Here we go again.
Mind if I borrow this, Spiff? I'll turn it off when I'm finished.
Posted on 05/03/2007 3:50:18 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES HATE CRIME INITIATIVE TO REDUCE HATE CRIME AND ENHANCE HATE CRIME INVESTIGATIONS AND PROSECUTIONS
Joins With City's District Attorneys, Bias Victims To Unveil Hate Crimes Task Force
New 24-Hour Hate Crimes Hotline Established
Mayor Renews Call For State Legislature, Congress to Pass Hate Crimes Legislation
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined with anti-hate crime groups, Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari, and the District Attorneys of Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island to unveil a new initiative that will help reduce the number of hate crimes and enhance hate crime investigations and prosecutions in New York City. The sweeping initiative includes the allocation of almost $4 million for the creation of a Hate Crimes Task Force within the NYPD and an additional $1.2 million in funding for the City's District Attorneys to enhance prosecutions of hate crime offenders. The City will also establish a new 24-hour, hate-crime hotline -- 888-440-HATE.
Also joining the Mayor at the announcement were Police Commissioner Howard Safir; Criminal Justice Coordinator Steven Fishner; representatives of the Bronx and Brooklyn District Attorneys; Iman Pasha; Edison Jackson of Medgar Evers College; and representatives of the Anti-Defamation League, the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the Empire Pride Agenda, the Anti-Violence Project, and the Domestic Violence for Chinatown Planning Association.
"Every hate crime is a crime against our City, since it strikes at the diversity upon which New York thrives," the Mayor said. "Over the last several years, the Police Department and the City's District Attorneys have made tremendous strides in reducing the incidence of hate crime. This initiative will enable our City to make further progress toward eliminating crimes driven by hatred and ignorance, and it will encourage more victims to come forward."
The Mayor continued, "I also again call upon the State legislature and Congress to enact hate crimes legislation that recognizes the severity of hate crimes and imposes the appropriate penalties."
Police Commissioner Howard Safir said, "The new Hate Crimes Task Force will enable the NYPD to investigate hate crimes more effectively. It will help us identify those who have a history of committing bias crimes and help us prevent other bias crimes from taking place. The Hate Crimes Task Force will create an environment where no one will believe that they can commit a hate crime in this City without being apprehended and prosecuted."
Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau said, "Crimes motivated by hate and bias have especially pernicious effects on society. The expansion of police and prosecution resources will enhance the ability of law enforcement to effectively investigate, prosecute and bring appropriate sanctions to bear on those who perpetrate these most serious offenses."
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, "Crimes motivated by ethnic or racial bias - particularly those involving violence - are deplorable and can never be tolerated. The Mayor's initiative will help all of us in the law enforcement community to more aggressively investigate and prosecute bias crimes. It sends a strong message that crimes motivated by hate are to be condemned and that when they do, regrettably, occur they will be vigorously prosecuted and severely punished."
Richmond County District Attorney Bill Murphy said, "The prosecution of bias crimes has always been one of my top priorities. In fact, when I was president of the New York State District Attorney Association in the late 1980s, I convinced the Association to change its position and support the passage of hate crimes legislation. Although the State Senate has not yet passed this much-needed provision calling for tougher penalties against bias crimes, I was delighted to learn that my office will be receiving additional funding to actively pursue bias cases and conduct thorough investigations."
As part of the initiative, the Hate Crimes Task Force will receive $3.8 million in funding to quadruple staffing; create a sophisticated hate crimes database to monitor bias incidents and track hate organizations; establish a hate crime prevention training program aimed at elementary and middle school students; and increase the budget for special hate crime investigations, such as the ongoing investigation into the recent acts of vandalism against religious symbols. The additional funding will also enable the Hate Crimes Task Force to increase community outreach and improve coordination with federal, state and local agencies and the City's five District Attorneys. The $1.2 million allocated to the District Attorneys will enable them to devote more personnel and resources to hate crime investigations and prosecutions.
NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force personnel will be deployed to designated areas of the City based on analyses of the number of bias incidents, types of crimes, patterns and community concerns. The Task Force will deploy personnel based upon reported bias incidents and emerging patterns.
Since 1996, the number of bias incidents has declined 24 percent, from 513 reported incidents citywide in 1996 to 390 incidents in 1999. As a result of the creation of a 24-hour hotline and increased community outreach and information efforts, the City expects more hate crime victims to come forward, resulting in an increase in the number of reported hate crime incidents.
www.ci.nyc.ny.us
Or when he paid his taxes on time or when he used the crosswalk instead of jay walking?
Here we go again.
Mind if I borrow this, Spiff? I'll turn it off when I'm finished.
An "imperfect" Republican (if that's the term we're using this week) is no different than a typical Democrat. So ipso facto we are fighting one in the same.
It’s a valid question. Answer or don’t. It doesn’t merit a flame. I was actually asking Rodney King, anyway. Yours was just the most recent post.
Not really. He said he'd never vote for Rudy. End of discussion.
That's why we all need to get out there and make sure someone wins the nomination who isn't going to chase away Republican votes.
In the primaries I will vote for another candidate. If for some odd reason (GOP (and other?) money transfused to him, can’t imagine any other reason) he wins the primaries, I’ll be voting third party, thank you.
Some lesser evils are so close to the greater evils that I couldn’t in good conscience vote for them.
“Hate crime” laws-—the hallmark of totalitarianism-—were imposed by Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Fidel....and now Giuliani.
Might as well start a database. You're gonna need one to keep track of it all.
I voted third party once and Clinton was elected. After that, I could no longer tolerate the DNC. But not voting is even worse.
I am not exactly sure.
First... If Giuliani actually came out swinging on flat tax, HSA's, partial privatisation of social security, then I would vote for him.
Basically, though, I just don't do that lesser of two evils voting anymore. Having lived most of my life in CT, I did it all the time since the Republicans are all liberals. I also did it somewhat in 2000 (although, I had hopes for W), I deifently did it in '04, as I don't like W, but hated Kerry.
Anyway, it has occurred to me, largely from reading DU and KOS, where they too feel that they vote for the lesser of two evils, that this is a massive con and a suckers game. While one can make the logical case for any one election that one should pick the lesser of two evils, it is very clear over time that it is a suckers game. I simply refuse to play it anymore.
As to the specific question: I may vote for Giuliani (although I doubt it). If there is a good third party candidate, I will vote for him/her. I will not vote Democratic. (Well, if it was Gravel vs. Giuliani I suppose I might vote for Gravel).
The big difference is that none of these things you mention were really anything more than grandstanding and showmanship, and they had zilch effect on anything really substantive. "Hate crime" laws, on the other hand, present a clear and present danger to the First Amendment, which is yet another amendment that Rudy isn't too keen on.
All the more reason to make sure no one is nominated who will put you in that position again.
I don’t know anything about this Gravel guy. Even if Joe Lieberman ran, I’m not sure I could ever vote Dem. Like you, I can’t stand Kerry.
I think for social conservatives the issue comes down to abortion, that it splits the party more than any other. That’s too bad, IMHO, since the odds of overturning Roe v. Wade are probably slim.
Even though I abhor abortion, IMO it would be better to ‘legislate backwards’ to defeat it than to tread on stare decisis. And that is possible now that late term/partial birth AB has been taken out.
He inadvertently hit on a grain of truth here. Most of what is now called *hate crimes* is already illegal. No need to make a special category of crime when people can be prosecuted under current laws to begin with.
He learned that real quick.
Yes, it was an unhappy experience I’d love to avoid. Come to think about it, I never have really noticed when the primaries come around. Even now, there’s a bond issue up for vote and I have yet to drag my carcass in to early vote on it because I’m spending too much time here and not researching it!
Yeah - it happened real fast too. I think Jim has the power to zot through standard tcp/ip.
That must be a real rewarding experience.
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