My Back Against The Wall
I love this city so much, I figured I would set a few things straight. This list is by no means comprehensive, and the order of things mentioned is kind of random. But here goes:
(1) Superior Management. The self-made billionaire Mayor has set the standards rather high. Followup Mayors will have big shoes to fill. Most of the time it is simply about delivering, basic delivery. Is the garbage being picked up?
(2) Political Reform. Inject democracy and transparency at all levels. Where Bloomberg has lacked is he has not done much house cleaning in the political department. He likes to say he switched parties because as a Republican candidate he would not be beholden to various Democratic interest groups. That is a sad thing to say about the dominant party in the city that is perhaps the progressive capital of the country and the world. Mike plain gave up. He did not even try.
Expand voting rights. There are 1.2 million New Yorkers right now who can't vote. That is wrong.
(3) Crime Control. Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime. For a big city, this might be the number one concern. This is about tough love. Like Amitabh Bachchan said once, "I will save my compassion for the tsunami victims." This is about declaring a War On Domestic Violence. This is about pay increase for police officers. This is about engineering a better ethnic and gender composition of the police. This is about community policing. This is about better fighting organized crime. You play by their rules. You get organized too. You go after the big dogs. Big city should not automatically mean a high crime rate. Rudy did pretty good in this department. But his excesses were unnecessary. He got carried away.
(4) The Subway. Long term it is a good idea to increase the total number of miles the subway runs. Good thing work has started on the Second Avenue subway. A long term view also has to be taken in terms of the outer boroughs. There is a major need to upgrade the subway. Filth is not a status symbol like some New Yorkers complain when they are in DC: "This Metro is not dirty enough." The subway is magic on wheels. It is the subway that gives the city its name as "the city that never sleeps." How can the experience be enhanced? Paint every inch of wall that the subway riders see. Brighten things up. The current scenario leads to depression among some New Yorkers who might already be on the edge. If people do spend so much time on the subway, let's try and make it a pleasant experience. All train stations should similarly be beautified. They should be made pleasant. Put up art work on the walls. Play some soft, soothing music. Take the noise out. We should get rid of the wheels. Trains can be made to float on air. The technology has been around a while. Summary: Enhance the sight, take away the sound, take away the stink.
Public transportation has to be enhanced overall. There is the bus, and there is the cab. We need to also have something in between those two. And cabbies should be allowed to keep more of the money they make. The city takes out too much. That is racism. Mostly brown folks are at the receiving end.
(5) Wireless Broadband. This is a nobrainer. The sooner this happens the better. I would push for free, ad supported type. This more than any single thing would be like New York City 2.0. This is the next subway, only better.
This will also allow us to think in terms of next generation jobs, companies, industries.
(6) Education. Lifelong. Ahead of the state and national curve.
(7) Health. Universal. Ahead of the state and national curve.
In The News
New York City News
Washington Post | Nor'easter slams New York City amNewYork, New York - New York City opened nine emergency storm shelters in flood-prone locations, and ferry service to Fire Island was canceled due to the storm. ... National Guard Sent to Flood-Prone Areas of New York State Storm Cancels Flights in New York & New Jersey |
| Smart Destinations introduces New York City Explorer Pass e-Travel Blackboard (press release), Australia - New York City Explorer Pass comes in two versions, Choose 3 or Choose 5. Customers have their choice of admission to the city’s most well-known attractions, ... Get your all access ticket to New York City with Smart Destinations |
| NanoBusiness 2007, Nanotechnology’s Foremost Business Conference ... Nanotechwire.com, PA - The NanoBusiness Alliance today announced that its 6th annual NanoBusiness 2007 conference will be returning to New York City next week, being held at the ... NanoBusiness 2007, Nanotechnology’s Foremost Business Conference ... NanoBusiness 2007, Nanotechnology's Foremost Business Conference ... The New York NanoBusiness Alliance to Spotlight Area ... |
 WHDH-TV | New York City leaders upset about German army video reference to ... Brandon Sun, Canada - NEW YORK (AP) - New York City officials say they are saddened and frustrated to learn that a German army instructor was caught on video telling a soldier to ... Fury at German army instructor's 'black New Yorker' comment New York Leaders Angered By Offensive German Military Video German army in racist video scandal |
| New York City City kicks off immigrant celebration week amNewYork, New York - ... the city's fourth annual Immigrant History Week, a five-borough celebration of the people who make New York unique among all the cities of the world. ... |
 New York Times | Think You Know Panorama New York City? Gothamist, NY - The Queens Museum of Art's panorama is a to-scale model of New York City: One inch equals 100 feet (the Empire State Building is 15 inches tall) and was ... The Night of the Know-It-Alls |
| DOUG AITON INTERVIEW: Ben Graham on the Jets and New York City Geelong Advertiser, Australia - He was away from his wife and daughters and struggling to train with the New York Jets while trying to arrange such essentials as a social security number, ... |
 HealthNews-Stats (press release) | Adult circumcision a tough sell, even for a lower HIV risk International Herald Tribune, France - Because of these unknowables, no domestic medical authority, from the New York City Health Department to the American Urological Association, ... New York City considers promoting circumcision |
| Flowers Bloom with Springtime Delight in New York City Fast Pitch! (press release) - New York City is beautiful year-round, but especially so during the spring months when Central Park is in bloom and the warm weather has beaconed friendly ... |
 WRAL.com | Storm Cancels Flights in New York And New Jersey WRAL.com, NC - A flood watch was posted for the New York City region, as the weather service forecast 2 to 4 inches of rain Sunday with wind gusting to 50 mph. ... |
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