want to be Number 1 in.
This message was brought to you by A Very Concerned Mr NYC for Safe Nooky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)