tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379274852011-08-01T09:34:46.804-04:00Joshing PoliticsJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.comBlogger53431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-47782213480050564512011-03-06T22:00:00.002-05:002011-03-06T22:14:34.571-05:00Republican Budget Cuts Help Enrich The RichGeorge Bush may be out of office but Republicans are still giving to his base...and robbing the rest of us to pay for it.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-73279758604788613162011-01-26T00:15:00.002-05:002011-01-26T00:49:21.041-05:00In 2011, The State Of Our Union Depends On Our ParticipationI've been listening to President Obama give speeches since he was a State Senator from Illinois. I know he can give a great speech. For the most part, his speech was what I expected to hear. It was sad that he largely ignored climate change, completely ignored gun control and the declining middle class.Instead he talked about an issue he knows best. Hope. Hope is a wonderful thing. It gives Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-36610868373769518162010-11-03T15:30:00.001-04:002010-11-03T15:30:39.170-04:00Now Is Not The Time To Roll OverSimply put, last night was a rough one for the Democratic Party. Sixty or so seats in the House, six or seven in the Senate and a plethora of governorships and legislatures across the country were lost to the Republican Party. Soon to be Speaker Boehner is claiming a mandate, President Obama has tail between his legs, but now more than ever is the time to fight for a progressive agenda in Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-48853627807193192212010-11-02T10:35:00.002-04:002010-11-02T10:36:31.342-04:00Go Vote!I know it's been forever since I've opened my blogger's publisher tool, but I just had to take a minute to post this message:"Go Vote!"And this one:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-16307753251551555072010-09-16T13:30:00.000-04:002010-09-16T13:42:09.206-04:00Schultz And Papantonio Tell Dems To Focus On Themselves, Not Tea Party WhackjobsTeabaggers are nuts. They have no real solutions to helping our country out of it's morass. Yet they know how to get under the skin and into the minds of many that are sick and tired of the troubled times and more than a few are buying their heated and often times racist rhetoric. Ed and Mike are right on here, it isn't good enough that we make fun of the lunacy candidates like O'Donnell and Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-85880110582918401442010-09-15T09:30:00.000-04:002010-09-15T09:37:16.344-04:00New York Primaries Prove Anything Is PossibleGenerally elections are static events, especially in primary contests. Few people vote and for the most part, the incumbents are able to use their power to remain in office. While that happened in most cases yesterday, there were quite a few examples of where it didn't. Most impressively, the people of the 33rd Senate District did the decent thing and kicked Pedro Espada to the gutter, where he Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-91052301158501811142010-09-07T19:00:00.000-04:002010-09-07T19:09:18.174-04:00One Man's Humble Act Could Spell The End For Pedro EspadaOne of the best institutional guards for incumbency is that multiple challengers can split the vote for change in a district. Even if more voters opt for someone else, an elected official can remain in office if they win a plurality. State Senator Pedro Espada thought he had that when four different candidates were running against him. Over the summer two of them dropped out, and now with one Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-32876776859728401712010-09-07T18:30:00.000-04:002010-09-07T18:35:26.161-04:00Gibbs States The Obvious Concerning Ministry's Quran-BurningThis really should be a no-brainer, but with the way things are going in American Conservatism a good old fashioned book burning isn't sadly not surprising. When people's fears and ignorance is stoked constantly by the media they consume, human rage knows no bounds. At least we have a White House that will speak to this and make the connection for these Nazi imitators that burning the Quran in Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-91216976276310386832010-09-01T15:15:00.000-04:002010-09-01T15:15:51.893-04:00Campaign Finance Reform Makes A Difference... And It ShowsMoney and politics have always had a contentious relationship, generally alienating people from the process who do not have much to give to politicians running for office. However in a few cases, reformers have made headway in making elections and the run-up to them more accessible to a wider spectrum of voters. Here in New York a step towards cleaner elections was taken a few years ago, and the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-90303329458738090262010-08-30T14:00:00.000-04:002010-08-30T14:07:57.280-04:00An Appeal To Help A Hate Crime VictimThere are many terrible crimes that one person can perpetrate on another....and a hate crime is certainly one of them. When Ahmed Sharif was brutally stabbed by an intoxicated and belligerent young man last week, the very worst of humanity was shown to a cab driver who's only crime was his faith. That is not the United States that our founders envisioned and it is certainly not how the great Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-16950399942695296932010-08-04T14:10:00.000-04:002010-08-04T14:10:00.689-04:00Alan Keyes Speaks Out Against His Party's Quest To Abolish 14th AmendmentAlan Keyes may be a Republican, but when the G.O.P. moves so far to the extreme right that they are thinking about tampering with the 14th Amendment, even he publicly objects. In case you need a refresher on 19th century American history, the 14th was the one that allowed the children of slaves to become citizens because they were born in the country. The fact that the same political party that Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-72411575199211474112010-08-04T09:30:00.000-04:002010-08-04T09:30:00.596-04:00Four Months Later....Albany Finally Passes A BudgetThe deadline for our state government to fulfill their obligation of passing a state budget came and went long before our sultry summer, and even our brief spring began. Now in the midst of 90 degree weather, legislators from around the state managed to pull it together and get something to stick. It wasn't easy (as Pedro Espada created a tremendous amount of trouble...and assault possibly) but Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-53201536351544138382010-08-03T14:15:00.000-04:002010-08-03T14:15:00.360-04:00Sen. Reid's Challenger Sharron Angle To Reporters: "Shhh!"Politicians who do not like to be held accountable to the people they wish to represent would be well advised not to air their grievances in public. Unfortunately for the candidacy of Sharron Angle, a Republican