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Thursday, December 30, 2010

You want small government? New York City this week is what it looks like
Posted by Jill | 9:16 PM
Susie Madrak has a must-read post at Crooks and Liars about how cuts in sanitation personnel left New York City as the poster child for small-government oligarchy. The streets where the wealthy live were plowed; those in the outer boroughs weren't. That's just a small taste, as Susie explains:
One of my New York-native friends said her relatives were calling the post-blizzard city a "zombie apocalypse."

It's bad enough that NYC has laid off 500 sanitation workers in the last two years (you know, instead of taxing Wall Street) or that there were plows sitting idle because they didn't have enough people to drive them, or that people died because the EMTs couldn't get down their streets.

But that the mayor didn't even bother to call a snow emergency? That's plain crazy.

Make fun of Philly all you want, but by canceling Sunday night's Eagles game, we kept 60,000 cars off the streets at the height of the blizzard that didn't need to be there. Looking at the pictures of New York with abandoned cars and buses everywhere is just surreal. (Of course, Mayor Mike Bloomberg's street was nicely plowed.)

Not to mention, NYC residents couldn't go back to work. Manhattan was cleared, but people couldn't get in to work from the outer boroughs. Wonder how much taxable revenue was lost this week?

This is why it's such a bad idea to run government like a business. This isn't a business, it's a government. It has to provide basic services, no matter what.

It's probably no secret that Wall Street has the same attitude toward New York City that they have toward the rest of the country: "You're lucky to have us." That's why, instead of taxing them, Bloomberg bends over backwards to make them happy. After all, they might move to New Jersey!

So Bloomberg keeps cutting. He laid off 500 sanitation workers and privatized much of the snow plow operations. Guess what? Plows sat idle because employees of the private contractors were on vacation during the holiday.


This is what small government looks like.

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3 Comments:
Blogger Serr8d said...
Seriously? You're dead wrong.

Union Thugs (D) 'working' the sanitation department staged a slow-down.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/sanit_filthy_snow_slow_mo_qH57MZwC53QKOJlekSSDJK

"These garbage men really stink.

"Selfish Sanitation Department bosses from the snow-slammed outer boroughs ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest budget cuts -- a disastrous move that turned streets into a minefield for emergency-services vehicles, The Post has learned.

"Miles of roads stretching from as north as Whitestone, Queens, to the south shore of Staten Island still remained treacherously unplowed last night because of the shameless job action, several sources and a city lawmaker said, which was over a raft of demotions, attrition and budget cuts.
"They sent a message to the rest of the city that these particular labor issues are more important," said City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), who was visited yesterday by a group of guilt-ridden sanitation workers who confessed the shameless plot."

If Bloomberg had any balls, he'd fire the lot of 'em, as Reagan did the Air Traffic Controllers. But he doesn't, so NYC suffers.

Serves 'em right, for being so damned Democrat. When California, Chicago, New York City and other 'burgs and states that are traditionally Democrat finally fail and capitulate, and anarchy rules in their streets, I say wall 'em off, drop their stars off the flag and let 'em do the socialist dance all by themselves. Then all of you euro-socialist wannabees can flock to those failed states and city-states, and grovel together for government to save you from your despair.

Serves you right, the pain that's coming your way, because of your love for a failing ideology that you're successfully foisting off on a once-proud America.
12/30/10, 9:36 PM  
Blogger Jill said...
Ah, yes...the New York Post. And I'm supposed to take the word of a Murdoch rag -- why?

I'm not discounting the possibility entirely, but color me skeptical about this "work slowdown" issue. The FACT is that Bloomberg NEVER DECLARED A SNOW EMERGENCY in New York City. You can read about how declaring a snow emergency helps aid sanitation workers in cleaning up here, if you're so inclined (and I know you're not, since that might fly in the face of your worldview).

It's also interesting to note that this "work slowdown" meme didn't surface until FOUR DAYS AFTER the storm, and only after Bloomberg started taking a political hit for the condition of streets in the outer boroughs. It's also interesting to note that BLOOMBERG's street, and other streets in Manhattan where the wealthy live were cleaned just fine, and it's mostly the working-class outer borough areas that got stiffed. Don't you think that if sanitation workers were staging a slowdown, they'd do it in area where the guy who implemented the staff cuts and demotions lives?

Try using your noggin sometime instead of parroting Rupert Murdoch's talking points.
12/31/10, 6:29 AM  
Blogger Phil said...
Smooch honey.
This is the last day of the year and I am awake at an ungodly hour for no apparent reason, I had to go to the bathroom and here I am.

While I am here, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the links back to my little rant hole you did this past year.

Again, hugs and smooches.

You are a sweet heart.

Happy New year honey.

Keep kicking their fucking asses.
I don't plan on stopping either.
12/31/10, 7:56 AM  
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