NY Gov. Patterson - Puttin' It All Out There

Photo: Nathaniel Brooks

How much time should we spend on this one? Shortly after his swearing in as Governor of New York, David Patterson was commenting on a different oath - the one he took and repeatedly broke as a married man. In what he hopes is a "pay now to avoid suffering later" maneuver, the legally blind and well educated Harlem born man admitted that he cheated on his wife, that he sometimes used his government credit card for booty call expenses when his own didn't work and that he did his thing with "several women." He also allowed that his lovely wife had her own blemished track record when it came to their marriage.

What he was aiming for, according to the New York Times, was preventing his past being leaked to the press to discredit him or worse, being blackmailed. He's only governor because Elliot Spitzer was caught using hookers. So it would seem that he's just adding fuel to an already raging moral fire. Then again, he did become Lt. Governor because of persistence, determination, probably some luck, and his own will to build a political career. So there is more to him than where he chose or even chooses to lie at night (or during the day or the afternoon). The question was if this was a smart move. Was it smarter than being caught? Was it better to tell people to lower their expectations of his private moral compass while judging him strictly on his public work? Did it make him seem more "human"? Truth be told, many people have had all the humanizing of politicians they can take through their Johnny and Jane-Come Lately confessions, campaign crying and grand speeches. We're based in Los Angeles, but know quite a few New Yorkers. Most are more concerned with how he'll address the budget and if he'll need to be replaced come re-election time. Though some in the "moral majority" may disagree, an increasing amount of Americans are weary of knowing more about what their elected officials are doing in the bedroom than in their office. Our hope is that Gov. Paterson is as open, concise and clear on how NY's tax system is handled as he's been on how he handled his bidness.

State of New Orleans Unmasks Federal Government's Priorities

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Over two and a half years ago a predicted hurricane hit New Orleans and Mississippi. More catastrophically, the levees guarding large parts of New Orleans from related flooding burst open. For those who care, what's the current state of things? You can find some good news and good times in New Orleans, despite the handicapped school system and increasing wealth disparities. There are stories of neighborhoods that are nearly 80% rebuilt. But they are in areas where residents had determination and, let's be honest here, private wealth and resources. Vast areas have been cleared of garbage and debris, including the Upper and Lower Ninth Wards. Thing is, the latter neighborhood still has more porches and open fields than houses. It's here and in other poorer areas that rebuilding is slow and no going. Why? Because the same government that allowed the levees to corrode and rupture is unsurprisingly sluggish in dispensing funds to local officials, citizens and organizations that need it. There are numerous reasons, but an article in USA Today highlights the federal government's rule that emergency disaster funding be granted on the condition that the state requesting and/or city requesting it be able to give 10% of the request up front. Now this was waived for governments of previous natural disasters, including Florida's Hurricane Andrew. But not New Orleans. The city currently has a homeless rate around 400% of most major U.S. cities (1 in 25 compared to 1 in 100). And YES, many are waiting for homes to be rebuilt or at least the money for raw materials needed to get the process going themselves.

Here's our beef. How can the same government that's raining money on major corporations through "give-away" loans, paying astronomical rates for contract services in Iraq and quietly spending inordinate amounts of dinero on space exploration deny money to American citizens whose only crime was being poor or middle class or "just making it" when Hurricane Katrina blew into their neck of the woods? What makes it even worse is that our government's negligence of the structure designed to protect against flooding collapsed. That's not natural. That's what you call a man made disaster. (Funds have gone toward fixing the levees, but it's largely a case of too much, too late.) Seems the federal government through their maneuvering and determination find money for when officials decide to find money. There is little campaign funding or back end profit to be had in simply helping people get economically and socially back on their feet or on at least their knees. The decision for many in New Orleans is "find it yourself." Or rather, go find somewhere else to be ignored.

9021...Oh, Do We Need More of This?

As you hopefully haven't heard, there's a 90210 spin off in the works by Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars and other less "colorful" shows. The family at the center of what promises to be a melodramatic explosion of whiteness (with a minority character or two thrown in) will have a little more going on than the original Walshes. Okay, that's as journalistic a treatment as we can give another show of this nature centered in Beverly Hills or the OC or any other rich area of greater Los Angeles.

Two Onyx Cranium observations for you:

1) Is THIS really necessary or even a good idea for the already saturated mainstream perspective of network television?

2) It's going to have a shitload of viewers.

Sometimes you just know.

Welfare for Wall Street

photo from Associated Press/Henry Ray Abrams

When your children one day ask what the hell this country was thinking, don't say we didn't warn you. In regards to The Fed's collusion in assisting J.P. Morgan with purchasing Bear Sterns Co., here's how the federal government would like to paint this shameless example of corporate welfare disguised as fiscal responsibility:

They're avoiding or at least curbing the beginning of a fiscal meltdown in the banking and finance industries.

Here's how Bear Sterns' shareholders (30% of its stock is owned by the firm's own white collar employees) are painting the bailout, uh we mean buy out:

The poor shareholders aren't being fairly compensated with the company being sold at such a low price ($2 per share) and many may lose their jobs.