from Nevada, she forgot (or perhaps never learned) how to use common sense. Instead of taking the questions of Nevadans, she proposed a different way of being held up to scrutiny in the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-21719102705750714002010-08-03T13:35:00.000-04:002010-08-03T13:35:57.632-04:00Cantor Concedes Flawed Republican Tax Cut PolicyFor decades now, the Republican party has adhered to the notion that tax cuts reduce the deficit. The thinking goes that if the government taxes the very rich less, they'll spend more and it'll "trickle down" to the rest of us. Once the money drips down, deficits are reduced because the spending habits of the wealthy boost the economy. However, as we have seen the national debt explode since Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-16870785942784081682010-08-02T13:45:00.000-04:002010-08-02T13:47:43.857-04:00Score A Victory For The Constitution Down By The WTCDefenders of religious freedom and tolerance won a solid victory this week from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The highly controversial debate over whether to allow a mosque to be built on Park Row (two blocks from the World Trade Center site) has been going on for weeks now, and the Commission decided to ignore the bigots who group the terrible attacks of September 11th with the entiretyJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-83665293511983883502010-07-30T14:00:00.001-04:002010-07-30T14:00:16.595-04:00Albany And The City Council Legislate Greener Buildings In N.Y.C.New York City by definition is greener than most metropolitan areas. The widespread use of mass transit and higher population density put us way ahead of the sprawling cities of the South and West. However, being in the more temperate Northeast combined with old, large buildings where people live means that New Yorkers rely on antiquated heating oil systems. The large trucks bring it in, and the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-28625047300692625422010-07-30T13:15:00.000-04:002010-07-30T13:21:48.488-04:00Tony Hayward's Congressional Grilling: Does It Mean Anything?Tony Hayward heard it from Members of Congress this week, but to what end? He claimed that the blame was not BP's alone, but that his soon to be ex-employer will be helping to ease the pain of their many victims. Compensation and public relations have already been doled out in some fashion (though hardly enough of the former), so my question is besides good press for the Representatives who Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-12499224325801536332010-07-29T14:00:00.001-04:002010-07-29T14:00:34.047-04:00Lindsay Graham, Constitutional Amendments And XenophobiaThere is nothing new about Republicans stoking xenophobic fears among their party's faithful, but it seems the G.O.P. is constantly looking for more preposterous solutions to a complex problem that they clearly do not wish to grasp. Utilizing right-wing zealot and ex-Congressman J.D. Hayworth is one thing, but for Lindsay Graham to step into the stupid shows how far they are willing to go to rileJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-45576533467375378372010-07-28T09:30:00.000-04:002010-07-28T09:36:51.856-04:00Fare Hikes Away!It was bound to happen sooner or later amidst the budgetary mess that New York is in.That MetroCard you are holding in your wallet, purse, pocket or cellphone case is going to be getting heavier. The M.T.A., the agency most New Yorkers love to bemoan is going to be giving us more misery by charging more for what they are giving us less of. As we are still grieving the loss of the W, the V and Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-16258607690439318222010-07-27T23:00:00.000-04:002010-07-27T23:00:01.907-04:00Financial Reform Was A Good Step Forward....But"The Real News" interviews economist William Black, who talks about the reform act that recently passed through Congress and signed by President Obama. The key item discussed is that while Obama's people are better stewards of the nation's finances at the moment, their reforms will not curb any of the abuses that a Republican regime might take up if they regain power.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-37596836953110681902010-07-26T18:30:00.000-04:002010-07-26T18:30:00.622-04:00As The Country Sizzles And Bakes, Krugman Nails Climate Change Deniers For "Greed And Cowardice"Week after week, New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman expounds on the issues of our day. His latest opinion piece is no different, and calls out those that deny the overwhelming evidence of global warming as our nation has been beaten by the latest summer heat wave. Far from using the recent hot weather as proof, Krugman asks where the voices of those that claim the planet is cooling went; now Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-44063931886640979042010-07-26T14:30:00.000-04:002010-07-26T14:30:00.132-04:00Build The Damn Mosque!I can't help but shout this out to all the irrational fearmongers who are afraid of a mosque being built in Lower Manhattan. So a few muslims want to build a place to pray in New York City, the idealized place of hardworking immigrants coming in to the melting pot that is our great country. Why are people so nuts about this? Irrationality and ignorance is what propels their hatred of anyone that Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-89659598150436299082010-07-22T18:00:00.000-04:002010-07-22T18:05:17.013-04:00Rangel Indicted By House Ethics Committee....Finally!Remember when Charlie Rangel acted as if he were above ethics allegations?From FDL:I guess that really isn't the case anymore, is it Charlie?Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-79639555338636411242010-07-21T20:15:00.000-04:002010-07-21T20:16:22.729-04:00White House Does Quick 180 With SherrodI must admit that I was a little slow to this story surrounding Shirley Sherrod. Only last night did I tune in to Anderson Cooper of all people to watch the infamous video clip....and the entire video that gives us the real story that was parsed for the benefit of right wing hacks like Andrew Breitbart.It wasn't upsetting that Breitbart manipulated the video of Sherrod's speech about the history Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-48941537358659499762010-07-21T14:30:00.000-04:002010-07-21T14:30:01.195-04:00Marty Markowitz Believes His Trips To Europe Should Be On The People's DimeAs things get interesting for one ethically tainted City Councilman tomorrow, scrutiny is being paid to Brooklyn's own mascot-in-chief, Marty Markowitz. The affable jokester who's face reminds me some buffoonish Disney character is back in the news for using his position for his personal gain. With the Atlantic Yards fiasco (and his collusion with it) seemingly safely behind him, Marty is back atJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-44471397821839267432010-07-19T19:00:00.000-04:002010-07-19T19:00:01.613-04:00Finally, Gregory