While I and many other devotees of Meet The Press, and in turn, admirers of Tim Russert will miss him a great deal, I do believe that the on air tributes, as deserving as they are, needn’t be stretched over 2 days.
I understand that his death has/had a real “kick-in-the-teeth” essence to it to those who worked so closely with him and I admit that I cannot ever recall having a boss who deserved such devotion.
However, there has to come a time for those who worked with him to stop and listen to what they themselves are saying about how he influenced their professional lives and get up from behind the desks and go out and actually get back to doing what he guided them with – reporting.
As a long time viewer, I have the sense that he wouldn’t want all this attention focused on him, that he would have wanted the current floods or the recent deaths of 4 soldiers in Iraq, etc. covered instead, rather than having these talented reporters sitting around for 2 to 3 days telling stories about him.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hillary: An Amazing Speech
I listened to the formal concession speech today that many thought was going to be given this past Tuesday night when it became fact that Obama was going to be the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Hillary undid whatever damage the Tuesday night “rant”, as some were calling it, with this heartfelt, dignified exit, that when done, left a sweeter taste in the mouths of all who had been disappointed with the previous effort.
I do believe she will work to get him elected in November, I do believe that she has been able to provide a path to all of those who put 18 million cracks into the last and highest of glass ceilings.
She has my respect and admiration for what (and how) she delivered today – both herself and her supporters to help unify the party.
We’ll see her again, I feel and I think she will be met with a much better reception after today’s speech.
Hillary undid whatever damage the Tuesday night “rant”, as some were calling it, with this heartfelt, dignified exit, that when done, left a sweeter taste in the mouths of all who had been disappointed with the previous effort.
I do believe she will work to get him elected in November, I do believe that she has been able to provide a path to all of those who put 18 million cracks into the last and highest of glass ceilings.
She has my respect and admiration for what (and how) she delivered today – both herself and her supporters to help unify the party.
We’ll see her again, I feel and I think she will be met with a much better reception after today’s speech.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Day After
On this the day after, she hesitates to formally concede, thinking that somehow there is leverage in the delay.
There is none.
Those that have supported her on the issues will wind up supporting Obama, simply because their mutual stances on so many topics are so closely aligned.
Those that supported her just because she is a woman (couldn’t that be called sexism?) will not find any comfort in the likes of John McCann – a guy who could very well appoint Supreme Court justices that will erode some, if not many, of the rights that have been gotten as they relate to women’s issues. Staying home in November will accomplish the same for McCann.
If Obama had lost and delayed like this in conceding, and for him to think that I, a supporter, was a bargaining chip of some sort for him to use while he pouted and contrived to improve his own person position, he’d been sadly mistaken. I do not blindly follow nor do I willingly cede my vote for anyone else’s view without my consent.
Does Hillary think her 18 million are any different – if so than maybe they need to reconsider their allegiance.
I won races and lost a close race (7 votes the other way and I would have an unbeaten record of 4-0). Losing sucks, especially close ones. I went through 1 recount – to settle my mind that an 8 wasn’t seen as a 3 or a 7 taken as a 1.
This is the first time Hillary has lost a race with her name on the ballot. As they say, the first cut is the deepest. I’d give her 72 hours to talk and concede and then gracefully move on with or without it.
He’s been bending over backwards to give her the room to sort things out, but that, like the primary campaign needs to end.
There is none.
Those that have supported her on the issues will wind up supporting Obama, simply because their mutual stances on so many topics are so closely aligned.
Those that supported her just because she is a woman (couldn’t that be called sexism?) will not find any comfort in the likes of John McCann – a guy who could very well appoint Supreme Court justices that will erode some, if not many, of the rights that have been gotten as they relate to women’s issues. Staying home in November will accomplish the same for McCann.
If Obama had lost and delayed like this in conceding, and for him to think that I, a supporter, was a bargaining chip of some sort for him to use while he pouted and contrived to improve his own person position, he’d been sadly mistaken. I do not blindly follow nor do I willingly cede my vote for anyone else’s view without my consent.
