We The People: The emperors strike back

If political debate were restricted to fact not fluff, the people would realize that the pre-K anti-tax argument was a smokescreen. The mayor’s proposed pre-K tax on approximately 40,000 very wealthy New Yorkers would have increased a 3.9 percent tax to 4.4 percent. The tax on $1 million in income would increase by $5,000. New York City’s billionaires and multimillionaires can and should pay a few thousand a year more to provide help to tens of thousands of students who will become better workers and citizens in the future.

Home Depot billionaire Ken Langone, a generous GOP supporter, likened the “tale of two cities” rhetoric to “what Hitler was saying in Germany” in order to gain power. Hitler also said that if you are going to tell a lie tell a big lie. Mr. Langone must have closely studied the sayings of the Nazi leader.

Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairperson, announced that the Republican party will win more seats in the House and get control of the Senate because the people are rejecting Democratic policies. He said, expect “a tsunami-type election in 2014 … a very big win … (and) … success in 2016.

The upset victory of David Jolly, a D.C. Republican lobbyist, in Florida’s 13^th Congressional District may give some credence to that belief. Jolly concentrated on attacking the Affordable Care Act to get a win which may inspire the national GOP to do the same in the new election cycle.

In the New York 13^th Congressional District, Democrat Domenic Recchia wants to unseat Republican Michael Grimm and the parties’ national organizations are gearing up to spend money and resources in the key race.

Grimm announced that he will “run away with this election” and described the district as “a Republican seat.” Thankfully, the voters will decide for themselves who will represent the people of Brooklyn and Staten Island. The people need to see who is better qualified to serve the people and who puts the needs of the people before his own personal needs.

Mr. Recchia, chairperson of the Finance Committee in the City Council, pushed a bill that provided hundreds of millions of dollars of relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island while Congress, including Mr. Grimm, sat on its hands. He transformed his district into a model of development and positive growth. These facts should make the difference when people choose a representative in November.

Another young person died of a drug overdose in Bensonhurst this Thursday despite the recent arrest of a drug ring that provided heroin and designer drugs to the children of our neighborhoods. In Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, the people demand action to stop the substance abuse that is increasing overdose deaths of young people. We need services as well as enforcement; we need counseling and treatment resources to effect a change.