2013 NYC Mayoral Election Discussion

[bobtehpanda]

If you may, can you elaborate on that? Edify me so I can see better where you are coming from so I can know how to respond in a constructive matter.

 

I'll say this: I would imagine that it's a no brainer- Aside from the critical importance of mass transit, it just as important to utilize the roadways for the sake of personal and commuter and comercial traffic. We know why Bloomberg implemented bike lanes. It defys common sense. New York needs adequate capacity on the roads so that the businesses dependant on commercial trucks can transport goods and provide services in a timely matter, I would think that obviously trumps bike traffic. Clearly Bloomberg has a hidden aganda behind such moves which will not benefit the business sector in New York. That's my vantage point in this.

 

Disclaimer: I have worked as part of an organization that has pushed for bike lanes in certain areas.

 

Bike lanes in Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn were implemented because of demand for them. Bicycle transportation has relatively good economics - low maintenance, no fuel or parking costs, and most people can maintain an average speed of 14MPH on a bicycle, when the average bus speed in New York is about 7MPH. Specifically, Harlem has widespread grassroots and political support for bike lanes, because it's a cheap way to get to work. Usage peaks in summer and goes down in inclement weather or in winter, for obvious reasons.

 

However, the MAIN reason most bike lanes are implemented is because the roadway has excessive speeding. A poll was conducted amongst drivers last year, and most of them put the city speed limit at 40 or 45 MPH. The actual speed limit is 30 MPH. This 15 MPH difference can cause more severe crashes - it's usually the difference between the life and death of a pedestrian. It also makes streets feel unsafe and unwelcoming - how many of you would cross Queens Blvd on a regular basis? Thus, the DOT has committed to reducing speed not through enforcement (NYPD gave less than 1000 speeding tickets across the city last year, and Ray Kelly would much rather focus on murders than on quality-of-life offences), but through street redesign - if a street is narrower, people will feel less encouraged to speed. PPW was one case - a radar gun over there picked up drivers hitting 50 on a regular basis. These street designs often succeed, and usually only result in maybe 90 seconds of increased travel time over several miles of road. Yes, roads have to accommodate all sorts of traffic, but these are urban streets, not the highways of Midnight Club.

[realizm]

That's a good counterarguement. Good points. The wreckless driving of some individuals behind the wheel needs to be considered so if I go ahead and put myself  in your shoes sort of speak I can see your arguement for for the sake of the safety of the biker, necessitating the need for bike lanes.

 

I guess what the overall deal is this: NYC is a highly trafficed area and therefore there are no easy solutions unfortunately. It is what it is.

[Culver]

If you may, can you elaborate on that? Edify me so I can see better where you are coming from so I can know how to respond in a constructive matter.

 

I'll say this: I would imagine that it's a no brainer- Aside from the critical importance of mass transit, it just as important to utilize the roadways for the sake of personal and commuter and comercial traffic. We know why Bloomberg implemented bike lanes. It defys common sense. New York needs adequate capacity on the roads so that the businesses dependant on commercial trucks can transport goods and provide services in a timely matter, I would think that obviously trumps bike traffic. Clearly Bloomberg has a hidden aganda behind such moves which will not benefit the business sector in New York. That's my vantage point in this.

RE: His statements on lowering tolls for Verrazano Bridge and not using additional funds from MTA tolls on MTA services.

[realizm]

RE: His statements on lowering tolls for Verrazano Bridge and not using additional funds from MTA tolls on MTA services.

 

That's a legitimate concern for all Staten Islanders. Gotcha.

[Grand Concourse]

What? And upset road-rage SUV drivers? See, this is where Lhota's pandering to a minority of the city that only drives scares me. And the fact that he kind of has to tote the party line (in his case, a line of absolute insanity) eventually, that's what makes him a no-go for me. Really, no good candidates for mayor.

?

Well I don't have the images on me, but I've been to some parts of Queens where the roads have non solid yellow lines and some places where there's no yellow lines at all. The roads are just wide enough to allow a single car to pass thru. Unless you can find a spot that isn't occupied by a parked car, theres no way to get thru unless someone backs up. That's why there should be a change to certain 2 way roads and how they should be one way only. There's more to the candidates than just a single issue, it's not just 1 issue that should sink a candidate. Like others said, there's a few issues with John Liu and Chris Quinn. So sorry, I'm not going to agree on the candidates on the Democratic side. And ftr, I'm not a GOP, as imperfect as Cuomo is, I would probably grudgingly vote for him because I don't think there's another GOP candidate qualified enough to oppose him.

[Culver]

?

