Eric Adams - Mayor of New York City, Part 4

Sam Wright21 said:When you aren't busy answering to a boss, you have plenty of time to sit around philosophizing and pretending you've gained some profound insight. It’s easy to act like you’ve mastered life when your biggest struggle is deciding which latte to order.🤷

The guy was busy reading Forbes while all those idiots were out there making a scene.

Every lesson comes with a price tag. 😉

Casey Cook10 said:But I mean, how can you even trust people who haven't actually accomplished anything real in their lives? They're basically living in a completely different world from regular folks. Honestly, they probably look down on people like us and secretly despise everything we stand for, they just don't want to be politically incorrect about it.

That’s basically the job description for every politician in Rhode Island.

@cosmicskipper39
I really appreciate you sending over both of those links. That first one was quite the trip down memory lane—it served as a grim little reminder of the absolute chaos we all had to endure back then. As for the second link, well, I suppose everyone should take a look at what Eric Adams has managed to achieve in his forty years; it’s certainly an education in singular focus.

says: So, is Tom going to pay that $100M out of his own pocket? Just like how the late Bandit used to foot the bill for MTA shows, textbooks, childcare, preschools, independent media, veterans, building the Catholic Church in Canada, Jerry Maguire, and the New York Yankees🤦 New York Yankees

Look, I agree that gas prices have to go up—they definitely will—but if you force me to choose between fixing the deficit caused by people being able to heat their homes during the worst economic crisis this country has ever seen versus paying off guys like Jerry Maguire, the Yankees, the church, clubs back in Canada, or various privileged interest groups... then yeah, I’m always picking the first option.

driftingtinker said:

Hell of a fight.

Exactly...

Jeffrey Long said:Things just got heated. A nasty argument broke out.[/I]

Remember when you used to get all worked up over the smallest things on the Snitch thread? I guess times really do change once you have to actually stick to official policy. 😁

By the way, that agency they mentioned is the one run by Ankica Mamić. As for this whole strategy of buying off critics—did Toto just pick that up from Bandić, or what? 🙏

https://www.google.com/search?q=anki...obile&ie=UTF-8

Quincy:

Ankica Mamić: It’s honestly pretty tough to describe Eric Adams as a particularly likable guy.

Quincy:

Mamić is making some noise again, claiming that Tomašević doesn't have the right to privatize the city or play defense over local symbols.

Quincy:

Ankica Mamić: The situation in New York City is actually looking worse than it did during the Bandić era. I honestly expected a bit more from this new administration, but even those modest hopes haven't been met.

I just remember him looking down his nose at everyone's grammar and communication style, acting like some small-town bigot whenever a reporter asked him a question he didn't like.
You really think he'd sit there debating a journalist and spend a few minutes answering the same thing two or three times? He would've just insulted them in the most primitive way possible—the only way a guy with that kind of mindset knows how—and wasted just as much time spitting insults as it took to say them.

Sam Wright21 said:Honestly, folks, I feel completely blindsided... It’s actually quite demoralizing to realize how much I let myself believe in this. It reminds me of when the late Bago was absolutely livid with me—back when he was tearing this fraud apart during the election cycles. He was right all along, and I was just being naive. 😢

Yeah, we get it—you're disappointed in the person you voted for.
But maybe realize that this isn't actually about you. Most of us don't really care whether you're personally disappointed or not, and we certainly don't need to read about it on every single damn page.
🙂

Roger Fisher44 said:That’s basically the job description for every politician in Rhode Island.

I mean, some people actually get that picking up trash requires a truck, and trucks need tires and parts and stuff...
But then you have others who just act like it's all some huge burden on the environment.
And they'll go off and spend everyone else's money to study those burdens in places like Nepal or South America...
I bet they probably biked all the way there, too.

hollowmason64 said:

says: So, is Tom going to pay that $100M out of his own pocket? Just like how the late Bandit used to foot the bill for MTA shows, textbooks, childcare, preschools, independent media, veterans, building the Catholic Church in Canada, Jerry Maguire, and the New York Yankees🤦 New York Yankees

Look, I agree that gas prices have to go up—they definitely will—but if you force me to choose between fixing the deficit caused by people being able to heat their homes during the worst economic crisis this country has ever seen versus paying off guys like Jerry Maguire, the Yankees, the church, clubs back in Canada, or various privileged interest groups... then yeah, I’m always picking the first option.

