AN OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO

Dear Mayor de Blasio:

I see that you're already pulling the Progressives' first move, i.e., going back on your promise to be a man of the people. That new "privacy fence" -- the one you neglected to get a permit for -- inside the Gracie Mansion grounds guarantees the people who voted for you will never catch an unauthorized glimpse of you. Kind of like how your fellow "Progressive" President Obama keeps a tighter leash on the press than President Lincoln during the Civil War.

Perhaps being fenced in from the public has prevented you from seeing the streets of your neighborhood. For 20 straight years, from Rudy Giuliani to Mike Bloomberg, the sidewalks were as close to spotless as they could possibly be. You could almost eat off them, as some people were known to during the Koch and Dinkins years. 

But since your election, it seems like you -- or, rather, we -- can't walk 15 feet without seeing trash on the curb and, worse, dogshit in the middle of the sidewalk. This kind of thing was endemic during the bad old days of New York (1965-1990), and was just kind of accepted, like junkies on every corner and muggings in the middle of the day.

The previous two mayors proved that New York could be a clean, safe city if the people who ran the show wanted it to be. Now, I'm a registered Independent, because I truly believe that Democrat and Republican politicians are beholden to themselves first, the party second, and the people dead last -- like 45th in a choice of three. But what is it about Democratic mayors that makes them think filthy streets are just part and parcel of New York life? 

Now, I realize you have other things on your plate right now. The cops are under fire for killing unarmed black males. The resulting protests seem to be clogging the streets by the tens of thousands every other evening. However, you can do two things at once, can't you? I mean, you're a big city mayor with, I would guess, dreams of being president one day. Please, learn the art of multitasking. 

Count your blessings. If these trigger-happy cops worked under Giuliani or Bloomberg, they would have been considered the source of the problem. You, on the other hand, are a "Progressive," and therefore are perceived to have clean hands. Unlike my neighborhood sidewalks, shit doesn't stick to you. Yet.

Your neighbor,
Ol' Fish-Eye

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