The number of persons killed by contact with subway trains is truly alarming and, worse, consistent year to year. The victims include persons with severe mental problems and drug and alcohol addiction on the one hand, and, on the other hand, adventuresome youths who see romance and challenge in the subways’ dark tunnels, speedy trains and endless tracks. All the deaths are tragedies.
Search Results for: Ross Sandler
Understanding the Roosevelt Sculpture at the Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History gave the City a contemporary lesson in common sense in the manner that it has handled objections to the Roosevelt Memorial sculpture. The museum created a teaching moment in the best tradition of its educational mission.
Save the Yellow Cab Industry
For 80 years Yellow Cabs have been uniquely successful in New York City, that is until Uber, Lyft and the other app-based networks undermined the industry. This is a huge loss. A street-hail cab system that offers prompt transportation in safe, inspected, insured cabs with a meter and fixed fee is a huge public service. This is especially true in the dense business districts and transportation terminals like the airports. App-based services have no advantage … <Read More>
Charter Revision: More on Council Member Term Limits
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Charter Revision Commission released its report on September 4, 2018 with three recommendations that will be on the ballot on November 6, 2018: downward adjustment of campaign contribution limits for City elected officials to reduce the influence of large contributors; a new commission to encourage greater civic engagement; and term limits and appointment procedures for community boards. All are worthy of concern, but none reach the level of major charter change.
Charter Revision: Let’s Discuss Ending Term Limits For Council Members
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council, in creating competing charter revision commissions, avoided endorsing the central reason why the City could benefit from charter revision: ending term limits for council members. Term limits arguably may have had a healthy impact on the mayoralty, but not so with the council. Two four-year terms for council members resulted in instability of council membership and leadership and a lack of institutional discipline that has produced a … <Read More>
A tale of the lost glove and the efficiency of the 311 system
Returning home at 11 p.m. from a charitable fundraiser in a yellow cab on a Thursday night with my wife Alice Sandler, I lost my right glove. It fell to the floor of the cab as I paid the fare, retrieved the receipt, gathered my umbrella and shouldered my briefcase. I discovered that the glove had disappeared when I arrived home.