Posts by Rachel Barrett8

brightpuma said:Yeah, they should probably start revoking permits the day they're issued. Can you imagine the circus? The media meltdown would be endless.🙄

Regarding "my project!" (😍), they've clearly shown they don't recognize any investment that actually benefits anyone.

I'd say they recognize a wolf in sheep's clothing the second they see who's footing the bill.

It isn't really an issue with New York City; it's about the inspectors and agencies like them. You get your permit based on the actual design.
There's been this pattern for years now: build a place showing green space or just planning for it, then once they get the occupancy permit, they pave it over for more parking.
At that point, it's not City Hall's problem anymore—it's on the inspectors (who we all know who they work for) to show up and force them to restore it to the original plan.

Take that same Brooklyn area you guys mentioned. You have streets where front yards are mandatory, yet everyone just pours concrete over them.
Which means someone needs to step up (since these officials won't check themselves) and report it so they can force people to fix it.

Look, I know talking sense to them is useless, but arguing about logic isn't getting us anywhere.
We don't have any greenery around our buildings, and we certainly don't have green roofs.

Just more and more concrete.
How long is this going to last?

Sam Wright21 said:The trajectory is unmistakable—this whole system of cronies is just doubling down. A true leader with the spirit of Margaret Thatcher actually knew how to wield a broom when necessary. These people? They have nothing; they just spout leftist slogans and preach liberal capitalism, and honestly, I can't imagine anything more pathetic.

I’m not sure if things can get any worse than this.

Right there on Vukomeracki, they're building this massive structure directly opposite the waterworks. It's that classic Brooklyn syndrome—tearing down a perfectly good family home just to cram in some giant eyesore.🤦
The building sits right against the narrow sidewalk, barely an inch away from the street. I honestly have no clue who is signing off on construction like this...🤔

Also, why is Mustard acting so helpless? When is he actually going to start doing his job?
By the time he finally decides what color the trash bags should be, we'll be living in the year 2030.

brightpuma said:I'd totally get where you're coming from if he were the only one, or at least one of the few. But the reality is, most of our politicians jump into high-level roles without a single day of actual experience.🤷
Man, I guess this is just the best we can hope for. What else am I supposed to say?

You hit the nail on the head. That's just how our politicians work; they're professional Cronies.

A Crony couldn't even run a lemonade stand... imagine watching Ed Koch mess everything up for 20 years only for someone to take over the wheel and achieve absolutely nothing. It's a classic move.

Sam Wright21 said:I’d bet anything he has at least fifteen years of experience tucked away somewhere. A person that cunning and resourceful doesn't just appear out of thin air without a track record. Certainly not.

The fact that he hasn't contributed anything of substance to society, nor seems to have acquired any practical skills that benefit the public, puts him in the exact same category as every other politician. He simply accumulated everything for himself.

While $33 Bandit used to court the white trash and the desperate, this one successfully wooed the "urban crowd" with a clever "real change" slogan. It was a masterclass in manipulation.

It brings to mind an anecdote from 2009 when I was volunteering during Professor Kregar's campaign—there was this woman who insisted she would always vote for Ed Koch, operating on the principle of "he might be stealing, but at least he's sharing the spoils with us!"

Now, the slogan is "real change," and the package is being delivered straight to the intended demographic. Given how little critical thinking goes on in certain circles, he won't face much trouble holding onto power in New York City for a few terms.

If there is any discernible direction being taken at all, it certainly isn't one that fosters the growth of the city.

There's no direction to be seen. Within a year, they should have done a deep dive into the situation in New York City and its municipal companies to propose a new management structure, overhauled operations, and reorganized the staff.

This is just amateur hour, but then again, it's the classic story of the crony system.

cosmicskipper39 said:lujka_x, I really hope you don't talk like this at work.
If you did, they'd label you as someone just resisting necessary progress.

The MTA union guys are claiming they're hiking up individual pay grades and padding the ranks of high-level management.
Link 1.
Link 2.

Let's be real here: you can't accomplish much in just one year. We have to be honest about that.
But at the same time, within a single year, a certain policy should start taking shape. It should show us a clear direction of where things are headed. And looking at the situation right now? It isn't doing that. We need to call it what it is.

