Every June, City Hall and its surroundings are filled with a lot of people asking for a piece of the municipal pie. "Beggars" are found all over the Main City of the World.Calcutta in India, is unjustifiably famous for the beggars within. Malaga in Spain has its gypsy. As one walks thru the Cathedral a swamp of gypsies lands on your feet, to get whatever they can extract from you. In Mexican cities like Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cuernavaca and Mexico City, tourists are chased by beggars who believe that tourist are equivalent to an ATM machine. These are small examples where beggars, due to their unfortunate conditions, have no other way to support themselves and their families.
Here in New York, every June, during the city’s budget process we are witnessing for at least a month, a different kind of beggars. These “beggars” are the “flack” of organizations who are serving the poor people in the city. Contrary to those living in poor country, the Month-of-June beggars are equipped with Smart Phones and iPads, and their clothes are the ones they prefer during their college years. The poor in emerging or developing countries go back to their families, their living place might be a slum covered by cardboard. But, our City Hall Beggars at the end of the day go to their comfortable living rooms, hoping to see their face on the evening news.
The budget process in New York City is the same every year. The Executive (aka The Mayor) cuts money, for example, Library funding. As it is well known, cutting library funds is a no no. The Speaker of the City Council and her cohort in the budget negotiation—all of the sudden find an agreement— and “VOILA”: THE LIBRARY FUNDS ARE RESTORED. The Mayor and the Speaker come out smelling like roses. As they smile for the cameras, instead of a rose smell, the scent emanating from them is HALITOSI of their SOUL.
The Month-of-June Beggars are aware of this ritual. And they go along.
A City Council source on condition of anonymity told this writer that probably Friday (June,24), the Speaker and the Mayor might have a handshake.
See Video bellow of lobbyist in front of 250 Broadway.
Video by Rafael Martínez Alequín
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