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Make a stand, Malcolm
Today’s Daily News editorial: “Make a stand, Malcolm” shows the desire and desperation of this City’s editorial boards to be the ones that run, control and shape the political factors in this State without even being elected to do so. I believe that, yes, Senator Malcolm Smith should make a stand. He should send a message to the editorial boards that he is not one of those elected officials who make their decisions and run their lives based upon the whims of editorial boards that have, for years, never shown their concern for minority communities, and that their only concern is about the well-being of the rich. These editorial boards have never missed an opportunity to attack and criticize Black and Hispanic elected officials for doing the same things that others have been doing for ages. The editorial boards have gone out of their way to criticize what they call minority political dynasties, such as the Diazes, Riveras, Espadas, Serranos and Arroyos. Never before our political success did we see them similarly criticize the Cuomos, Molinaris, Bushs, Roosevelts, Wagners, Addabbos, Hevesis, Kennedys, Vallones, Fossellas and many, many others who, for a long time, have been practicing exactly what we have learned from them. The editorial boards waste no opportunity to try to destroy our leaders with unfounded innuendos and rumors, such as when they tried to smear Adolfo Carrion with regard to political contributions. No such efforts were made against the people who controlled the political system for years before Black and Hispanics entered the political arena. When it comes to defending the immigrants, editorial boards have taken every opportunity to denigrate immigrants – they have gone to great lengths to label immigrants as criminals. The labor unions in this City represent mostly Black and Hispanic workers. When the labor unions persevere in defense of our people’s rights, the editorial boards are quick to attack the unions and their leaders. If it were not for the labor leaders, our people would be paid slave wages and be treated as if we were back in the Dark Ages. When it comes to equal share of our government, when we Black and Hispanics started to know and compete within the same political system that they controlled for ages, the editorial boards began to call for reforms. They knew we were getting too close to competing with them and getting some share of power, so obviously they had to change the system. For example, when we began electing minority Borough Presidents who became part of the City’s Board of Estimate that used to control the City Budget, the editorial boards called for reform to abolish the Board of Estimate and took away our achievement. When we began electing our own political party County Chairmen who began to select minority judges – the same as County Chairmen did for ages – the editorial boards called it corruption, called for reform, and said the system had to be changed. Now that we have an Afro-American as the first Senate Majority Leader, the editorial board is calling him incompetent. Watch out - they will soon point their editorial guns at President Barack Obama! To all this, I say: Make a stand, Malcolm. Once and for all, send them a message. Be not afraid of those who have been suffocating and bleeding the life and sucking the blood out of the Black and Hispanic community. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. They are not in control. You are.
"Why doesn't the Daily News seek social justice for less fortunate NY'ers instead of attacking the "Three Amigos" for defending these folks?" The Daily News IS defending the less fortunate. They are called transit riders. Most people in your district are riding transit, not driving. What are you doing to protect their fares and subway service? Nothing!!! I didn't realize that most people in your district don't even own cars. Look at the numbers cited in the editorial.
You've taken a crisis that threatens the quality of life of the city, of your district and turned it into some contrived racial plot?? As far as I can tell, it's you, Senator, who is defending the rich folks in their cars from Westchester, rather than standing up for everyone else who's waiting for the buses you cut, or trying to get on a train that's dangerously overcrowded - and paying more for the priviledge. Thanks a lot. It's shameful. Did anyone notice that the Senator didn't dispute the facts of his district nor the disproportionate burden his opposition to tolls would cause on the subway and bus riders in his district, nearly all of whom are Black and Latino? It is reckless and offensive to pull the racist card, especially when his stance on these tolls unfairly hurts people of color and low income individuals the most. The editorial boards are merely pointing this out, yet he says nothing to counter those facts. Stay on topic! And, just to be clear, I am a Bronx LATINA.
I wish Senator Diaz is as passionate about facts as he is about false innuendos. He refuses to accept basic facts about our city's transit crisis while turning a blind eye to how fare hikes and service cuts are hurting his constituents. Fact: In Senator Diaz's district, more than five times as many people take mass transit than drive. Fact: In the Bronx, only 5.7% of Bronx workers would be impacted by east river bridge tolls. The overwhelming majority of Bronx residents rely on mass transit for their daily live work commute. Fact: Millions of New Yorkers, black, brown, yellow, young and old stand to benefit from a fair and balanced MTA rescue plan that includes tolls. If Senator Diaz insists on making the transit crisis a race issue, he can start by acknowledging the fact that people of color disproportionately rely on mass transit, have longer commute times and suffer more from a lack of transit investment.
This is race-baiting at its lowest and most ridiculous, and everyone sees right through it. Minority transit riders are the ones being hurt by Sen Diaz's lack of leadership. Sen Diaz is out of touch with his constituents and is lashing out at the editorial boards for calling him on it. No one is fooled by you, Diaz. When you screw your own constituents, you are really screwing yourself. Good luck getting re-elected.
Senator Diaz, you're talking like a fool -- but you're fooling no one. I am one of the 95% of New Yorkers who commute by public transit. My fares are set to increase, my bus route may disappear, and my subway line is going to see service cuts. I'm going to pay more for less. Why the hell can't drivers pay two lousy dollars to cross the bridge? In this moment of crisis, New Yorkers need leadership and straight talk. Your grandstanding, finger-pointing, pity-party article is an embarrasment. New York needs leaders, not spineless hacks who sell out their constituents. Editorial boards are not attacking you because of your race, Senator. They are attacking you because you are a venal, destructive moron who is putting the Bronx and New York City on a fast track back to the 1970s. Do you not realize how important this city's transit system is? Do you not realize that the vast majority of your own constituents -- particularly the lower income and middle class black and brown ones -- do not even own automobiles and would thus only be beneficiaries of a bridge toll? You are not defending any "folks." If you want to meet the "folks" in your district go take a bus or subway ride one of these days. When was the last time you even used transit, Senator? When I first heard of Malcolm X, he was yelling, in Washington DC, a phrase I would soon adopt as my own. "By any means necessary". If you were there, in Washington, to see the brutality 646-363 braindumps, that a "peaceful demonstration" of a Black America, who were fighting for basic human rights, but met with virulent racism, hate and brutality, after Dr. King, Jr left the Podium, it would have had an impact on you, too 642-436 braindumps. When Malcolm X happened onto the scene, and yelled this particularly wonderful phase, it was a light beaming in a sea of darkness. Police were stunned at someone who had the audacity to stand up, and attack Law Enforcement, when they were depriving Black Americans of their HUMAN rights. I was close enough to Malcolm that I could see him, surrounded by other NOI members 000-100 braindumps, and the reality of seeing him charge against attacking, brutal Police, made me feel as if he was a hero. I still believe that. Police were stunned and began to back off.
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This is so true - the manipulation by editorial boards is no longer transparent. The Mayor shored up the editorial boards before the term limits vote - and then he tsunamied the public with a tidal wave of favorable publicity. (Not in the public's best interest.)
The Daily News is cheering on the MTA's reckless mismanagement of money by encouraging tolls on bridges. Why not encourage accountability by the MTA and demand they open all their books?
So what if Senators Diaz and Espada don't have many car owners in their districts. They DO have people who rely upon car services to go to the doctor, go to work, go to school and go wherever they need to be. People rely upon these car services. Car service drivers rely upon their customers for their livelihood. If tolls are put in place on our bridges, the impact it will have on the drivers and the passengers of these car services will be hard hitting.
Why doesn't the Daily News seek social justice for less fortunate NY'ers instead of attacking the "Three Amigos" for defending these folks?