Calls Out Republicans Out On Their B.S.David Gregory is usually an abject failure in his role as moderator on Meet The Press. Yet he managed to do a decent job yesterday holding Pete Sessions' feet to the fire on his continuous use of broad strokes and generalities. Republicans are truly the party of no ideas, and it shows:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-34691063277676199422010-07-19T18:50:00.000-04:002010-07-19T18:51:58.486-04:00NARAL NY Scorns Senate Incumbents, But For What Reason?One of the larger New York political organizations, NARAL New York, has decided to blow off the incumbents in the State Senate they generally support. Their reasoning is simple, as well as indicative of the anti-incumbent times in Albany and across the country. NARAL cites the Democratic majority (if you can call it that, especially counting thugs like Espada and Diaz, Sr.) for not standing up Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-23929176095935268082010-07-17T10:30:00.000-04:002010-07-17T10:36:56.173-04:00Paterson Puts An End To Stop And FriskDavid Paterson, for all his faults, has done good things in his time as Governor of New York. Yesterday included one of those, when he signed legislation ending the stop and frisk police procedure that police use in our state. The controversial tactic of stopping and searching frisking people without little cause (or a warrant) has been overwhelmingly used against minorities in our city. Police Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-35842686344878845462010-07-15T14:00:00.001-04:002010-07-15T14:00:02.320-04:00If Argentina Can Pass Same-Sex Marriage, Why Can't New YorkLegislators in Albany should watch this and think about their previous vote on the issue, and then ask themselves why too many are intolerant of men and women who wish to love and care for another human being who happens to be the same gender.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-64709332646243694802010-07-15T13:45:00.000-04:002010-07-15T13:45:00.956-04:00Term Limits Question Goes To Voters For A Third TimeIt is looking more likely that the Charter Revision Commission is going to pass the buck on what to do about term limits and leave it up to the rest of us New Yorkers. Twice before we overwhelmingly told politicians that two terms is enough. Apparently Michael Bloomberg, Christine Quinn and their sycophants in the Council didn't care much for those prior votes, so they overrode the will of the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-63141090153549653132010-07-14T09:30:00.000-04:002010-07-14T09:32:53.545-04:00Pilgrim-Hunter Bows Out Of Challenge To EspadaEspada may be kicked out of the Democratic party shortly, but regardless he needs to be beaten at the ballot box this fall. Since he is considered a vulnerable incumbent several (actual) Bronx residents decided to challenge him, though one has already decided to bow out. Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter seemed to be an excellent candidate to clean the mess in the 33rd Senate district, but apparently that Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-12104591106609352822010-07-13T19:30:00.001-04:002010-07-13T19:58:54.301-04:00Even Steinbrenner's Death Is An Opportunity For Rush's RacismAs a Dodger fan, I was never an enthusiast for George Steinbrenner. Seeing that he passed this morning though, I felt for his family and the Yankee organization, because life comes before any sporting rivalry. However for Rush Limbaugh, sports wasn't on his mind when considering Steinbrenner's memorial. Instead he went here:Wow. How this man is allowed an amplified voice by any sane or moral Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-53712000893036577082010-07-13T19:15:00.001-04:002010-07-13T19:20:19.567-04:00Espada Bought Petition Signatures With Free FoodAs someone who has stood on street corners and knocked on doors for petition signatures, I can tell you that if I had free food to give out, I'd have added to my totals exponentially. However that's illegal, so I didn't even think to do it. Senator Espada however, who is being threatened with expulsion from the Democratic party decided to gamble on committing that crime in order to look good at Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-69804968036446888152010-07-09T14:00:00.000-04:002010-07-09T14:00:02.624-04:00BP Nightmare Continues For Gulf Residents In So Many WaysBP has been in a glaring public spotlight for weeks and months now, yet they continue to abuse and lie to the millions whose lives they have affected. The Gulf itself is a disaster, countless wildlife are sick and dying, industries are ruined and the oil continues to gush out from deep underneath the water. This is what you get when the region you live in relies on the production and refinement Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-75942057791055985142010-07-09T13:30:00.000-04:002010-07-09T13:34:10.863-04:00D.O.M.A. Is Done!Every once in a while the judicial branch comes through and slaps down a Congress that legislates contrary to the principles set forth in the Constitution. Striking down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act yesterday is one of those times I smile at this particular aspect of the balance of powers.More from the Rachel Maddow Show:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-30612320436552144112010-07-09T08:45:00.000-04:002010-07-09T08:45:00.740-04:00Jeremiah Frei-Pearson Fundraiser Tonight (July 9th)!The most talked about item this morning is that LeBron James will be leaving his Cleveland fans in the dust in the pursuit a championship run down in Miami. While this Laker fan shrugs his shoulders and wishes him all the best (LeBron actually being able to play Kobe in the finals so we can put the comparisons to rest finally would be nice) but that is not why I am typing sentences on the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-89442559874354091232010-07-06T20:00:00.001-04:002010-07-06T20:05:22.914-04:00Bruno's Prosecutors Go Soft While Appeal Is On HoldThey fought hard. They proved their case. At the end of a long trial, Joseph Bruno was found guilty of being a corrupt politician and everyone knew it.However there was a small problem.Former Senator Bruno was convicted under the federal "Honest Services" law. That means he was found guilty of not disclosing what he did and not for the actual corrupt practices. The intricacy of it all led the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-3596385641340324422010-07-05T15:30:00.000-04:002010-07-05T15:34:20.367-04:00"Please Remove Your Shoes" Uncovers T.S.A. TheaterAnyone with the ability to fire a few neurons in their head can see the farce of the T.S.A. Taking off shoes, wanding old ladies and as of recent looking at people through their clothes are all tactics utilized by glorified security