Does Hillary think her 18 million are any different – if so than maybe they need to reconsider their allegiance.
I won races and lost a close race (7 votes the other way and I would have an unbeaten record of 4-0). Losing sucks, especially close ones. I went through 1 recount – to settle my mind that an 8 wasn’t seen as a 3 or a 7 taken as a 1.
This is the first time Hillary has lost a race with her name on the ballot. As they say, the first cut is the deepest. I’d give her 72 hours to talk and concede and then gracefully move on with or without it.
He’s been bending over backwards to give her the room to sort things out, but that, like the primary campaign needs to end.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Hillary, It’s Over
So now Hillary wants us to count the Electoral College votes that would be had from her wins vs. Obama’s. She wants this new facade in place for the super delegates to look at, so they won’t move to Obama’s side.
It’s a façade of straws, twisted in so many ways that the gust of one more win by Obama in any of the upcoming states will, like the big bad wolf, blow it down.
Then what? Will we be asked by her campaign to count only those states that were in the Union before 1865 or other such nonsense?
Her campaign’s desperate premise is based on the notion that Obama, as the party’s nominee, would not win any of the states in a general election that she has won.
With the last gasps of redo’s in Florida & Michigan in the rearview mirror, it’s really time for the fantasy to stop, for the what ifs of a divisive campaign to give it up and shut it down – it’s not going to happen.
It’s a façade of straws, twisted in so many ways that the gust of one more win by Obama in any of the upcoming states will, like the big bad wolf, blow it down.
Then what? Will we be asked by her campaign to count only those states that were in the Union before 1865 or other such nonsense?
Her campaign’s desperate premise is based on the notion that Obama, as the party’s nominee, would not win any of the states in a general election that she has won.
With the last gasps of redo’s in Florida & Michigan in the rearview mirror, it’s really time for the fantasy to stop, for the what ifs of a divisive campaign to give it up and shut it down – it’s not going to happen.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
On The Democrats Primary Problems
Why?
Why are the Democrats at this juncture in the primary process, a place where “super” delegates are being treated as if they are political eggs or sperm to be frozen in place until such time that they are removed from refrigeration, thawed and inserted into the political world, perhaps only in Denver during the month of August? Is it because the party’s surrogate Mommy & Daddy are still fighting with each other and are refusing to let them move?
As far as I can see, the real mommies and daddies (the voters) have been letting the political world know what they want done with their “supers” in an ongoing fashion with the results of the primaries and caucuses. The “supers” should be broken down in direct proportion to the popular votes cast in their respective contests. This may make some declared “super” supporters uncomfortable, no doubt, having to take a side not entirely comfortable – but too bad, your elected or appointed position that entitled you to the “super” designation is, at its’ root, subservient to the voters. This includes the Howard Deans, Nancy Pelosis, etc of the party.
For that portion of the votes that have gone to candidates no longer in the race and their proportional delegate count – follow the lead of Iowa and reconvene at the county level and allow those delegates to move to the remaining candidates.
Notice is hereby given to all the supposed Type “A” personalities that are running this party throughout the country – you all agreed about penalizing Florida & Michigan for their early primaries – stick to it. They don’t count at the convention. If that causes a problem, then it’s between the voters in those states and their state party- some of whom make up their state “supers”.
Deduct the total of delegates (“super” and pledged) from Florida & Michigan from the 2,025 needed for nomination and make the result the required number for nomination. No re-do’s or reruns, no “yeah, but’s”, none of that.
I believe this would be consistent with the two campaigns, the same campaigns that signed off last year on the agreement that these two states would not count if they moved up their primaries – which of course they did.
When it comes to the kids, even a divorcing Mommy & Daddy must be consistent, lest the children win by playing one off against the other.
