Room Eight New York Politics http://wp.r8ny.com/atom/feed 2014-08-04T23:24:54-04:00 How Then Shall We Live Reprised http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/how_then_shall_we_live_reprised.html 2014-08-26T06:56:47-04:00 2014-08-26T06:56:47-04:00 Larry Littlefield
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]]> Surprising Numbers Behind Charlie Rangel's Victory http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/jerry_skurnik/surprising_numbers_behind_charlie_rangels_victory.html 2014-08-20T12:47:37-04:00 2014-08-20T12:47:37-04:00 Jerry Skurnik

The Prime New York voter file has now been updated to include data about the voters who came out in the June Congressional Primaries.



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The Prime New York voter file has now been updated to include data about the voters who came out in the June Congressional Primaries.

 Unlike two years ago, this year only one contest drew much interest – the rematch between Congressman Charles Rangel & State Senator Adriano Espaillat.

 Examining the data about who actually voted produces some surprises (at least to me) that can help explain where Congressman Rangel won and by a larger margin than in 2012.

 The first surprise was known in June but bears repeating. In an era of lower voter participation in almost all New York elections, the turnout went up in the 13th CD from 43,269 to 50,234.

 The next surprise has to do with these voters. Most people (including me) would assume that virtually all the 2012 voters voted this year.

 And most (including me) would be wrong.

 @69% of the 2012 voters voted this year. That’s a decent number but it means that 31% of the people who voted the last time Rangel & Espaillat opposed each other sat it out this year.

 That brings us to the question of who are the 2014 voters are who didn’t vote in 2012.

 Some might speculate that they are young voters who were motivated this year.  After all, the third candidate in the race, Rev. Michael Walrond said that was his strategy to win “Young people will vote because I am running,” Walrond said. “We want to make history. And we are going to make history.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/congressional-hopeful-michael-walrond-aims-obama-harlem-article-1.1716965

 But that didn’t happen. Less than 5% of the voters in the Primary were under the age of 30 and less than 500 of the voters were people who registered to vote after the 2012 Primary.

 In fact, looking at the numbers, most of the 2014 voters were experienced Primary voters, who have voted in some Primary in the past with before with over 85% voted in a previous June or September or Presidential Primary or Runoff going back to 1992.

 In fact rather than young voters making a difference, @25% of the Primary voters were age 70 years or older!

 These numbers along with the results indicate to me that the key to Rangel’s improved showing were these older voters. Voters who have supported him in the past but didn’t vote in 2012 for whatever reason (complacency, questions about his ethics and/or health) but came out this year to keep the Congressman in for one final term.


]]> In Light of Missouri, de Blasio Looks Like a Genius http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/dominic_carter/in_light_of_missouri_de_blasio_looks_like_a_genius.html 2014-08-19T13:42:32-04:00 2014-08-19T13:42:32-04:00 Dominic Carter
The silence is almost deafening. Where are the critics of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio now?



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The silence is almost deafening. Where are the critics of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio now?


The pundits, and so called experts questioned why de Blasio, a liberal Democrat, would hold a City Hall Blue Room event with his Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton, on one side, and give a live microphone to the Rev. Al Sharpton on the other, where Rev. Sharpton embarrassed the mayor, and said the mayor's bi-racial son Dante (with his large afro hairstyle, that played very well to get the mayor elected) would be a "candidate for a chokehold," if he were not the mayor's son.

The critics had a field day, blasting de Blasio. Plastered on page one of the NY Post the next day was the headline, "Who's the Boss," with a photo of Bratton, de Blasio, and of course Sharpton.

Police were so enraged that as a gag, there was a fake I.D. making the rounds. One where Sharpton's photo was on it. Sharpton was elevated from number one critic of police brutality, to the title of Police Commissioner on the identification. De Blasio was even taking to task in the lead sentence of an Associated Press story.

Police have become increasingly at odds with Mayor Bill de Blasio over the appearance he is taking sides against them after the chokehold death of a black suspect last month -- a conflict that has prompted the city's top law enforcement official to do damage control by calling the mayor "very pro-cop."

The Michael Brown situation in Missouri is extremely alarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

From one autopsy report that shows Brown was shot six times (why is the public only receiving this information a week later and from legal team of Brown's family) to the looting, and to the police chief, there that has proven he is not ready for prime time. and has made a strong argument that City leaders should relieve him of his duties -- permanently and effective immediately for the good of the community. One of my colleagues on TV, former New York Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, compared the situation in Missouri to Bull Conner who of course was the infamous police chief during the anti-segregation protests in downtown Birmingham Alabama. (You can see the TV segment here,)

But I return to my original premise.

Where are Mayor de Blasio's critics on the NY situation now where there is even a video with Eric Garner saying repeatedly he could not breath as police attempted to arrest him, and an apparent NYPD illegal choke-hold was used?

