Category: Politics & Government

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Save CBGBs – Mayor Bloomberg goes Punk

Current Mayor of NY, Bloomberg stated “CBGB, it’s a great New York City institution — it’s more than just another club. We are trying to bring both sides together. … It’s part of our culture. They bring a lot of business here. I don’t think they belong any place else other than New York City.” In other words, “I want to be re-elected with even the aging hippies and hipster haters loving me.”

This has been an on going dispute all year between the oldest running rock and punk club in NYC, CBGBs and their landlord, The Bowery Resident’s Committee, a not-for-profit organization that benefits about 8,000 homeless in the NY area. On August 17th, CBGBs won their court case (which was filed back in Feb of this year) against their landlord, who had sued the club for pay of back rent (approximately $307,000 back in 2001) and even the Judge Joan M. Kenney questioned whether the Committee “with suspect accounting, intentionally orchestrated a scenario that precluded CBGB” from paying the accurate amount on time over the past four years. Full story can be read in this Rolling Stones article “CBGB wins round One”

The Committee still contends they are owed money for raised rent and seems to be intentionally pushing to get the club out by excessively raising the rent over 100% (from $19,000 to $41,000) and taking a stance of non-negotiations for this policy. Needless to say the lease on the place is up today Aug. 31st and there doesn’t seem to be much to be done about it, however, you can voice your opinion through the CBGBs site: HERE

CBGBs has been putting on some benefit shows – (Listed here), however, today at 3 PM (lasts till 7PM) you can go down to Washington Square and catch a free Save CBGBs concert with Blondie, Bouncing Souls, Institute with Gavin Rossdale, Chestfield Kings, The Charms and others. Skip work!! Go Now!!! Go!!!

Now although I haven’t attended a show yet, and may ever after today, I fully empathize with this cause and have known of the culture icon of CBGBs for since getting into the Ramones. The club should be saved to further the movement of the punk, and rock music culture in not just NYC, but all over America (something SF I have recently learned has started to take a back seat in lately, but that?s another blog). Save CBGB Site

“CBGB is the last real rock and roll club,” Steven Van Zandt, of “The Sopranos” and the E Street Band said. “There’s nothing like it left in the world.”

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Katrina has layed waste to the Gulf Coast ~ Bush plays guitar

Katrina hit land almost 2 days ago. While millions of Americans have lost their homes or lives in the devastation wrought by hurricane Katrina, Bush not only goes about business as usual, he plays the guitar. This is just another gilmer into the man who’s polocies and politics allow the increase of American poverty levels, increase in the number of Americans without medical insurance (over 45 million now), and the dying of the young men and women in Iraq for a “war” started on emotion and ultimately driven by a monitarily cause.

Party up Bush… why don’t ya sing us a song on how you’re vacation is going…

Just so you know as well: Bush has show his support for Louisiana, Alabama and Misouri by cutting the funding for flood control, and hurricane support and this spring, the Bush administration proposed ‘the steepest reduction in hurricane- and flood-control funding for New Orleans in history.'”

There’s a story making the rounds in the blogosphere about the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project. The most comprehensive information comes from Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News

New Orleans had long known it was highly vulnerable to flooding and a direct hit from a hurricane. In fact, the federal government has been working with state and local officials in the region since the late 1960s on major hurricane and flood relief efforts. When flooding from a massive rainstorm in May 1995 killed six people, Congress authorized the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA.

Over the next 10 years, the Army Corps of Engineers, tasked with carrying out SELA, spent $430 million on shoring up levees and building pumping stations, with $50 million in local aid. But at least $250 million in crucial projects remained, even as hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin increased dramatically and the levees surrounding New Orleans continued to subside.

Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security — coming at the same time as federal tax cuts — was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars.

Policies have consequences. Bad policies have bad consequences.

No one’s blaming George Bush or the Republicans for the hurricane; that’s a force of nature. But the Bush Administration chose to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy and to start a war in Iraq. They chose to cut funding for infrastructure projects and disaster relief, and to move materiel and people that might have helped mitigate this disaster halfway around the world. The policies they chose have made the situation on the Gulf Coast worse. The dots aren’t that hard to connect.

Will Hurricane Katrina get the attention of red state Bush supporters and wake them up to Rep policies and politics? I have a feeling you’re going to see the Bush Administration push rather hard on the media to slow the publishing of hardship reporting in the gulf and you’ll soon see a rise in stories of heroism and saving grace.. oh and maybe god too…