Comments for Alan Chartock's Blog

Comment on The only way out of this mess is term limits by Anne Rothman

Anne Rothman — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:23:52 +0000

Alan, I am the president of the Cornell Club of the Berkshires and would like to have you speak to our group of alumni about this or any topic of your choice. We are looking for a speaker for our Sunday June 30th meeting in Stockbridge. You would be our first choice.

Comment on Cuomo had a responsibility to ban assault weapons by Harvey Brody

Harvey Brody — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:08:10 +0000

The issue here is two fold. One is what the heck is an assault weapon? Assault is considered a criminal offense hence how does one make illegal something that is illegal already? I’m hardly interested in the rheteric but very interested in the circumstances that a “new:” law was literally passed in the middle of the night defying the Open Government Laws by the same group, Governor, Speaker, and the major legislative leaders responsible for NY winning the gold medal for dysfunctional government. At the same time we find that the horrific use of weapons in the past few months all come from individuals in need of mental health therapy. The first casualties of our new State Budget is mental health specialists in the NYS Office of Mental Health . Does this make sense? Obviously nothing is done by our Governor without extensive creation of focus groups and polling followed by a deluge of media marketing heralding the new legislation like a new deodorant.. Obviously weapons of any type are dangerous and should be entrusted to competent individuals. If you don’t care about the use of an issue for political gain then I have a story to tell you that started in 1936 and ended in 1945. Of course weapons of any type should be regulated. The 2nd Amendment was conceived during an historical period quite different than the current one. Individuals in many parts of NYS actually use them for sport and even to obtain food. The International Olympics Committee considers “guns” to be an international sport, and of course all male Swiss for the past couple of hundred years have been provided them, by their Canton as a deterrent to military invasion.

Comment on It’s a case of policy over politics by Bob S

Bob S — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 03:48:33 +0000

They sent Bob Duffy to talk with Miner? That’s like sending Ted Baxter to argue physics with Albert Einstein. Duffy is a good frontman, but you don’t send him to impress anyone with logic or facts.

Comment on A tale of three governors on the rise by Rosemary Riedhammer

Rosemary Riedhammer — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:38:30 +0000

I just hope none of these power houses fall from grace like Spitzer. I had high hopes for him and how disappointing he was in the end. Cuomo/Clinton #2016 has a nice ring to it.

Comment on Alan Chartock: My first pedicure, but not my last by Against the Dictatorial Public Radio Regime of Alan Chartock | Libyan Sibyl

Against the Dictatorial Public Radio Regime of Alan Chartock | Libyan Sibyl — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:38:46 +0000

[...] unstoppable solipsism, I would like to point the reader to this recent blog post, titled “My First Pedicure, But Not My Last,” which was originally printed as his column in The Berkshire Eagle. I believe it speaks for [...]

Comment on State Needs James Taylor for Senator by MK Schneider

MK Schneider — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 02:58:13 +0000

James Taylor has NO place in politics. He is a carbon copy of Obama. He is yet another democrat who supports the new health plan for example, which by the way costs more than PPO plans and adds to the worry of the average American worker. Has James Taylor and his wife Kim attempted to pay tuition with Obama’s new seal on college grants which he signed into effect 2012? No, I doubt it. He’s just a rich kid who calls himself a worker, yet he has never worried about a job or worried about telling one’s kid that he cannot pay tuition costs. Oh yes, and he has not had the upset of a cancer diagnosis that drains ones life savings like my family has. He is more of the same bullshit, with a voice. Stick to what you really know James Taylor. You can write about the worker all you like but you have never walked in one’s shoes. But then again, that is exactly what Obama does so go for it.

