Tom Friedman: A Buffoon You Should Ignore

A lot of well-meaning people still put some stock in what Tom Friedman has to say. I tend to get frustrated trying to explain that while Friedman is occasionally right, and usually sounds quite reasonable, he has been disastrously wrong with an alarming frequency.

Most notably, Friedman has been wrong about essentially everything he has ever written about Iraq. This Vanity Fair piece lists a few other memorable Friedman gaffes.

Schumer and Nadler Tip o' The Spear For Transit

From Bloomberg:

The Democrat’s amendment to the bill would increase funding to $14.9 billion from $8.4 billion, including $2 billion for capital transportation needs, $2 billion for railways and $2.5 billion for new transit projects.

The extra funding may mean hundreds of millions dollars more for New York City transportation, Schumer said. The region typically gets about a fifth or more of federal transportation spending, he said.

“We want to make sure that this stimulus plan helps mass transit as well as highways,” Schumer said in a press conference outside Grand Central Terminal today. “We all know how important it is to help mass transit; it’s the lifeblood of our metropolitan area.”

I'd like to see more efforts like this from the rest of our delegation.

Bear in mind, these funds are strictly for capital improvements . . . this will do nothing to plug the gap in the operating budget. For that we need our City and State elected officials to act.

Mayor Bloomberg and City Council members: Act now to transfer the city-owned bridges to the MTA so that all river crossings can be tolled at parity. This would (1) raise vital reliable funds for transit, (2) reduce traffic congestion and (3) eliminate perverse incentives for motorists to avoid, e.g. the Battery Tunnel and create traffic bottlenecks at free crossings such as the Brooklyn Bridge.

Governor Paterson, State Senators and Assembly Members: Bring back the commuter tax and dedicate these funds expressly for transit and retirement of transit-related debts, when possible. Enact legislation to allow NYC to institute a residential parking permit program, again with permit fees dedicated to transit.

The MTA has plenty of faults, but the root cause of the current crisis was the failure of the State and City to adequately fund capital needs. Instead, MTA investments were paid for with debt, and that debt burden is now crushing the MTA. Thank you, George Pataki, Rudy Giuliani, and yes, Mike Bloomberg.

We are at a crisis point; we need our politicians to step up and show some real leadership on this issue. Otherwise, as one less than venerable statesman put it in another context, this sucker's going down.

National High Speed Rail: New Site

Via Streetsblog, there are some great new posts up at The Transport Politic for those who fantasize about an adequately funded, well designed high speed rail network in North America. Check out them out here and here.

By national of course, we're really talking more about a series of connecting regional systems. The possibilities are really incredible if we make this a priority. A great way to reduce our reliance on imported oil, as well as free up capacity at airports for those flights that are not practical even with high speed rail (coast to coast, most international).

More on this later. And while we're flogging Transport Politic's posts, Senator Schumer has expanded on Congressman Nadler's efforts to increase transit funding in the stimulus package. Still only crumbs, but gradually improving.

What's At Stake: Bus Cuts in the 39th

The document below discusses the potential service cuts in our district if MTA funding needs are not met. In addition, we could say goodbye to meaningful upgrades for the foreseeable future. And then there is always the issue of fare hikes.

Proposed MTA Service Cuts - 39th District - Free Legal Forms
I understand that drivers do not want to pay to cross the bridges. It's a resource that has been underpriced for so long, it feels like an entitlement. The reality is we desperately need financing for mass transit in this city. Tolling the "free" river crossings and reinstituting the commuter tax are necessary measures required to keep transit fares low and maintain service levels.

Some argue that bridge tolls are regressive; this is disingenuous. The vast majority rely on transit, especially the poor, the young, and the elderly. If you want to see truly regressive funding policy, it's called a fare hike.

Nadler Amendment Passes - More Funds for Transit

Some good news anyway. $3 billion is not much, but it is a step in the right direction.

Action Item: Call Your Rep for More Transit Stimulus

From my mailbox, an urgent request - and a good one - kudos to Nadler for introducing this amendment:

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on an essential economic stimulus bill, desperately needed to help turn the economy around from the Bush recession. The $825 billion dollar legislation includes many strong provisions for health care, clean energy, education, middle class tax cuts and unemployment insurance. However, one key piece of our infrastructure, mass transit and high-speed rail, has been shortchanged in the stimulus. Only $10 billion has been allotted to improve the backward, crumbling mass transit and rail systems upon which tens of millions of Americans rely.

