A bad day for George Pataki

[brooklynite]

The New York Post has been a stalwart defender of all things Republican, and of Gov. Pataki in particular. Today however, they seem to have lowered the boom. We start on the cover page with:



This leads to the main story of the paper:

2 YEARS OF WTC PLANS LIE IN RUINS AS PATAKI ORDERS A NEW TOWER

Gov. Pataki yesterday ordered up a complete redesign of the planned signature skyscraper in the wake of Police Department warnings about security risks.

The move is a major reversal of Pataki's promise to move rapidly to restore lower Manhattan's skyline with an "iconic" post-9/11 tower that would be the world's tallest building and a symbol of liberty.

http://nypost.com/news/regionalnews/23780.htm

Next to this is a nice sidebar on the political implications:

GOV'S CRUMBLING LEGACY

May 5, 2005 -- ALBANY — Gov. Pataki's political career is paralleling Ground Zero — they are both going nowhere right now.

http://nypost.com/news/regionalnews/23775.htm

And, just to round things out, a nice mention on the Editorial Page:

PATAKI'S PIT: TWO YEARS LOST

May 5, 2005 -- Gov. Pataki, having been mugged by reality, yesterday scrapped the design for the 1,776-foot-tall Freedom Tower at Ground Zero.

He still doesn't get it

http://nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/23750.htm
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I wouldn't put too much hope for that Presidential endorsement...

[Beetwasher]

1. Spitzer's Gonna Make Minced Meat Outta Pataki

And I'll be dancing in the streets!

[H2O Man]

3. Pataki won't run. n/t

[confludemocrat]

11. He wont because he approaches being moderate and GOP wants wingnuts

I didn't say he was competent, only that he looks superficially moderate.

[lonestarnot]

5. Gov. Poohcahcki....poof.

[H2O Man]

2. Pataki is betting on

this week's top NYS court ruling that allows him, er, the Indians to expand gambling into the Catskills to pump his approval ratings as it raises funds for the state. Who needs jobs?

[BurtWorm]

6. Pataki is a gambler.

He thinks the rest of us should be too. No more taxes, but a NY State slot machine in every corner store. :patriot:

[H2O Man]

9. It's terrible.

I'm not concerned so much if people bet or play the lottery. But we need jobs that produce something. Sometimes I think back to the descriptions of gambling in books like "Serpico" and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," and I realize who is in the state house.

[BurtWorm]

10. It's the most regressive form of taxation

short of impounding poor people's bank accounts. Disgusting!

[H2O Man]

13. When the Onondaga Chiefs were

offered an opportunity to consider a casino, I remember Irving Powless Jr traveled to see a few. When he returned, he said that he had witnessed people who didn't have quarters to spare, putting quarters into machines. Gaming was outlawed by the Code of Handsome Lake in 1798 for good reason. The Cuomo administration needed to find someone to "front" for the interests that wanted to bring gambling to NYS; they were attempting to resolve the two US Supreme Court decisions that favored the Oneidas, at the same time. So they appointed a fellow who could never be a chief to be the "recognized leader" of the Oneidas. It was an ugly time. Ada Deere ruled in favor of the traditionals; she was forced to reverse her BIA decision the next day. (!)

I had clients at the MHC who were on SSI, and who gambled, some weekly, at the casino. One was issued a casino credit card, on which he could gamble up to $60,000. I'm not comfortable with that.

[brooklynite]

14. Um, we already have those:

[BurtWorm]

4. Thank the gods that eyesore won't be tarnishing the skies anytime soon.

That tower that screams "BROKEN!!" not "freedom." :eyes:

[HockeyMom]

7. 10 years to reach full occupancy of the Towers

Think it will be any less this time? Given not only our current economic state in NYC, but also the "jinx" factor? What I mean by that is this. I worked in large corporate buildings in Manhattan. Do you know how many don't have a 13th floor?

[BurtWorm]

8. This one will probably be missing a 9 and an 11, too.

I just hope it doesn't wind up looking like a piece of broken glass.

[rocktivity]

12. If there are flaws, they should be addressed before it's too late

but it shouldn't have taken this long to come to that conclusion.

There IS a silver lining, though: they could have gone with the design that looked like you could play tic-tac-toe on it!



:headbang:
rocknation