He Did It Again / The True Face of the Exploiter

Two biggest news in New York of the last week were
1) Yankees' victory
2) Michael Bloomberg got his third term.

I didn't know Yankees's last win at the world series
was nine years ago, wow.
Actually my career crisis started around the same time.
So I really hope to have a positive change in my career
as well for the next year.
Well, even I know, judging with the current economic situation
and the huge media ciris in Japan, that would be very difficult.

Anyway, Yankees victory was of course a happy story
for New Yorkers, even though it did not effect
anything of my life except some conversations
with my Japanese acqauintances about Matsui.

On the other hand,
Bloomberg buying the third sheet of the mayor
was not a happy story for me at all.
First of all, he changed the law
that had limited the mayor's terms no more than two.
And he spent staggering $100 million for that one,
which was $157.27 for each voters,
and his opponent spent $13.12 for each voters.



As the matter of fact,
He has not recieved any salary from the city
since the first time he bought the seat of the mayor 8 yeras ago
because he does not need that kind of small money,
instead he makes tons of profit by using
his status and the power to control this city as a moyor.

Unfortunately many people admire rich people and vote for them.
Though I think it is so easy to understand that
rich politicians do politics for riches not for others,
many people do not get that logic sadly.

He has such a nice persona,
a great business man with a nice smile.
But nobody can be that rich without manipulations and exploitations.
If you think only hard & honest work can take you that high,
you are absolutely naive.
Yet, apparently too many people are that naive
and so easy to be exploited.

When you imagine about the face of the exploiters,
you may think a mean face of greedy landlords or something.
But the real exploiters exploite those cheap exploiters
and they exploit the system of the socirty
with a smile of a gentle man.
Yes, they are good at manipulating you,
aren't you manipulated?

Believe me, in this city, under this ministration,
the gap between riches and poors will keep windening.
Well, only hope I got out of this election was
after that much of spending,
the gap between him and his opponent actually widened
insead of getting bigger.

City Wide Gentrifications, Who Really Got Benefited?

During '70s, New York city had really detariorated.
When I got here, which was in 1983,
Alphabet city, which was the east side of Avenue A of Manhattan,
East Harlem and South Bronx were like War zones.
After so many fire caused by the arson,
those areas looked like the bombed-by-the-airraid zones.
And many other areas looked so shabby.

In '80s, the city started the gentrifications
and in '90s, under the Giuliani ministration,
it was really intensified.
He had cleaned up Time Square Area completely,
where used to be a horrible dump,
porn theatres, adult stores and peep show places lined up,
whores, pimps & pushers loitered all the time,
and so many tourists were mugged violently.
Miraculously it turned out to be Disneyland looking area within four years or so.
Many other areas' gentrifications followed
like 14th street & Union square and Meat market Area.




Over all, New York has become much cleaner and safer,
that is definitely great.
But besides them, what other aspects of our city lives did they improve?
Hmmmm, nothing much.
And because of the gentrifications,
the rent conditions has become totally out of control,
and that has caused the huge price increase on everything.

For the last 20 yeasr, in my area, East Village,
the rent has got higher 6-8 times!
The price of groceries has, at least, doubled.
The subway fare has increased from 50cents to $2.25.

And the minimum pay is still $7,
which means, after tax, you bring home less than $1000.

The city let big developers use the public loan
with the very low interest.
The current mayor, Blomberg, the self-made super rich guy,
is seeking for his third term.
Today I saw a middle aged, middle class white woman talking on TV,
and she said that she believed his business skills would lead this city to the right way.

If you think someone can become that rich only with honest & hard working, you are too naive. And apparently there are too many naive people are living in this city and they will vote for him again.
Only the people who know how to manipulate and exploite the system can become rich like Blomberg. And rich poloticians do politics for riches, not for the middle class and the poors.
To me, it is such a easy logic, but it seems so many people do not understand and they do admire riches.
He will be the mayor again and you will be squeezed out more & more if you are not rich.