"The rise of Bill de Blasio, New York City’s public advocate, has been remarkable. In a clamorous primary campaign against better known, more seasoned candidates, he won the Democratic nomination without a runoff, by appealing directly and doggedly to struggling New Yorkers who see a city of lofty wealth rising out of their reach. With the election only 10 days away, Mr. de Blasio is polling so far ahead of the Republican, Joseph Lhota, that commentators have already anointed him leader of a national rebirth of left-wing populism."
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14 comments:
Remember when Rudy Giuliani cleaned up that town and made it safe for all the liberals to click around in their high heels?
The party is over.
"New Yorkers who see a city of lofty wealth rising out of their reach."
And the answer is... ding ding ding... MORE left-wing populism. Hooray! That'll work.
No. I missed that part altogether. I remember a city so filthy I couldn't wait to get out of it, and pleased that I managed to cut the trip short. A city so rude it couldn't happen fast enough, so obscene even I am offended, I recall people pissing in the street while walking, shitting between parked cars, beggars caked with filth so their race is indistinguishable. I recall the bus driver from Port Authority to N.J. airport on the way out pulling over and stopping on the side of the highway directly next to a sign reading "No Stopping on Highway,' looking into the large rearview mirror and addressing the entire bus.
"This bus ain't going nowhere until that lady who got on comes up with her full fare."
None of us knew what he was talking about. Nonetheless we scrapped up bus fare and gave it to him. We were actually held hostage on the way out. So hard not to recall that.
I recall arriving in Denver feeling like parachuting into a beautiful deep green garden where everyone cares how lovely things are.
When I fly, I always take the window seat, usually next to the last row, left side (least crowded, good view, pilot's side, close to the bathroom), and I'm constantly staring out window. From 35,000 ft, Colorado is the most enticing. The snow and green, and seeming undeveloped country looks great. I always just want to drop down there and start hiking around. Every flight, I see places mostly in Colorado and west that I try to identify and find on a map later.
The last flight I took I saw this huge tan area that really stood out and looked very strange, and I couldn't imagine what it was. I took a photo, and after some looking around on Google Maps, I found it: Great Sand Dunes National Park, of course. I never even knew the place existed before that.
Remember when the pilot used to come on and say "We are now flying over the Grand Canyon." (or some fascinating natural landmark)?
They don't do that anymore. It's as if no one cares.
I love to sit in the window seat. (although on long flights with no view, I opt for an aisle)
Once or twice, I recall on flights into San Francisco, looking down and seeing half dome. Holy crap that's Half dome!
My first flight into Seattle, I didn't have a window seat and I felt so frustrated. As the flight approached the airport, Mt Rainer was there and I wanted to scream with excitement! (Only in my head though)
The Great Sand Dunes are in the San Luis valley, and what makes the Sand Dunes so spectacular is the backdrop of the Sangre De Cristo range- A line of gorgeous rugged mountains, many of which are 14,000 ft. The area is brown because the San Luis valley is suffering a long multi-year drought.
If you've never hiked the Rocky Mountains of CO, you should.
Hey, General Dinkins is comin' back!
I am embarrassed to admit that I have never been to NY City.
I've been to many major US cities including Boston, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta.. but never NY.
About a year and a half ago, I had to spend a day in San Francisco. For some reason the flight that afforded the best price was Oakland. I've taken the BART before and I thought -eh - I'll just take the train to SF and all will be groovy.
So the flight lands just before sunset. One must take a bus to the train station because the airport/BART connection in not complete. I did not know this at the time, and it added precious time. Sun is setting. Getting dark.
I arrive the station and I cannot figure out how to buy a dang ticket, and by the time I do, I miss the train and have to wait another 17 minutes for the next one. Sun is setting. Getting dark.
BART drops me off at Civic Center station. It is now dark. Though my poor vision I can see the Best Western sign in the distance. So close but so far. The walk to it is the most frightening walk of my life. I’m overwhelmed with the smell of urine and feces. Homeless people and other vagrants are everywhere. I was terrified. I thought for sure I'd at least get mugged.
I should have stayed in the embarcadero. San Francisco is pretty much a toilet.
Coleman Young of Detroit has been unfairly criticized. One of his greatest accomplishments was reducing income inequality in Detroit. No one (besides the pols, of course) who had two dimes to rub together stayed in Detroit. Detroit is an example of what happens to a great city when you reduce wealth inequality.
Wait till the next Islamist attack. Courtesy of the neighborhood unmonitored terrorist incubator.
DiBlasio has promised to stop spying on (?) / monitoring (?) mosques for terrorist activity.
Yeah!
I have NYC experience pre-Giuliani and post-Giuliani.
My dad was born in a house on the lower East side -- in the village actually. They tore it down a century ago when they put in the 7th Avenue subway. Or something like that.
Anyway -- growing up we lived outside the city, visited some relatives there from time to time, watched it go to hell in a handbasket.
Pre-Giuliani we were in frequently. The windshield "extorto-washers" were out in force. One of my kids was in NY-Cornell medical Center for 5 weeks -- I regularly took the train in , subway over to see him. One time when I drove, I had car trouble and was robbed just off the FDR.
The came Rudi Giuliani.
Post-Giuliani we had moved South and I flew into JFK twice with youngest daughter (8) and we did the city before and after heading out the suburbs to help the parent pack up to move.
Took the train from JFK in town. The streets were clean. We were not panhandled. I was not worried about our safety. (It was my first exposure to the flood of Japanese tourists -- I figured they were better marks ;-)) It was like a different world.
We walked, we took the subway, we took a bus (yech - way too long a wait.) The village was great, the main avenues enjoyable, Central Park cool. We even skated at Rockefeller Center (something I never did as a kid).
Now granted, we weren't in East Harlem, or above 123rd street, or in the ugly areas downtown. And we were there during daylight hours.
The crime rate for NYC one of the 10 lowest for large cities. Not anywhere near DC, Detroit, New Orleans or even Atlanta.
However.
Somehow I don't think DiBlasio is going to be the best thing for NY for a lot of reasons. My concern is that it will return to the same old same old. He reeks of "progressivism."
JAL - Interesting. I've heard similar accounts.
Giuliani understood.
I've always wanted to put together a summer CO hiking tour. Add some great CO mountain towns too for good eats.
The central mountains then down to SW Colorado. The San Juan region contains the most spectacular scenery, imo.
April wants Lem's compadres to rendezvous in the Rockies?
I hope NYC enjoys their admitted pro-crime communist ruler. Idiots.
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