But hey, it's all pretty standard stuff... when you come from the stock market with zero experience, you end up in the Mayor's office. Meanwhile, an MTA driver actually needs at least two years of driving experience—even if those two years were spent exclusively hauling potatoes.

Gregory Ramos3 said:It feels a little bit morbid if you ask me, 😲

If that's morbid, then what on earth is this???

So, basically, Saudi Arabia became the biggest importer of ExxonMobil oil and then flips it to the European Union with massive profit margins.🤣🤣🤣

We call the Russians morbid, yet we act like we're some kind of masterminds here.🤦

Kenneth Allen said:Can someone from Tomašević's inner circle—or maybe just someone who actually knows what’s going on behind the scenes—explain why they’re handling the topic of: the final legislative proposal regarding...

Is it possible, RF, that we could Vote Against?

It feels like some sort of backroom deal. Is there any actual paper trail from the coalition explaining their specific reasoning?

Since TT is a cyclist—someone I actually respect and follow—I’m asking within this thread, thinking I might find more common ground with fellow commuters here than in the main coalition discussion.

From what I gathered during my chat with the traffic police, this law was drafted in total secrecy—no consultations whatsoever with cycling or scooter advocacy groups. It’s a far cry from the previous version, where public suggestions and amendments were actually considered; this time, the community has been completely shut out.

It seems the whole thing is being pushed through just to tighten the legal definitions of vehicles during traffic violations—something that wasn't even necessary for certain types of transport before.

Are Tomašević, Sandra, and the rest of the crew really such hardcore advocates for bikes and scooters, just cruising along with the wind in their hair?

Because after hearing how they planned to handle the unvaccinated, I honestly expected them to be the first ones stepping up to demand strict penalties and oversight on this matter. 🤷

...

If this is that same legislation where doctors are forced to snitch on their patients to the Department of Justice, then honestly, only a total idiot would vote YES.

Harold Phillips54 said:Well, look at that—Eric Adams is actually getting things done.
Check this out, the latest news from just a couple of days ago:

POINT: 28.
Subpoint: 28.

- -DECISION- -
Reference Number: UP/I-081-03/22-01/97
Reference Number: 251-01-02-22-1
New York City, July 8, 2022.

Under the authority granted by Article 5, Section 3 of the Civil Service Act, and in accordance with Section 8, Subsection 5 of the principles governing the internal structure and operations of municipal administrative bodies as outlined in the New York City Official Gazette, the Mayor of New York City, representing the City of New York, is acting in an official capacity. Regarding the subject matter Chris Ladešić The official notice regarding the termination of employment—it’s finally coming through.

RESOLUTION
[URegarding the dismissal. [/U]

Chris Ladešić, Law graduate here. It's being resolved. Effective July 11, 2022, this transition marks a move from the Assistant Director position (Category I, subcategory Senior Manager, Rank 2) within the Department of Administration and Property Affairs to a new role outside of its current organizational structure.

THE MAYOR
New York City

Eric Adams, MPA

Milomir Bandić's appointee was finally removed from their leadership position by Eric Adams.

Eric Adams appointed him to the other leadership position at that same level.
A strategic reshuffle.

POINT: 28.
Subpoint: 28.

- -DECISION- -
File Ref: UP/I-081-03/22-01/98
Reference Number: 251-01-02-22-1
New York City, July 8, 2022.

Pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 3 of the Civil Service Act, and in accordance with Section 7, Subsection 4 of the Principles regarding the internal organization and operations of municipal administrative bodies as published in the Official Gazette, the Mayor of New York City, acting on behalf of the City of New York, hereby issues the following official decision regarding the appointment of Chris Ladešić.

REPLY

Chris Ladešić, I'm a lawyer. It’s being appointed, As of July 12, 2022, Assistant Director for Non-Profits (Category I, Senior Manager subcategory, Rank 2) within the Department of Non-Profit Organizations at the Department of Administration and Property Affairs.

MAYOR
New York City

Eric Adams, MPA.