Why are the Democrats at this juncture in the primary process, a place where “super” delegates are being treated as if they are political eggs or sperm to be frozen in place until such time that they are removed from refrigeration, thawed and inserted into the political world, perhaps only in Denver during the month of August? Is it because the party’s surrogate Mommy & Daddy are still fighting with each other and are refusing to let them move?
As far as I can see, the real mommies and daddies (the voters) have been letting the political world know what they want done with their “supers” in an ongoing fashion with the results of the primaries and caucuses. The “supers” should be broken down in direct proportion to the popular votes cast in their respective contests. This may make some declared “super” supporters uncomfortable, no doubt, having to take a side not entirely comfortable – but too bad, your elected or appointed position that entitled you to the “super” designation is, at its’ root, subservient to the voters. This includes the Howard Deans, Nancy Pelosis, etc of the party.
For that portion of the votes that have gone to candidates no longer in the race and their proportional delegate count – follow the lead of Iowa and reconvene at the county level and allow those delegates to move to the remaining candidates.
Notice is hereby given to all the supposed Type “A” personalities that are running this party throughout the country – you all agreed about penalizing Florida & Michigan for their early primaries – stick to it. They don’t count at the convention. If that causes a problem, then it’s between the voters in those states and their state party- some of whom make up their state “supers”.
Deduct the total of delegates (“super” and pledged) from Florida & Michigan from the 2,025 needed for nomination and make the result the required number for nomination. No re-do’s or reruns, no “yeah, but’s”, none of that.
I believe this would be consistent with the two campaigns, the same campaigns that signed off last year on the agreement that these two states would not count if they moved up their primaries – which of course they did.
When it comes to the kids, even a divorcing Mommy & Daddy must be consistent, lest the children win by playing one off against the other.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Your Town's Upcoming Budget
An editorial cartoon in the Asbury Park Press today:
As to our State Senator Joe Kyrillos' legislative efforts to force the mergers of smaller municipalities by some type of state committee, I can see that, whether it is through their planning and zoning boards or "areas in need of redevelopment" efforts, it would also not be an unexpected development that there might be an upturn in the efforts of some towns that find themselves close to that 10,000 population marker to increase the size of the residential population to meet that figure by the next census (2010). To do so could probably insure that these towns would not to be subject to any future independent state commission’s recommendation of a forced merger with another municipality.
Page 6 of the governor’s recent 2009 budget summary had the following:
“The budget will also include a reduction in the level of aid to municipalities. The budget will provide over $1.8 billion in aid to municipalities, a decrease of approximately $190 million, which represents less than 10% of the amount provided in the current year.
A portion of the reduction in municipal aid will be targeted to those municipalities with
populations of less than 10,000. This group of towns will be given priority standing in
the awarding of the $32 million in grants from a state fund that encourages consolidation
and shared services.”
Similar state monies to cover the cost of surveys for these smaller municipalities were made available in the current 2008 state budget to see what, if any, municipal services or departments could be consolidated with surrounding towns.
My guess is that not to many municipalities sought any of these funds, that very few surveys were done and that consolidation of any kind is something that will be given lip service to rather than being acted on in any meaningful way.
Residents of any town facing any proposed municipal tax increase should rightfully expect that their elected local officials requested and used the state's 2008 survey funds last year, that the surveys have been done and as a result of these findings that all operating expenses that could be saved have been saved before any new taxes be considered for a municipal 2008 budget this year. Copies of all municipal surveys should be made available to their residents so that a more complete understanding can be had by all.
“The budget will also include a reduction in the level of aid to municipalities. The budget will provide over $1.8 billion in aid to municipalities, a decrease of approximately $190 million, which represents less than 10% of the amount provided in the current year.
A portion of the reduction in municipal aid will be targeted to those municipalities with
populations of less than 10,000. This group of towns will be given priority standing in
the awarding of the $32 million in grants from a state fund that encourages consolidation
and shared services.”