Well I don't have the images on me, but I've been to some parts of Queens where the roads have non solid yellow lines and some places where there's no yellow lines at all. The roads are just wide enough to allow a single car to pass thru. Unless you can find a spot that isn't occupied by a parked car, theres no way to get thru unless someone backs up. That's why there should be a change to certain 2 way roads and how they should be one way only. There's more to the candidates than just a single issue, it's not just 1 issue that should sink a candidate. Like others said, there's a few issues with John Liu and Chris Quinn. So sorry, I'm not going to agree on the candidates on the Democratic side. And ftr, I'm not a GOP, as imperfect as Cuomo is, I would probably grudgingly vote for him because I don't think there's another GOP candidate qualified enough to oppose him.

I agree with you on the changes; they should be done. It's the house-sized SUV-driving folks that disagree.

 

And believe me, I can't stand Cuomo because of the way he shits on transit. He got the nomination for the Dems because of his name. In the end, it was either him or the escaped mental patient from the other party.

[Grand Concourse]

If it was just one issue that separated everyone from each other that would be great, but there are other issues besides transit. So I can't just say I'd vote for such and such because I agree with them about their stance on just transit. That is why I'm not going to vote for the current candidates on the democratic side.

[BrooklynBus]

Every bike lane has been approved by its local representative Community Board, despite the fact that DOT is not explicitly required to do so. If you don't like it, tell your Borough President or go to a Community Board meeting where these things happen.

 

Definitely untrue. In my area, the previous DOT Commissioner instituted a bike lane on Oriental Blvd that the Community Board never requested and wasn't even  notified about.  Since Day 1 they have been trying to get it removed because it does not belong there.  Perhaps 30% of the community and probably fewer want that bike lane there. It's been 7 years of useless protests and meetings and DOT will not remove it.  To make matters worse the Community Board even suggested that when it is removed, they would support a bike lane one block away on Shore Blvd.  It would it be safer there, because it could be built off street on a dual sidewalk and all that is needed is a little paint and a few signs.  In fact, the sidewalk was purposely built that way many years ago, so there could be a bike lane there.    

 

DOT will not listen. They just want to keep the one they put in, although theirs makes no sense at all.

[User]

Would you vote for her?

 

 

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Sunday made official her candidacy for mayor, embarking on a five-borough tour aimed at working-class voters.

Quinn, a Glen Cove native, announced her bid in an early morning Twitter post and a video in which she referenced her Irish immigrant grandparents and Long Island childhood, saying they inspired her fight for blue-collar New York.

 

The Democrat touted her record of balanced city budgets, protecting teachers' jobs, keeping firehouses open and preventing the wrongful deportation of immigrants.

 

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/li-native-christine-quinn-announces-bid-for-nyc-mayor-on-twitter-1.4786755

[realizm]

I was supposed to meet her at the NYDOE where I work because Chancellor Walcott was visiting OPT to talk to the directors but she couldn't make it. Was just talking about it in Chat what a coincidence.

 

Shes advocating for the wrongful deportation of immigrants? Very good. This is a problem with my Chinese and Latino brothers.

[Shortline Bus]

Even though she the favorite IMO, that is because only she the only known name (other than Bill Thompson) in this race very early on. She is a very controversial figure to say the least. Plus she also known as a Bloomberg light for her close association with the outgoing Mayor. Thus that could hurt her with some in the liberal base of the Democratic Party despite her bid to become the city 1st female (and openly gay) chief executive. Her sometimes way over the top LGBT rights agenda may also turn off many hertosexual New Yorkers as well.

 

Race is too early to call but she the front runner and may win the primary, she can be beaten. IMO if Joe Lhota can run a good campaign he has the best chance to beat her in the general election.

[checkmatechamp13]

Shes advocating for the wrongful deportation of immigrants? Very good. This is a problem with my Chinese and Latino brothers.

 

She's advocating against it. Nobody in their right mind (except maybe Pinepower, or some KKK/Stormfront/whatever member) would actually support somebody advocating for the wrongful deportation of immigrants.

 

I think you're running low on coffee.  (Probably are with that hour of sleep we all lost today).

[bobtehpanda]

As someone who is actually LGBT, I personally think she's using her orientation as an electoral asset and not much else. Her role in getting Bloomberg a third term is also questionable.

 

She's a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you ask me. All her positions seem to be very kitschy press release crap.

[Grand Concourse]

I'm against Quinn because of approving the 3rd term for Bloomberg who's gone on to do all these insane nanny state bs and some months back threatening to boot that 1 chik fil a restaurant out of the city because she didn't like the statement made by the president of the company. What happened to free speech? Is eviction/banning the only way to get the word out? What happened to a good old fashioned boycott? Just let the place go out of business on its own. So this kind of potential abuse of power is another major strict against her.

