The snowfall this week was expected. But the refusal to not suspend alternate side parking was a surprise. A storm of this consistency merited a day or two for drivers to dig themselves out. Not so said Mayor Bloomberg. Standing tough in his characteristic sway, he condemned motorists to a tiresome dig. An excavation that could rival a fossil search since the snow was so hard. But dig they did. Some found it just too hard literally, and opted for the orange paper on the windshield. Forty-eight hours later, the "snow" hit the fan. Newspaper headlines screamed at Bloomberg's insensitivity. His smug delivery regarding the responsibility of car owners hit a nerve. Bloomberg may ride the subway as a gesture to the proletariat, but when was the last time you saw a photo of him shoveling snow. Had the mayor deigned to toss one snowball, he would have known how compacted the snow was. A frivolous analogy maybe but so was Marie Antoinette when she uttered,"Let them eat cake". So it goes. As people struggled to shovel, Mayor Mike was probably thinking, "Let them dig snow". The good news is that one thing Bloomberg is sensitive to is bad publicity. He has done a turnabout, but not an apology. Bloomberg states that parking tickets related to alternate side in the last two days will be voided. Now before you heave a sigh of relief, remember that this decision did not evolve from empathy. It was those negative newspaper accounts that pushed Mikey to relent. And as the snow begins to melt, hopefully, the furor of NYC motorists will also. In the grand scheme of the political scope, this is but a blip on the radar. However, in a city that is fast becoming a safe haven for the rich, the divide between limousine liberals and the working class continues to grow. If the needs of the building super with the old Chevy are not met, he will not be around to help you dig out your limo. Mr. Mayor.......we are all in this together, like it or not.
1 comment:
The subway rider Mayor of New York City may fool himself, but not the working people who have to ride the subway, and leave their cars at home since they can't afford the high cost of parking in the Big Apple. Likewise, digging our cars from the snow, having to go to work, and coming home to an icy patch. He doesn't have a clue of the life of the working men and woman in this City. You are so right, "who will shovel his limosine out," if he continues to make room for the very rich, and push around the poor and the struggling middle class.
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