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THE VILLAGE CHOICE - Volume 4, Issue 41
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Manhattan Libertarian Party
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Oct 28, 2005 14:03 PDT
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THE VILLAGE CHOICE
A Weekly Rundown of News, Views and Events Affecting Freedom in NYC
Volume 4, Issue 41 * October 28, 2005
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is brought to you by the Manhattan Libertarian Party.
http://www.manhattanlp.org
In this issue:
* UPS caves in to Spitzer!
* Oinker tours upstate New York (no, not Hillary)!
* Landlords fight back!
* Your calendar of pro-freedom events!
* Much more!
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* News Bites *
Brown Out
The world's largest shipping carrier, UPS Inc., will stop delivering
cigarettes to individuals in the United States under an agreement
announced Monday with New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. The
agreement is the latest in federal and state efforts to combat the sale
of under-taxed cigarettes and to fight underage smoking. Most
under-taxed or untaxed cigarettes are sold by Indian tribes, where the
taxation of sales to non-Indians is disputed.
"As far as I'm concerned, [Spitzer’s action is] illegal," said Audrey
Silk of New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment and a
Libertarian Party candidate for New York City mayor. "They are
exploiting children ... when you employ `for the children' you can get
the public to do anything." Earlier this year, DHL banned cigarette
deliveries to individuals nationwide and the nation's largest credit
card companies stopped processing payments for cigarette sales.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/12986420.htm
Big Pig
It's 10-feet long, 16-feet tall and coming to a city near you. An
800-pound pink, spray foam-pig is being carted around the state on a
flatbed trailer by New Yorkers to Change Albany, a group which opposes a
proposed constitutional amendment that would give more power to the
Legislature in crafting the state budget. Opponents, including Gov.
George Pataki, say the constitutional proposal would lead to higher
taxes, debt, and local pork-barrel spending. Hence, the pig, on loan
from an Illinois group called Americans for Limited Government.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--budgetamendment1027oct27,0,3052800.story
Goodbye, Mr. Bond
Its name, the Renew and Rebuild New York Transportation Bond Act of
2005, hardly arouses excitement. Many voters are only dimly aware of it.
It is not an issue in the mayoral race, since both major candidates have
endorsed it. But the success or failure of the $2.9 billion proposition
on Election Day could have a profound effect on the New York City region
for decades. Opponents say Proposition 2 is fiscally reckless because it
would add to the state's $47.6 billion debt burden. "Voters should
reject the transportation bond act so that the already dangerous debt
situation is not immediately made that much worse," said Charles M.
Brecher, research director of the Citizens Budget Commission, a
nonpartisan watchdog group. Among the 50 states, New York has
consistently been ranked fourth or fifth for net tax-supported debt as a
percentage of personal income, and only California has a worse credit
rating, according to the New York City Independent Budget Office. The
budget office has not taken a position on the bond act.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/25/nyregion/metrocampaigns/25ballot.html
Rent Re-Do
A powerful group of landlords is suing the city in hopes of getting
bigger rent hikes for rent-regulated apartments than those approved in
June. The Rent Stabilization Association, which represents owners of
more than 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, charged the city's Rent
Guidelines Board never adequately explained its reasons for the rent
hike amounts. In June, the board approved increases of 2.75% for
one-year leases and 5.5% for two-year leases. The association wanted
increases closer to 6% for one-year leases and 8.5% for two-year leases.
"Many of the owners are very concerned about how they are going to pay
their fuel bills," said Joseph Strasburg, association president. "We
would like them to give an explanation as to how they justify lower
numbers in light of higher actual costs."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/358978p-305883c.html
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* Rant of the Week *
An Open Letter to Mike Bloomberg
Regarding the "Keeping New York Safe..." campaign flyer I received
yesterday:
You've been Mayor for a long time now, and I've never heard from you
before, but now that you're up for re-election you send me a full-color
foldout poster of you in a beanie (or "yarmulke" for our Jewish
friends), holding the hand of a little Orthodox Jewish boy (also
sporting a beanie), who is about to slide down a playground slide. The
caption reads, "Keeping New York Safe is NOT child's play."