Similar state monies to cover the cost of surveys for these smaller municipalities were made available in the current 2008 state budget to see what, if any, municipal services or departments could be consolidated with surrounding towns.
My guess is that not to many municipalities sought any of these funds, that very few surveys were done and that consolidation of any kind is something that will be given lip service to rather than being acted on in any meaningful way.
Residents of any town facing any proposed municipal tax increase should rightfully expect that their elected local officials requested and used the state's 2008 survey funds last year, that the surveys have been done and as a result of these findings that all operating expenses that could be saved have been saved before any new taxes be considered for a municipal 2008 budget this year. Copies of all municipal surveys should be made available to their residents so that a more complete understanding can be had by all.
If these residents find that nothing in the way of surveys have been done in this past year, then it is clear that the question of "Why Not?" be asked of these local officials as they bemoan these latest state cuts in local aid. The state has been withdrawing aid from municipalities in recent years in a variety of ways, including the areas of pension funding for municipal employees and extraordinary aid.
With much of the local costs being based on contractual obligations, it is long past the time that shared services be done. To not have this information as to what areas within which this could be achieved, garnered from already completed surveys, at hand at this time is inexcusable, especially when the state had money sitting there to pay for it this past year. The residents see, on a daily basis, that the costs of living in NJ are going up and they expect their local officials to have noticed this too and respond accordingly.
As to our State Senator Joe Kyrillos' legislative efforts to force the mergers of smaller municipalities by some type of state committee, I can see that, whether it is through their planning and zoning boards or "areas in need of redevelopment" efforts, it would also not be an unexpected development that there might be an upturn in the efforts of some towns that find themselves close to that 10,000 population marker to increase the size of the residential population to meet that figure by the next census (2010). To do so could probably insure that these towns would not to be subject to any future independent state commission’s recommendation of a forced merger with another municipality.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Thanks, Kids
As I sat there watching my Sunday morning news shows, I realized that more than once on the Democratic side of these discussions, the question of voter’s preferences when it came to a black male vs. a white woman came up.
The initial startle to me was that they were still talking about that aspect of it this late in the contest. I had been under the impression that we’d had gotten past this segment of the discussion after Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008.
But there it was still echoing around the dial by the supposed pundits and it left me a bit disappointed for I contrasted these round table media discussions with the images of yesterday afternoon.
You see, I was at a Pop Warner awards program that centered on the kids and their accomplishments. Boys and girls – black, white – Hispanic, Irish, Italian, etc- and their parents mixing it up, having a good time. I noticed that children who were getting a little rambunctious were mindful of the corrective orders of adults, related to them or not – neither group was concerned with heritage, skin color or gender. The elders spoke and the kids did as they were told.
With a few exceptions that will persist in some places, I believe that for the most part, the electorate, like this Pop Warner group, has moved on from wanting things to be filtered through gender, skin color or heritage. Rather, their focus is on each other’s commonality, whether its’ financial, health, family or any of a thousand other topics that affect our lives each day.
We’ll see.
The initial startle to me was that they were still talking about that aspect of it this late in the contest. I had been under the impression that we’d had gotten past this segment of the discussion after Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008.
But there it was still echoing around the dial by the supposed pundits and it left me a bit disappointed for I contrasted these round table media discussions with the images of yesterday afternoon.
You see, I was at a Pop Warner awards program that centered on the kids and their accomplishments. Boys and girls – black, white – Hispanic, Irish, Italian, etc- and their parents mixing it up, having a good time. I noticed that children who were getting a little rambunctious were mindful of the corrective orders of adults, related to them or not – neither group was concerned with heritage, skin color or gender. The elders spoke and the kids did as they were told.
With a few exceptions that will persist in some places, I believe that for the most part, the electorate, like this Pop Warner group, has moved on from wanting things to be filtered through gender, skin color or heritage. Rather, their focus is on each other’s commonality, whether its’ financial, health, family or any of a thousand other topics that affect our lives each day.
We’ll see.
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