Exactly...

I just remember him looking down his nose at everyone's grammar and communication style, acting like some small-town bigot whenever a reporter asked him a question he didn't like.
You really think he'd sit there debating a journalist and spend a few minutes answering the same thing two or three times? He would've just insulted them in the most primitive way possible—the only way a guy with that kind of mindset knows how—and wasted just as much time spitting insults as it took to say them.

Yeah, we get it—you're disappointed in the person you voted for.
But maybe realize that this isn't actually about you. Most of us don't really care whether you're personally disappointed or not, and we certainly don't need to read about it on every single damn page.
🙂

It’s just great to see you jumping on board with the Republican party's latest proposals. 👍

The administration is cooking up some "relief" to soften the blow of skyrocketing energy costs. They're claiming hospitals, schools, and daycare centers should see lower bills by basically being reclassified as residential households so they can tap into lower utility rates.

The government says this whole relief package should be ready by next week. The main goal is supposedly protecting public sector users. According to The New York Times, one of the big ideas is to shift schools, hospitals, daycares, and nursing homes into the household category so they aren't getting crushed by commercial rates.

On top of that, small business owners might get some help too, though nobody knows exactly how it'll work or who actually qualifies—will it just be the little guys or everyone? It’s still a question mark. But one thing is for sure: smaller shops will likely get more support, while the bigger players will probably be nudged toward installing their own solar arrays to generate power.

Just as a reminder: right now, public institutions—we're talking hospitals, schools, daycares, nursing homes, and non-profits—are legally lumped in with corporations. That means they're stuck paying these insane, unpredictable utility rates.

Households, however, enjoy regulated electricity and gas prices because the government subsidizes those bills directly through the budget or via Exelon.

Link.

As for what gas will cost families, here is what the director of Con Edison had to say:
"We have the gas quantities locked in. So, that part is set. Regarding public services, the prices are guaranteed and won't change until April 1st of next year, when the new rates kick in," said Thomas.
Link.

cosmicskipper39 said:It’s just great to see you jumping on board with the Republican party's latest proposals. 👍

The administration is cooking up some "relief" to soften the blow of skyrocketing energy costs. They're claiming hospitals, schools, and daycare centers should see lower bills by basically being reclassified as residential households so they can tap into lower utility rates.

The government says this whole relief package should be ready by next week. The main goal is supposedly protecting public sector users. According to The New York Times, one of the big ideas is to shift schools, hospitals, daycares, and nursing homes into the household category so they aren't getting crushed by commercial rates.

On top of that, small business owners might get some help too, though nobody knows exactly how it'll work or who actually qualifies—will it just be the little guys or everyone? It’s still a question mark. But one thing is for sure: smaller shops will likely get more support, while the bigger players will probably be nudged toward installing their own solar arrays to generate power.

Just as a reminder: right now, public institutions—we're talking hospitals, schools, daycares, nursing homes, and non-profits—are legally lumped in with corporations. That means they're stuck paying these insane, unpredictable utility rates.

Households, however, enjoy regulated electricity and gas prices because the government subsidizes those bills directly through the budget or via Exelon.

Link.

As for what gas will cost families, here is what the director of Con Edison had to say:
"We have the gas quantities locked in. So, that part is set. Regarding public services, the prices are guaranteed and won't change until April 1st of next year, when the new rates kick in," said Thomas.
Link.

I really think we ought to view this whole crisis as a massive learning opportunity.

Americans voted for the leadership they chose.

And that leadership certainly wasn't busy building out new power plants or drilling for new oil and gas reserves.

Now, that same leadership has to go out and buy expensive electricity, gas, and oil on the open market.

Which means we'll likely be staring at higher bills for years to come...

If even just 5% of Americans can walk away from this with a lesson learned, then maybe, just maybe, we are moving toward a better future as a society...

frozenraven22 said:It’s not terrible, but they should have gone further. They mentioned building more serious bike corridors well beyond the downtown core. Honestly, I really hope they actually follow through on that part.

