So Who You Voting For?

Even if you're not that interested in the mayoral race, I hope peope turn out to vote for the Transportation Bond Act.

Subject: Bloomberg

Not Tish James She Sucks.

rossmelanie wrote: As a new resident of Brooklyn (and, NY state for that matter), is there ONE place I can go to find out everything that will be on the ballot? All public officials, legislation, etc.?

If you're registered here, you should have gotten the voting guide with this information in the mail. I'm sure it's also available online somewhere (check nyc.gov). Another good source for any voting questions/issues is the League of Women Voters.

Carnivore wrote: Even if you're not that interested in the mayoral race, I hope peope turn out to vote for the Transportation Bond Act.

Absolutely !! Extremely important. See below:

http://www.voteyesny.org/

Vote for the bond act. Mismanagement or no, the state has been starving the MTA for capital for years. We better get moving if we don't want to go back to the no-maintenance subways of the late 70s and early 80s.

Captain M wrote: Am I the only person thats not totally for this? It just seems like the MTA misspends so much money and this is just more for them to screwup. All the glossy mailings I have gotten make it even more suspect in my books. I dont know for sure, I just have to say I'm not sold on it. Is more money a cure for poor management?

No doubt that the MTA is often lacking in fiscal responsibility; however, large sums of monies are earmarked for agencies other than the MTA (such as DOT) and on projects that are meant to at least begin to address the serious infrastructure problems faced throughout the state and the city. Not to sound melodramatic, but the state's infrastructure problems are very bad, and if not dire. The monies allocated in this bill will have positive ramifications on many levels: the economic viability of the entire state: upstate as well as NYC and Long Island; environmental problems; jobs, etc., etc. If you look at the list of people and organizations supporting the bill you will see the breadth and depth of interest in it ... they span the spectrum from left to right; fiscal conservatives and progressives alike.

Which is not to say that there will not ultimately be some corruption and / or mismanagement in the distribution of the funds and in the implementation of the projects. It is money after all and politicians and individuals are not, nor will they every be saintly. It would be naive to think that.

However, this bill is necessary and long overdue. IMHO.

Oiseau wrote: and we should have electronic notices of exactly when the next train is due to arrive like they do in Paris.

Oh my god, that would be the best thing ever. I wouldn't even mind waiting twenty minutes for a train as much if I knew what I was in for and wasn't just left pacing around grumbling impatiently and constantly staring up the track hoping for a glimmer.

Intelligible PA systems would also be nice, as would some kind of reliable signage. I was at the Penn Station 2/3 platform last weekend (where the local track and the express track are separated, not on a shared platform) and spent over thirty minutes standing on the wrong platform with about two hundred other people, missing several trains in the process, because not only did the posted signs say the 2 wasn't running and was replaced by a 5 (untrue), but they neglected to say that all trains were running on the local track for the evening. ONE announcement was made in the half hour we were there, and that only happened because some lady we ended up next to happened to decide the wait was getting ridiculous and went to ask an employee, and when they told her what was up she said "You really should make an announcement..." I mean, is it rocket science? Make an announcement every few minutes, put up a freakin hand-written sign at the bottom of the stairs saying "All downtown trains on local track," and maybe some of us would actually get home in time to eat dinner before ten o'clock at night. I mean, my god.

Sorry, I know that's kind of a tangent, and I know everyone who has spent more than ten minutes in New York has an annoying MTA story, but it just seems like they're really falling down on the job more and more lately. In the four and a half years I've been here, I've never had issues like that with NEARLY as much severity or frequency as I have in the last three or four months. Lately it's just been a total shitfight trying to get anywhere, ever.

If some more money will help them get sorted out, then by all means. The state of the subway directly affects the quality of most people's lives in this city. I say that's worth spending some cash on.

Oiseau wrote: The second avenue line should bve built and we should have electronic notices of exactly when the next train is due to arrive like they do in Paris.