A lot of people have been asking why was there violence in Ferguson Missouri, but not in NYC.

  1. First off, New York officials got out in front of the situation quickly.
  2. The Mayor and Police Commissioner Bratton immediately said it appeared to them that an illegal choke hold had been used on Eric Garner.
  3. The Mayor put off his Europe vacation for a day, and even reached out to Garner's family.

Of equal importance, and granted, it did not sit well with the police community and police unions, but Rev. Al Sharpton's message representing the family of Eric Garner was unfiltered by City Leaders. The same new mayor (de Blasio) did not try to meet with Sharpton in private, and then "spin" the situation. De Blasio by meeting with Sharpton, and letting him have his say, reassured communities of color and thus lowered the temperature in New York. The NY Times is even now praising Deblasio's handling of the situation.

There, of course, is still outrage at what happened to Eric Garner, but as of this writing, NY communities of color have taken a wait and see approach as to the investigation, and it is reassuring to these communities to know that Sharpton is top of the situation.

In light of Missouri, do the critics still think NY Mayor Bill de Blasio is weak and that he caved in to Sharpton? Or perhaps, did de Blasio's actions avert violence? Maybe de Blasio should be in Missouri to help there.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dominic-carter/in-light-of-missouri-debl_b_5687721.html


]]> Preparing for Institutional Collapse http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/preparing_for_institutional_collapse.html_0 2014-08-17T12:30:09-04:00 2014-08-17T12:30:09-04:00 Larry Littlefield Saying the Unsaid in New York.  You can read the originals by searching for my name, Room Eight, and "institutional collapse."

]]> Saying the Unsaid in New York.  You can read the originals by searching for my name, Room Eight, and "institutional collapse."
]]> Missouri Madness: Police showed there was a way to Maintain Order. http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/dominic_carter/missouri_madness_police_showed_there_was_a_way_to_maintain_order.html 2014-08-15T07:10:48-04:00 2014-08-15T07:14:06-04:00 Dominic Carter Missouri Madness: Was There A Way For Police To Maintain Order?

]]> Missouri Madness: Was There A Way For Police To Maintain Order?  Yes. Police Officials showed how Thursday Night. How is how we took on the topic on TV last night.

 


]]> Affordable Care Act offers free health care to foster care youth http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/dominic_carter/affordable_care_act_offers_free_health_care_to_foster_care_youth.html_0 2014-08-11T22:31:13-04:00 2014-08-11T22:31:13-04:00 Dominic Carter Under the Affordable Care Act, former foster care youth are eligible for free health care. The program requires states to provide youth under 26 with free health care if they were in foster care at the age of 18. Like normal youth that can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26, former foster youth can access the health care services they need.



]]> Under the Affordable Care Act, former foster care youth are eligible for free health care. The program requires states to provide youth under 26 with free health care if they were in foster care at the age of 18. Like normal youth that can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26, former foster youth can access the health care services they need.

Children Now is conducting a statewide outreach campaign to ensure all former foster youth living in California get the coverage they deserve up until the age of 26. There are no income requirements for former foster youth, ensuring they can receive coverage up to the age of 26 regardless of how much money they earn. There is also a simplified renewal process. Once youth are enrolled in the Medi-Cal former foster youth program, they can stay covered without reapplying each year.

Possibly most important, the program is flexible. Youth enrolled in the Medi-Cal program qualify for fee-for-service coverage which means they can go to any doctor, hospital or clinic that accepts Medi-Cal. Fee-for-service Medi-Cal allows former foster youth to access care from a Medi-Cal provider wherever they need it. This is critical given the population’s high mobility.

The Medi-Cal program for former foster youth includes medical, vision, dental, substance abuse and mental health coverage. youth who sign up for the free program for foster youth will be assigned the 4M aid code allowing them to receive all these benefits until the age of 26.

For more information read on at http://www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/PDFs/CN_FactSheet.pdf

via Dominic Carter http://dominiccarter.net/affordable-care-act-offers-free-health-care-to-foster-care-youth/


]]> Affordable Care Act offers free health care to foster care youth http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/dominic_carter/affordable_care_act_offers_free_health_care_to_foster_care_youth.html 2014-08-11T22:30:50-04:00 2014-08-11T22:30:50-04:00 Dominic Carter Under the Affordable Care Act, former foster care youth are eligible for free health care. The program requires states to provide youth under 26 with free health care if they were in foster care at the age of 18. Like normal youth that can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26, former foster youth can access the health care services they need.



]]> Under the Affordable Care Act, former foster care youth are eligible for free health care. The program requires states to provide youth under 26 with free health care if they were in foster care at the age of 18. Like normal youth that can stay on their parents’ insurance until they are 26, former foster youth can access the health care services they need.

