Will Money Rule?

Hi Everyone,

For those of you not in the know, New York State has decided, (with voter approval last November), that the distressed upstate portions of the state need a shot of big business economic development. The big economical development that voters approved is for up to 4 non-Indian owned licenses for full blown casinos in 3 regions. There would be more jobs and extra money for school systems. Basically sounds good until you look at Atlantic City's casinos where 4 casinos have recently closed. But that is not what today's blog is about.

Genting Americas is one of the companies interested in building a casino in Orange County. All of the companies interested in building a casino in the state had to submit a licensing fee of $70 million. Genting in their infinite wisdom wants to pay a fee of $450 million. That is obviously $380 million more than the state is requiring. Why would Genting want to pay that excessive amount? The reason is simple, they want to build their casino not in a distressed region, but rather in Orange County, where unemployment is lower then the rest of the state and the area's personal income is in the top third of the state's 62 counties. Orange County is not distressed! But that is exactly why Genting wants to build it there.

It is obviously more profitable to build a casino in a wealthy area where people have more money to spend. It is also more profitable to tap into the New York City day trippers rather than have to count on overnight visitors. Thirty five miles south of Orange County is the Yonkers Raceway, (Empire City), which has slot machines and no gambling tables. The Yonkers school system receives $20 million each year from Empire City. If a casino is built 35 miles away, that will siphon people and money from Empire City and hence the Yonkers school system which really needs the money. In addition, one of the regions that really needs help is the Catskills, which has never been the same since their heyday of the 50's and 60's. Several potential casino operators said that they will withdraw their plans if a casino opens next door in Orange County.

What Genting is trying to do is build a casino where THEY want and not where the casino is needed. They want the state's gaming commission to throw out the language of last year's amendment and instead accept their whopping, excessive fee. The bottom line is that an Orange County casino will cannibalize a large part of the existing casino gambling market rather than expand it. There will be only one winner if Genting gets its way and that is Genting.

Hopefully common sense will prevail and Genting won't be allowed to buy a constitutional amendment. Only time will tell. Other regions need the economic help, not Orange County. New York State should not sell out and should listen to what the voters approved.

Til next week.

Peter 

Another Reason!

Hi Everyone,

The majority of my blogs have been about people who lack any common sense due to greed. Greed seems to be able to make people do acts that defy common sense.  We have all seen on TV or in the written media about intelligent people who do or say something soooo stupid and the bottom line for what they said or did was greed.

Today's blog is about another reason for people who prove that they have absolutely no common sense, namely........... rage and in today's case it is road rage. Per my Gannett paper, the story goes: the other day at noon, in South Nyack, New York, on the corner of Clinton Avenue and South Broadway a bicyclist had a road rage incident. For unknown reasons, the bicyclist banged his fist on the hood of a car and then he reached inside the car and grabbed a passenger with both hands. Now here's what really takes the cake; the bicyclist did all that while both the car and the bicycle were moving. Unbelievably, the bicyclist was not hurt and there was no accident during his fit of rage.

To put one's life in extreme jeopardy like this bicyclist did obviously showed his utter lack of common sense. His road rage, for whatever reason he may have had, overpowered his ability to use any common sense, if he had any. I just can't fathom putting my own life in extreme jeopardy, with a high risk of injury or even death for road rage. It just isn't worth it. My common sense would rule over anger. This is another good reason to have some kind of high school or college level course of study on common sense. For some people, life lessons haven't helped them figure out what common sense is and when to use it. Unfortunately, common sense isn't a born instinct, but rather a learned quality that everyone needs to have in our tool box!

Til next week.

Peter

And the Winner of Last Week's Biggest Lie Goes to................

Hi Everyone,

By now you all know that I am an equal party abuser. I call them like I see them, using facts, not innuendo, spin or lies. Just the facts and nothing but the facts!

Last week Michelle Obama gave an interview. During the interview, she was asked what her plans were after her husband leaves office. Mrs. Obama stated that her post-White House chapter life will not be a political one. President Obama confirmed that his wife had no interest in running for office or having a political career after he leaves office. So let me get this correct with her straight forward answer to a straight forward question and her husband's concurrence: Mrs. Obama is not interested and does not want a political career. Her statement obviously means that she is not interested in running for President or any other elected or non-elected political position, period, end of story!

Well not so fast as to the end of the story. Interesting enough, there is a politician who doesn't either: understand the English language, believes the exact opposite of what someone says and/or just doesn't have an ounce of common sense. The politician I am writing about is Republican Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois. Senator Kirk is considering a run for President in 2016. So what did this supposedly intelligent politician do? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Kirk sent out a fundraising letter invoking the first lady as his possible opponent in 2016. Why did he think Mrs. Obama might be his opponent? Kirk stated in his campaign solicitation, that he heard this from "the press and rumor mills." In addition, he stated in his request for money that he takes, "all potential threats seriously." Really? Mrs. Obama is a threat to him? Even when she stated ever so explicitly that she isn't interested in a political career. Any politician who believes rumors as fact ought to be voted out of office ASAP!

