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Pork Barrel Politics
Do lower case letters really make traffic signs more readable?
So this
is supposed to be easier to read than this:
And yes, am being totally biased in the making of these signs. I actually find the imposed new style more difficult to read from a car. I blame that in part to tradition: I expect New York City traffic signs to be in all caps. Yet I also blame it on the descenders of the lower case letters: the "tail end" of the G, J and Y become more of a distraction to me on signs. And the assymetric spacing in the rectangle gets all thrown to shit when you mix upper and lower cases.
By the way, this goes to the fontards: I know I should have used Frutiger for the signs. For some bizarre reason my computer doesn't have it.
Anyway, I find this imposed change completely ridiculous.
My kids' teachers asked for paper towels and toilet paper because supposedly the schools couldn't pay for it. One of the schools also wants $125 for each after school class because allegedly budget cuts have gutted the after school program.
Yet the feds have $26 million to throw on small-caping traffic signs because allegedly they are easier to read? From New Yorkers outraged as bureaucrats order city to change lettering on every single street sign:
Street names will change from all capital letters to a combination of upper and lower case on roads across the country thanks to the pricey federal regulation, officials said Wednesday.
[...]
The Federal Highway Administration says the switch will improve safety because drivers identify the words more quickly when they're displayed that way - and can sooner return their eyes to the road.
So what do you think? Is the change worth 26 million dollars?
The Yankees deal will only bring in 15 more jobs? [UPDATED]
Here. Shed a tear for the Yankees before I start ranting about them.
This from Newsday, Balking at stadium deal:
The New York City Industrial Development Agency and state Assemb. Richard Brodsky agree on little when it comes to the new Yankee Stadium deal. Here's where they differ:
Luxury suite: City officials say the luxury suite at the new stadium has been cited in public records since 2006, specifically the lease agreement between the Yankees and the development authority. Brodsky claims it was "secretly acquired" and he only discovered it this summer after a public hearing. The box seats about 12 people and was envisioned for the use of the mayor to entertain dignitaries and reward city employees for exemplary service. City officials also have the right to purchase 180 seats at face value before they go on sale.
Jobs: NYCIDA has stated that more than 900 part-time workers will be the equivalent of an additional 550 to 770 full-time workers at the stadium. Brodsky has said the NYCIDA's records show an additional 15 full-time workers.
Threat to leave: When citing its reasons for allowing public-backed financing of the stadium, the NYCIDA cited the likelihood the Yankees would "relocate outside the city" if a new stadium deal wasn't struck. Brodsky said an investigation by his oversight committee found no evidence of a Yankee threat to leave. The closest thing to a fresh threat to leave were 1993 news clippings supplied by the NYCIDA in which such threats were discussed, Brodsky said.
NYC is going to get rimmed by this Wall Street bailout. There's no other way to describe this. We not only lost something in the order of 30 to 40 billion dollars in bonuses ALONE, we've lost over 11,000 jobs since the Lehman meltdown. read more »
