Re-think Hasty Cast Off of Avella's Scratch Off Proposal
It is understood that St. Senator Avella's proposed
scratch off lottery that would fuel community grant funds is a means to support
grassroot and nonprofit program objectives where Member Items had done so. It
is clear Avella's proposal is in response to Governors Patterson and Cuomo's cessation of State Member Items.
The Member Items gave the nonprofit community a place to request funding on an
annual basis, though of a smaller amount
than the multi-year contracts, typical of state agency awards. Multi-year
contracts closeout losers of the RFP process from agency funding for three to
five years or even longer. Further, the award winners have years to develop
relationships with agency employees. The sweetheart deals feared from Member
Items exists with public agencies.
The Member Items gave unincorporated grassroot groups a chance to get funding
for such activities as community gardens, intergenerational programs, special
community events, and other small scale civic projects. These awards were
contingent on the grassroot groups having a fiscal conduit, usually a
community-based nonprofit. Public agencies tend to enter into contracts with
either higher education institutions, groups with 501-c-3 determinations, or
established businesses. Grassroot groups are ineligible for public agency
awards. For these reasons and more, the state legislature had to bring home the
groceries to their districts.
The State Senator's proposal will need to go through the usual vetting that
occurs in NYS Senate and Assembly committees as well as public hearings. The
legislature is in recess now and is due to resume December 2012/January 2013.
Questions that need answering are why did so many years go by where Member Items
were awarded to political associates and family members without correction? Was
it necessary to discontinue Member Items altogether if that was the issue?
I concur that "Flexible funding for a broad range of nonprofits is a good
idea." However, transactions done by agency administrators AND politicians
require close monitoring. Agency administrators may have biases for or against
eligible fund-seeking entities. All humans have flaws.
Labels: news slanting, nonprofits, NYS Senate, politics
Thanksgiving Is Feast or Famine for Retailers
Recent NYC news broadcasts indicate that retailers know Friday after Thanksgiving is the tipping point to the US economy. No one uses the words recession or depression but this downturn is a real drag.
Retailers want to know are US shoppers willing to buy the great products on the shelves. Are US shoppers able to pay the prices for the great prducts on the shelves?
One TV reporter, two days before Thanksgiving, back-handedly suggested to viewers to use their consumer power. She said that retailers and manufacturers may have to reduce prices and "people may forego a $4.00 Starbucks coffee for something cheaper." Imagine that. The product prices at market entry will be lower? That's basic economic theory: lower prices result in higher sales.
Has it really come to the "Consumer is King Era?" Has that day really come when the working stiffs--including stiffs who earn six digits--don't feel stiffed but sought after? Wow! This is a momentous occasion. The dollar is weaker than the Euro and other foreign currencies such that our European "cousins" are haveing great shopping sprees while on holiday here.
Manufacturers have to do something. They've tapped the global consumer market. They've tapped the global labor market. They've tapped the global financial market. Prices have to go down so more people can afford these truly great products.
Labels: consumerism, Eurodollar, media, news slanting, price slashing, prices, society, Starbucks, Thanksgiving, US economy
Crazy as a Fox 5
Fox News at 5 PM was dead set on showing a negative face to the 40th West Indian/Labor Day Parade. Although the broadcasters described it as New York City's largest parade, Fox never showed shots of the floats, dancers, stiltwalkers, or trucks. In fact, there was a party of christians asking people did they want to pray. The Brooklyn Catholic Archdiocese paraded on a truck. It was an event attended by people of various ethnicities, nationalities and personal interests. In fact, restaurateur Kathy Ewa set up one classy vending booth offering jumbo shrimp cocktail and Bourbon Chicken over rice pilaf.
No, Fox News, on September 3, during the 5 PM airing had reporter Robert Malcolm talk about an unidentified 26 year old black man getting shot in the leg two times. This shooting occurred in front of 935 Eastern Parkway during the latter part of the parade. Rather than the usual on-the-ground shots, the video was done from the helicopter. Why? there was plenty of crowd and traffic control to allow for a news van to get to the site. Robert Malcolm did his report away from the shooting site.
Interestingly, no one was arrested. There were police officers along the parkway and posted two blocks away from each intersection between Grand Army Plaza and Utica Avenue. To add to the sensationalism, Robert Malcolm, during his last of five reports on the shooting, said it was a double shooting, excused himself and said one shooting involving two shots.
Then Fox repeatedly showed a 5 second shot of men being jostled. It appeared that they were swinging at one another as if someone was walking through the crowd creating a disturbance. Once the disturbance moved along, the same crowd went back to dancing on the sidewalk. Just what is Fox news trying to depict? That a body of 1 million or 3.5 million people can't behave themselves? Is it too easy to believe that there must be a shooting when people of color come together?
A flick of the TV knobs to Channel 11 revealed the other side of the event. The preview of the 10 o'clock news spotlighted the gaily costumed dancers and stiltwalkers found on Eastern Parkway at the same event. What's a parade without colorful costumes, music and smiling street performers.
Labels: crowd, Labor Day, media, New York City, news slanting, parade, West Indian, West Indian/Labor Day Parade