agents. Now we finally have a film to expose what is going on at the agency and where the lapses are. Check this out and remember it when you fly and are forced to Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-41014225217284526042010-07-05T11:15:00.000-04:002010-07-05T11:16:27.882-04:00Dems Say "Good Riddance" To Pedro EspadaPedro Espada may still have a few months until election day, but his departure from the New York Democratic Party is just around the corner. Sources have let on that the corrupted Senator has made enough enemies within the party to be officially ousted and left to his own devices. Mr. Espada has had a mottled political career from the get go and he hasn't done much to change that image.Needless Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-44251703781220141222010-07-02T14:30:00.006-04:002010-07-02T14:36:05.892-04:00U.N. Says Dump The Dollar, Replace It With Something GlobalFor decades now, the world financial system has relied on the strength of the U.S. dollar to trade a wide variety of commodities. Everything from pork bellies to oil futures rested on the American currency. Now after nearly forty years of economic decline on the world stage, the U.N. is finally giving a hard look at moving towards a world currency that could provide more stability than the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-91058139322779616252010-07-01T14:30:00.000-04:002010-07-01T14:30:01.247-04:00Paterson: Take Your Negotiations And Shove Em!Governor Paterson doesn't want to hear it from the Legislature. The time to negotiate is over and anything that he doesn't like will be, and has been getting the official veto stamp.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-13276038392379593862010-06-30T15:30:00.001-04:002010-06-30T15:30:00.862-04:00Speaker Quinn And The Power Of PorkWhile the New York City Council (rightly so) examines Mayor Bloomberg's problem with hiring minorities, it turns out they have a few in-house problems to fix themselves. The just-passed budget has approximately $50 million in pork-barrel spending that Speaker Quinn has the power to dole out to the other fifty Council Members. With power like that, you'd think an investigation would be Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-54023927852730112032010-06-30T10:00:00.000-04:002010-06-30T10:00:06.062-04:00Yes, War Does Make Us PoorCongressman Conyers and Grayson are on to a good idea by floating H.R. 5353. The "War is Making You Poor Act" seeks curb the out of control costs that the Defense Department burdens the American people with every year. While keeping our country safe is a top priority, the fact is we spend more on our military than the next top fifty countries combined.H.R. 5353 is pretty cut and dry:It seems thatJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-91019215306191797322010-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:002010-06-30T08:00:00.724-04:00Maddow Exposes Another BP LieRachel Maddow continues to be on the job and on the mark about British Petroleum and their penchant to lie to the American people about what they are and aren't doing down in the Gulf. One thing for sure, they are not looking into new and more dynamic ways of cleaning their monumental mess.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-77248806517846467482010-06-29T14:10:00.000-04:002010-06-29T14:15:02.889-04:00How Will Cuomo Succeed Where Paterson Has Failed?We are two days away from July and three months past the New York State Budget's "deadline." A fiscal plan was supposed to be in place, but we are only left with budget extenders, legislative gimmicks and grandiose gestures from Assembly Members, Senators and the Governor. David Paterson has been bashed into oblivion by nearly all that watch and participate in New York politics, so much so that Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-22922126827861557612010-06-25T08:30:00.000-04:002010-06-25T08:30:01.594-04:00NY Top Court Fails On Eminent Domain Yet AgainAllowing a wealthy developer to take the homes of a neighborhood to profit from condos and a basketball arena under the guise of community development was bad enough. Now New York's top court, the Court of Appeals, is bending for the will of an economic giant and against small businesses that stand in their way. We are talking of course, about the private Columbia University, the largest land Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-7207077582764570392010-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:002010-06-23T08:00:54.427-04:00Gasland: A Must SeeIf you live in New York, Pennsylvania or anywhere that gas companies are thinking of tapping natural gas deposits with a process called hydrofracking, you must see this film first. Josh Fox was offered $100,000 by one company to use his land to mine for gas, and this is what he did in response. Needless to say, that $100,000 disappeared quite quickly.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-61366192806063099862010-06-22T13:45:00.000-04:002010-06-22T13:48:37.229-04:00Orrin Hatch Seeks To Jump Start The Drug Testing IndustryWho says that Republicans are the "Party of No?" No longer can we claim that all the GOP does is block meaningful reform and access to health care and legislation that denies people from being helped back to work. Senator Orrin Hatch, a long-time conservative Senator from Utah has an idea to spur at least one American industry back into action.From The Huffington Post:Utah voters have reacted Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-74284073566846252612010-06-22T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-22T09:00:10.132-04:00Israel Lifts Blockade. Hooray For Peaceful International Pressure! If you haven't heard by now, the constant and thorough pressure brought upon Israel in the last few weeks since the flotilla incident has resulted in a humanitarian victory. Israel will no longer be stopping food and supplies for the emaciated and compacted slice of sand that is known as the Gaza Strip. From the New York Times: JERUSALEM — Bowing to worldwide pressure and condemnation, Israel Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-3611632922959796172010-06-17T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-17T09:00:11.208-04:00Erik Prince Running From The Justice Department?There are now three independent sources that are saying Blackwater founder and mercenary-criminal-extraordinaire Erik Prince is getting ready to leave the the country for Dubai. Why you ask? His inner circle is about to be charged by the Justice Department for their nefarious ways and it seems Mr. Prince is trying to outwit those that may want to hold him accountable for the crimes of Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-31480947833033259892010-06-16T15:15:00.000-04:002010-06-16T15:15:00.963-04:00In NYS, More Than A Thousand Pensioners Receive Six FiguresWhen I used to make phone calls for political