Martić already has two bike paths, and for a while there, the cops actually tried to ticket drivers who wouldn't give them right of way at turns. It's not like that corridor is the most neglected part of the city. They could have just painted lanes over in Greek, for instance—there’s plenty of room there, yet zero bike lanes.

If you ask me, the real issue is how stupid it is to paint a lane on the left side (since everything else is on the right anyway) when all you're doing is putting cyclists directly in front of cars flying out of Ratkaj onto what is probably the most dangerous intersection in the whole neighborhood. There are a few cheaper ways to make this area safer for bikers, pedestrians, and drivers alike.

- Restore the old traffic flow for Bulić and Tomašić
- Get rid of those outdoor seating areas near Bernays so drivers coming off Ratkaj can actually see Martić; half of them don't even know how to use a rearview mirror.
- Put a stop sign back on Dukljanin or at least clear out two of those patios where you can't see a thing from Lopašić.

They could also, say, install those retractable bollards in Old Greek, similar to what they have on Tkalčić and Dežman. It doesn't get in the way of cyclists and it's a smaller investment than putting up permanent barriers. Until something like that happens, pedestrian zones aren't going to thrive, not like they did in Tesla. Let's be real: this isn't Germany.

And what’s the deal with this? Or why do they leave those red-and-white warning signs out for like two months after a pothole is patched, yet there’s never any signage for actual roadwork?

It’s not quite like the days under Bandić when a road would fall apart one year and then get fixed the next, but seriously, they can do better.

analogbison11 said:Martić already has two bike paths, and for a while there, the cops actually tried to ticket drivers who wouldn't give them right of way at turns. It's not like that corridor is the most neglected part of the city. They could have just painted lanes over in Greek, for instance—there’s plenty of room there, yet zero bike lanes.

If you ask me, the real issue is how stupid it is to paint a lane on the left side (since everything else is on the right anyway) when all you're doing is putting cyclists directly in front of cars flying out of Ratkaj onto what is probably the most dangerous intersection in the whole neighborhood. There are a few cheaper ways to make this area safer for bikers, pedestrians, and drivers alike.

- Restore the old traffic flow for Bulić and Tomašić
- Get rid of those outdoor seating areas near Bernays so drivers coming off Ratkaj can actually see Martić; half of them don't even know how to use a rearview mirror.
- Put a stop sign back on Dukljanin or at least clear out two of those patios where you can't see a thing from Lopašić.

They could also, say, install those retractable bollards in Old Greek, similar to what they have on Tkalčić and Dežman. It doesn't get in the way of cyclists and it's a smaller investment than putting up permanent barriers. Until something like that happens, pedestrian zones aren't going to thrive, not like they did in Tesla. Let's be real: this isn't Germany.

And what’s the deal with this? Or why do they leave those red-and-white warning signs out for like two months after a pothole is patched, yet there’s never any signage for actual roadwork?

It’s not quite like the days under Bandić when a road would fall apart one year and then get fixed the next, but seriously, they can do better.

"Painting" bike lanes is worth less than the cost of the paint used to create these stupidities.
Less, because in many cases, the situation is far worse and more dangerous for all commuters than it was before (either cyclists are forced directly into traffic where speeds are far too high, or they take up the already narrow sidewalk and annoy/endanger pedestrians—you see both examples clearly along the Green Wave downtown).

This is nothing more than primitive money laundering and PR for the late Milan.

Proper, separated bike infrastructure is something entirely different, and we certainly don't have that.

He’s gone and appointed an entire commission dedicated to cycling. Honestly, it’s nothing more than a laughable display of pure charlatanism and sheer incompetence.

silentnomad7 said:I really think we ought to view this whole crisis as a massive learning opportunity.

Americans voted for the leadership they chose.

And that leadership certainly wasn't busy building out new power plants or drilling for new oil and gas reserves.

Now, that same leadership has to go out and buy expensive electricity, gas, and oil on the open market.

Which means we'll likely be staring at higher bills for years to come...

If even just 5% of Americans can walk away from this with a lesson learned, then maybe, just maybe, we are moving toward a better future as a society...

There’s actually a plan in place at the EU level. The Green New Deal is such a joke. Seriously..