Fortunately, we have a chance to increase rail funding in the stimulus package. Approved for a floor vote just today, Rep. Jerrold Nadler's (NY-08) amendment would fund the New Starts program, with $1.5 billion each for the Transit Capital Assistance and the Capital Assistance Grants programs.

Please call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-225-3121. Ask for your representative, and ask them to vote yes on the Nadler amendment, which is amendment 70 for H.R. 1.

The House will begin consideration of H.R. 1 tomorrow morning, Wednesday, January 28th at 10am ET. If you're unable to contact your representative's DC office before the close of business today, or in the morning tomorrow before the voting, you can also leave a message on your representative's office voice mail after hours.

Thank you so much for your fast response!

In solidarity,

Chris Bowers, BlogPac

What Goes Around Comes Around

Joe Bruno indicted. It seems like only yesterday Joe Bruno was doing his best to stick the shiv in Eliot Spitzer. And his clown of hatchet man Roger Stone was stirring the pot, shopping around any dirt he could dig up on Spitzer to anyone who would listen.

When you think about the shifts in political grounds in 2008, it really was a year of breathtaking change. Bruno out, now indicted. Democratic state senate control for the first time since 1964. Barack Obama elected President. And wide Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress.

Outside of the fact that we're teetering on the edge of a depression, I feel pretty damn good. Because now we at least have a chance. Good leadership means a world of difference.

Hillary Clinton next SoS; Nydia Velazquez to Senate?

Looking pretty certain at this point that Obama will appoint Hillary to Secretary of State . . . I was pretty sure that Hillary would get (offered) prominent placement in the Obama administration, and this could go a long way to satisfying Hillary supporters. I think she'd do a good job.

Of more pressing importance for us in NY is who will get her seat? I'm hoping for Nydia Velazquez, currently one of our solid local Congressmembers (I'm in Yvette Clarke's district, but right near the edge and the two districts are adjacent.)

There will be tough competition for the spot I'm sure, especially as upstate residents clamor for the seat. But Velazquez would be an excellent candidate for the spot, and certainly good for NYC just when we need federal help more than ever.

Parody New York Times Issue Today

Dated July 4, 2009. Pranksters handed out copies to commuters all over the place this morning in a well-executed stunt. I was not fortunate enough to get my own copy, but I did a double take when I saw a woman reading a New York Times with the headline "IRAQ WAR ENDS".

The whole thing is available online, but the genius of the prank is that they actually printed full size, high quality copies and handed them out to people. My favorite is the fake Tom Friedman column I am dying to read for real, which begins:

The sudden outbreak of peace in Iraq has made me realize, among other things, one incontestable fact: I have no business holding a pen, at least with intent to write.

Pure genius. And if you happen to see this Tom Friedman, stick to alternative energy and away from middle east policy, where you have been totally and disastrously wrong.

Obama Wins Big; Dems To Take Majority in NY State Senate

And I feel like a million pounds have been lifted off of my shoulders!

Many of the things I want to happen in NYC over the next several years (mostly huge infrastructure investments) were predicated on the Democrats taking control of the White House and expanding majorities in Congress. Now that that is a reality, we can actually get down to the business of rebuilding the country that the GOP has driven near to bankruptcy and ruin.

Investing in our infrastructure (transit, clean energy, clean water, etc.) is what will get the city and the country back on its feet. I am fired up!

Also, having spent half the day in Queens today, and half of Thursday as well, it was highly gratifying to see Joe Addabbo pick off Serph Maltese . . . we're going to have a Democratic State Senate for the first time since 1964 . . . 10 years before I was born!

VOTE TODAY . . . And Plan On Waiting A While

Over at PS 58, the line for our electoral district (79th) was the longest I've experienced . . . but the people there are doing a great job of moving the process through. A pleasant surprise - Maria Pagano of CGNA was among those working the table when Mia and I finally made it to the front of the line.

