While visiting the Blackprof blog yesterday, I came across an anonymous commenter whose sentiments echoed my own regarding the New York City political landscape under the Guiliani administration-pre and post 911. The entry was analyzing a recent New York Times article detailing the former NYC mayor's record on race relations. The commenter further encapsulated what many African American New Yorkers were (and continue to be) subjected to regarding hucksterism in the guise of progressive leadership. Take a gander at the comments in question, courtesy of BlackProf.com:
(responding to) BT:
New York, Italian, Catholic, pro-abortion, pro gun control...that will not fly in the South, he can not get the nomination. The SE is the Republican bread and butter if they can get even one or 2 states in a close election the candidate is finished.
For those who don't remember, apparently Prof Smith does not. NYC was dangerous as hell before Rudy's watch. The subways were nearly unrideable at night on certain lines and downtown (remember the broken windows, the gangs, the urine smell???)
Remember the prostitutes downtown and the sleazy joints in Time Square. Maybe liberals see those things as proof of "diversity" but Rudy cleaned it up and I'm black. I lived in Jersey but worked in the City and never had any problems with any police in NYC during Guiliani, in fact it was the first time I saw the police actually "working" as opposed to standing around. Crime dropped significantly and the streets were clean, literally clean.
Did Giuliani not "go for" the racial machine set up by Al Sharpton and others like him? Yes. I blame them for hurting black poor New Yorker interest with their hyperbole and shakedown tactics. If I was Rudy, I likely would have done the same thing.
The simple fact is this. In the City most crime is committed by black Americans followed by PRs and Dominicans. Any crackdown on crime is not racial profiling if the majority of criminal suspects are from those groups (mostly black and Hispanic). I never heard of anyone in Chinatown or even any Mexicans being "profiled in NYC" but then again they aren't robbing and murdering people on a regular basis.
Black people in the city should be happy in that Rudy brought down crime in their neighborhoods and in some areas (I have seen first hand) kids could play in the streets without worrying about being shot by a stray bullet.
Rudy was in office from 1994-2001.
In that time look at the crime rates (just one of many tangible things he did for the city to make it livable for law abiding citizens).
"Since 1991, the city has seen a continuous fifteen-year trend of decreasing crime. Neighborhoods that were once considered dangerous are now much safer. Violent crime in the city has dropped by 75% in the last twelve years and the murder rate in 2005 was at its lowest level since 1963: there were 539 murders that year, for a murder rate of 6.58 per 100,000 people, compared to 2262 murders in 1990. Among the 182 U.S. cities with populations of more than 100,000, New York City ranked 136th in overall crime (with about the same crime rate as Boise, Idaho)."
http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/survive/011crime.htm
Oh yeah not to mention how he broke the back of the 5 families (mafia).
I used to live in the city after college, because it was convenient, and I didn't leave after I got married due to cost, I left due to how sleazy it was.
Dinkins nearly ran NYC into the ground and I hate to say that as a black man, but he was not good for the city under his watch NYC literally went to hell.
Guy or girl at the top..Nana said that 3 people died under mysterious circumstances or as the result of mistakes. This is true. Innocent people got shot under Dinkins too, or don't you remember...when the cops were actually working. These things happen and they are tragic, but have you also forgot or failed to appreciate how many lives have been saved by making the City safer for everyone. I also know how this improves the economy as I have well paid friends who have moved back to the City despite taxes and what not just for that urban experience 24/7, before Rudy they wouldn't have dreamed, the goal was to get enough money to buy a place upstate or in Jersey...now more people are staying and putting money in the local economy. If you live in NYC this helps you.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 23, 2007 11:20
Click on this link for the Black Prof entry in its entirety:
Rudy and Race
Now check out a excerpt from the Gothamist, reporting on a real live Huckster specimen, Brooklyn councilman, Charles Barron:
For Barron, It's Totally About Race
As we mentioned, City Councilman Charles Barron held his press conference yesterday to announce his candidacy for the 2009 Brooklyn Borough Presidency. He told the crowds that his platform included affordable housing, health care accessibility, more jobs, standing up to developers who use eminent domain, ending mayor control of schools and more would help everyone. "Am I going to be a borough president for all the people? Absolutely. But I'm letting y'all know now, I'm taking care of black folk. Unapologetically."
The NY Sun noted Barron also "argued that his platform would benefit white residents as well, because 'when I take care of black folk, that's going to impact you,' he said." When the Politicker interviewed Barron after the conference, the City Councilman said, "Most media outlets are run by white, male editors, correct? There's no way in the world that, 99 percent of media outlets controlled by white males, that there's not going to be no hint of racism in it? I mean that's unrealistic... The Post, I think, is a racist newspaper, because anybody who is pro-black they consider controversial. The Post is racist. FOX 5 is racist. You know, I think there's racism in everything."
Again, for the readers that are unfamiliar with Barron and local NYC politics, check out my previous post entitled, The 60's are Over Mr. Barron.......Didn't you get the memo! But just to recap, that post detailed Barron's obsession with the renaming of a street to honor the pro-Black (and sometimes labeled racist) political activist Sonny Carson. It should also be noted that Barron's chief of staff, Viola Plummer was accused of threatening assassination against another political colleague (Queens councilman, Leroy Comrie) simply because he dissented from voting for the renaming of the street. Plummer and Barron have since denied that the usage of the term "assassination" and that it was a political assassination that was actually intended towards the councilman. Mind you, these are ex-Black Panthers we are talking about here. I guess the actual terminology-"assassinate his ass," was lost in translation. And now, we have Barron running for borough president under an overt racial agenda dismissing the real internal problems that are affecting Black folk placing symbolism over substance..again. Ladies and gentlemen.....this is the time of the Incredible Huckster in Black progressive politics. And you thought Hot Ghetto Mess only aired on BET. Share your thoughts.
Click below for more of the Gothamist article:
The Gothamist Does Charles Barron
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