Yanking Their Chain

In today's NY Daily News Juan Gonzales goes after the Bronx political machine for its subservience to Boss George and a concomitant lack of concern for community interests. In particular, he comments on the lightening-like speed that the legislature passed the bill to alienate the parkland that the Yankees will use to build their new stadium: "Steinbrenner's bill, as it will now be known, was introduced in both houses of the legislature over the weekend of June 18...and the final vote was done by June 23."

The issue of the parks has been flim-flammed by proponents and their media acolytes and ignores the construction gap-the years when the old parks will be destroyed but nothing will have yet been built to replace them. What it really comes down to is that the elected officials in the Bronx have been given carte blanche by a downtrodden and apathetic constituency. Perhaps this, along with the Terminal Market debacle, will light a spark of grass roots democracy in a borough that doesn't get to experience it often.