ON THE QT
Everything You Always Suspected
Carola Von Hoffmannstahl-SolomonoffPublisher and Editor
WELCOME
to On The QT #11. A double digit read on the corruptionclogged arteries of Anywhere, USA. Where political cronies
and street thugs frolic. HUD fraud? Drug Trade? Influence
peddling? Home invasion? Try a dose of healthful
REFORM; the broadly based, non partisan kind. Now sought world wide. The diagnosis of Rafiqur Rahman Choudhury of Bangladesh: "Being accustomed to corruption is a very bad symptom and it is the last stage of degradation".
SECOND OPINION
From Nigeria, Islamic Scholar Iman Abdul Rahman Ahmed: "The inability of the government to bring people of questionable character to judgement has contributed to the decadence pervading the country". Paging POTUS the last. And thanks to Transparency International for the quotes. Living in the USA, Waterbury Connecticut Republican Mayor Philip Giordano sits in jail awaiting trial for allegedly arranging to have sex with two little girls age 9 and 10-- sold to him on the Internet by their prostitute Mom. But it's only sex and Mayor Giordano pulled out his
ULTIMATE CLINTON.
He refuses to resign. The city's Board of Aldermen, weighted with members of the Mayor's own party, won't seek his impeachment or resignation. "Let's move on" say they. A deal has been struck. The lollipop Mayor promises not to govern from jail. In return he collects half his salary plus full medical benefits and life insurance. Freeing the Aldermen to pick an acting mayor. Waterbury now has two, two, two mayors in one. And a great big ugly smear across its civic face. One made worse by a craven, partisan, go along to get along Board of Aldermen. Another example why Americans find
INDEPENDENT
an increasingly attractive affiliation. The negative aspect is being unable to vote in some primaries. But in Albany, New York-- who cares? The mayoral primary approaches. Zzzzzzzz. Albany has a handful of registered Republicans. Majority Democrat voters have no choice except current Burgermeister Jerry Jennings. Whose major achievement has been slathering downtown Albany's business district with HUD bux, state grants and other "free money". While residential neighborhoods and population declined. For years, Jenning's favorite song was "Yes, We Have No Gang Members!" Many dead bodies and a whole lotta drug houses later, the no longer to be denied gangs provide the rationale for a grant application to fund a Capital Region gang information center. Costing half a million bucks. To be paid for by New York State Criminal Justice Services. One question: will Gang Central Station require a brand new building or will an already existent one be purchased for way more than market value? Funny how the idea of doing better with what already exists seldom occurs. Like
BEAT COPS.
The kind on foot who actually know what's going on in a neighborhood. But perhaps light breaks on yonder neglected horizon. A nuisance abatement ordinance went into effect in Albany in early September. One that is supposed to hold building owners responsible for consistent illegal activity on their premises. Such as drug dealing. Pit bull pens. Hooker heavens. Garbage panoramas and run down buildings will also be receiving greater attention. So says Mayor Jerry Jennings. A new city attorney has been hired to handle the load. Let's hope-- no pray-- that this is a sincere sea change. That enforcement will continue after election day and be pursued consistently in every neighborhood. Starting with the ones where residents banged on the mayor's door for years, begging him for help as they watched their neighborhoods deteriorate.
HEALTHY PRESS:
In August The Record in North Jersey ran an in depth account of consistent violence in Paterson schools. A follow up on the murder of Hector Robles, the Hispanic homeless man beaten to death by a group of black students celebrating the end of the John F. Kennedy high school year. The story by Emon Varoqua and Scott Fallon dug deep into patterns of denial by Paterson school officials. The Providence Journal in Providence, Rhode Island does an impressive job covering the "Operation Plunderdome" corruption charges facing current Mayor "Buddy" Cianci, and related repercussions within the Providence Police Department. The Jersey Journal in Jersey City, New Jersey keeps detailed track of the labyrinthine coruptoid connections of Hudson County's dirtier players. In Michigan,the Detroit News ran "Detroit Drug Houses: Out of Control" identifying 300 properties that had been the scene of 3 or more felony arrests over a 3 year period. Listing addresses, owners and agencies involved. The stories may be grim and not booster friendly, but the commitment to the public's right to know is
CURIOUSLY REFRESHING.