Comment on Let us judge people on their accomplishments and character by Harvey

Harvey — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:50:17 +0000

There are too many esoteric methods to judge character and accomplishments. It is better to await the historical perspective then to offer real-time answers. Historians recognize that Truman was probably the most unprepared person to become President whereas history looks at Reagan with a smile because of his ability to communicate with the opposition party. The obvious solution would be a constututional amendment making the losing presidential candidate, the vice president. It would have been interest to see how the phony endless war in the Middle East would have changed this been the rule. Both Nixon and Ford must take blame for the unnecessary Vietnamese War that caused the severe recession of the 1980′s. Your interest in Andrew Cuomo is fascinating because of his role in the housing crisis that triggered the recession and depression to many also caused by another war, this time actually encouraging the continuation of the war by occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. One thing is certain though Andrew is no Mario. His dependence on focus groups and media adverting quickly raise the question of where is this money coming from? Some of us like Soros, and some of us like the Koch Brothers. I like neither and prefer to address the actual issue of the direction being taken by our Country. How can Andrew have any convictions if he depends on focus groups and media advertising. If an example is needed let us look at the accomplishments and character of FDR. Or take a time machine and look at the Presidency of Mr. Washington. However this mindset is hardly confined to the United States. China for all intensive purposes is a predator capitalist economy and should be properly defined as a fascist state, having long left whatever the principles of communism.The reason why many don’t like Andrew is simple. He was his father’s campaign manager when Mario lost a bruising primary against Mr. Koch, and then his campaign manager when his father beat Koch in the gubernatorial primary using rather harsh political tactics. I listen to Andrew and like what I hear but always am curious why he seems to always say the “right” things. NYS has hardly changed and he has been governor for a short time. Employment in Upstate NY is worsening. His proposals such as coterminality and looking at and ending regional duplicative government service delivery are excellent. yet they remain proposals while fraud and abuse in NYS Medicaid have become institutionalized and the clout of NYS is measured by the steady of Congressional seats to other states.

Comment on State Needs James Taylor for Senator by Harvey

Harvey — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 04:14:01 +0000

Alan this one leaves you wide open. First I enjoy James Taylor and consider him a national treasure but there is a major obstacle to your suggestion, and something obvious from political science. You are a Professor Emeritus and for good reason, this is not a good example. James Taylor is an entertainer and as noble profession as it is, remains an individual who provides entertainment. Many of our political leaders are entertainers without trying very hard. The problem is that employment in the entertainment field is usually based upon calculated luck such as the career of Howard Stern. The gift of an IBM Thinkpad from IBM Wall Street in Manhattan on his birthday many years ago enabled him to develop his craft better. James Taylor is a national treasure based upon his giving and sharing without hesitation his remarkable talent. Bob Dylan says “he’s just a topical singer” and not political. If we start picking our politicians by their entertainment skills then we create a monster. You are converting our aged but remarkably effective political process into a popularity contest. I prefer my politicians to be not just role models but actually knowledgeable about the political office being sought. I like my politicians to be able to express themselves not from training before an audience to entertain but from qualifying knowledge of complicated geopolitical issues. In the midst of a situation similar to current times we elected an actor named Reagan. He seemed to have a nice smile but doomed any meaningful relationship with Iran by engaging the ridiculous Irangate with Colonel Oliver North. Didn’t we learn from Reagan? We have a separation of powers in State and national Government. Likewise I would welcome the suggestion of some that our elected officials be elected because of competency not entertainment talent. I enjoy ripping some old James Taylor albums to my computer however I don’t think he would do so good in Congressional debate about foreign policy. We must pay our entertainers to entertain and out elected officials to lead by making difficult decisions. It is the responsibility of the Mass dems to attract and nurture individuals interested in elective office. I am sure that they can find quite a few individuals interested in elective office. If the leadership of the Mass dems cannot then it is the fault of the Mass dems.

Comment on Is the sex lives of our leaders really news? by voiceofreagan

voiceofreagan — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:04:06 +0000

More government propaganda and brown nosing bs as you begin the rehabilitation of Weiner by revising history. The Twitter photo was of his erect schl*ong in his gray underpants. Certainly not “buff” as you trivialize. Google weiner and twitter then you can apologize and write a retraction. let these perverts like Weiner and Spitzer wallow in their own past.

Comment on Who is this year’s biggest turkey? by Jack Reylan

Jack Reylan — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:23:22 +0000

Ding Dong Screw Loose got hit by his own Margiotta Caboose. Stick a plunger up Cuomolectual Cox Yucker Bloombugger’s nose to relieve his congestion pricing and his metric system. Spray DDT to kill the bedbugs and roaches that infest Manhattan minds. When we were allowed to smoke, TB and bedbugs got fumigated. Parasite Manhattan residents, like Washington DC and exconvicts should not be allowed to vote, unless they want to vote in Europe. Move all the parasite universities to Manhattan and tax all college degrees and net present value of rent control to reduce our property taxes. Require a valid driver license for any employment. Double tax any parasite not working for profit. Build and join rail hubs at Woodside and West Farms to bypass Manhattan. Liberate Long Island City and Brooklyn from over a century of 1898 Tamanend oppression. Move UN, missions, residences to Governor’s Island surrounded by gators. Anyone who shops at Whole Foods must consume at least one of their own organs weekly. Apartment dwellers must consume any vermin found on their premises. Turn Central Park into a smelly green waste processing facility. Firebrand the forehead of anyone having an abortion. Access in and out of subway stations should only be by firepole.