Kirk's statements are an outright, bold face lie!!! This is all part of the fear mongering and the spreading of falsehoods based on lies or based on rumor mills that the GOP does oh so well. Since I do not know Kirk personally, nor do I want to, I can't comment on his intelligence. But his utter lack of common sense is self explanatory as evidenced by his own solicitation letter. I can't wait to hear how Kirk or his "people" will spin the facts on his absurd and false written statements. Chicago voters should take heed when he is up for re-election. Additionally, the American voter should also take heed if Kirk absurdly decides to run for President. Once a liar, always a liar.

Enough said.

Til next week.

Peter

  

When is The Law of the Land, Not the Law of the Land?

Hi Everyone,

Last week I blogged about the 9 year old girl who accidentally shot her instructor and the NRA's lack of real concern about changing anything, especially any new laws. Well that got me thinking.........

The NRA's biggest defender and maybe its biggest backer, is the Republican party. Any talk of stricter gun control, especially after what happened in Newtown, Ct., becomes a fire storm with the GOP and NRA going hand-in-hand in opposing any and all changes to the constitution that restricts: gun ownership or magazine loads or semi or automatic weapons. So when the GOP likes an amendment, they protect it with all their might and will use all the financial resources they can muster to oppose their opposition.

But, what happens when the GOP doesn't like a constitutional amendment?  They try to block and stop the law by using back door means. What law? Legal abortion is what I am talking about. Now I do respect religious women and men whose faith opposes abortion. But, for all the other women, it is their decision to make and not some political group who want their religious beliefs entwined with laws. This country was built on the belief that there should be a separation between church and state. But not if the GOP has its way.

So how does the GOP circumvent Roe vs. Wade? By enacting laws that will close legal abortion/planned parenthood clinics. The GOP should not be allowed to make citizens look up their rights by zip code. Per a recent magazine article, women who live in one of the following states, their rights are especially endangered:

Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee and Utah now have Texas style hospital admitting restrictions. Numerous clinics have shut down since they were too far away from any hospitals. People too poor to travel vast distances are now left out of making their own choice, since their choice was taken away.

Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi and Wisconsin admitting laws are currently held up in court. If approved, Mississippi could end up with no clinics. Again, no choice.

Ohio has a law that providers must have an agreement with a hospital, but public hospitals are banned by law from making such an agreement. Where is their common sense?

Louisiana's admitting law kicked in this month. Three of the state's five clinics might close.

Oklahoma's admitting law goes in effect November 1. Two of the state's three clinics might shut down.

So these new laws are forcing legal clinics to close, leaving women with no choice; which is the choice their political representatives made for them. No clinics, no choice. How sad!!!

Again, politicians have no common sense. The law of the land should apply to all citizens. It amazes me how the GOP circumvents laws that doesn't suit their religious beliefs! I find that oh so tragic. Especially since the GOP was totally against John F. Kennedy running for President because he was a practicing Catholic and the first Catholic elected President. The GOP was very afraid that Kennedy would make decisions based on his religious beliefs or on orders from the Vatican. But isn't that exactly what the GOP is doing now? Of course it is. Talk about flip flopping!

Under the law, women have the right to choice. Interference from the government, in this case state governments, is totally unacceptable. Keep the separation of church and state.

Remember this when you vote.

Til next week.

Peter

This Just Isn't Right!!!

Hi Everyone,

This blog is about one of those story's that just boggles the mind. How could such an incident occur? A complete and utter lack of common sense is the only explanation as to why it did happen.

Last week, a 9 year old girl, while taking gun lessons, accidentally shot and killed her instructor. The little girl was taking lessons, with her parents approval and permission, on shooting a Uzi, sub machine gun. My understanding is that there are settings on Uzi's that can make it a single shot or multiple shot, (semi-automatic) gun. The girl was able to handle the recoil of the single shot mode. But when the instructor switched the gun to semi-automatic mode, the girl was not able to handle the recoil; by being unable to hold the gun facing the target. Instead, she unfortunately allowed the gun to veer off to her left side, where her instructor was standing. In a nano second, the gun fired, and the instructor was shot once in the head and died shortly thereafter.

I feel so sorry for this little 9 year girl, who will most likely be scarred for life, with her vivid memory of what happened. What her parents thinking? That a little girl could handle the recoil of a semi-automatic gun? Obviously the parents used absolutely no common sense in allowing their daughter to shoot this weapon. But also, how is this even legal? But what really amazes me is that the gun range thought this was a good idea. Did you know that there are more restrictions on children being able to ride a roller coaster, (they all have height restrictions) than shooting a very dangerous weapon that can easily and in this case did kill a person?

To add salt to this wound, the NRA, in their infinite wisdom, said that gun ranges need to use more common sense, (now they think about common sense?). A little to late for this instructor and little girl. The NRA also stated, as usual, that the need for more laws restricting this activity is not necessary. That the ranges can self police themselves. Really??? I think not, as evidenced by this incident.