Here? So, they’ve finally dropped these summarized plans for that project meant to cut our ties to Russian fossil fuels by 2030. It’s all talk about ramping up the LNG terminal capacity and building out new pipelines toward Austria and Ukraine. Typical.

They’re actually going through with it. The whole plan to ramp up renewables just so we aren't completely held hostage by fossil fuels. Finally.

If I remember correctly, you’re an engineer by trade—so please, feel free to set me straight if I’ve completely misinterpreted things here.

Look, when it comes to elections, I honestly think nothing would have changed even if we’d gone with Serena Williams. I'm talking about us regular folks—the everyday people. Nothing moves the needle.
And I'm not even trying to be mean about Serena Williams.

Back when Ed Koch was mapping out bike lanes right on the sidewalks, the United States Bicycle Association was making a huge stink about it, arguing that those paths were useless unless they were completely separated from pedestrians and cars.

But now that Jack is implementing the exact same strategy under DeSantis, we’re finally seeing New York City actually make the transition into a world-class, bike-friendly metropolis... 🤣

Roger Fisher44 said:That’s basically the job description for every politician in Rhode Island.

Hardly. The others are working themselves to death—self-promoting and trekking from campus to campus. It's an exhausting grind.🤣

Jeffrey Long said:Back when Ed Koch was mapping out bike lanes right on the sidewalks, the United States Bicycle Association was making a huge stink about it, arguing that those paths were useless unless they were completely separated from pedestrians and cars.

But now that Jack is implementing the exact same strategy under DeSantis, we’re finally seeing New York City actually make the transition into a world-class, bike-friendly metropolis... 🤣

I find it hard to believe there are many people left who actually buy into that narrative. We'll see if he can actually secure more terms by simply mimicking those old-school thugs. Besides, the man has been festering here for twenty years; frankly, it would have taken a literal act of God to liberate us from him.

@Sam Wright21, just reminding you what actual professionals had to say about this guy.

- Anthony and I used to feel bad for him after those useless meetings. We’d sit there thinking he was just torn between some leftover idealism and the pressure from the people who basically forced him into being the face of the campaign—while his handlers are clearly pulling all the strings behind the scenes, according to Vukovic.

Connect the dots.

Sam Wright21 said:I find it hard to believe there are many people left who actually buy into that narrative. We'll see if he can actually secure more terms by simply mimicking those old-school thugs. Besides, the man has been festering here for twenty years; frankly, it would have taken a literal act of God to liberate us from him.

So, you're saying Eric Adams is basically on par with Joe Biden right now?

Just asking for the record. I want to know how long it will take before he manages to become even worse (not that I doubt we'll get there—my money is on about 6 months). 👍

cosmicskipper39 said:@Sam Wright21, just reminding you what actual professionals had to say about this guy.

- Anthony and I used to feel bad for him after those useless meetings. We’d sit there thinking he was just torn between some leftover idealism and the pressure from the people who basically forced him into being the face of the campaign—while his handlers are clearly pulling all the strings behind the scenes, according to Vukovic.

Connect the dots.

True, coffee was the catalyst for the link, and I finally sat down to read the whole thing. Honestly, Wolf comes across as much more credible now. That bit about the remnants of idealism... how tragic. Though, it seems he isn't particularly bothered by it—perhaps he’s finally outgrown those lingering convictions.

PS
I went back through Samodolov's blog. It’s truly grim.

So, these new bags they're making us buy for mixed waste—are we talking biodegradable here?

Work has officially kicked off on Dealy's, and they’re swapping out a vehicle lane for a bike lane. 👍

I sincerely hope this is just the opening salvo. If they actually follow through on their promises to build out a cohesive network of cycling corridors, we might finally see some progress!

Downtown Manhattan street loses a lane to bike lanes: 'It’s a total disaster, traffic is going to collapse'
The Mayor is out riding his bike now, so we’re all playing favorites with cyclists, according to local residents

The approach to Benedict Arnold is losing one of its three lanes just to gain two bike lanes. Work actually started last week after the Deputy Mayor of New York City, unknown, gave the green light. The United States Bicycle Association posted about the new path on social media, which, predictably, caused a massive stir online.