We arrived at 7:30 and were out at 8:30 . . . your results may vary, but give yourself plenty of time . . . and be sure to vote! Ran into Dan Squadron, our next State Senator at First and Court and wished him luck.

We voted a straight Democratic ticket (left column) from Barack Obama to Devin Cohen, and I encourage you to do the same!

Off to IND to pick up some palm cards. Their is excitement in the air . . . and also the smell of baked goods: be sure to pick up a coffee and snack from the PTA on your way into the polls. A buck a piece to a good cause, and money well spent when you're standing in line for an hour!

To find out where to vote: http://govote.org/

Or text: "pp street address zip" to 69866
(For example: pp 400 E. 8th Ave. 80203), texted to number 69866.

Go vote!

Primary Day!

Tuesday September 9th is the Democratic Primary . . . and in these low turnout contests, your vote does matter.

With the presidential primary long past (February), many people are simply unaware that there are a lot of hotly contested Democratic contests Tuesday . . . so turnout really matters.

You can find your polling place with THIS handy tool on the Board of Elections website.

Tomorrow I'll be proud to pull the lever for DEVIN COHEN, candidate for Civil Court in the 1st Judicial District and a solid progressive. I am confident that Devin Cohen will be scrupulously honest and fair behind the bench. While Devin is a true progressive Dem and a selfless volunteer, his mercenary opponent Roger Adler has a long history of working with the Conservative Party, even authoring their amicus brief against same sex marriage. In addition, Adler represented disgraced former Democratic leader Clarence Norman. We need to elect a good Democrat in this race; we need to elect Devin Cohen.

I'll also be voting for State Senator Marty Connor. Marty has served our neighborhoods for decades now, in the frustrating position of the minority party in the Senate. But this is the year that we will break the Republican hold on the Senate, and for the first time since 1965 win a Democratic majority. There is a lot to be said for institutional memory, and Connor is an old hand in the Senate: he has the experience to take a leadership role once again, and would be well positioned to provide a strong voice for our community. I've met Connor's challenger, Dan Squadron, a number of times, and I have nothing bad to say about him. In fact, I like Dan. But given the unique situation we are in this year, I believe we should place a premium on experience. And so I think we should reelect Marty Connor.

Lastly, it's outside of Brooklyn, but I want to express my support for Assembly Candidate Paul Newell. Paul has waged a courageous campaign against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Silver is an example of an entrenched politician who could benefit from a primary challenge. Silver, you'll remember, let the congestion pricing plan wither and die. Paul Newell will make better transit, and transit funding, a reality for our City. If I could vote in the 64th, my vote would go to Paul Newell.

Now get out and vote . . . these are low turnout contests and quite literally, every vote counts.

Devin Cohen For Civil Court, 1st District

It is hard to find a more committed public servant than Devin Cohen. Anyone who has seen Devin in action at Community Board 6 or responding to a crisis as an EMT knows that Devin is compassionate, dedicated and truly cares about the community. An attorney, a long-time community activist and solid Democrat, Devin is running for Civil Court Judge and we would be fortunate to have his service.

Devin can't ask for money, but I'm happy to do so for him. There's a fundraiser for Devin tomorrow night - details are below. I hope to see you there.

Wednesday July 9th
Fundraiser for Devin Cohen for Civil Court Judge
at the home of Harley Diamond and Jonathan Lovett
363 Washington Ave, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
6:30-8:30 pm

Obama: Invest In Rail Infrastructure

It's been so long, I almost forgot what leadership looked like. This is change we can believe in:

We can invest in rail, so that cities like Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis are connected by high-speed trains, and folks have alternatives to air travel.

Barack Obama, via Matthew Yglesias via Streetsblog via my Blackberry.

Long time readers know that high speed intercity rail is one of my dreams for this country. If you've ever ridden the TGV in France, you know what we're missing. I hear the new AVE in Spain is even nicer.

Gowanus Rezoning

I haven't had a chance to get into the details, and I missed the meeting due to the IND endorsement meeting, but Pardon Me For Asking Gowanus Lounge and Brownstoner were there, and they took notes.

Last night was the unveiling for the "Gowanus Framework" . . . and the most contentious point will probably be the proposed 125' height limit on several blocks close to the canal.

More on this later when I've had a chance to review.

