Anthony Weiner, the former disgraced U.S. Congressman who resigned after admitting to tweeting images of his “surname” to several women, although he is married, had also “resigned” from Twitter — but he has returned, two years later.
Weiner, married to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Huma Abedin, was considered a powerhouse within Congress and won every election with at least 59 percent of the vote. A progressive attack dog, Weiner tried to expand Medicare to all Americans before the House ultimately voted to pass Obamacare.
Weiner’s new Twitter account, @AnthonyWeiner, has attracted over 5000 followers in the few hours since it was established.
His bio reads, “Fighting to keep New York City the Capital of the Middle Class,” which is ironic since a new report came out showing half of New York City’s residents are poor.
“In a study that surprises almost no one, the Bloomberg administration has found that half of New York City residents are ‘poor’ or ‘near-poor’ meaning that they were ‘making less than 150 percent of the poverty threshold,'” Gawker notes. “This is a small rise in the amount of poor from 2009, when the recession officially ended. But as New York City has made abundantly clear, the recovery has not been shared by all (or even many).”
So, it’s likely Weiner will be running for Mayor of New York. He just spent $100,000 on a new poll that puts him in striking distance of Christine Quinn.
His first tweet? Â A link to his policy paper, “Keys To The City: 64 Ideas to Keep New York the Capital of the Middle Class.”
Weiner’s position paper is filled with both disappointing and interesting ideas.
A few bad ideas:
Make Catholic School Preservation a Tweed Mission. Between 2000 and 2011 the city lost 63 Catholic Schools with another 24 eliminated in 2012. The Parish school is not only an asset in the teaching of values that underpins our society, but it’s also an important practical circuit breaker on another major problem—overcrowding in our public schools. Considering how much attention we pay to the debate over charter schools, the lack of conversation about disappearing Catholic Schools is disheartening.
Let Empty Schools Bustle After Hours — Even for Churches. Given how much we ask of our schools, it makes sense to keep them open as commu- nity centers as much as possible. Civic groups should not be charged to hold neighborhood meetings and local churches that need space should be able to use empty auditoriums for a fee.
Take DNA from More Arrestees. As a matter of course, the NYPD takes fingerprints from all people they arrest. They should also take a DNA swab from as many of those under arrest as practicable. This common sense step would help solve cold cases and clear the innocent.
A few good ideas:
Permit Gay Men to Donate Blood. It’s a relic from a time of fear and misinformation, but it’s a dangerous one. Men who declare that they are gay on appli- cations to donate blood are routinely denied, even though all blood donors are screened for HIV. This not only stigma- tizes a whole class of well-intentioned citizens, but it is foolish in an era when blood shortages are routine.
Bring “Mayor’s Question Time†to the Proceedings of the City Council. Reengaging the public in civic affairs means looking for new ways to spark interest in the debates of the day. Modeled on the British House of Commons custom of having the Prime Minister field questions from legislators, a similar challenge for the Mayor may be enlightening and would give rank-and-file City Council members an unfiltered way to bring issues to the executive branch.
End Prohibition on Hybrid Cabs. The so-called “Taxi of Tomorrow†will soon become the only cab that a hack can drive in New York City. It is not a hybrid or electric or any other forward-looking technology. This would have the effect of forcing many hybrid cabs off the road at a time when we should be using more. The push for a “one size fits all†approach should be scrapped in favor of incentives for driving the most environmentally sound cabs.
Conquer Congestion. Or at Least Try. The dust has settled on the plan to tax outer borough drivers who drive into Midtown. “Congestion Pricing†with its giant government approach of hundreds of cameras and huge overhead is dead. But the conversation about conges- tion should not be. “Smart†parking meters that raise costs based on demand and location, and a renewed focus on stemming the more than 30% increase in truck traffic should be getting civic attention.
The last page reads:
This document, which was paid for by “Weiner for Mayor,†may be reproduced. For more information or to submit your own ideas, contact me at anthonyweiner@aol.com.
— Anthony Weiner