Children Now is conducting a statewide outreach campaign to ensure all former foster youth living in California get the coverage they deserve up until the age of 26. There are no income requirements for former foster youth, ensuring they can receive coverage up to the age of 26 regardless of how much money they earn. There is also a simplified renewal process. Once youth are enrolled in the Medi-Cal former foster youth program, they can stay covered without reapplying each year.

Possibly most important, the program is flexible. Youth enrolled in the Medi-Cal program qualify for fee-for-service coverage which means they can go to any doctor, hospital or clinic that accepts Medi-Cal. Fee-for-service Medi-Cal allows former foster youth to access care from a Medi-Cal provider wherever they need it. This is critical given the population’s high mobility.

The Medi-Cal program for former foster youth includes medical, vision, dental, substance abuse and mental health coverage. youth who sign up for the free program for foster youth will be assigned the 4M aid code allowing them to receive all these benefits until the age of 26.

For more information read on at http://www.fosteryouthhelp.ca.gov/PDFs/CN_FactSheet.pdf

via Dominic Carter http://dominiccarter.net/affordable-care-act-offers-free-health-care-to-foster-care-youth/


]]> Generational Equity and the Legacy of Today’s Politicians: Update http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/generational_equity_and_the_legacy_of_today_s_politicians_update.html 2014-08-10T15:23:57-04:00 2014-08-10T15:23:57-04:00 Larry Littlefield
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]]> The Dog Days Plan http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/larry_littlefield/the_dog_days_plan.html 2014-08-08T15:45:19-04:00 2014-08-08T15:47:39-04:00 Larry Littlefield Saying the Unsaid in New York” that were originally posted on Room Eight some time ago, while adding in some additional updates based on changes between then and now (in italic after the word “Update”). Most of the essays, if not the updates, can already be found as MS Word documents linked from the “Helpful Background and Greatest Hits” page, but I want to repost them anyway so it is easier to direct people to them, and more likely that they will come up in searches. I find, using information available to me on Wordpress, that many people are reading items I posted last year, not just the stuff I put up in the past week. So there is an advantage to having things on the main page.

Although I will be re-posing some of my Room Eight items, I remain grateful for those who created and maintain that site for first giving me an opportunity to blog, and keeping all the posts I have written available. I have no way of knowing how many people are continuing to read what I post there, but anecdotal evidence suggests that at one time, at least, the number reading there was substantial, and included some in what I hoped to be the target audience. Those who read all my Room Eight posts over the years probably will see no need to re-read the items I will be posting on Saying the Unsaid In New York this August. If I come up with something else over the next few weeks, however, I’ll post it on Room Eight as well.

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 Saying the Unsaid in New York” that were originally posted on Room Eight some time ago, while adding in some additional updates based on changes between then and now (in italic after the word “Update”). Most of the essays, if not the updates, can already be found as MS Word documents linked from the “Helpful Background and Greatest Hits” page, but I want to repost them anyway so it is easier to direct people to them, and more likely that they will come up in searches. I find, using information available to me on Wordpress, that many people are reading items I posted last year, not just the stuff I put up in the past week. So there is an advantage to having things on the main page.

Although I will be re-posing some of my Room Eight items, I remain grateful for those who created and maintain that site for first giving me an opportunity to blog, and keeping all the posts I have written available. I have no way of knowing how many people are continuing to read what I post there, but anecdotal evidence suggests that at one time, at least, the number reading there was substantial, and included some in what I hoped to be the target audience. Those who read all my Room Eight posts over the years probably will see no need to re-read the items I will be posting on Saying the Unsaid In New York this August. If I come up with something else over the next few weeks, however, I’ll post it on Room Eight as well.


]]> Sharpton on Staten Island Case http://wp.r8ny.com/blog/dominic_carter/sharpton_on_staten_island_case.html 2014-08-04T23:24:54-04:00 2014-08-04T23:24:54-04:00 Dominic Carter SEE VIDEO. Rev. Sharpton has some fun at MY EXPENSE over the weekend. He says quote:  "RNN-TV must be paying me well, because I look good.-"  Well Rev. I don't kiss and tell, but it was nice to see you.

 



]]> SEE VIDEO. Rev. Sharpton has some fun at MY EXPENSE over the weekend. He says quote:  "RNN-TV must be paying me well, because I look good.-"  Well Rev. I don't kiss and tell, but it was nice to see you.

 

I want your opinion: Was it wrong for me to say to my colleagues ON-AIR that they are treated quite differently by NYPD than I, or a person of color is? I went on to say: "Your not going to be thrown up on a wall, not shown a badge, and told spread em.  That's something I have to teach my son about." 


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