The City of New York has devised a plan to save $12 million dollars. School bus routes have been cut where low turnout is perceived. Contrary to the City prediction, this plan has caused more chaos than cash. Children are now waiting far longer than usual for their buses and parents are forced to alter their work schedules to accomodate the new routes. When Mayor Bloomberg was asked at a recent press conference about children waiting for two hours for a bus, he bristled. Claiming that no child has waited that long, only to be proven wrong by a NY Post article the following day. Children as young as six years old have been given metro cards by their school and expected to ride the subway or bus by themselves. This is an outrage. Bloomberg has said all along that he wants his political legacy to be judged on what he did to reform education. Does that mean subjecting small children to the terror of fending for themselves? City officials have asked that the public call 311 if there was a problem. Well....not only did the public phone in but the calls relating to this problem topped off at 13,000. A three fold increase. Consider a single, working mother who has to juggle a job and getting two children off to school. The lack of bus service skews her schedule and forces her to take time off to get her children to school. This has a domino effect. If she cannot remedy the situation, she must quit her job. If she quits her job, then she falls back into the poverty cycle she left. Thus, a portion of the $12 mil that our mayor has saved, now reverts to this mother. Nothing is gained.....nothing.
The decision makers have yet to understand the implications of the stroke of a pen.
They live in a bubble of chauffer driven cars and paid expenses. A five minute alteration in the life of a single mother is a major shift in direction. Children left to fend for themselves are the objects of pedophiles and maturity that comes too early. This plan is a kneejerk reaction to a hole in some city accountant's ledger. The wheels on the bus should continue to go "round and round" mr. mayor.
And that is in every borough of New York City where a little child waits in the cold
for a ride to his future.
And here are some comments from readers…….
ReplyDeleteHey there!
I think it's a wonderful article Eric and, it's so true that it is a demoralizing utterance to the heart of the person. And the young ones don't understand the real meaning of the word. That's why it is bantered around by them and, I think that we should promote anything we can to make not only the African American but, the whole indigenous community of the world understand the meaning of the word. I know I would hate my kids to be called the "n" word and, I would get in that persons face, and ask them why? I want my children to be exposed to positivism in their lives and proud to be a Native American, and who they are, and most of all, proud of their culture.
I think that it is a wonderful article and needs to be spread worldwide and
you wrote it with compassion, and understanding, without making it sound
over the top. That's just my opinion
Carmel M.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Eric, right on! Especially as Joe Biden has put foot in mouth launching
what I trust will be a failed bid for the Democrat nomination.
Personally, I have long been puzzled why young Blacks use that word to one another. I guess they think they're street-smart, and putting down one another.
I remember my North Carolina brother-in-law using the word "nigra" in referring to blacks, but it was not pejorative. He would use the term
"nigra" as a way of describing who he was talking about, and I don't think it dawned on him that the word in this day and age is inherently offensive. But the education part is what has to happen among the young. Best wishes, Linda H.
Eastern Long Island, NY
Well written Eric...a clean, lean article...I would add a call for an end to the word "ho", too...not by force of law (a First Amendment no-no)....just by peer pressure...
'bout time, no?
Lenny G.
Boston, Mass.