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China And The Queensborough Bridge
By MICHAEL SCHENKLER
I stood with a friend on the Queens side of the East River and looked at the Queensborough Bridge. Some of you call it the 59th Street Bridge, but longtime readers of this paper understand the magic of our bridge.
First, it’s got Queens in it’s name. Just like the “Queens” Midtown Tunnel, those of us who believe in the spirit of the outer boroughs continually strive to overcome the nomenclature of this Manhattan-centric City.
But more importantly, a Queens College fraternity brother of mine – you’ve heard of him, Paul Simon – popularized the Bridge by it’s other — 59th Street Bridge – name and we at the Trib have been trying to right the wrong for years. Paul, a Queens kid — grew up in Kew Gardens Hills and went to Forest Hills H.S. and then Queens College — should have know better. But back in the day, advocates for Queens were rare.
The little ditty stands as one of my favorite feel good songs. This Queens kid thinks of it as Feelin’ Groovy and the Bridge as the Queensborough.
Feelin’ Groovy
(The 59th St. Bridge Song)
By Paul Simon
“Slow down, you move too fast, you’ve got to make the morning last,
Just kickin’ down the cobble-stones, lookin’ for fun and feelin’ groovy.
Hello lamp-post, what cha knowing, I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’
Ain’t cha got no rhymes for me, lookin’ for fun and feelin’ groovy.
I’ve got no deeds to do, no promises to keep,
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep,
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me,
Life I love you, all is groovy.”
Enough background and poetry, there was a simple point to this tune when I began.
I stood looking out at the Queensborough Bridge and said to my friend, “imagine, in the not too distant future, there will be a big banner on the bridge, reading, “Property of the People’s Republic of China.”
Now calm down. It wasn’t an actual prediction – well not quite. It was my momentary metaphor for what is happening with our economy, the Chinese economy and what I believe is the handwriting on the economic wall.
I am not an economist. Outside of Econ 101 at Queens College, I’ve had no formal training. I understand politics and I read the papers. I follow the news and can understand trends.
Well friends, in spite of a couple of serious recent stumbles on the quality control side, China is eating our lunch.
I’m not expert enough to offer trade deficit figures and analysis – nor is there any need. Our country is in trouble and in the not-too-distant future, the People’s Republic of China will surpass us as the world’s leading economic power.
And with the money, goes the real “power.” The science, the education, the research and discovery are all tied to the buck. And China has the bucks and their balance of trade is growing at an incredible rate – at the expense of our nation.
“Now, it ain’t over, till it’s over,” as Yogi told us. But it’s getting pretty close to the edge. And with the team we have in Washington, there is no reason to believe we’re going to take action anytime soon to deal with the no-longer-quiet Chinese giant dominating us and everyone else.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a dove, not anti-China, and believe in the free marketplace. But somehow, the marketplace’s playing field has not been level and our nation keeps blowing it’s resources on war instead of investing in education, research and development and infrastructure.
The advantage a columnist has is that he can yell without offering a solution. Others are paid to solve the problems. We still have many of the great minds of the world. We still have a country rich in resources. In spite of a malaise that has crept throughout the country, I still believe we have the will to climb out of our downward trend and rebuild for our kids.
What we need is the leadership – and I do not know if we have that.
So every time I head to the city and see the ol’ Queensborough Bridge – again recently repaired and probably in need of lots more – I will imagine that banner “Property of the People’s Republic of China,” and the thousands more that someday will greet us as we enter Manhattan, financial capital of the world – belonging to . . .
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Albany DA, Senate, Pursue Spitzer In Coptergate
By
HENRY STERN
The Minnesota bridge collapse has driven the Albany surveillance scandal and the Queen of Child Abuse off the front pages. This shows that the best outcome following accusations of misconduct is the passage of time. Other mishaps will take place, and less attention will be paid as older traumas recede into history. Time heals most wounds. (But not all.)
Of course people and agencies will do their best to pick at the scab left by unfortunate events. New players have an interest in inserting themselves into notable controversies.
Here there are a number of institutional predators, circling the battlefield and open for business. Albany County District Attorney David Soares is fresh from what he considers his Hevesi triumph, and hankering for more ink. Senator George Winner of Elmira, (the last residence and burial site of Mark Twain), chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Investigations and Government Operations. He can bring Republican loyalists to the hunt, but may face State constitutional obstacles.
Two other figures must be more careful: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo may wish Spitzer to be rendered out of the fight, but cannot afford to be seen as the instrument of destruction because that would compromise his own ambitions (Is it fair to accuse someone of inappropriate ambition if all he wants is his father’s old job?) (What about Dubya?) Former Fordham Law School Dean John D. Ferrick, whom Spitzer appointed to head the State Ethics Commission in April, cannot be a happy camper if his first big case is against the man who gave him the job.
With this posse in pursuit, or at least watching the action, the governor’s task is basically to avoid the perjury trap. Although Spitzer insists that he is telling the truth, that he knew nothing of the Bruno conspiracy, his claim flies in the face of normal political behavior. On the other hand, even if he did know, that is no big deal - not comparable to the serious crimes of which Senator Bruno is accused. No one was killed or injured here, nothing was stolen except maybe a copter ride.
The perjury trap snaps if the hunted says something under oath that is contradicted by another sworn witness. It is then up to the prosecutor, or a grand jury that he summons, to decide who is telling the truth. Years ago, a good friend of mine was testifying before such a commission. When certain questions were asked, his able lawyer would touch the witness’ knee and whisper, “perjury question.” That stopped the witness from guessing when he was asked certain questions. If you aren’t sure, say so. After all, one can’t remember everything. Some people remember very little.
If the grand jury or the prosecutor conclude that the target of their investigation has misled them, the defendant will be indicted, and the case will go to trial before a judge, or a petit jury if the defendant so requests. On conviction of a felony (and perjury is a felony), the defendant automatically forfeits his public office in New York State. Still, there are long and laborious steps that must be taken before a conviction is obtained, and the defendant need only win once to abort the proceedings.
What public figure, however, wants to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and having to convince 12 strangers that he told the truth every time he spoke, while facing the possibility that a former employee may turn on him as part of a plea bargain? A strong weapon for prosecutors is the intimidation of lesser defendants, persuading them to become state’s evidence. Small fry may also be intimidated into telling the truth. Anything can happen at trial.
It was Humphrey Bogart who said he came to Casablanca for the waters. When told that there were no waters in Casablanca, Bogart said: “I was misinformed.” Perjury requires an intent to deceive, and honest error should not lead to indictment or conviction, but throughout history, some people have been bitten by the urge to prosecute.
We recall the Salem witch trials of 1692, the Scottsboro boys in the 1930’s, the California day care accusations (repeated in other states), overzealous federal and state prosecutors, etc. Not everyone who is prosecuted is guilty, although it is true that a large majority of defendants today are wrongdoers. More guilty people escape punishment than innocents are falsely convicted, although reading or watching the media or listening to prisoners could convince one that the opposite is true.
Throughout my years in politics, I have found that, more often than not, crooks are more charming and have better social skills than reformers, who tend to sanctimony, self-righteousness, and an ineffable air of their own moral and intellectual superiority, which they do not hesitate to express to others.
Stereotypes are often true, that’s why they became stereotypes. That statement is not always the case, and should never be a basis for conclusions as to guilt or innocence, and truth or falsehood. It is a shame that this observation must be made, but I owe my readers candor for their pains in going this far.
Starquest@NYCivic.org |
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Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato |
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