I?
What's the catch?
So, did TT finally realize that Milomir Bandić’s old crew actually knows how to get things done?
It feels like Eric Adams doesn't actually have any of his own people who know how to get things done, so he’s just stuck relying on the old crew left behind by Milomir Bandić.
Does TT actually have the legal authority to fire everyone Milomir Bandić left behind?

At the exact same time, Deputy Mayor Dolenc is out there pulling the trigger on a new street sweeper for $550,000. $0.00 $1,850 for a broomstick? You've got to be kidding me. $0.00 - excluding sales tax—we're looking at roughly 20,000 brooms if they actually settle the bill. $33 Man, if they actually pay them by... $17 It's not actually 30. Usually, if you're looking to pick them up at any of the trade shows, they go for around $40,000.

With just 40,000 street sweepers, New York City is supposed to be shining like a Christmas ornament.
Look, they’ve planned for 40,000 brooms over two years, not just one.
How many sanitation crews with those three-wheeled carts actually use birch brooms?
".....and alongside 30 new electric ones, we still have the mechanical vehicles, which number 296.
That brings the total to 330.
And if they need brooms for all that—we're talking 40,000 to 50,000.
That averages out to about 20,000 or maybe 25,000 brooms a year for 300 carts.
Honestly, this feels no different from how Milomir Bandić used to handle procurement.
It looks like each one is going to cost $50.

Just look at the price of a single birch broom—they aren't cheap:
So, try doing the math on how many tens of thousands of brooms you can get for $1.8 million at those prices.

https://www.google.com/url?esrc=s&q=...w98Wk1alyZeMWO

https://www.google.com/url?esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=U&url= s2J8BJ_1cViydmCF

Am I just failing at basic math here? Because, seriously, I don't get it.

Your math actually checks out.
It’s what we call "money laundering"... something costs $10 but you end up paying $50.

Of course, when some small-time vendor at Pike Place Market loses $0.67... suddenly five inspectors are breathing down their neck.

The only question is how much clout you actually have. If you're powerful, nobody cares. But if you aren't? Then you're just an easy target, like that vendor getting crushed over a few ounces of tomatoes.

Kate Cook27 said:I can’t help it if these pro-Russian channels are what's being reported—it's just what they're saying. For instance, they’re claiming 20,000 civilians were killed in the Donbas by the Kyiv regime and that the West did absolutely nothing about it.

Well, it might not be your fault... but I honestly can't wrap my head around how people still swallow that propaganda today.

It's the same playbook used by both Putin and Vučić.😵

Sam Wright21 said:Well, let's see.

I can't help but feel that if things aren't handled with a sense of integrity, even a small town wouldn't be able to stay afloat.

That’s precisely why the platform emphasized strengthening local governance in the first place.

But if you do that, how can he actually get anything done?🤔
Who would give him the green light to build a waste sorting facility in Brooklyn? Who did he consult in Queens, the Bronx, or Houston? We're talking about roughly 200,000 people there.

As soon as you look at it that way, you realize something doesn't add up with this whole "strengthening local autonomy" argument.

Sam Wright21 said:At the end of the day, it serves no one well to be branded a fraud. The program itself was genuinely solid and offered real value for New York City.

Look, the plan is still good, but it’s not built for New York City. It’s more suited for some mid-sized town in Austria or Switzerland with maybe 500,000 people tops.
As you pointed out yourself, the program identifies certain issues and points toward a direction New York City should head, but it completely ignores common sense and clashes with reality. That’s exactly why you're feeling let down by Eric Adams. He sold us a fairy tale, and that kind of fantasy just doesn't fly here in New York City.

So now we’re left wondering: what can Eric Adams actually get right?
How effectively can he tackle the big stuff... waste management, water, sewage, hospitals, public transit, daycares, and how on earth do we pay back all this debt?
And how do we stop the urban chaos and the total destruction of our skyline caused by those ugly, cookie-cutter buildings being slapped everywhere?

They're all valid questions, yet we don't have the answers... maybe they'll finally start doing their jobs. I suppose we should try to stay optimistic.