Equally curious is why Jersey City has become a hotspot for websites run by women roasting ex-mayor Bret Schundler. Schundler, now running for Governor of New Jersey, claims to be conservative. His poll numbers are low among women. Is his stance on abortion or gun control the reason? Do women fear Bret will force them to bear babies at gun point? As mayor, Bret's much vaunted conservative reform ideals never produced much, though he talked a good one. Like the big creche showdown. When challenged by the ACLU about Jersey City's annual city hall Christmas creche, Bret pawed the earth. His "here I stand" solution? An equal opportunity Disney display of multi-culti holiday symbols: Santa jostling the Menorah crowding the crescent and star of Islam while Mary and the elves (or were they shepherds?) watched over the Baby Jesus. Caspar the ghost may have been there too; hiding behind the reindeer. Ghanesha, the Hindu elephant head god was busy uptown, but Kali was rumored to be on her way. Bret, hoping to gain feminine support, donned a turban in anticipation. See him in it at: Balcer.com. Then check other sites by Jersey City's take no prisoner female critics of ex-mayor Schundler: Stop Bretschundler.com and No More BS. But why the antipathy in female voters with no up close political experience? Is it based on a more visceral response than objection to Bret's cream puff conservatism? Does Bret seem too much the overbearing, know-it-all ersatz he-man of a repairman who ends up repairing nothing? The kind whose pants slide down as he fumbles under the sink? Next issue: If Bret lived in Trenton...
BLAZING SHORTS!
Hudson County, New Jersey Democratic County Executive Robert Janiszewski recently resigned after being caught on tape in a FBI corruption sting. He became a cooperating-- read wired-- witness. Which led to an FBI raid on the offices of one time SDS member now turned HUDlord and Hudson county developer, Joe Barry of Applied Housing. The Feds took away a mound of Barry's files. The ripples of Janiszewski turning Fed friendly will be felt for a loooong time. Nails are being gnawed. Bobby J's connections are many and go further than Hudson County. He's been a booster of New Jersey Senator Robert "Chinese Suit" Torricelli and was the local Clinton point man during the last election. Until the story broke Janiszewski had been yo-dee-laying low in his mock Swiss chalet in the Catskill Mountain town of Tannersville. Which had taken on the appearance of a witness protection compound. But now he seems to havegone underground...
COMING SOON
Bobby, Barry and the Tarnished Gold Coast/Green Mountain Methadone Madness/Student Ghetto Drug Flops/Cross Country Corruptoid Round-Ups/When Good Reds Go Bad
RETURN TO BANGLADESH
"It may be asked: Is not the conception of creating a sea of hatred for corruption a romantic dream?"Rafiqur Rahman Choudhoury, Corruption and Concept of Life
ONCE MORE FROM JERSEY
"...just because they ain't no water fit to drink in that spot (or you ain't found none) don't mean there ain't no fresh water to be had NOWHERE.."William Carlos Williams, Paterson
SHINING WEBSITES
Coalition for a Better Waterfront
CBW was born in 1990, in Hoboken on the Hudson, directly across
from Manhattan. Small city Hoboken was being gentrified at an
incredible pace. Only a few short years earlier, its run down
but beautiful waterfront served as an unofficial People's Park
for Hoboken's largely blue collar residents. With development
came persistent attempts to close off access and make the Hudson
view something only money could buy. CBW has fought the good
fight for a decade: taking on monster opponent the Port
of Authority of New York & New Jersey and numerous Gold Coast
gorilla developers. Read all about the battles at this well
organized site. For those who think groups like CBW are an
attack on free enterprise, check the section "Hudson River
Developers Rake In Corporate Welfare", detailing the millions
of dollars of federal and state money used to bankroll
private owners of the most valuable land in New Jersey.
Who use those bucks to buy political protection from the
risks real free enterprise entails.
The Palindromist
Both a magazine and a website. An entertaining one. Dwelling on
corruptoids can make you hunger for fun and word games. What is
a palindrome? It's a sentence that says the same thing coming
and going. An example from the great Palindromist himself:
Dog sex, even if fine, vexes God. Or: Ha! Tunisia is in Utah?
Get the picture? The site is fine and very funny. The magazine
has fascinating features on palindromic poetry, literary
palindromists and foreign language palindromes. Also games
and contests. Warning: palindroming can become addictive.
You could end up talking like a David Lynch dwarf. Which is
still better than George Bush Jr.
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