“While Mayor Bill de Blasio was personally coaxing the city’s police union presidents to meet with him, his top aides were on the phones with lawmakers urging them to blast PBA President Patrick Lynch and other officers for turning their backs on the mayor following the assassinations of two of New York’s Finest, DNAinfo New York has learned.
As late as Monday afternoon — the same time de Blasio was speaking with police union leaders to set up Tuesday’s détente to possibly mend their fractured relationship — the mayor’s government affairs honchos were privately cold-calling the city’s Democratic delegation of city and state elected officials, asking them to publicly criticize Lynch and those officers who dissed the mayor.
“City Hall wanted me to blast the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association for turning their backs on him,” a Big Apple legislator told “On The Inside.” “They called up Monday, said they were calling all of us, and that it was our obligation to stand up defending the mayor.””
“With cops on edge following the assassination of two patrol officers on a Brooklyn street, many officers have started turning a blind eye to some minor crimes, sources told The Post, while a union mandate that two patrol cars respond to all police calls has led to slower response times to non-emergencies.”
“An NYPD supervisor noted, “My guys are writing almost no summonses, and probably only making arrests when they have to — like when a store catches a shoplifter.”
And the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association directive for cops to respond with at least two patrol cars has resulted in a manpower shortage that’s delaying response times to non-emergencies — such as burglaries or car crashes without injuries — to as much as four hours, sources said.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton predicted a long, cold war between Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD’s rank and file Sunday, while admitting that morale among cops was so low, the problem could no longer be denied.
Bratton said cops across the country also “feel under attack,” including from “the federal government at the highest levels.””
What we already knew: President Obama’s health care adviser Jonathan Gruber admitted that the Affordable Care Act might not be affordable while he was writing the bill with the White House.
I agree with Donna, in terms of the most people affected negatively. Someone posted today on FB (so it must be true) that Harper Collins’ new atlas does not put Israel’s name on the map because it offended others in the area.
I suppose when a world turns its back on Christianity’s “turning the other cheek,” it can only go into offend mode on any subject, but it sure cripples discourse and good will. See the police, see my neighbors, see me today in Zumba.
Our only hope is revival. But you have to have hearts willing and eyes open to see the Savior of the World.
I’ve been writing blog posts on my blog this December on Advent and as I’ve looked at the Scriptures, I’ve been astonished about how obvious it should have been that God was at work in the Judean hill country that year.
Those in both political and religious power had the prophecies and many of their constituents believed them–they’d been setting an empty place for the Messiah at every Passover ceremony, whether they believed he was coming or not.
Zacharias, Anna and Simeon in the temple should have awakened their spiritual eyes. Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the shocked shepherds and then the Magi–the hill country was buzzing with questions and discussion.
Many knew the prophecies.
But still, they turned their backs. The Messiah had no place in their lives. Too inconvenient. Too fantastic. Too much giving up of self.
May that not be so of me in 2015. Blessings to you all.
A Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone.
The current glut of oil and the price free fall is significant for this year and the next. The Saudis seem intent on driving the competition bankrupt or at least shutting them down. Prices then will continue to fall putting the brakes on fracking and the tar sands.
It will also put the brakes on Putin and his adventures in the Ukraine. The Ukraine continued to be the site of fighting not seen in Europe since Yugoslavia imploded. At least here, we could find an Air Malaysian plane.
CNN and others cont’d to demonstrate incompetence and provide fodder for the Comedy network especially in its coverage of the missing Air Malaysian plane. As the year ends, Air Asia (partially owed by Air Malaysia) has disappeared. Fodder for the conspiracy mimded. News coverage of ISIS and Ebola also demonstrate the media’s tendency to become singularly focused and forget context. ISIS or Ebola posed very little threat but the media was stampeding toward a quarantined bunker. Ebola has petered out (it will flare up again) while the price of oil and Kurdish militia will minimize ISIS. The west will continue to waste money on a bombing campaign which does nothing.
Speaking of the media, the US economic recovery was the most underreported story.
In the US, agitation for min wage increases, protests against police violence, and other protests suggest leftist movements continue to follow in Occupy’s footsteps. Curiously, the American left has lost faith in voting and the electoral system resulting in record low turnouts and a Republican victory. Curiously again, the people who reject govt solutions continue to participate in the electoral process. Although the Republican party may celebrate in the short term, the left’s favor of the street over the Democrat party should worry them.
The militarization of the US police forces and the encroachment of civil liberties was illustrated by their response to Ferguson and the NYPD union’s overreach. US policing also illustrated the idea of white privilege; a term I dislike but apt in this case. When a black man is shot carrying a BB gun in an open carry state and a white man can point an array of weaponry at police without consequences we do have white privilege.
In Canada our prime minister hid in a closet while an insane drug addict stalked the Parliament and killed an honor guard. Ontario elected an openly gay female premier. And we won gold in men’s and women’s hockey. The latter matters.
Not necessarily the inflation numbers. To be more precise, the extent to which the US recovery is aided by monetary easing (printing money). Unless you owe US bonds or like to travel overseas you shouldn’t worry and enjoy the recovery.
Wandering Views 
The Republican electoral success.
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Next is the rise of ISIS.
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Off topic here, but relevant to yesterday’s conversation…
I had little sympathy for the mayor, now I have even less. Like I said, stupid moves by the mayor.
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20141230/civic-center/city-hall-asked-pols-attack-pba-as-mayor-coaxed-unions-meet-sources
“While Mayor Bill de Blasio was personally coaxing the city’s police union presidents to meet with him, his top aides were on the phones with lawmakers urging them to blast PBA President Patrick Lynch and other officers for turning their backs on the mayor following the assassinations of two of New York’s Finest, DNAinfo New York has learned.