Here's how Onyx Cranium sees it:

We are not happy to see people lose their jobs, but we do believe that in a RECESSION that often happens, so it is to be expected. The federal government is working OVERTIME through this deal (and much less publicized others) to save corporate America's ass while throwing middle and low-income tax-paying individuals a bone. Bear Sterns, numerous hedge funds and others in the securities and mortgages business were gambling just as much as people who took the risk that they'd be able to pay their adjustable rate mortgages. And please understand that it goes beyond the subprime market. These companies assume UNFATHOMABLE debt and bet on manipulating opportunities in the stock market to turn enough temporary profit to pay that debt back and then get more. And so how does the federal government behave under a Republican administration that touts letting "the market operate without interference"? Well, as usual, they completely excuse the rule when the money of rich people is at stake. And one can make it seem that it's about saving the entire economy and not panicking the global market (too late), but it's nothing more than old fashioned corporate welfare that will make J.P. Morgan Chase a shitload of dough. As if they needed more. Let's see what kind of RIDICULOUSLY low-interest loans the Fed is willing to give individuals who are struggling due to poor financial choices right now. Our guess: $0. But we could be wrong. (We're not though.)

Surprise Patrol! Penis Trumps Brain!!!!

Okay, this is an easy one. We don't understand why everyone's in a tizzy over New York Governor Elliot Spitzer's admission to being a client of expensive prostitutes. Here's our question: Would people be less outraged if he'd spent our tax dollars on women charging $15 for a B.J. and $30 for a full ride? No, we believe the American public would be even more upset and more disgusted. Onyx Cranium can just hear it now, "And to top it off, they weren't even classy hookers!"

When it comes to this rather common scandal, we'll allow that it receives some front page treatment because this is presidential primary season and politicians doing stupid shit fits in more with the narrowed coverage that passes for "news" these days. We'll even concede that his rather dumb decision to hire professionals without expecting to get caught in this day and age makes him deserving of photos such as the one we're using here. What Onyx Cranium can't deal with is the morality inspired shock of the American public. A man cheating on his wife should not supplant news about domestic and world events that quite frankly impact more people in a more substantial and devastating way. That sentiment aside, we think if they're going to continue to run this as front-page news (even though people care much more about what's going on with the Mayor of NYC than the Governor of New York state), here are some more time-tested headlines:

Man Cheats on Wife with Women Who are Good at Sex!

Politician's Wife Not Shocked by Cheating Husband Since She ALREADY KNEW!!!!!

Unattractive and Balding Middle Aged Man Uses Meaningless Sex to Feel Good!

Man in Power Uses Said Power to His Personal Advantage!

American Public Distracted by Politician's Bedroom Behavior while War, Famine, Unemployment and Corporate Welfare Continue to Escalate!

Modern Cynics Surprised that Man-on-Woman Adultery Gets Same Coverage as Man-on-Man Adultery! Hetero Cheaters Less Likely to Get Book Deal.

We're not saying Spitzer isn't "wrong" on a multitude of levels, but we'll save our shock for something truly surprising.

Being Broke By Any Other Name....

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that UCLA calls the current and immediate future state of the American economy not great, but NOT a recession. Warren Buffett, a billionaire who is currently marketed more for his charity than his dependency on government subsidies, said weeks ago that the United States was already in a recession. Meanwhile the Bush administration (if you want to call it that), along with Congress, is allowing much more relief for mortgage companies than their endangered clients. They are unwilling to call the shrinking value of the American dollar (in America) among other economic and social indicators an official recession. Sort of like the hesitancy to call the Arab massacre of blacks in Dafur, Sudan a genocide. But not calling it that didn't change what it was and what it continues to be today. Such is the case with the American economy. More jobs at Jack N The Box taking the place of higher paying blue and white collar jobs is part of a country's receding status in real economic power. Though a recession involves more, people should be smart enough to ignore this political game of semantics. We owe too much. Spend too much. Save to little. And aren't making sure that enough of our children are smart enough to manage the future any differently. For those interested in long-term consequences of current actions, we're screwed. Unless you are well connected and/or well monied, it's going to get rough and it's going to get worse. If the majority of people are in a recession, then so is the rest of the country - charts and graphs be damned. Studying the economic power of the top 10% or 1% of Americans tells us very little. Even studying the economic situation of the 30+% of working age Americans that have a college degree tells a more limited story. The state of the non-college educated, working age individual is the true story of the majority of the country. THAT is where you look to find out what's really going on. Why? Because except for the 2004 presidential election, the story of the majority should rule.

California Has a Redemptive Moment in Ousting Murderers for Hire

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and have always loved Cali-foreign-IA, shrinking black population and all! But sometimes, I worry. It's somewhat comforting that we're always a blue state among so many red ones. Yet we allow Enron's shady government hook-ups to confuse us into recalling Governor Greg Davis and replacing him with one of the dumbest sounding actors of all time (George W. Bush excluded - at least as an actor). We are at once progressive and regressive in a big way. Inglewood doesn't allow a Wal Mart into their hood, but then the Crenshaw District does so with relish. Basically, despite the cool weather and the beaches, it's hit or miss these days. Well, as Editor-in-Chief of Onyx Cranium, I salute a city known for enclaves of racial integration among a blatantly racist city landscape. That's right! I'm talkin' bout YOU San Diego! Democracy Now! reports that Blackwater USA, the company which colludes with Republicans and portrays itself as a supporter of the American military as it diverts funding from governmental armed forces, planned to build their West Coast headquarters in San Diego. But the citizens of the city said, "F**k That!" (not a direct quote) and this power hungry company that pays private citizens exorbitant fees for security detail in Iraq, while paying much less to mercenaries from developing countries, has to find somewhere else to build their Training Den of Dollars and Death. Now they may convince some nearby local California government to give them ridiculous subsidies to build just miles from San Diego, but for now, they ain't comin' here. Even if this has to be a short-lived celebration, Onyx Cranium will gladly take it. Oh and if you're wondering why we would call them murderers for hire instead of just security detail, it's because the company works tirelessly (and so far very successfully) to keep their contractors from facing any kind of prosecution or accountability by the U.S. government (meaning us taxpayers). You know - the government that pays a huge proportion their damn bills.