The Second Avenue Subway is going to happen (design is on fast-forward as we speak); however, don't expect the same amenities that one would find in the Paris Metro ... 8) . Blue Dove might get her intelligible PA system however. Wait, no. Blue Dove is splitting ... she's gonna miss out !! All the more reason for you to stay in Brooklyn, Blue Dove ...

bluedove wrote: I was at the Penn Station 2/3 platform last weekend (where the local track and the express track are separated, not on a shared platform) and spent over thirty minutes standing on the wrong platform with about two hundred other people, missing several trains in the process, because not only did the posted signs say the 2 wasn't running and was replaced by a 5 (untrue), but they neglected to say that all trains were running on the local track for the evening. ONE announcement was made in the half hour we were there, and that only happened because some lady we ended up next to happened to decide the wait was getting ridiculous and went to ask an employee, and when they told her what was up she said "You really should make an announcement..." I mean, is it rocket science? Make an announcement every few minutes, put up a freakin hand-written sign at the bottom of the stairs saying "All downtown trains on local track," and maybe some of us would actually get home in time to eat dinner before ten o'clock at night. I mean, my god.

Sorry, I know that's kind of a tangent, and I know everyone who has spent more than ten minutes in New York has an annoying MTA story, but it just seems like they're really falling down on the job more and more lately. In the four and a half years I've been here, I've never had issues like that with NEARLY as much severity or frequency as I have in the last three or four months. Lately it's just been a total shitfight trying to get anywhere, ever.

If some more money will help them get sorted out, then by all means. The state of the subway directly affects the quality of most people's lives in this city. I say that's worth spending some cash on.

OMG. I had a similar experience there two months ago. After waiting on the express platform 10 minutes, they announced all trains were running local. So I lugged my suitcase down and up the stairs to the downtown local. 10 minutes later they announced "for downtown Brooklyn Brooklyn service, take the uptown local to 42nd st. and change to the D train." Down & up the stairs I went again. Then a downtown Brooklyn express train came in on the express platform accepting passengers! Geez! I ended up taking the D, which I could've done initially if there were any freakin' signs anywhere about all this nonsense.

50 cent wrote: More interestingly, who are you going to vote for Public Advocate? Betsy Gotbaum, IMO, is terrible.

And for Brooklyn Borough President?

I'm casting my vote for Gloria.

I was seriously considering not voting this time around, even though I'm one of those always-vote people, because I didn't have strong opinions about the mayoral race. But I'd like to cast a vote against Marty, and while I'm at it, I'll probably vote for the MTA thing too.

EmilyM wrote: [quote=50 cent]More interestingly, who are you going to vote for Public Advocate? Betsy Gotbaum, IMO, is terrible.

And for Brooklyn Borough President?

I'm casting my vote for Gloria.

I was seriously considering not voting this time around, even though I'm one of those always-vote people, because I didn't have strong opinions about the mayoral race. But I'd like to cast a vote against Marty, and while I'm at it, I'll probably vote for the MTA thing too.
I plan to vote for Betsy Goutbaum because her office got an insane neighbor of ours to shut up! (Guess which lane he lived on )
But I'm interested to know why you think she's terrible.
Also, yes on transportation bond. No for Marty. I still haven't decided who to vote for for mayor. Plead your cases!

I think Bloomberg has done a good job with the finances of the city and I'd probably vote for him if I weren't pissed about his obsession with the Olympics and Ratnerville (and his participation in their ridiculous propaganda "news"paper). Okay, that's even more short and one-dimensional! I don't have anything against Ferrer but I agree about him being a career politician--that doesn't really appeal to me.

Mattera seems wholly unqualified for Borough President, which puts her on equal footing with Marty. *rimshot*

But seriously, folks *rimshot* Marty sold out the neighborhood for his own legacy; he weighed the political costs, and decided he could get away with it. No way can he expect my vote.

mc wrote: [quote=50 cent]
Just out of curiosity, why did you contact Gotbaum over James? Or 311? Or did you try that without any luck?

Actually it was my neighbor's idea. He was getting signatures on a petition to send to her and encouraged people to write to her also. I don't know if he contacted anyone else about it. I didn't.


Tish James Sucks. Marty Rules. And so does Ratner.

Where's the Kodos option?