Went to Manhattan yesterday, and on the way back this morning was on an Amtrak car to Albany with what seemed like every small-time pol and appointee from Gotham. They were headed north to hear Gov. Paterson's state of the state speech. (He failed to mention rail, except for lip service for the MTA.)
What did the small-time pols talk about? New York development deals--Atlantic Basin, Atlantic Yards (and the what's-JayZ-smokin' Brooklyn Nets), Coney Island's stalled Xanadu, something on Staten Island, Mayor Bloomberg's now-dead Yankees suite--and whining about how the budgets for their small-time offices are being cut. (Did you know borough presidents still have 50-plus-member staffs?)
In other words, they don't seem to realize the world has changed.
