An Observation About Rockville Centre
Rockville Centre is, I believe, one of the “Five Towns” on Long Island. I’m not exactly sure what the other four towns are, except that one is Valley Stream, and that they all focus around shopping malls, the Long Island Rail Road and a shitty college.
Actually, I’m pretty sure at this point that Rockville Centre is not a town at all, but an incorporated village. Nassau county has lots of incorporated villages. I’m not really sure what their function is, but they all seem to have police departments whose main function is to write traffic and parking tickets.
The actual governmental structure of Nassau seems to consist of a county legislature and executive, who can establish prevailing wage laws like the NY City Council and…well, I’m sure they can do other things, too. Within the county, are three major townships (Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay), which manage some public housing for seniors, maybe collect taxes and might even collect garbage. I’m vague on these details. Within Nassau are two independent cities, Glen Cove and Long Beach, which act like any other city that lies within the borders of a county (rather than encompassing five entire counties). While I’m still unclear on how these borders and responsibilities overlap, I’m impressed that I’ve learned this much in the space of two weeks, after living two and a half decades in such close proximity to the edge of the world. I figured this information would be a lesson, of sorts, to my readers, which is why I share it.
My observation about Rockville Centre is that residents actually press the “pedestrian waiting” button at street light intersections! Consistently. Reliably. Their naive faith in governmental authority is enviable.
I’m sure you’re familiar with these buttons. Accompanied by a sign that says something along the lines of “Press button and wait for green light,” these are the busy-work doohickies that can be found at most city streetlight intersections. Seasoned city slickers probably allow themselves a private chuckle when someone actually presses the button, expecting a green light light that will come sooner than that crazy scheduled light change.
In New York City, at least, we have have two buttons on any corner; you known, to signal which direction you intend to cross, north or east, south or west.
In Rockville Centre, they have only one button per corner. How this is supposed to tell the computerized traffic gods which light you hope to turn which color is beyond me, but the fact that residents – seniors, workers, businessman, school children and crossing guards, alike – dependably press this button while waiting for a light change kinda warms my heart. I envy that naive faith in truth in advertising, governmental honesty and patience as a virtue.
Come to think of it, I saw a lot of Bush re-election bumper stickers there, too.
Twenty Days Left to Make History in Brooklyn
A message from Gloria Mattera, Green Party candidate for Brooklyn Borough President.
With just 5 weeks to go before election day on November 8, our campaign is having a real impact. We’ve brought Cindy Sheehan to Brooklyn and had her speak in front of 500 cheering supporters; today (Oct. 1) we protested outside Chuck E. Cheese’s on Flatbush Avenue for its showing of Department of Defense videotape to small children, and last week I had fun blasting Marty Markowitz on the Ratner project in a public debate.
Equally exciting, we’re just $15,000 short of the $50,000 we need to qualify for city matching funds of $200,000. A few weeks ago this target seemed unattainable, but now it’s within our grasp.
I can not emphasize enough what reaching matching funds will mean for this campaign. If we succeed, we will achieve a level of visibility not enjoyed by an independent progressive candidate in this city for decades. In fact, we are already scheduling television and radio spots, and plans are being made for an election day mobilization that will shock the incumbent with its scope and energy. If we fail…well, that’s simply not an option.
You are the key to our success. Matching funds will only happen with your help.
Please make a donation today and be part of this historic effort. Up to $250 per person is matchable by the city, but even a small contribution will bring us one step closer to our goal.
Call a friend, get she or he to donate too.
You can donate online at: www.electgloria.org/donate.php. Or you can mail a check (made out to Committee to Elect Gloria Mattera) to 437 2nd St., Brooklyn, 11215. If you mail the check, you will need to print and fill out the attached form. This is critically important!
Matching funds will allow us to reach hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn residents with our message:
* No to Ratner and other land grabs
* Stop Eminent Domain Abuse
* For Community Control of Land Use
* End Military Recruitment in Brooklyn’s Schools – Troops Home Now!
* For more green space
* Enforce “no idling” laws
* Make Brooklyn a leader in energy conservation
* For a Sustainable Brooklyn grounded in racial and economic justice
Together we can do this.
In hope and solidarity,
Gloria Mattera
Instant Run-off’s Gonna Get You
Anthony Weiner’s concession in advance of the Democratic primary run-off is the best possible result of Tuesday’s election, and not least of which because I have no intention of voting for Whitey (whatever name he may go by).
Freddy Ferrer, whose campaign has been rather timid until now, deserves the chance to finally take on Mayor Mike directly, without diminished strength and campaign funds. His “two New Yorks” theme from four years ago was exactly the message that voters deserved, and I will always appreciate that Freddy didn’t back down on September 12, insisting that nothing had changed. We still had then, and still have now after four years of Bloomberg, a city of inconceivable riches that is pushing its poor and desperate farther out into the margins. If Freddy campaigns like a populist from now until November, our CEO Mayor may yet get fired.
Better yet, the possibility of wasting $12 million in taxpayer money on an unnecessary run-off election opens the possibility for significant election reform. It’s time to put proportional representation back on the agenda. Taxpayer outrage was a significant, if not primary, factor in San Francisco’s recent switch to instant run-off voting (elections by ranked ballot, where the votes for the lowest vote-getting candidate are redistributed to the next choice listed on each ballot until a candidate finally achieves a majority vote). It could be here, too. The gradual demographic shifts in the city virtually ensure lots more run-off elections, with a splintered, Balkanized electorate unable to elect majority candidates.
Those run-off elections are bad for democracy, too, for how divisive they can be. Four years ago, when Ferrer had to face Mark Green in a run-off, Green’s campaign played the race card, using fears of Al Sharpton to galvanize the white suburban vote. Green won the primary, but lost support and lost the election. But Whitey won anyway.
That wouldn’t happen in an instant runoff vote. A candidate must appeal to his rivals’ supporters for their second and third place votes in order to prevail in multiple rounds of counting. Divisiveness doesn’t work if you’re simply a plurality, nor does painting certain candidates (the wild ones, with the kooky lefty ideas) as “spoilers.” Voters could finally vote their conscience and their true preference, and candidates would have to emphasize common ground and areas of agreement.
Left Field Day at Shea
Join the Socialist Party on Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 for “Left Field Day at Shea.”
We’ve got a block of seats for the Mets vs. Nationals baseball game, so the New York Mets will welcome the Socialist Party on the scoreboard!
Tickets are only $5, and we’ll all be sitting together way out in the left field upper deck.
Despite a few bad games lately, the Mets are in a wild card race, so the game itself should be exciting, but we’ll also be taking the opportunity to protest the war in Iraq, public money stadium giveaways and corporate sponsorship stadium names.
Bring a sign. Bring a kazoo. Bring your wacky commie newspapers.
To sit with the Socialist Party, get in touch with me ASAP. There are a few tickets left.