Yes, new laws with age restrictions should be passed asap, so this kind of tragedy can never happen again. Leaving gun ranges to "police" themselves will never happen, especially when there is money to make, trying to teach little children to use weapons that should only be used by adults.

It is time for the NRA to get its act together and stop the insanity!!!

Til next week.

Peter 

Haves and Have-Nots

Hi Everyone,

Sometimes you hear or read about something and say, what are they thinking, that makes no sense. Well, today's blog is about just that.

And the back story goes like this... In order for a Manhattan condo skyscraper to be built with government incentives/assistance, the developer had to set aside a certain number of units with affordable rents. The rest of the condos are very pricey, they most likely are for the 1% ers. From the outside looking in, the deal seems to be OK. That type of deal is used widely in New York City. But, when you look into the realities, the deal may not be so good, especially for the renters of the affordable apartments.

NYC is a city where the rich and relatively poor have long lived and commuted side by side. The civil rights acts of the 1960's, stopped the segregation of African Americans and other minorities. But now a new trend is appearing that should have people talking about whether it is appropriate and even legal. The new trend is buildings with separate amenities and even entrances for the haves and have-nots. A few buildings now have a side entrance for the renters, with the main entrance only for the people who could afford to buy the pricey condos. There are even some buildings where the renters aren't allowed to use amenities like fitness centers. In those same buildings, the owners of condos don't even have to pay a bloody cent to use their fitness centers.

Is it just me or are the renters being treated like second class citizens? Of course they are. How can this be legal?  Owners are using affordable housing tax breaks, zoning breaks and other incentives to create a caste system. Developers say that they are motivated by business, not bias and reserving some prime features for higher paying residents is the price of having affordable housing in hot neighborhoods. I guess a prime feature is the main entrance, which the renters of affordable apartments are forbidden from using. So the developers have the have-nots walk around to the side of of the building where they won't be seen. Doesn't that sound like bias and segregation to you? It does to me. This is all about money and greed.

Will this lead to separate entrances to Neiman-Marcus like stores or high end restaurants, etc., etc.? I think not, but what is happening with the high end residential buildings has got to stop asap. Jean Green Dorsey agrees with me, as she filed a complaint with the NYC Human Rights Commission this past spring over her Upper West Side building's fitness center. She and her fellow rent stabilized tenants are not allowed to use the fitness center even after they offered to pay.

Obviously, common sense was never a consideration and now these developers/owners are receiving the bad publicity that they rightfully deserve.

Til next.

Peter 

Fact or Fiction

Hi Everyone,

Today's topic has very unfortunately become a very hot button political issue. The problem should have never become political, but in today's Washington, D.C., what else would you expect. If one side says it is dark outside the other side will disagree saying the opposite.

So what is today's topic? Global warming. As always, I like to deal with facts and just the facts. Not innuendo, spin or outright lies. So let's check out some facts about global warming from the 6/23 issue of Time magazine.

1) Weather records have been kept in this country since the mid 1800's.

2) Since the mid to late 1800's, at the start of the industrial revolution, man has pumped an unknown amount  of pollutants into our atmosphere. While at the same time, more forests were being wiped out for their wood.

3) Scientists have already documented a 5" to 8" increase in the sea level around South Florida over the past 50 years.

4) The first 13 years of this century were among the hottest since records have been kept.

5) California is in the midst of the worst ever drought in their history.

6) With each passing year, forest fires burn more and more acreage, especially in the West.

7) Not only the rate, but also the amount of polar ice melting not only affect sea levels, but also affects weather patterns around the world.

8) Just during the last 4 years, from the mid-Atlantic up the northeast coast, has seen more severe summer and winter storms. Just at my home, 60 miles north of NYC, lately when it rains, it's never a little shower, when it rains it is more like the sky just opens up and deluges us. For years now, during the winter, we don't get a lot of little snow storms, we get dumped on with 6 or10 or 14 or more inches of snow. Schools around here been talking about setting aside more snow days in addition to the 5 or so days already allotted.

Those are the indisputable scientifically proven facts. There are more, but you get the picture. But here is another fact, only 40% of Americans "strongly agreed" that the earth is getting warmer. That is a very sad number. I believe that our polarized politics is at the very least, creating our apathy towards global warming. In other countries, it is the majority of people who believe that our earth is getting warmer. The problem here is that Republicans have outright rejected climate science. Kinds of reminds me when the Catholic church told all that the earth was flat and that the earth was the center of our universe. A very long time ago science proved them all wrong. So why doesn't the scientific proof convince them now? Good question. Science is science and not believing sends us back to the dark ages.

Global warming is occurring now! And common sense says that now is the time to start acting not in the future. The future is also now! Please don't let spin and deceit guide you into thinking that we humans have not had a lot of influence on this problem and that global warming is happening as you read this.

Enough said.

Til next week.

Peter