I'm really glad you were there to help that little boy get down the
slide, because everyone knows Orthodox Jews and physical activity don't
mix. The rest of the flyer had pictures of you in your beloved beanie
(which I've NEVER seen you wear before) chatting up Orthodox Jews all
over Brooklyn. The best picture is the one where you're surrounded by
fellow members of the tribe, and you're holding up some Hebrew sign that
I can't read because I was taught English. You have a pained expression
on your face, and it looks like those bearded fellows are getting ready
to cut your head off and videotape it.
But let's not get hung up on that. The real problem with your campaign
flyer is that it's a piece of fear-mongering, ethnic-pandering bullshit.
First, "Keeping New York Safe..." Why would you think that would
resonate with Jewish voters? Are you implying these people aren't able
to take care of themselves? I guess it wasn't an Orthodox guy that
showed me a crate full of AK-47's he had stashed in case "the community
ever has to protect itself." Why do you think these people feel unsafe?
Is it possible that they distrust other ethnicities? Are you
capitalizing that tired old holocaust victim-status crap again? Shame on
you for promoting racism and fear of outsiders amongst your own people.
If you really wanted to keep New York safe, you'd relax our handgun
permitting laws to match those of other states, who by the way have ALL
experienced a drop in crime since allowing their citizens to carry
handguns after completing a safety course. Furthermore, aren't
Republicans supposed to be pro-gun? Why is it that under the past two
Republican administrations (you & Giuliani) the number of pistol
licenses in NYC shrunk from about 35,000 to less than 5000? What's up
with that?
Do you know what's really keeping the little kid safe on that slide?
It's not your hand holding on to him (which is a little creepy); it's
your NYPD security team visible in the background. Let's see, if I
wanted to feel safe, would I want some shriveled old-ass guy holding my
hand with a creepy come-hither look in his eye, or a bunch of cops
standing around with semi-automatic weapons? Maybe I'm just biased
against pedophiles, but I'd choose the latter.
Finally, I understand that with a last name like "Siegel" how most
people would think I'm Jewish. Certainly I don't object to people
thinking I'm a member of the tribe, regardless of what my spiritual
beliefs may actually be. But I'm very disturbed by the fact that the one
African-American, and two Italian families that live in my building
didn't get this same campaign poster from you. This indicates to me that
you have a computer program that has the ability to scan a list of
addresses and filter out the Jewish names.
Doesn't it bother you that a list of Jews can be created at the push of
a button? Do Jewish politicians not see the irony in Jews creating lists
of other Jews? If you can access a master address list (probably from
the US Post Office) and filter out various ethnicities, this means other
people can do the same.
Lastly, do you think I'm dumb enough to vote for you simply because
you're Jewish, and you assumed I was too? That's as good as me NOT
voting for you simply because you're Jewish.
--Matt Siegel
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* Upcoming Events *
Sunday, October 30, 2:50 p.m.
“Waiting to Inhale” film screening
Feature-length documentary about medical marijuana
Tickets $10
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue
http://www.waitingtoinhale.org
Monday, October 31, 10:30 p.m.
"The Libertarian Alternative"
A Libertarian political talk show
Time Warner Cable Ch. 34, RCN Cable Ch. 110, MNN Ch. 1
http://www.libertarianalternative.org
Tuesday, November 1, 8:30 p.m.
"Hardfire"
A Libertarian political talk show focusing on NYC
Time Warner Cable Ch. 56
http://hardfire.net
Thursday, November 3, 7:00 p.m.
NYC Junto monthly meeting
Guest speaker: Candida Royale, erotic film star and author
The Roosevelt Hotel, 45 East 45th Street
http://www.nycjunto.com
Friday, November 4, 10:30 a.m.
Hearing on the Exercise of Eminent Domain in New York State
Assembly Hearing Room, 250 Broadway, Room 1923
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Judiciary/20051024/
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* Manhattan Libertarian Party Honor Roll *
Benefactors (have given at least $1,000 to the MLP in 2005)
Ron Moore
Victor Niederhoffer
Founders (have given at least $500 to the MLP in 2005)
Your Name Here?
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* News tips, rants and events wanted! *
Help us improve THE VILLAGE CHOICE. Send news bites, rants and event
announcements to village-@manhattanlp.org. Please include a web
link whenever possible. We will occasionally consider broader topics,
but our strong preference is for items pertaining to freedom (or the
lack thereof) in New York City.
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is edited by Jim Lesczynski.
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If you're offended by anything in this newsletter, you're obviously a
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See you next week!
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