| Bloomberg's
Snow Show
By
Rafael Martinez-Alequín
February
12, 2007
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.
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