2007-06-20

NYC Mayor Takes Subway; Kwame Chauffeured

The mayor of NYC, the USA's largest city, rides the subway to and from work, presumably with few or no cops acting as his private security detail / hang-out buddies. Meanwhile, the mayor of the USA's fastest shrinking, brokest city -- Detroit -- continues enjoying the nation's largest mayoral security detail and lavish personal driving accommodations... even as crime chases away residents, and bankruptcy reduces services. What if Kwame's private cops were working instead addressing crime?

5 comments:

Nadir said...

Not only is Kwame chauffeured, I saw him take a 30 minute meeting while his brand new gas-guzzling Escalade was left running outside, blocking traffic. One bodyguard inside at the door, another sitting in the drivers seat of the SUV.

Detroit tax dollars at work...

Paul Hue said...

I'm inclined to believe that I'd rather have a corrupt mayor who makes otherwise good choices (like Mayor Daley the younger in Chicago) than an honest mayor who makes otherwise bad choices (such as high and convoluted taxes, adherence to conventional govt school system, etc.).

In Kwame's case, if the city was sailing along, I'd have far less concern for his Imperial Looting than I do now.

But sticking straight to this point, I am attracted to politicians who discard these expensive trappings, and repulsed by those who embrace and flaunt them, as Kwame does. Your president Bush II (for whom I voted each time, and you opposed) has, by the way, done nothing to reduce the gross profligate of US presidential trappings, which involves way too much spent on transporting and securing him. What a disappointment to those of us who thought that Bush II would contract govt, including spending, including spending on himself.

Paul Hue said...

(I meant "profligacy", of course).

Nadir said...

"But sticking straight to this point, I am attracted to politicians who discard these expensive trappings, and repulsed by those who embrace and flaunt them, as Kwame does."

Does that mean you're changing your vote from Ron Paul to Bloomberg if the latter runs?

Paul Hue said...

I am going to vote for Ron Paul in the repo primary. In the general primary (assuming that Paul loses), I will certainly vote for a third party. I plan on voting for the Libertarian candidate. I will consider voting for Bloomberg, because of his apparent honesty and folksiness, but I very much oppose many of his policy positions, such as raising tax rates & spending, and legislating behavior. However, given that even the Repos have disappointed me in these areas under Bush (with the notable exception of one are of tax cutting), I would rather have Bloomberg making these bad choices than reps of either of the corporate political parties. And getting screwed from that angle would have the benefit of undermining those parties, both of which I now hate thanks to Bush II.