Killing Trees to Save Them
What about the effect of printing environmental impact statements?
By Josh Rogers
Any green activist worth his weight in flowers has spent hours reading environmental impact statements (EIS). Even though the reports are typically prepared by agencies anxious to start work, they still have info that may derail or kill a project. Read more
Our Town Goes Downtown
To the Readers:
Hello, uptown residents of Manhattan! Manhattan Media, our parent company, announced last week that they are bringing back Our Town Downtown, a newspaper focused on all of the arts, news and culture happening below 14th Street.
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Yellow Fever in Manhattan
We are pleased that Mayor Bloomberg and his Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky have finally solved the outer borough taxi problem. Kudos to them and the state legislature for supporting them.
Now, can we please try to figure out how to solve the perennial problem of Manhattan residents and workers who find it near impossible to hail a cab from 4:30 to 6:30 each afternoon and early evening?
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Rep. Crowley’s Correct Priorities
When Bronx State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., the vocal loser in the historic Marriage Equality battle, criticizes you, you know you must be doing something right.
That is the case with the recent non-story in the New York Post about Queens Congressman Joe Crowley’s decision to have his wife and three young children live with him in Washington, D.C, rather than his home district.
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The Son Also Rises
What a difference six months makes.
Late last year, the words “dysfunction” and “Albany” were so often intertwined, we thought they were a compound noun.
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Like Mother, Like Son
West Side Spirit extends its condolences to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who lost his beloved mother, Charlotte Bloomberg, last week.
The 102-year-old matriarch lived a full and fruitful life in Massachusetts, raising a son and a daughter who have become public servants and who were, even more importantly, great children who respected and cared for their elderly mother.
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The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time
Why New York Must Pass ‘Marriage Equality’ Bill Now!
By Staff
When we look back at America’s history, it is hard to believe there was a time when African-Americans were slaves and women did not have the right to vote.
When private clubs excluded Jews. When public transportation made blacks sit in the back of the bus.
Let Free Market Work in City
The last time we checked, we live in a free-market, democratic society where political gain and false arguments cannot supersede the will of the people and fair competition.
So that is why we find it hard to believe that our political leaders in the City Council would even consider impeding Walmart’s entry into the New York market.
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Two For Man’s Best Friend
It is not often that we get a chance to thank local legislators for their concern for non-voters. In this case, the City Council recently passed two pieces of important legislation that protect animals and public safety at the same time.
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Helping Our Schools
The Department Of Education (DOE) has announced plans to replace 26 low-performing schools in New York. Of those, five are in Manhattan. These 26 schools have long struggled with low graduation rates, test scores, attendance and safety issues.
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