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Mayor's 'Thuggish' Comment Rankles Some
ap on Breitbart.com ^ | 12/21/05 | Sara Kugler - ap

Posted on 12/21/2005 7:48:44 PM PST by NormsRevenge

NEW YORK - The war of words over the transit strike took an ugly turn after Mayor Michael Bloomberg described union heads as "thuggish," a remark some said was racist in the context of a predominantly black union. During his first briefing on the strike Tuesday at City Hall, Bloomberg complained that union leaders had "thuggishly turned their backs on New York City and disgraced the noble concept of public service."

A group of City Council members and black leaders said Wednesday that Bloomberg's comment was racist because it was directed at leaders of a union that is less than 30 percent white.

"We resent the idea that you would characterize a predominantly black and Latino union as a bunch of thugs," said City Councilman Charles Barron.

Ed Skyler, the mayor's spokesman, replied: "It's despicable to inject race into this situation."

Bloomberg has no official role in the labor negotiations, since city subways and buses are managed by the state Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But he is responsible for keeping New York running during the shutdown of the nation's largest transit system.

The Rev. Herbert Daughtry, an influential black minister, said the mayor, governor and MTA leaders were risking comparisons to Eugene "Bull" Connor. The Birmingham, Ala., segregationist police commissioner turned fire hoses and police dogs on black civil rights marchers in 1963.

Daughtry said Bloomberg was using as his "bully club" the state law prohibiting strikes by public employees.

"Be cautious how you use the law to beat people into submission," Daughtry said.

In the past, Barron and Daughtry have used the word "thug" to describe white attackers involved in bias crimes. Barron stressed that the context of the predominantly black union is what made Bloomberg's comment racially insensitive.

Transport Workers Union President Roger Toussaint stopped short of joining the accusations of racism, but said Wednesday that the "thuggish" remark showed the mayor's "lack of respect" for his members.

"We wake up at three and four in the morning to move trains in this town," Toussaint said. "That's not the behavior of thugs and selfish people."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: bloomberg; comment; nyc; racisthow; rankles; strike; thuggish; transitstrike; twu
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To: Ron in Acreage
That's a valid point, but these movie producers go up to Canada to film scenes in all types of environments, not just New York.

The Clint Eastwood movie Unforgiven, for example, was supposed to be set in and around a mythical frontier town called Big Whiskey, Wyoming -- and yet the entire movie was filmed in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in southern Alberta.

41 posted on 12/21/2005 8:40:51 PM PST by Alberta's Child (What it all boils down to is that no one's really got it figured out just yet.)
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To: NormsRevenge

The lady I saw on the news tonight, who was walking from 88th tsreet in Manhattan to Canarsie, Brooklyn (a distance hubby estimates to be at least 15 miles) was black. I wonder if she finds the strike an act of thuggery.

These people have NO SYMPATHY from the working man and woman around here. This union must be broken, completely.


42 posted on 12/21/2005 8:43:43 PM PST by jocon307 (Still mourning the loss of CBS FM)
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To: All

PS, I also saw a white guy who said "I wish Reagan was back, he'd fire the lot of them" or words to that effect. I know he spoke for many.


43 posted on 12/21/2005 8:45:43 PM PST by jocon307 (Still mourning the loss of CBS FM)
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If the ski mask fits...


44 posted on 12/21/2005 8:53:00 PM PST by Syberyenta
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To: jocon307

I saw a black woman on the news who had to walk 23 blocks in the freezing cold to get her cancer radiation treatments yesterday.

TWU workers are worse than thugs. They are inhumane selfish bastards.


45 posted on 12/21/2005 8:55:26 PM PST by Palladin (Merry Christmas! God bless us, every one!)
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To: NormsRevenge
Thug

One entry found for thug.
Main Entry: thug
Pronunciation: 'th&g
Function: noun
Etymology: Hindi thag, literally, thief
: a brutal ruffian or assassin : GANGSTER, KILLER

Funny, no mention of race. They must be using a different dictionary. Yeah, that's it.

46 posted on 12/21/2005 9:07:14 PM PST by Reaganesque
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To: msnimje

That's one for the ages there.


47 posted on 12/21/2005 9:28:20 PM PST by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: avile

Can the city just drop the Union all together and start hiring people in their place? I would like to check that out, I may want to go get a job there driving one of those subway trains.


48 posted on 12/21/2005 9:35:08 PM PST by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: NormsRevenge
"We wake up at three and four in the morning to move trains in this town," Toussaint said. "That's not the behavior of thugs and selfish people."

You're not being called a selfish thug because you get up at 3 a.m. to move the buses and trains. You're being called a selfish thug because you illegally decided to screw everyone else in town by NOT getting up at 3 a.m. to move the buses and trains.

And by the way, you don't get up at 3 a.m. to move buses: you are a union boss, which makes you an overpaid chief thug who probably gets up around 10 a.m. and does no useful, honest work whatsoever.

If you need any further clarification about what you are, feel free to give me a call.

49 posted on 12/21/2005 9:40:56 PM PST by HHFi
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To: Trajan88

I've always wanted to drive a bus since I watched that movie Speed. Maybe they'll let me drive one there. Whaddaya think?


50 posted on 12/21/2005 9:41:16 PM PST by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: NormsRevenge
"We resent the idea that you would characterize a predominantly black and Latino union as a bunch of thugs," said City Councilman Charles Barron.

If he calls them "wrong," is that also racist?

51 posted on 12/21/2005 9:42:04 PM PST by The Old Hoosier (Right makes might.)
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To: jocon307

He was distinctly remembering the Air Traffic Controllers strike. Those guys got their butts handed to them by Reagan, and my dad was laughing the whole time. I kind of remember the look on the Union reps face when Reagan told them they would all be fired if they didn't get back to work. He knew the President wasn't bluffing. It was classic.


52 posted on 12/21/2005 9:43:24 PM PST by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: Reaganesque

Here, this link will give you much more info on the
thuggies:

http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Thuggee


53 posted on 12/21/2005 9:45:26 PM PST by Baby Driver
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To: HHFi

but...but...he is the new Rosa Parks, doncha know?


54 posted on 12/21/2005 9:46:09 PM PST by Palladin (Merry Christmas! God bless us, every one!)
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To: NormsRevenge; Pikamax; Lunatic Fringe
I prefer the term "racketeers."
55 posted on 12/22/2005 1:02:47 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: NormsRevenge

FIRE THEM ALL.

Although I doubt Bloomberg has the authority, I think he aughta lean on some people do to just that.


56 posted on 12/22/2005 1:07:26 AM PST by zbigreddogz
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To: NormsRevenge
Mayor Michael Bloomberg described union heads as "thuggish," a remark some said was racist in the context of a predominantly black union.

The union is definitely feeling the heat. The public in NYC hates them with a passion now.

If the race card has been dealt from the bottom of the deck now (and it has), the union is acting like a cornered animal.

57 posted on 12/22/2005 2:39:46 AM PST by SkyPilot
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To: zbigreddogz; SkyPilot
He doesn't.

Even the famous Ed Koch trooping across the Brooklyn Bridge image was largely symbolic.

Nevertheless, he, along with Pataki, is the public face of our side.

The flaccid response from both is disappointing, to say the least.

58 posted on 12/22/2005 2:46:39 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham
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To: Hildy

If it was Roger Toussaint (sp?) that you heard, I'm surprised you could understand a word he said. Where's he from again?


59 posted on 12/22/2005 2:52:58 AM PST by IrishRainy
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To: IrishRainy

60 posted on 12/22/2005 2:55:09 AM PST by Do not dub me shapka broham
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