Brooklyn Politics Roundup

Last night brought a round of endorsement meetings at local political clubs.

At IND last night, the club endorsed:
Assembly, 52nd - Joan Millman (Incumbent)
Female District Leader - Joanne Simon (Incumbent)
Male District Leader - Alan Fleischmann (Incumbent)
State Senate, 18th - Velmanette Montgomery (Incumbent)
State Senate, 20th - Eric Adams (Incumbent)
State Senate, 25th - Marty Connor (Incumbent)

Challengers Tony Herbert (Senate - 18th) and Dan Squadron (Senate - 25th) were also on hand to present their cases to the club, but had a difficult time making inroads against two fairly popular incumbents.

In Other News
The Brooklyn Paper (among others) reports that Mike McMahon (City Council District 49) has been endorsed by the Staten Island Democrats to run for outgoing GOP Congressman Fossella's seat in the 13th Congressional District. From the Paper's ubiquitous Mike McLaughlin,

Staten Island’s Democratic County Committee voted 131-40 in favor of McMahon on Wednesday night — and the councilman told The Brooklyn Paper that Brooklyn Democrat Party boss Vito Lopez, the Bushwick assemblyman, had also agreed to back him. Lopez did not return a deadline call.
But even though he has the support of both county machines, McMahon will face a primary challenge from Steve Harrison, the plucky Bay Ridge lawyer who lost to Fossella in 2006 and told supporters this week that he would fight on. Harrison was not allowed to speak at Wednesday’s meeting until after McMahon had been selected. His supporters stormed out.

With GOP in total disarray, the primary is going to be where all the excitement is this year.
~

NY-13: Fossella Not Running; Recchia Out?

Swing State Project has a post up with speculation on candidates . . . potentially one or more Staten Island Dems will challenge Steve Harrison for the Democratic nomination and speculation that Domenic Recchia will drop out, while the GOP is looking for a successor to Fossella, who announced he will not stand for reelection. (Ya think?)

Another interesting race this year, as the national Republican party implodes.

Clinton Can Not Be Obama's Vice President

Matt Yglesias hits the important notes on why Hillary can not be Obama's choice for VP.

This reflects, I believe, an incredibly damaging mindset that's been crippling the Democratic Party for years and the prospect of excising this mindset is the single most appealing thing about the prospect of Obama being the nominee. Clinton's "street cred" on national security consists, of course, of being massively wrong on the most important national security issue of her career. Paradoxically, a lot of folks find her massive wrongness on this hugely important issue reassuring because they and their friends were also wrong and they view having made the right call to be a suspicious quality. After all, the Iraq War may have led to thousands of U.S. deaths, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, and millions of Iraqi refugees all at a cost of over $1 trillion and in ways that's damaged the strategic position of the United States, but war opponents were all a bunch of hippies.

Seriously, who thinks this would be a good idea, except Republicans, the few pro-war Dems left out there, and the corporate media?

Hillary rightly or wrongly galvanizes the right-wingers in this country, and would bring them out in droves. She would also undermine the message of change. I strongly believe that an Obama/Clinton ticket would be weaker than virtually any other combination.

Pick someone else without the baggage and negatives. (h/t Atrios)

UPDATE: The Observer also has a piece on whether Obama can afford to eschew Clinton and a so-called "Unity Ticket". The upshot? Yes he can!

Fossella Love Child

What a week it's been.

If it had just been the DWI, Republican Congressman Vito Fossella (Brooklyn & Staten Island) probably could have hung on this year. But now that he's acknowledged an affair and a love child, he's got to be finished.

Fossella's got two experienmced opponents coming at him in the form of Domenic Recchia and Steve Harrison. Long time readers will recall that Domenic Recchia (along with Simcha Felder and Bill deBlasio) strongly support our efforts to improve subway service on the Culver Line (full express and local service).

I hope we can keep the Democratic primary civil. If we win this seat, we make the NYC congressional delegation 100% Democratic. A strengthened NYC delegation will help us realize major projects like the Cross Harbor Tunnel, the Gowanus Expressway Tunnel, and other major infrastructure programs that require federal funds.

Hilarious Parody of Matthews/Russert

For anyone who is a political junkie, but sick to death of TV pundits, this is awesome.