New York State of Mind

So the holidays are over, the tree in Rockefeller Center has been taken down, the tourists have all gone home, and we are settling in for those dark and cold winter months here in the Northeast. But don’t think we are hibernating…

Sports – Yes, amazingly, the New York Jets are in the play-offs. They play the San Diego Chargers Sunday night. This is good because we just spent a gazillion dollars on a new stadium, so they better make it good. Go Jets.

[On a personal note - I would like to take a moment to extend my condolences and prayers to Jets owner Woody Johnson and his family on the death of his 30 year old daughter Casey who was recently found dead in her home in Los Angeles.]

Local News – In a front page only the Post could come up with, Mayor Mike and all of us are wondering why Obama hates us so much. For a city and state that supported him overwhelmingly is his campaign, Obama has turned on us with vengeance. He has ordered the civil trial of 9/11 terrorists just blocks from the Ground Zero which is estimated to cost hundreds of millions in security. He is pushing a healthcare bill which will add billions of dollars to our already strained state budget, and now Obama is requesting a special 50% “Wall Street” tax be levied on bonus’ paid to bankers and other Wall Street-types whose companies took bail out money. The City of New York will be hit particularly hard because we are the epicenter of all things financial. The strain is already beginning to show with blocks and blocks of empty retail space and a very high rate of unemployment among the white collar workers in the city.

-On a lighter note, Bloomberg started his third and he is not wasting time on his quest to control every aspect of our lives. Last week he announced his latest war – Salt. He’s conquered tobacco and trans-fats and now he has set his sites on our sodium intake. He is soliciting food manufacturers to lower the salt content of their prepared foods to help New Yorkers lower their blood pressure. As an astute Post reader commented in a letter to the editor that lowering our stress levels will lower our blood pressure too and pondered why he did not try to lessen our tax burden.

-And the final tally on Bloomberg’s campaign spending and the grand total came to $108,371,685.01. This comes out to about $185 dollars for each vote. On the other hand, his opponent Bill Thompson spent $9,100,000 which comes out to about $16.86 per vote. Bloomberg’s bonus to his campaign workers weren’t too shabby either. He gave on average $400,000 to his campaign managers and very healthy bonus to his staff. It’s good to work for the king..er..Mayor.

-In other royal news, our new City Comptroller John Liu was sworn in on New Year’s Day and has wasted no time making valuable changes that will benefit us all. In a series of meetings last week with his staff, he has ordered that his staff must always rise when he enters the room and everyone must address him as “Mr. Comptroller”. We will see how long that lasts.

State News – Our state is in the throes of a crisis. Our former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R/Albany) is going to jail. Another State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. (D/Bronx) is being investigated by our Attorney General for some inappropriate behavior involving health clinics he owns. State Senator Hiram Monserrate (D/Queens) has been deemed “unfit to serve” by the Senate because he was recently convicted of beating his girlfriend. And the current leaders of both our legislative houses, Sheldon Silver and John Sampson, have taken “of counsel” positions at two of the state’s most powerful plaintiffs’ law firms, and have refused to disclose their salaries and, though it should go without saying, have refused to hear any talk of tort reform. So our Governor ordered an updating of the code of ethics for our legislature possibly one that defines “ethics” more clearly this time. The problem is, of course, that the legislators will be deciding the definition of “ethics”.


National News – The race for Senator has heated up for Democrats this week and Schumer is fuming. His girl Friday – Senator Kirsten Gillibrand may have a challenger from the left in her bid for Hillary Clinton’s old Senate seat. More on that at it unfolds over the next few weeks


Finally, don’t forget to tune in to Fox channel’s “24”- This season New York City plays host to Jack Bauer and his 24-hour race to save us from those nasty global evil-doers and their secret government operatives.