As late as Monday afternoon — the same time de Blasio was speaking with police union leaders to set up Tuesday’s détente to possibly mend their fractured relationship — the mayor’s government affairs honchos were privately cold-calling the city’s Democratic delegation of city and state elected officials, asking them to publicly criticize Lynch and those officers who dissed the mayor.
“City Hall wanted me to blast the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association for turning their backs on him,” a Big Apple legislator told “On The Inside.” “They called up Monday, said they were calling all of us, and that it was our obligation to stand up defending the mayor.””
___________________________________
And the citizens will suffer because of it.
http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/wary-cops-letting-minor-offenses-slide/
“With cops on edge following the assassination of two patrol officers on a Brooklyn street, many officers have started turning a blind eye to some minor crimes, sources told The Post, while a union mandate that two patrol cars respond to all police calls has led to slower response times to non-emergencies.”
“An NYPD supervisor noted, “My guys are writing almost no summonses, and probably only making arrests when they have to — like when a store catches a shoplifter.”
And the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association directive for cops to respond with at least two patrol cars has resulted in a manpower shortage that’s delaying response times to non-emergencies — such as burglaries or car crashes without injuries — to as much as four hours, sources said.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton predicted a long, cold war between Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD’s rank and file Sunday, while admitting that morale among cops was so low, the problem could no longer be denied.
Bratton said cops across the country also “feel under attack,” including from “the federal government at the highest levels.””
Stupid has consequences.
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What we already knew: President Obama’s health care adviser Jonathan Gruber admitted that the Affordable Care Act might not be affordable while he was writing the bill with the White House.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/30/obama-adviser-jonathan-gruber-in-200-obamacare-will-not-be-affordable/
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I’d say the rise of ISIS and the ensuring genocide in that region for the biggest news story of ’14.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Donna, in terms of the most people affected negatively. Someone posted today on FB (so it must be true) that Harper Collins’ new atlas does not put Israel’s name on the map because it offended others in the area.
I suppose when a world turns its back on Christianity’s “turning the other cheek,” it can only go into offend mode on any subject, but it sure cripples discourse and good will. See the police, see my neighbors, see me today in Zumba.
Our only hope is revival. But you have to have hearts willing and eyes open to see the Savior of the World.
I’ve been writing blog posts on my blog this December on Advent and as I’ve looked at the Scriptures, I’ve been astonished about how obvious it should have been that God was at work in the Judean hill country that year.
Those in both political and religious power had the prophecies and many of their constituents believed them–they’d been setting an empty place for the Messiah at every Passover ceremony, whether they believed he was coming or not.
Zacharias, Anna and Simeon in the temple should have awakened their spiritual eyes. Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the shocked shepherds and then the Magi–the hill country was buzzing with questions and discussion.
Many knew the prophecies.
But still, they turned their backs. The Messiah had no place in their lives. Too inconvenient. Too fantastic. Too much giving up of self.
May that not be so of me in 2015. Blessings to you all.
LikeLiked by 2 people
A Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone.
The current glut of oil and the price free fall is significant for this year and the next. The Saudis seem intent on driving the competition bankrupt or at least shutting them down. Prices then will continue to fall putting the brakes on fracking and the tar sands.
It will also put the brakes on Putin and his adventures in the Ukraine. The Ukraine continued to be the site of fighting not seen in Europe since Yugoslavia imploded. At least here, we could find an Air Malaysian plane.
CNN and others cont’d to demonstrate incompetence and provide fodder for the Comedy network especially in its coverage of the missing Air Malaysian plane. As the year ends, Air Asia (partially owed by Air Malaysia) has disappeared. Fodder for the conspiracy mimded. News coverage of ISIS and Ebola also demonstrate the media’s tendency to become singularly focused and forget context. ISIS or Ebola posed very little threat but the media was stampeding toward a quarantined bunker. Ebola has petered out (it will flare up again) while the price of oil and Kurdish militia will minimize ISIS. The west will continue to waste money on a bombing campaign which does nothing.
Speaking of the media, the US economic recovery was the most underreported story.
In the US, agitation for min wage increases, protests against police violence, and other protests suggest leftist movements continue to follow in Occupy’s footsteps. Curiously, the American left has lost faith in voting and the electoral system resulting in record low turnouts and a Republican victory. Curiously again, the people who reject govt solutions continue to participate in the electoral process. Although the Republican party may celebrate in the short term, the left’s favor of the street over the Democrat party should worry them.
The militarization of the US police forces and the encroachment of civil liberties was illustrated by their response to Ferguson and the NYPD union’s overreach. US policing also illustrated the idea of white privilege; a term I dislike but apt in this case. When a black man is shot carrying a BB gun in an open carry state and a white man can point an array of weaponry at police without consequences we do have white privilege.
In Canada our prime minister hid in a closet while an insane drug addict stalked the Parliament and killed an honor guard. Ontario elected an openly gay female premier. And we won gold in men’s and women’s hockey. The latter matters.
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🙂 Nice to see you, HRW.
The other underreported story on the US economy–as in not reported at all–were the true inflation numbers.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/12/30/horrifying-civil-liberties-predictions-for-2015/
A year in review and sober reading for libertarians of the right and left.
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As in, you can’t get a sense of inflation if you don’t include the stats on what people really spend their money on: food, housing and transportation.
Those metrics have been stripped out of the government’s reporting on inflation. 😦
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Not necessarily the inflation numbers. To be more precise, the extent to which the US recovery is aided by monetary easing (printing money). Unless you owe US bonds or like to travel overseas you shouldn’t worry and enjoy the recovery.
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