and non-profit contributions, one of the most frequent excuses I got was that the potential donor was on a "fixed income." For a lot of retirees, that is a valid objection, but if one was to dial the numbers of the people on this list, they better pony up for your good cause.Celeste at the DP has more:The Empire Center has out a new database of the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-7886933200091756392010-06-16T08:40:00.003-04:002010-06-16T09:17:49.655-04:00Obama Shows He's Great At Talking...Action In The Gulf Is Another MatterPresident Obama gave his official Presidential primetime address on the BP oil spill last night, nearly two months after the well-publicized rig explosion occurred. Now the White House may have been intimately involved in the situation early on, but Obama's speech showed that perhaps nothing much of substance has come from his interaction.Talk of making BP pay, developing a plan to deal with the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-5778844752624578912010-06-15T08:00:00.003-04:002010-06-15T08:00:02.636-04:00Minerals In Afghanistan, Oh My!I'm sure this shocks and surprises you as much as it did me. Suddenly it is big news (even though it's old) that Afghanistan has untold mineral resources valued by the Pentagon at a trillion dollars. Whether or not the price tag is a trillion d0llars even, the fact that the army is making a big deal shows that unfortunately, the U.S. government will facilitate multinational corporate interests toJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-87762921232307052592010-06-14T08:40:00.002-04:002010-06-14T20:24:49.476-04:00There's A Deafening Clucking Sound And It's Coming From AlbanyAs I lament the Game 5 loss of my beloved Lakers last night, the feelings for my basketball team quickly fade in the shadow of this impending, or possibly impending, state government shutdown. Senators such as Espada and Diaz, along with the entire Republican caucus have made it nearly impossible to reach any kind of tenable deal to keep New York state humming. Of course, trimming a multi-billionJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-47123983813290008982010-06-11T14:00:00.001-04:002010-06-11T14:00:01.075-04:00Fundraiser For Steve Behar Tonight!If you happen to be in New York, believe that we need more honest and progressive public servants in government and are looking for a place to kick back after work tonight, then come on over to my friend Steve Behar's fundraiser. Steve Behar is running in the 26th Assembly District out in Bayside, but the event is being held at the Turtle Bay Bar in Manhattan. Turtle Bay Bar is located at 987 2ndJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-55479730347699880292010-06-11T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-11T13:25:32.448-04:00Sticking You With BP's Bill: Something The "Party Of No" Says Yes ToRepublicans used to claim that they were the party of fiscal and personal responsibility. Of course, that only applies when they aren't the ones (and their oil industry friends) that are accountable for billions upon billions of dollars worth of damage to the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem and economy.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-60266014788133775042010-06-10T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-10T09:05:06.489-04:00Fed. Appeals Court Says "Screw You" To Civil Liberties And Your Freedom To DissentWhile the words "screw you" may not officially be in the decision rendered by the Second Circuit, their bad judgment reflects that attitude. The issue at hand is the NYPD's habit of infiltrating groups that protest our government (sanctioned by that thing called the First Amendment supposedly) and spying on those that speak up and hold their government accountable. Specfically the matter Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-24079321829153315552010-06-09T15:00:00.003-04:002010-06-09T15:09:06.714-04:00Newsflash! Chaos Continues In Albany!I popped my head up from my plethora of work today to find that with more than two months after the deadline to pass a state budget had gone by, hardly anything has been done since. Unless of course you count backbiting, grandstanding and empty promises as tangible legislative goods. Instead of taking care of business, the legislature has passed budget extenders several times over, each with a Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-59457710559660249692010-06-08T08:45:00.000-04:002010-06-08T08:45:00.191-04:00M.P. Gets It Exactly Right About B.P.Mike Papantonio is a master at tapping into the people's discontent and rage about the companies and politicians that exert control over their lives. When it comes to British Petroleum, the subject of offshore drilling and the catastrophe that is still ongoing in the Gulf, Mike rips everyone and anyone responsible for this mess.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-45955714094640042952010-06-07T08:30:00.002-04:002010-06-07T08:51:51.050-04:00On Net Neutrality, Too Many Dems Look Like RepublicansWhen it comes to Net Neutrality, the battle for a freer internet has been a tough slog to say the least. For the most part, it had been endorsed on the left and right so that information was able to course through the vast networks that make up the internet. Ideas, despite the Republicans picking up the moniker of "the party of No," are not partisan. They may be downright kooky in the tea party Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-26541394121529527512010-06-04T14:15:00.000-04:002010-06-04T14:19:33.654-04:00Clean Elections For California?Several states have already joined in on the idea of clean elections, including the notorious Arizona, scenic Maine, nutmeggy Connecticut to name a few. To add the nation's largest state to the list though would be an impressive victory against special interest politics. California has it's shot to do just that this coming Tuesday.From Calitics:Proposition 15, the California Fair Elections Act, Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-56409882768339471692010-06-02T19:00:00.000-04:002010-06-02T19:04:10.461-04:00ScaryIt really is amazing how technology has advanced to track our destruction of the planet:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-78894580894635510132010-05-24T14:45:00.000-04:002010-05-24T14:47:10.595-04:00It's Official! "For Governor" Slapped On Cuomo's WebsiteIt's on the website (not literally though but it's made clear enough) and all over the media, Andrew Cuomo has officially announced he's running for Governor! The big event occurred over the weekend, and I barely caught wind of it as I was moving my life and possessions from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Of course, it isn't like this news was coming down the pike for a year or more. The important thing Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-32928347255554191822010-05-21T14:40:00.000-04:002010-05-21T14:42:53.090-04:00Rand Paul Said What??Ron Paul may have faded from the political limelight since his Presidential quest went down in flames but his son's star is on the up and up. Rand Paul is now the Republican nominee for the Senate seat in Kentucky, besting the local party's pick to replace Senator Jim Bunning. Paul's victory is a testament to the nascent power the teabaggers are beginning to hold in various conservative Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-80554520629622024542010-05-20T18:30:00.001-04:002010-05-20T18:30:00.719-04:00Only In New York City....Via The Daily PoliticsI have to say, this idea has crossed my mind once or twice whenever I have to walk through Midtown, Times Square, SoHo or any street within a quarter mile of WTC. To the tourists' credit, they are here to spend money in the city. They're also generally from areas of the country and the world where walking as a mode of transit is discouraged by a widespread sprawl mentality. Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-33368206036081673632010-05-20T18:00:00.000-04:002010-05-20T18:06:53.201-04:00Vito Strikes Back!In New York we certainly have our fair share of politicians who have fallen from grace due to their loins, though very few ever come back. Even those that do don't really come back all the way. Former Congressman Vito Fossella however, is looking to break through that mold (created from the scummy, hiding-a-second-family-on-the-side plaster). His friends over on Staten Island went to bat for him Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-66908652478175789162010-05-19T07:45:00.000-04:002010-05-19T07:45:33.028-04:00Specters Beware!So I'm back here writing, this time post-election and looking at the changing Senate. Arlen Specter has now been retired by the Democratic voters within the state of Pennsylvania and not at the time that best suits him. Down in Arkansas Senator Lincoln was dealt a devastating blow by Bill Halter, but she still has a run-off to try and prevent a liberal from taking her place after years of servingJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-90036619329681014082010-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:002010-05-18T08:00:07.900-04:00NASA Joins The Global Warming ConspiracyNot only does the Federal space agency agree with the fact that global warming exists, they have these things called facts to back the assertion up.From Crooks and Liars:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-57837849472511100522010-05-18T07:00:00.000-04:002010-05-18T07:23:35.767-04:00Anti-Incumbency Fever Set To Hit PA, AR, KYIt's a cool, rainy and most likely uneventful political day in New York. All eyes will likely be fixed on the primary elections in nearby Pennsylvania, and Arkansas and Kentucky as well. Two incumbents are looking at serious challengers and after Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) was booted by a more right-wing Republican, the situation has become quite serious. Two of today's races are contests on the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-76133858441796036932010-05-15T17:55:00.000-04:002010-05-15T18:03:37.294-04:00In CA, Schwarzenegger Completely Abandons The PoorWe all know that Governor Paterson has been fighting with the Assembly and the Senate to make paycuts, increase various taxes and cut programs here and there. As bad as the budget crisis is here in New York, the situation is far more grievous in the Golden State. While the Legislature in Sacramento is quite liberal, the Governor, or more aptly, the Gover-nator is not and his solution to the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-13915712355037090032010-05-14T17:05:00.000-04:002010-05-14T17:09:26.739-04:00The Gulf: Much Worse Than You Can Ever ImagineAs bad as you can imagine this oil spill is, the reality is much worse. This helicopter view starts to give the viewer a glimpse into what is going on, but nothing like that of what this environmentalist describes to us while filming the devastation.Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-61928768507480268012010-05-13T17:50:00.000-04:002010-05-13T17:51:22.439-04:00Thank God For Al FrankenWhen I was at Air America Radio in 2006, I knew Al Franken was serious about running for Senate when he moved his show back to his home state of Minnesota. Rumors had turned into a serious candidacy and a hard fought campaign. In 2008, Al Franken beat incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. In 2009 after many long, litigious months, Franken was sworn into office. And in 2010 the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-30145719398992241372010-05-13T14:15:00.000-04:002010-05-13T14:15:01.071-04:00NYC Council Takes Action Against Arizona For Legislative BigotryCalifornia and various cities within were a few of the first government entities to condemn Arizona for the highly controversial SB1070. In the few weeks since the racial profiling law passed, the outrage against the bill has been fierce across the nation and even the world.Meanwhile, supporters contend that this is in response to rising crime (not true) and that racism has nothing to do with theJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-2993623044022730832010-05-13T13:45:00.000-04:002010-05-13T13:48:12.441-04:00Elena Kagan: For And AgainstAs the debate heats up over Barack Obama's choice to replace Supreme Court Justice Stevens, here are two interviews with Lawrence Lessig and Glenn Greenwald. The former argues for her nomination, the latter against. Check them out here:Cenk Uyugr with Lawrence Lessig:Cenk then talks with Glenn Greenwald:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-60308609131754833812010-05-12T18:00:00.000-04:002010-05-12T18:01:24.199-04:00Paterson And The Assembly At It Again....We are now in the middle of May and the Legislature continues to disappoint New York in failing to produce a budget that will actually balance. While legislators are mandated to go without pay, some are going the extra mile in that regard and are furloughing their own staff. Over at the Governor's office, the antics are being turned up higher and higher.From The Daily Politics:At least a dozen Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-79391197928584332552010-05-11T13:40:00.001-04:002010-05-11T13:43:00.270-04:00The Round-Up Reality: Mother Nature Always Wins OutMonsanto has made a killing patenting and forcibly selling their Round-Up resistant seeds to farmers across the country and around the world. In an effort to get more crops out of an acre, the Monsanto GMOs promised to relieve farmers from tilling their crops and saying goodbye to weeds forever. The only problem was that engineers and executives at Monsanto and other GMO companies forgot that as Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-36163103428439815682010-05-10T17:25:00.001-04:002010-05-10T17:25:00.618-04:00"Furlough