 

On the immigration thing, well illegals are illegal. of course it's impossible to deport everyone, they should at least kick out all the known criminals that are in prison. The problem needs to be stemmed somewhere. What message does it send to those waiting years even just to get their citizenship legally while someone enters the country illegally and ends up on welfare or draining the city resources for hospital and education costs? So sorry, they broke the law and are not entitled to rights legal citizens have. If they want to be citizens, then they should 'get to the back of the line' like everyone else.

[Joe]

As someone who is actually LGBT, I personally think she's using her orientation as an electoral asset and not much else. Her role in getting Bloomberg a third term is also questionable.

 

She's a wolf in sheep's clothing, if you ask me. All her positions seem to be very kitschy press release crap.

 

Well said.

[realizm]

She's advocating against it. Nobody in their right mind (except maybe Pinepower, or some KKK/Stormfront/whatever member) would actually support somebody advocating for the wrongful deportation of immigrants.

 

I think you're running low on coffee.  (Probably are with that hour of sleep we all lost today).

 

No I was at a gathering and had one too many drinks when i posted trying to fix my fiancee's friend's laptop. I could'nt even drive home, my car is still in Brooklyn. (Cuz dropped us home) Oh my head hurts....

[realizm]

...........

[realizm]

Race is too early to call but she the front runner and may win the primary, she can be beaten. IMO if Joe Lhota can run a good campaign he has the best chance to beat her in the general election.

^^^^^^ This.

 

He has a solid track record. Savior of the transit network during Hurricane Sandy and served as deputy mayor among other things. 

 

I'll post something to add on this once I get some sleep and recover. Calling in sick tomm will intelligently discuss, I see the various opinions on this which gives food for thought......

[BrooklynIRT]

bump. note: I have not read the whole thread.

 

it is a relief that Quinn supports a commuter tax, but I am still inclined to believe she really should not be mayor since she was chiefly responsible for overturning term limits, which was completely unconscionable.

[BrooklynBus]

bump. note: I have not read the whole thread.

 

it is a relief that Quinn supports a commuter tax, but I am still inclined to believe she really should not be mayor since she was chiefly responsible for overturning term limits, which was completely unconscionable.

That and she knows virtually nothing about transit. Someone recently told me that she did not even know the difference between "the TA" and "the "MTA". (Of course now we call the TA NYCT.)

[GojiMet86]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/nyregion/joseph-lhota-raises-730000-in-2-months-in-mayoral-bid.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0

 

Lhota, Running for Mayor, Raises $730,000 in 2 Months

 

By MICHAEL BARBARO

 

Published: March 13, 2013

 

Joseph J. Lhota, a Republican running for mayor of New York City, over the past two months has raised $730,000, a sizable figure for such a short period and a show of political muscle for the first-time candidate.

 

Mr. Lhota’s fund-raising, which was described by a person with close ties to his campaign, started on Jan. 12 and ended on March 11. A late entrant into this year’s race, he raised more in the first two months of the year than any candidate during the same period in 2005 or 2009, the last years in which there were mayoral campaigns.

 

All of the mayoral candidates participating in the city’s voluntary taxpayer-supported campaign-finance system must report their fund-raising for the past two months by March 15.

 

During the last reporting period, William C. Thompson Jr., a Democrat running for mayor, easily outgunned his rivalsby raising $1 million over six months. Mr. Lhota raised about three-fourths of that in a third of the time.

 

A spokeswoman for the Lhota campaign declined to comment on Wednesday.

[Culver]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/14/nyregion/joseph-lhota-raises-730000-in-2-months-in-mayoral-bid.html?ref=nyregion&_r=0

Those donors aren't giving him money for their health. They want something in return. *cough*city corporate tax breaks*cough*

 

Haha, so much for Lhota not being a generic for-sale Republican. I'm sure he'll fight to adequately fund the

[Grand Concourse]

Again, once you campaign for something like the mayor's office, other issues are going to take priority over transit even though that should be his main source to fall back on. Doesn't make a difference if it was a Democrat either. It's just how politics works. People want everything without giving something up. If it were up to me, I'd advocate the subway/bus be split off from the state and be city run and the city stops giving up so much money to upstate as the state gives us small change for every dollar sent there.

[CenSin]

I wonder if any of us transit people will ever make enough noise to affect a mayoral race. Transit is definitely one of the things the city takes for granted since we all know what happens when the trains and buses stop running…

[realizm]

^^^^ We are as it is by voicing out in this thread on this subject, in one of the most popular IP Board forums in NYC. We do have an audience, and people are listening. Let me start there  .....