Kate Cook27 said:Moldova was planning an attack on the Russian population, so the Russians stepped in to stop them. Same thing happened in Georgia—Russia intervened there too. For eight years now, the Ukrainian regime in Kyiv has been committing genocide against the Russians in the Donbas. For eight years, the Russians have been pleading with the West, but nobody would listen. The final straw was when the Nazi regime in Kyiv, working alongside NATO, planned an assault on the Donbas. Russia had to act.

Jesus Christ
This is just a carbon copy of the Greater Mexican propaganda from the 90s.
🤦

Gary Cox2 said:Give me a break. Loves LA Galaxy? Great. Then he should be in the nosebleeds, not sitting in a VIP box with Jerry Maguire's thieves.

Seriously, stop defending this move. Whoever is advising him is doing a terrible job. He might as well go sit down with Jerry Maguire right now so we can drag him out of there later. But hey, he's the Mayor of New York City and a politician now.🙄

Being Mayor just means he has a bigger platform to show exactly who and what he won't tolerate.

We've seen this "I'm friendly with everyone / it's just politics / I don't want to, but I have to" crap for way too long. I really hope we don't see this kind of stuff happening anymore.

Look, I'm not defending him. I call him out all the time. It feels silly to attack him over every single little thing.
You make a fair point, though. To avoid any confusion, he has to balance things out. That's just how it works. It's gross, sure, but that's politics.

Gary Cox2 said:My heart literally shattered seeing him in that VIP section 🙂

Eric Adamssssss, noooooo 👎

Mustard loves LAFC, why is everyone overanalyzing this?
Look, he isn't some street activist anymore. He’s the Mayor of New York City now. Sometimes that means sitting down and grabbing a coffee with people you can't stand.

That's just part of the job. There's no reason to take it personally.

Emily Smith6 said:Republican Mislav Herman: Let Bandić rest in peace; Adams is incompetent

The head of the New York City Republican Party, Mislav Herman, stated today that New York City cannot back the translational medicine project at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia due to a lack of funding. Consequently, if things remain as they are, EU funds will likely have to be returned to the European Commission's coffers.

When asked if the Republican Party accepts any portion of the responsibility, given that the whole situation originated during the tenure of the late local politician Bandić, Herman responded, "of course not".

At the federal level, the Republican Party claims to have done everything possible to make this project a reality, including securing massive EU grants, arguing that the responsibility lies entirely with local authorities.

"Let's just let Bandić rest in peace; it is high time we look the truth in the eye after a year and admit that Adams is an incompetent mayor," Herman remarked.

🤦
The Republicans have a point here. Adams might be totally clueless, but at least he isn't out there stealing everything in sight.

But does that mean we should just sit back? Of course not. As citizens of New York City, we have to ask the hard questions and call out both Adams and the Republican Party when they mess up.
We can't just let corruption, theft, nepotism, and money laundering slide. We shouldn't.

I mean, how on earth does a wastewater treatment plant end up costing $160 billion? And what was the deal the Republicans struck way back in 1996? That's basically the entire annual budget for New York City. How is that even possible?🤦
It feels like there's a direct link between the Republican Party and total dementia.
It’s honestly pathetic. Just shameful.

Terry Green3 said:The biggest conversation happening in Germany today regarding the war in Ukraine boils down to one thing: whether the Russians will turn the gas back on after ten days.

Scholz actually went out of his way to thank Canada for lifting those sanctions on Russia for a single day, allowing Siemens Canada to ship over the turbines needed to keep the pipelines running...

Honestly, let them freeze. They can just sit there with their electric fans and solar panels for all I care.

placidtiger142 said:Man, if COVID-19 hadn't already sent prices through the roof, we wouldn't be in this mess. Now, when folks move into areas where everyone’s struggling, those extra costs for gas, water, electricity, and rent—which are already up by thousands of dollars—are gonna spike even more. I wouldn't be surprised if cars become a luxury for the ultra-rich.

Most people didn't even buy into the whole COVID-19 thing anyway.

But this? This is different. A ton of people are gonna have to dig deep into their pockets, assuming they even have any cash left, just to cover the massive jumps in living expenses.

