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COVID is over.  Everyone who is vulnerable to the virus has had the ability to protect themselves for at least six months.  Anyone who wants to get a vaccination can get one, and everyone who is still worried can access an N95 mask.  There is nothing more the government can do to protect anyone.  So there are two ways for people to get back to normal: Either wait until you get permission, or just live your life. 

Last week, the New York City Council voted to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from the Council chamber.  The statue had been donated to the city by Uriah Levy, the first Jewish Commodore in the US Navy.  Levy was an American military hero who nevertheless endured antisemitism throughout his career.  He admired Jefferson, who wrote the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, which guaranteed the rights of Jews and others to worship according to the dictates of their conscience.  Jefferson’s ringing words in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal,” inspired generations of fighters for freedom.  They provided the ideological basis for the abolitionist and civil rights movements.   Martin Luther King quoted them in his memorable “I Have A Dream” speech.  Jefferson’s work led Time Magazine to proclaim him the most influential historical figure of the 18^th century.

I am writing this in a part of our apartment that looks much the same as it always has. But in the next room, the boxes are piled high in preparation for the move of a lifetime. By the time you read this, that move will already have taken place.

Do you like your streets to be safe?  If there’s a fire, do you want it to be put out?  Do you like your garbage to be picked up?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you have some problems. That’s because the NYPD, FDNY and the New York City Sanitation Department are all severely understaffed because of Bill de Blasio. 

From Forest Hills to Merrick, from Great Neck to Far Rockaway, the polls are open and the election of 2021 is underway.  The unfortunate reality of our electoral process is that far fewer people will vote this year than last, even though the results of this election will have far more ramifications.  Here is a primer on what offices are up for grabs and how they affect you.

Voters shocked the political establishment last week when they elected Republicans to office in deep-blue Virginia and almost did the same in bluer New Jersey. The results for the New York City Mayoral race notwithstanding, the electorate in The Empire State may be ready for Republican leadership.