You Governor!"Governor Paterson took a ton of heat from state workers today in Albany for his idea to furlough them in order to partially cover the gaping budget deficit. Needless to say, these people were pissed that their paychecks were being axed before the governor even considered hitting up the wealthiest New Yorkers. You know, those people who took advantage of the rest of us and suffered no consequencesJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-33653352424009808722010-05-10T14:40:00.000-04:002010-05-10T14:40:01.041-04:00New Jersey's Radioactive Water Supply Is No Joking MatterMaking jokes about New Jersey comes as naturally to New Yorkers as giving tourists purposefully misleading directions (not that I've done that of course). Radioactive water in Southern New Jersey however, is not humorous at all (save for the fictional Springfield that the Simpsons live in). This is a real problem, and officials are scrambling to ensure that as much drinking water is protected as Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-31683925898176628712010-05-08T20:10:00.001-04:002010-05-08T20:11:03.924-04:00The Time For A Comprehensive Climate Bill Is NowAmidst the terrible tragedy in the Gulf and the (so far) failed attempts at stopping the flow of oil, some good things have happened. Unfortunately there have been idiotic governmental decisions as well, so the good points cannot overshadow the fact that we do not a have a holistic way of trying to shape our environment for the better. What we need is a climate bill that will make sure we protectJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-61197303915986813922010-05-07T18:15:00.001-04:002010-05-07T18:15:00.561-04:00Lieberman Slides Further Down The Authoritarian ScaleIt's absolutely nuts that this idea has raised its ugly head in our supposedly democratic society. Yet Joe Lieberman and other freedom-hating politicians have it in their head that arbitrarily stripping people of their citizenship if it is deemed they are "terrorists" by an unknown person or persons.Rachel has more on this:Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-67315828718780715872010-05-07T14:30:00.000-04:002010-05-07T14:30:01.329-04:00N.Y. City Council Progressive Caucus Proposes Another Way To BudgetSpeaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg had no trouble berating Albany for failing to deliver an on time budget yesterday, without owning up to their mess right here at home. While Bloomberg and the Council cannot pass the city's budget until the state finishes their business, a blueprint for how the New York City treats its people is developed beforehand. Unfortunately being the out of touch Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-31636027939739799932010-05-06T18:00:00.003-04:002010-05-06T22:55:15.905-04:00And Joe Bruno's Sentence Is....It is late in the afternoon in Albany (though I am typing this from Brooklyn) and ex-State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has finally been sentenced for his crimes against the people of New York. Bruno was making jokes shortly before the sentencing, saying that he knows he did nothing wrong among other things. Unfortunately for the 81 year old boxer, two years in the slammer (in addition to a Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-34736636775497220362010-05-05T10:00:00.000-04:002010-05-05T10:00:03.538-04:00Phoenix Suns Show Off Their "Los Suns" To Protest Racist AZ LawAs far as professional basketball goes, my blood bleeds purple and gold for the Lakers (congrats on another win last night against the Jazz btw!). I do however, have to tip my hat to the Phoenix Suns, for sticking it to the bigoted state legislature and governor that approved SB 1070 and made racial profiling legit and the Copper State a little more totalitarian. Tonight as they go up against SanJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-61952813151715857052010-05-05T09:15:00.000-04:002010-05-05T09:15:00.998-04:00"Experts" Claim 2010 In The Bag For G.O.P...Not The Case In NY HoweverEverything from providing health care to millions, reining in Wall Street (soon) and jump-starting the economy at the beginning of Obama's term is supposed to make Democrats go down in flames this year at the ballot box. Despite all that talk (coming mostly from the right) the situation on the ground, at least here in New York clearly paints a different picture. As much as the Republican party Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-61217917530058378412010-05-04T14:05:00.001-04:002010-05-04T14:05:41.151-04:00Gene Taylor Needs To Know Oil And Chocolate Milk Do Not MixCongressman Gene Taylor (D-MS) might represent an area near the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but he certainly isn't qualified to talk about oil in any regard. The Mississippian was given a helicopter tour of the area surrounding the sunken rig this past Saturday, and he gave one of the wackiest observations of a man-made catastrophe that I've ever heard.From The Sun Herald:Taylor flew over Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-23089784010662721182010-05-03T21:45:00.001-04:002010-05-03T21:47:35.155-04:00Protesting Against Arizona's Unethical Laws, And For A Common Sense SolutionThe first weekend of May brought heat and humidity up to N.Y.C., but it also brought out thousands of protesters across the nation who demanded that the U.S. government protect immigrants. Not only must radical, bigoted and totalitarian legislation such as that from Arizona be eliminated, but a comprehensive policy that comprehends the reality of immigration in the United States has to be Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-68775400104302716612010-05-03T14:00:00.000-04:002010-05-03T14:00:04.161-04:00Disastrous Oil Slick Must Stir A Mighty WindFor anyone trying to minimize the effects of the spill British Petroleum and Halliburton are responsible for, try this one on for size. Or this. Or that. Seriously, it's huge.Now imagine that instead of having these impossible events occurring every few years (actually every month or so), we could fuel our planet from the wind that naturally blows across the surface of the ocean. A meteorlogist Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-30437646371451099092010-04-30T17:45:00.000-04:002010-04-30T17:44:07.830-04:00Not Funny Mr. Mayor, Not Funny At AllMichael Bloomberg may think he's a humorous run of the mill plutocratic Mayor, but jokes about term limits are not funny to the democratic system we are supposed to be living in. At the announcement of Stephen Goldsmith as the new superstar Deputy Mayor (and former Mayor of Indianapolis) Bloomberg had those on hand guffawing over the controversial issue of term limits.Here's the joke.Getting a Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-74298192690220651612010-04-30T13:35:00.000-04:002010-04-30T13:37:52.668-04:00Obama Death Wishers On Facebook