NYC General Discussion - You Hear That Giant Sucking Sound?

[Simfan34]

No Managers Need Apply
Bill de Blasio brings another professional leftist into city government.

http://www.city-journal.org/2014/eon0311hm.html

There was a good piece in the Observer a while ago making the case that de Blasio was being quite measured in his appointments, which was encouraging- the excellent choice of Polly Trottenberg as Transportation Commissioner as a case in point. But it seems to have have been a case of false optimism.

[Simfan34]

New Yorkers Want Horse-Drawn Carriages to Stay (and oppose de Blasio's school policies)

http://politicker.com/2014/03/poll-new-yorkers-want-horse-drawn-carriages-to-stay/

Obviously a plan to put hardworking people, most of whom are from immigrant backgrounds, out of a job for no good reason, is unpopular. (I assume most of the horses would be put down as well).

[Simfan34]

A Tale of Two Cities: Racial Divide Over Bill de Blasio’s Support Widens

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http://politicker.com/2014/03/a-tale-of-two-cities-racial-divide-over-bill-de-blasios-support-widens/

[Simfan34]

de Blasio stands by park fund-redistribution scheme
http://observer.com/2014/03/de-blasio-still-wants-conservancies-to-share-money-with-poorer-parks/

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[Simfan34]

Some people disagree with oakvale:

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/26/nyc-horse-carriage-_n_5037062.html

[Simfan34]

Tish James Renews Public Advocate’s Legislative Role
http://observer.com/2014/03/tish-james-renews-public-advocates-legislative-role/#ixzz2xTI1fS34

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[Simfan34]

Charter schools score great victory
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2014/03/29/eva-moskowitz-calls-state-budget-deal-a-historic-moment-in-public-education/

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[Simfan34]

Mayor de Blasio Has a Habit of Leaving Out the Press

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http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/mayor-de-blasio-has-a-habit-of-leaving-out-press.html

It appears he's not up to media scrutiny; as the Observer put it, he appears to have a "transparency problem"

[Simfan34]

New York’s Welfare Reactionaries
Mayor de Blasio and his HRA chief look to turn back the clock on 20 years of progress.

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http://www.city-journal.org/2014/eon0521hm.html

[Simfan34]

I don't think Simfan understands what reaction means in the political sense.

I thought the title was a bit cute myself.

[Simfan34]

I like this idea.

[Simfan34]

Michael Bloomberg Blasts Ivy League For Liberal 'Censorship'
http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-blasts-ivy-league-for-liberal-censorship-2014-5#ixzz33FcKGdbE

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Bloomie, how truly we miss you. Although I would have liked to have heard this sort of stuff when you were in office, it is the truth, and I'm glad he's telling. We really do miss you. :cry:

[Simfan34]

That's true, but I don't think Xahar considers himself a socialist. I suppose the position a lot of liberals would holds that means testing allows for people to rendered ineligible for assistance when they might actually need it (...my college tuition comes to mind ) and that, no matter how small the amount, is unacceptable.

[Simfan34]

They talk about adding in class performance and all that, but, besides the fact that's far more "fuzzy" than raw scores, does anyone not think they'll use the opening to start imposing all sorts of things to favor "underprivileged groups"?

The typical inability, or lack of will, to address the root causes of poor academic performance amongst certain groups, plays a role here. The fact that only a handful of minority students are accepted does not raise "red flags about the fairness of the admissions system" but rather about the quality of the primary education system and the culture underlying it.

I mean look at this:

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http://gothamist.com/2014/06/20/ask_a_native_new_yorker_13.php

It's actually disgusting, that the writer thinks that by putting in "some nice, well-rounded kids" (read: less competitive) that this will reduce the competitive nature of the school, and that would be a good thing. That these people are required to "reduce the stress level" because they can't handle it unlike others. It's insulting, really.

[Simfan34]

600 composite? That's literally at about the bottomost percentile of scores.

[Simfan34]

Yeah, that's depressing. Of course, they don't have the gumption to address the root causes so they go for this window-dressing.

[Simfan34]

The sad thing is that the community "leaders", rather than attempting to rectify the root causes of culture of poverty, instead spend all their time crying "racism!" at the drop of a hat.

[Simfan34]

That is wholly correct. I'd add that an active hostility to educational achievement, due to its perceived lack of "authenticity", is also a major retardant. It's something I've read of, certainly, but I was truly horrified when I observed it for myself.

[Simfan34]

Well, I mean it is one thing to not take pride in one's own education, it is another thing entirely to denigrate others for doing such.

[Simfan34]

The proposal by the author of that piece is truly terrifying. It's literally a call for a caste system:

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[Simfan34]

Squeegee men are back terrorizing NYC streets

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[Simfan34]

Bratton vows to crack down on ‘squeegee men’

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[Simfan34]

Oh thank God! This is very important. Shake Shack totally turned around my views on crinkle cut fries, before they were soggy pieces of misery served in the school cafeteria, it was a true tragedy that they tried to take that away. Hopefully they'll return as nice and crispy as ever. I mean the new ones were pretty mediocre, I had them just last week.

[Simfan34]

Thank goodness!

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/08/shake_shack_ditches_freshcut_fries_that_no_one_liked.php

I don't get the "fresh-cut" fad.  Either way you are eating fried starch with little to no nutritional value.  Just make 'em crispy and tasty. 

I went there a week ago, but they did not have the old ones...

[Simfan34]

Tensions Over Park Behavior as Homelessness Rises in New York City

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Why has there been a reversal... I do wonder. Just last night I saw some homeless inside a bank! I think there are more beggars than there were a year or two ago. Police need to do something. The state of the shelters needs to be looked at.

There also was a good piece in the City Journal calling for reinstitutionalisation, which would obviously help and is something I've supported for a long time. If there are shelters and people are not going to them either they're worse than the streets or the people... are not quite right. Having been to Ethiopia, where you can hardly wave a stick without hitting a beggar, I can say most street homeless in NY do seem to not be well in a way that beggars elsewhere don't.