It's a nightmare scenario. Imagine getting hit with a $5,000 surcharge and you've got zero savings, while your car is only worth maybe $10,000. The interest on a $5k loan just eats you alive. Honestly, I think a lot of people are gonna be forced to dump their $10k cars immediately just to keep the lights on. And there won't be any real buyers left. It'll just be those bottom-feeding resellers making offers. I know what I'm talking about—their prices are insulting.

You can't even compare this to COVID-19. This crisis is a direct threat to everyone, and it's the real deal.

COVID-19 was mostly just a political shouting match and a huge debate. But this? This is reality hitting you in the face.

Sent from my iPhone 13 using Reddit

You can't just stomp all over people on a global scale and then try to call it a "debate." What is wrong with you?

And what do you think is actually driving this inflation and supply chain chaos? Is it just the war in Ukraine, or is it because for the last two years, everything was shut down and the government printed a mountain of money?🤦

Zachary Jackson4 said:Now I have to ask about the Holodomor. It was brought up in another thread. You might recall Vladimir Putin claiming the connection is misrepresented when people say only Ukrainians suffered. So, I went to check the Wikipedia entry for context.

"In 2013, the Institute for Demographic and Social Research, named after the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, hosted an international scientific conference titled 'Famine in Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century: causes and consequences (1921-1923, 1932-1933, 1946-1947).' During this event, demographic loss estimates were presented based on published results regarding the 1932-1933 famine: deaths in Ukraine totaled 3,917,800 people, in Russia 3,264,600, and in Kazakhstan 1,258,200, totaling 8,731,900 across the entire USSR. Relative losses from the 1932-1933 famine were highest in Kazakhstan at 22.42%, followed by Ukraine at 12.92%, Russia at 3.17%, and an average of 5.42% across the USSR."

The issue isn't just about the numbers; it's about the method used.
Unlike the other regions, Ukraine was the breadbasket of Europe.

They systematically took their food away and actually banned them from leaving their villages when there was nothing left to eat. This was a targeted genocide against Ukrainians. Estimates suggest that somewhere between 4 million and 8 million people died.

driftingtinker said:Here’s my take on what was actually said:

"We're looking into some kind of compensation for citizens to make things right, while at the same time, the sanitation department is thinking about incentives for drivers—basically rewarding field workers based on how much trash they actually collect," Eric Adams stated.

Are they actually thinking about this?🤦

I hope the usual suspects and everyone else on this forum take a good, long year to think about their choices before they try to settle their bills.

gentlestag15 said:By the way, Waste Management is still only picking up my trash once a week instead of twice like they're supposed to,
it’s been going on for over a month now
but honestly, who knows what's happening, since nobody from the sanitation department or even New York City bother to give us a heads-up so half the neighborhood doesn't end up leaving their bins out on the curb for nothing.

When reporters cornered the council regarding waste collection—specifically asking if residents would see lower bills since the service isn't being provided—the answer was pretty blunt:

We’re going to crack down harder on people who don't dispose of their trash properly.😁

What did you expect from socialists? A booming economy?🤦

gentlestag15 said:Yeah, I'm curious too. They rejected a 6% bump and pushed for a new tender, only for the best bid to come back at a whopping 60% markup.
Because of that move, Broadway has been stuck without any asphalt repairs for months.
If they went through a formal bidding process, they're basically forced to buy it at those inflated 60% rates now.

It’s the exact same thing that happened with natural gas last summer. Prices ticked up slightly, but the utility provider refused to pay the higher rate, so instead, the costs just skyrocketed way past the original increase.

I warned you all about this when they were busy buying those electric micro-cars.
Get the actual work done first, then worry about everything else—don't go against common sense.

During their first few days in office, Eric Adams made sure to buy little cars for themselves, but they completely neglected things like bitumen, spare parts for the trucks, gas supplies, and other essentials. It's like watching a bad movie; just pure stupidity.

Honestly, I just feel bad that businesses are paying higher energy costs than everyday citizens. We're an outlier within the European Union for that reason... things would look a lot different if New York City residents were getting gas bills that jumped by 300%. Instead, Waste Management just swallows the losses while the public stays happy.