Ironic that Clarke was the vote that made the difference in congress this past friday.

Her press release:

Press Release
Media Contact:
Contact: Chic Smith: (202) 225-6231

REP. YVETTE D. CLARKE STATEMENT ON THE IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

March 23, 2007

Washington, DC -- U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke (NY-11), made the following statement after an affirmative vote endorsing the Iraq Accountability Act (HR 1591).

“There is no legislation that can erase the damage that has been done by this Administration. The ever illusive weapons of mass destruction, their failure to capture Osama bin Laden and the ongoing lack of accountability are just a few of the incompetencies that led us to where we are today.

From Gotham Gazette:

The council voted 39 to six to pass the bill, a sharp split by its standards. Avella, Inez Dickens, Dan Garodnick, Letitia James, Katz, and John Liu voted against the bill. Hiram Monserrate and David Weprin abstained.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has left open the possibility that he will veto the bill, but the council has the votes to override.

I don't get it.

This was brought up in conversation with a neighbor and people have asked the same question here at Room 8. The reason this second election is being held is b/c Eugene refuses to prove that he resides in the district. What is going to change this time around to make sure we don't have a repeat performance?

Maybe Avella can rush his bill through the council in time. Let's not forget to thank Mr. Eugene for wasting another $340K of our taxes.

Thoughts?

From NY Times:

"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s budget director mounted a blistering attack on Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed state budget yesterday, asserting that it would create an $862 million shortfall in the New York City budget for the fiscal year that starts on July 1."

So is Mark Page (budget director for the city) right? Has the governor gone to far in cuts to the city for the benefit of upstate. While I am not the biggest fan of the mayor, I do respect Mr. Page and believe he is telling the truth in this situation and being very cautious about the spitzer plan.

"When you craft an agreement where everyone is a little unhappy, then you know you've done a good job," said Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens).

I think the above quote says it all about the council and its veiws on the pedicab debate. Why heavily regulate something that takes up less space than a cab, has no negative effect on the environment, and should be the direction the city is headin (especially on the heals of 2030).

"The legislation was driven by complaints from hotel and theater owners, who said the pedicabs were creating congestion outside their businesses." Pedicabs=congestion???

As a resident of the 40th District I have been following the race the best I can. I have been to two candidate forums and read all the lit. I have gotten. I am far from any sorta polical insider, other than working for a council member very recently.

So, I still have no idea who I am going to vote for. I liked Mo from COPO for many reasons, also that I have worked with him a few years ago and he lives up to what he says. I am dissapointed that he has run a terrible campaign that has not made any in roads to the larger community and broken down racial barriers for himself.

The rest of the candidates I know some, have heard things about others. In all this I have come to the conclusion that none of the candidates are up to snuff. Navigating city hall, the council, and the speaker is not easy, in addition to advocating for your district and issues. All the candidates have made large/broad statements that frankly can't be backed up.

NY Times today has an article about Quinn's announcement of a $300 tax credit for renters. While I applaud the idea of giving something back to renters, I have to take issue in that the mayor has already said tax cuts with the surplus, but at the expense of large cuts in the budget. What is a surplus if you are still going to cut areas like education, Cuny, andn ACS at $144 million. Let's not forget that the $3.8 billion is a projected surplus. I can't say that I am sure that spending $261 million on the Tenant tax credit is the best use of the money. I'm interested to see exactly what she says about this. Will update later today.

NYC is getting stupider, or at least our elected officials are:

Carl Krueger, don't cross that street:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=66610

The NYC Council:

the N word

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16934409/

Baseball bats

http://www.nysun.com/article/42165

Yvette Clarke's DO office has no phones yet..watcha been doing all of January.

http://clarke.house.gov/contact.shtml

The best service tax payer's money can buy.

“Roads no longer merely lead to places; they are places,” wrote John Brinckerhoff Jackson, the landscape historian. We’ve already lost a lot of New York to traffic. If New Yorkers don’t get out of their cars soon, the city’s future residents won’t have a reason to.

The op-ed by Robert Sullivan in today’s NY Times makes many wonder statements about traffic and its effects on NYC. What caught my attention, and why I like the piece, it that is shows the disconnect from our wonderful mayor, DOT commissioner, and Senator (husband of DOT commissioner).

Bloomberg has on many occasions argued that traffic in NYC is a sign of progress and profit. The NYPD just changed their own Parade rules in reaction to Critical Mass, a bike event that happens in cities around the world with no problems, but not in NYC. These new rules basically have made critical mass illegal. Bike traffic does not equal progress.