Most Democrats still don’t get it. If criminals know there are no real consequences for their actions, they will be more emboldened, and more innocent New Yorkers will suffer. Just last week, several mom and pop businesses on Third Avenue in Councilman Justin Brannan’s Bay Ridge district were burglarized. With their loss of revenue from the pandemic, these store owners have enough to worry about without having to deal with thieves. Rather than calling for a tougher response to criminals taking advantage of the pandemic to …
Opinion: The latest tragic casualty of the coronavirus outbreak is democracy
A very long three weeks ago, I wrote that while social distancing is necessary right now, it will damage the communal social life essential to democracy. It appears that I gravely understated matters. Democracy, small business, and worker rights are under extreme threat right now, and we have lost most of the tools traditionally used to fix the problems. On Monday, March 30, Hungary’s parliament voted to give prime minister Viktor Orbán dictatorial powers, using the coronavirus crisis as an excuse. Hungary had been heading in that direction for a while, but now there is rule by Orbán’s decree…
Opinion: Releasing inmates during a time of crisis is a terrible idea
When all five of the city’s district attorneys, who are all fellow Democrats, say that the mayor’s initiative of releasing inmates from Rikers Island is dangerous, we should listen to them. This week, the top prosecutors in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx united to strongly condemn Mayor de Blasio on this matter. They said, “We want to make clear that the categories of those proposed for release have, in some instances, included individuals who pose a high risk to public safety.” They concluded with this zinger: “We should not have to make release decisions that we know will put communities at risk.” As the quintessential example of …
Opinion: Most Dems do not stand with disabled New Yorkers
Adrian Edwards-Smith is the Director of Advocacy for the Disabled NYC. We take it for granted that senior, student, and veteran New Yorkers are entitled access to most cultural establishments — including cinemas, museums, stage productions, etc — either for free, or at significantly discounted rates. The ability for any person, regardless of financial hardship, or physical disability, to enrich themselves intellectually and culturally is a hallmark of a progressive, civil society, and we in the United States naturally regard these modest concessions…
Opinion: Max Rose’s post office Cabrini tribute is a sham!
What do you think of our postal service? For most, the response would be pretty negative and include some choice words that can’t be printed here. However, in a cynical attempt to pander to the Italian-American community and Catholics in his district, Congressman Max Rose has proposed renaming the Dyker Heights Post Office after Mother Cabrini. A saint should be revered and not relegated to having their name slapped on an aging and architecturally bland federal building. To add insult to injury, this proposal seems to have been made for purely political purposes. For background, this all began when the She Built NYC Initiative was created in 2018 to erect public monuments or statues to honor women’s history. There was an open call for nominations…
Tim Bontempts on the Brooklyn Nets’ Plan to Remain Contenders in the East
The Brooklyn Nets fell short of their ultimate goal this past season, bowing out in the second round of the playoffs after mortgaging their future for a win-now roster. After losing Paul Pierce to the Washington Wizards and the sudden departure of Jason Kidd as head coach, is this team still ready to contend? Tim Bontemps of the New York Post joins Howard Beck to discuss the Nets offseason in the video above.Read more Brooklyn Nets news on BleacherReport.com