THE VILLAGE CHOICE A Weekly Rundown of News, Views and Events Affecting Freedom in NYC Volume 2, Issue 13 * March 28, 2003
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is brought to you by the Manhattan Libertarian Party. http://www.manhattanlp.org
In this issue: * Anti-smoker legislation goes statewide! * City Hall cuts pennies from budget! * No politics for judges! * Your calendar of upcoming pro-freedom events! * Much more!
* News Bites *
Buttheads in Albany Put out that cigarette. Thats what smokers across the state will be told when they try to light up. A statewide smoking ban goes into effect in four months. On Wednesday, Governor George Pataki quickly signed the legislation after lawmakers passed the bill. "This is a historic step," said Assemblyman Pete Grannis. "This is really moving our laws to cover a class of people we should have covered in the beginning." Unlike the city law, the state would not allow smoking even in small bars where the owners are the only employees. Also, the state does not include exemptions for special rooms with separatre ventilation. In other words, the politicians lied when they said the purpose of the ban is to protect the health of employees. As Libertarian activist Joseph Dobrian reminds us, it is purely malicious legislation designed to persecute smokers. See the event announcements below for details about tomorrow night's pub crawl and cigarette light vigil. http://www.ny1.com/ny/TopStories/SubTopic/index.html?topicintid=1&subtopicintid=1&contentintid=28876
They Feel Your Pain Amid the most severe fiscal crisis in a quarter-century, the City Council announced this week that it plans to cut its own budget - by just 1 percent. "We're doing our best," insisted Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan) after the budget for the 51-member legislative body was tentatively sliced from $46.3 million to $45.8 million for the fiscal year that starts July 1. David Weprin (D-Queens), the council's finance chairman, adds, "In the past, [the council] budget has gone up proportionately to the whole budget. We're in a unique position because we have 51 council members who have to do constituent services." Hey, Davey, how about doing a little less servicing? Or at least use some Vaseline. http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/71950.htm
Judge Versus Judge The state's top administrative judge is advising New York judges to steer clear of politics, even though the rules barring political activity were recently declared unconstitutional in federal court. Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman has passed along a memo from an ethics advisory panel that urges jurists to continue to adhere to the state's tough code of judicial conduct, while the federal case is appealed. In what has become known as the Spargo case, upstate Federal Court Judge David Hurd ruled last month that New York's ban against political activity by judges is too vague. "Only in New York does a judicial bureaucrat think he has the power to ignore and then defy a federal district court order," Albany Supreme Court Justice Thomas Spargo complained last week to the New York Law Journal. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/69512p-64686c.html
Harlem Hustle William Minnich's business produces beautiful handcrafted furniture and cabinets, some of which have appeared in New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. State authorities, however, apparently have no use for Minnich's talents. The state wants to turn the building housing Minnich's business into a Home Depot parking lot. The East Harlem building has been in Minnich's family since 1927. He purchased it in 1981, and spent over $250,000 improving the structure. In September 1999, the Empire State Development Corporation, a state agency, issued a Determination to take Minnich's property under New York's eminent domain law. The land acquired under eminent domain rules is supposed to be used for a public project, such as schools, roads or parks. In this case, the government was seeking to take the land to aid another business. http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200303\CUL20030325c.html
* Rant of the Week *
Letter To The Editor
Dear Editor,
I found it quite interesting to read Pamela Wilcox's Rant of the Week in the last issue of THE VILLAGE CHOICE ("Libertarian on Board", March 21st, 2003). Living freely in our city is becoming more expensive every day (Hoorah!). This rapacious city offensive to make us safer at all costs (whether we like it or not) has several obvious logical next steps: We can fine kids $45 for swimming at the beach or in swimming pools, if they have not waited 60 minutes after eating (payable by their parents through backup withholding); Anyone who does not eat their chicken- or tuna-salad sandwiches within 2 hours of purchase, or any other deli food with mayonnaise, can be fined $75 for self-endangerment of food poisoning; and anyone who is mugged while walking alone late at night can be fined $250 for being so irresponsible about tempting weak-minded street criminals (we can put the proceeds of the fines in a pool and create a special program to re-train career criminals for promising careers).
While it's true these new proposals will not make us safer, and might have various unintended consequences, by enacting these new regulations (perhaps attaching it to one of our new city omnibus spending bills), we can bring untold new revenues into our city government, paving the way for a new series of government programs, executive perks, City Charter revisions, new city agencies, and best of all, more tax increases. In this way, we can make life even more onerous for our decent and peaceful hard-working citizens!
Hail Caesar Bloombutt!
Nicolas Leobold Manhattan, New York "just another one of those American gun nuts."
* Upcoming Events *
Saturday, March 29, 8:00 p.m. Butt Out Bloomberg! Pub Crawl and "Cigarette Light" Vigil Join the Manhattan LP for your last chance to "smoke 'em if you got 'em" before the ban goes into effect. The pub crawl culminates with a midnight protest outside Bloomberg's East 79th Street townhouse. Meet outside Doriann's Red Hand, 300 East 84th Street; see link below for complete pub crawl itinerary. http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1282
Tuesday, April 1 - Friday, April 4 13th Annual Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy Topics include Total Information Awareness, encryption, biotechnology and the international movement of information. New Yorker Hotel, 481 Eighth Avenue http://www.cfp2003.org
Thursday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. Junto monthly meeting Guest speaker: Thomas Knapp, Publisher, Rational Review Soldiers & Sailors Club, 283 Lexington Avenue, 2nd floor http://www.free-market.net/partners/j/junto.html
Saturday, April 5, 9:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Sunday, April 6, 10:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Making Democracy More Democratic: Running for the City Council 2003 Seminar taking participants through the entire process of running for office. Registration $50; students with ID $15 Pace University, Multi-Purpose Room, 1 Pace Plaza http://webpage.pace.edu/cmalone/runningforthecitycouncil.html
Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 p.m. Manhattan Libertarian Party monthly meeting Free admission; optional buffet and cash bar 1050 Restaurant, 735 10th Avenue http://www.manhattanlp.org
* News tips, rants and events wanted! *
Help us improve THE VILLAGE CHOICE. Send news bites, rants and event announcements to villagechoice@manhattanlp.org. Please include a web link whenever possible. We will occasionally consider broader topics, but our strong preference is for items pertaining to freedom (or the lack thereof) in New York City.
THE VILLAGE CHOICE is edited by Jim Lesczynski.
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