Rant #1,419: Lawlessness In the Big Apple

In his short term in office, New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio has created his own reputation as being a mayor of a city where laws don't matter much anymore.

Early in his tenure, he pretty much threw his police force under the bus related to the entire Eric Garner mess, quickly recanting to save face with this important part of city life and with various police unions.

He has as an advisor one Rev. Al Sharpton, a racial rabble rouser and tax cheat who has used the mayor as a stepping stone to break bread with the President of the United States.

Now, the latest crimp in his armor is a proposal that the public should pay for bail for those who commit petty crimes.

Although he himself has not proposed this, it has been put on the table by someone in his administration, and it does not appear that the mayor is going to oppose this measure.

Evidently, under the proposal from Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, bail for petty crimes--such as loitering, minor drug possession, etc.--will be paid for out of a fund set up for such a purpose.

The council speaker, who has an agenda for reforming the current justice system--and the "broken windows" policy of arrests for these types of crimes--believes that with such a fund, many poor and minority offenders will be able to make bail, freeing the justice system from keeping them incarcerated while they await trial.

This would only be applied to lawbreakers who commit certain crimes with bail of $2,000 and under, and would only be applied for those who prove they cannot afford to make bail.

And, where is this fund going to get its money from?

Why, New York City taxpayers, of course.

The proposal has come under fire from those who don't believe that the public should be subsidizing those who commit crimes, whether they are major or, in this case, minor.

Minor crimes will continue to be policed, but with this in place, the council speaker believes that the city will save money, since crime committers won't have to be housed at Rikers Island because they cannot make bail, and will also lessen the number of bail jumpers, also freeing jails of these offenders.

But again, with her proposal, taxpayers will, in effect, be subsidizing criminals. Yes, criminals of a minor ilk, so if a potential crook knows he is going to get out on paid bail, why should he or she be wary of committing a crime in the first place?

The citywide fund would be administered by a non-profit organization, as this would not skirt state law, which allows for non-profits to establish bail funds for those deemed too poor to pay.

Again, the money for the fund would come out of taxpayers pockets, so law-abiding citizens will essentially be paying for petty crooks' bail.

I think that there are better places to use tax money than paying for a turnstile jumper to stay out of jail.

Yes, a crime like that is minor, but a night in the pokey might convince that person never to do it again.

A free ride pretty much puts an "OK" sign on what the person did--and it is being paid for by citizens of the City of New York, giving it almost a stamp of approval.

If this proposal is approved, it will prove once again that Mayor deBlasio does not understand how this city works, and that lawlessness--or at least, the attitude that "anything goes"--is the byproduct of his administration.

But you know what? City voters put him in office, and once again, you get what you pay for, so I guess they are getting exactly what they deserve with this guy, who has proven time and time again that he is in over his head as mayor.