Give Secret Service A Lot Of WorkCenk Uyugr recently discussed the (sad to say) popular Facebook group that wishes for President Obama's death. Although it may have been in response for a similar group that wanted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to experience the same fate, neither group is acting responsibly. If there is one saving grace though from this act of hate, it would be that the Secret Service has just been given Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-5388708654357290252010-04-29T14:00:00.001-04:002010-04-29T14:00:00.362-04:00Crist May Not Say It, But The Crazies Made Him Do ItCongratulations Governor Crist!Thank you for saying goodbye to the Grand Old Party and hello to your new found freedom as an independent. Republicans loved the term "Drill baby drill!" last year as liberals and conservatives squared off on the issue of drilling for oil off of our coasts. Yet the Governor and U.S. Senate candidate had the where with all and good sense to change his mind on the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-10198922598007052692010-04-28T15:00:00.000-04:002010-04-28T15:01:04.259-04:00More Espada Crookedness! Now With Extra Slime!Last week Attorney General Cuomo (along with the FBI and IRS) brought a bombshell lawsuit against Senator Pedro Espada for looting up to $14 million dollars from his non-profit Soundview Medical Center. Espada, not one to take responsibility for himself, immediately lashed out at Cuomo for perpetrating a political vendetta against poor Pedro. Today the good Senator is lashing out again, this timeJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-51512939582304197012010-04-28T10:00:00.000-04:002010-04-28T10:00:19.387-04:00AZ Racial Profiling Law's Beginnings ExposedProponents of the controversial Arizona law SB1070 (PDF file) mention that lawmakers are trying to battle crime and that there's nothing really that bad in what they passed. However, as the public outcry increases in both private and public venues, the ugly, but not surprising truth is coming out about where this monstrosity came from. Rachel has the details:Crooks and Liars has more on the Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-26539947834859259052010-04-26T13:45:00.001-04:002010-04-26T20:16:49.310-04:00Bike Lanes Are To Cycles As Roads Are To CarsA wise man (who also happens to be a former State Assemblyman) once told me that as far as transit in New York City goes, bikes are insignificant and that we should not dedicate as many resources as we do for them. To put the comment into context, we were discussing the newest bike lines that have a curb separating them from the avenue, such as the one on 9th Ave above 14th Street. I remembered Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-53067265190385774312010-04-23T17:30:00.000-04:002010-04-23T17:36:27.757-04:00Massey Energy Shows Us Just How Cold Coal Can BeIf you follow the news about clean energy, chances are you have read about the atrocities committed at the coal mines controlled by Don Blankenship at Massey Energy. Earlier this month disaster struck at one mine in particular, leading to the deaths of twenty-nine miners. Since then word has gotten out that the safety record of that mine and others owned by Massey is particularly abhorrent. Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-47940989431720792010-04-23T14:30:00.000-04:002010-04-23T14:30:00.159-04:00Obama's Comment on AZ's Racial Profiling Bill Could Give A Glimpse For Immigration Reform FightHealth care reform has been checked off Obama's list, and once financial reform is taken care of the agenda will turn to immigration reform. Seeing this on TV today gives immigration reform advocates hope that he will make sure that immigrants are protected from the more bigoted and nativist sections of our society. What the Arizona Legislature passed earlier this month was an atrocity and I am Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-70025329671295293942010-04-23T13:30:00.000-04:002010-04-23T13:31:42.216-04:00I Could Never Forget You PedroEven though I was on a nine month blog hiatus, I never lost track of Senator Espada's dishonorable mentions in the press. I've written about him in the past and will continue to do so until he is placed where he belongs...in jail. Pedro's rap sheet is lengthy to say the least, and many things he does that aren't illegal are still quite shady. While the disgraceful excuse for a Senator lashes out Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-19746891356742005922010-04-22T14:10:00.000-04:002010-04-22T14:14:01.276-04:00"Yes We Can!" Is Harder Than Obama RealizesWelcome back to the Big Apple Mr. President. I hope your flight up the coast was a quick and uneventful one, for the reason you came might just be as unnoticed at the end of this fiscal reform we are being promised. Heaven knows this country needs help in saving ourselves from the vicious corporatists that currently run things on Wall Street and it's appendage within the Beltway.Now in the momentJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-62970876061613412802010-04-19T15:00:00.005-04:002010-04-19T15:00:02.784-04:00Paladino's "My Best Friend Is Black" Excuse Will Not WorkCarl Paladino and his campaign's PR firm had the gall to put this message out today:I'm sorry, but by not even bothering to apologize or explain the fact that he likes to spread bigoted and racist emails around the Internet, he shows his callousness for those he offended and for the office that he wishes to run for. These emails are disgusting to say the least. He is certainly free to express hisJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-90308480788899944342010-04-19T14:00:00.001-04:002010-04-19T14:00:28.870-04:00Finally, Accountability Is On The Horizon For Goldman SachsFor the last two years especially, and for a decade or two generally, how Goldman Sachs gets away with how they practice business has bewildered me. Now that isn't to say that I don't get how Washington elites abuse their power to enrich themselves and Wall Street at the expense of the people they are supposed to represent. What gets me is that it has taken this long for public outrage to hit a Josh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37927485.post-101334899723733002010-04-14T13:55:00.000-04:002010-04-14T13:55:59.535-04:00Sheltered Homeless Should Be Working To Get Out, Not To Be Stuck In The SystemHomelessness and New York City have a precarious relationship to say the least. The city has always had a large population of the financially dispossessed, but the way we treat them has changed considerably. The affluent had Giuliani and Bloomberg make them disappear from public spaces to a large degree (sometimes it's easier to not see the disparity in society when you are on the good end of theJosh"Ing"Silversteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587725602808985721noreply@blogger.com0