Looking Ahead

LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis





As you read these lines, the primary of September 14th may be a faint memory, not very tasty. But at least, you may want to compare such results you have noted with the popular opinions reflected here.



Although I was out of New York's life for a good part of August, the city was not out of my life. Good many of the East Europeans we met had visited our East Coast, and questions about the primary came up. Particularly, Congressman Charles Rangel was a subject of discussions.

English-language news in Riga, Latvia, comes from International Herald Tribune, the global edition of New York Times. Although expensive - copies cost well over $4 a day - it provides abridgements, slightly popularized, of the daily paper's articles, tightly packed, with sections identified by page headlines, no paper wasted. Your Paul Krugman and David Brooks columns are there, never fear. For English language TV, in Riga you live on stale CNN International edition, BBC News, and old but still funny BBC serials.

For the less current affairs minded, Baltic Air, a busy Latvian local carrier that brings in Americans to Riga in Boeing 737s via Stockholm, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Frankfurt, publishes a daily paper distributed in hotels, four to eight pages of catchy news stories. It was there that New York primaries came up, with the sensationalist names and lurid tales about Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. of the 33rd SD in Bronx, and his legislator cronies.



The fact that New York Times itself, a paper of discretion and circumspection, in its endorsements would come out and say directly that the best advice regarding voting for NY state legislature would be to vote against anybody who has done time in Albany, is daunting. The dysfunctional Albany has really become an international scandal, not just in the eyes of locals, such as Alan S. Chartock, the chairman of the Northeast Network of Public Radio, who for years has revealed its disgraces. The Times particularly applied its advice to the State Senate, where Espada and his cronies have milked the state funds for fancy titles and fawning office help. He has also depleted his district’s medical clinics for tens of thousands of personal expense and campaign dollars,

The Times does offer endorsements to replace Espada and other current inhabitants of the well-dug-in ethnic local districts, such as Mr. Rangel in the 15th Congressional District, but there is little doubt that the embedded incumbents who have locals indebted to them will come out on top, again.



NYT has no problem with standup legislators such as Senator Liz Kruger of T&V Country, and Eric Schneiderman of Northern Manhattan, whom they endorse, the latter as Attorney General. It is hoped that he, with Governor-to-be Andrew Cuomo, may form an effective reform force, and use the powers of his office to oust the well dug-in imbedded legislators seemingly impervious to legitimate political pressures. As for Republican candidates for Governor, the newspaper shows its anger for Carl Paladino, the upstart politician from Buffalo, who dedicated $10 million of personal funds to be elected. His tea party campaign has been nasty, referring to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as”Hitler" and an "Antichrist," and showing Africans dancing as "Obama Inauguration Rehearsal." This entire ugly environment ties in with the Newt Gingrich campaign , supported by radical rightists and other extremists who go well beyond being birthists in depicting the President as a foreigner, primitive, socialist and Muslim, and the Florida minister who was about to start a war by threatening to burn Koran texts. Paladino is also an angry opponent to the Muslim memorial site near the World Trade Center, and may be connected with the nativist and religious Christian groups that are behind attacks on Muslims. New York Times endorses ex-Congressman Rick Lazio, a rational politician, in the Republican primary for Governor...



In the 14th Congressional District, the Times supports the 18-year incumbent, Carolyn Maloney, who has a record as stalwart fighter for women’s rights (e.g. wearing a burqua in Congress to speak of lack of women’s rights in the Arab world), working for financial reform (she’s the Chair of the Joint Economic Committee), and for protection for credit card users, and health care for Ground Zero workers. Her opponent, lawyer Reshma Saujani, originally campaigned as a advocate of better treatment for financial institutions, recognizing that NYC depends on the banks and brokerage firms for its life blood, but soon turned to heavy attacks on Congresswoman Maloney’s fundraising relations with the finance industry. Heavy advertising with huge picture postcards and phone calls on both sides was prevalent, and the three Republican candidates were practically unheard of.



The unhappiness of the T&V Country’s people with their state political system is evident, both in print and in conversations. This neighborhood is also exasperated in the fight over ST/PCV’s future. Here the continuation of Espada as the Senate’s Housing Committee chair is opposed, although our endorsement of his opponent in the 33rd SD cannot be expected to cause many ripples in the Bronx. On the other hand, Eric Schneiderman is a tenant advocate, and will be helped by our votes...



As for the NYS Assembly, the Paper of Record recommends voting against the incumbents, across the board. They justify this wholesale condemnation because the parties, particularly, the Democrats, have given some of Albany’s worst legislators a free ride. Ergo, turn the rascals out! I have problems with that, and hope that next year the Times can beat its financial doldrums and devote more time for better analysis,

Wally Dobelis thanks the New York Times, and internet and private sources