On every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush’s two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country’s condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton’s two terms, often substantially.

We’re poorer, our kids are poorer and we are all less likely to have health coverage. Bush inherited a $236 billion dollar surplus and left us with a $1.3 trillion dollar deficit. Along the way, he saddled us with a $1.35 trillion dollar tax cut (among others) and a $694 billion dollar war (more expensive that Vietnam, it turns out). Oh, and the stock market lost 22% under Bush’s economic policies.

Heckuva fiscal responsibility, Georgie.

[As] someone who happened to be in New York City eight years ago today, the implicit premise of the 9-12 Project — that those who aren’t on Beck’s side must have somehow “forgotten” 9/11 and its aftermath — ticks me off royally and personally.

I was at home in Brooklyn, holding my six-week-old baby on the couch, when I saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center on TV. I watched the smoking pit of the ruins from the roof of my apartment building as bits of memo paper and ash drifted on the winds to my neighborhood. I was there on 9/11, and 9/12, and 9/13. You’ll excuse me if I don’t feel warm nostalgia for the lingering smell of burnt airplane fuel, and metal, and bodies.

Right on.

Nine-year-old Jacob Ganzfried died today after being hit by a car at Bedford and Wallabout. The driver who hit him had a suspended license for failing to have insurance.

I don’t know what gets into people when they drink.

I could write a book. Or five.

WG News + Arts held a candidates forum for the 34th District last night. For a while, it looked like it would be yet another one-sided discussion, this time with just Gerry Esposito (you may remember that the last two times Diana Reyna was the only candidate to show).

Well, at the last minute Diana Reyna decided she would attend. So kudos to her (the only candidate to appear at all four candidate debates/forums). And kudos to Gerry Esposito, who has now attended two of the four (and gets extra credit for appearing at a fifth event that wound up getting cancelled). Notably absent at all one of these events is the third candidate in the race, Maritza Davila.

And while I’m at it, kudos to WG News + Arts and the Brooklyn Rail for organizing the whole event.

In that spirit, the Grand Central Parkway could come into play… How about making it the Edward M. Kennedy Parkway?

How about not? (And while I’m on the subject, how about not naming a subway station after Michael Johnson.)