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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   34404 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 13, 2023

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to the great benefit of the city's working poor

But if the city's working poor would benefit the most from this, why aren't they agitating for it? One would expect to see community groups spring up to deal with the issue, much like they did for the last 100 years of American history, but now there's nothing. Heck, I'd even expect it in the ballot box and candidates.

Now, I'm very willing to accept that the reason they aren't is propaganda and sabotage- and indeed, the entire reason why "muh oppression" continues is because it works- but I'm starting to suspect that even urban poor Americans are rich enough that their sense of apathy can take over (they're certainly much better off than any poor person anywhere else in terms of standard of living, and even some of the lower to middle class in other countries) and that the US crossed that point a generation ago.

So long as the poor don't feel themselves under threat and can afford the luxury belief of bike cucking accepting the occasional theft and confusing it for charity, I think it also releases citizens from the standard form of charitable obligations: the toleration of the underclass' behaviors is itself viewed as the charity.

The only place that really breaks this rule are West-aligned East Asian nations- but then again, they still have wireheaders all the same, and that's what hikikomori-dom is fundamentally caused by.

But if the city's working poor would benefit the most from this, why aren't they agitating for it?

How do you know they're not, but they get shouted down by the advocacy groups going on about "consensual substances"? Take the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is she representing her constituency's views on cracking down on subway crime? Or is this something the local working poor, if any of them are in her constituency, know would get them tagged as making fascism look benign so they don't even bother raising it with her?

You can go to her constituency office website and fill out something for FY24 community project funding around transportation, but that seems like a lot of paperwork and hoops to jump through for ordinary people in low-wage jobs to try and organise around.

Now, she has announced funding for these amongst other projects:

New York City Department of Transportation - Astoria Boulevard Safety Improvements

$1,000,000

55 Water Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10041

The New York City Department of Transportation is eligible to receive $1,000,000 to make Astoria Boulevard safer and more accessible for pedestrians by expanding sidewalk space, shortening crossing distances, adding crossings, and adding bus stop improvements, including bus bulbs. Specifically, this project will enhance pedestrian safety and improve pedestrian circulation by constructing curb extensions and median tip extensions along, as well as create left turn bays and crosswalks.

New York City Department of Transportation - Westchester Square Plaza

$1,000,000

55 Water Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10041

The New York City Department of Transportation is eligible to receive $1,000,000 towards safety improvements in an area that is in the top 10% of dangerous crashes (severe injuries and fatalities) in The Bronx. The irregular street geometry at the intersection of Westchester Ave and East Tremont Ave significantly contributes to this area seeing a high number of pedestrian and motor-vehicle accidents, injuries, and fatalities. This project seeks to ameliorate these issues by removing a right turn slip lane and building out Westchester Square Plaza. This solution will create approximately 4,000 SF of quality public space in the area, providing public amenities and landscaping.

Those are great, but is there anything there about "and this is how we'll keep the junkies, criminals and violent homeless out of the new public amenities"?

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