Ballots and Buses

Bottoms up - The court battles are over and Democrat Rebecca Seawright, after a tumultuous pre-election process, is on the November ballot on the Rise and Unite Party. After the appellate court found that her primary challenger for the State Assembly did not meet the residency requirements to qualify as a candidate for the November election ballot, Seawright’s name appears on the last line of the ballot. “That’s okay,” said one of her supporters, “I’m voting for Rebecca [Seawright] starting at the bottom of the ballot and working my way up to the top to vote for Biden and Harris.” While there’s no candidate on the Democrat line in the race, Seawright’s the Democrat incumbent and Democrat electeds who are supporting her include Congress Member Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Members Dan Quart, Ben Kallos and Keith Powers. Once a Democrat always a Democrat no matter what line you take.

Biden’s on a roll - Good humor and politics are an unlikely combination these days. But there it was in Gristedes’ upscale sushi counter on First Ave in the 60s, where they were selling “Biden-on-a-roll, a 100% Delaware sushi roll” with blue crab and a brand name caviar. Appearing on the poster publicizing the Biden roll was 77 Talk Radio. Seems an odd coupling of conservative media and a progressive pol. Something to look forward to over a sushi roll.

Reader readback - After reading about Bette Dewing’s passing in Our Town, Brian Scott Lipton, who was Editor in Chief of the Resident publication in its early days, remembered Bette: “Technically, she was the ‘competition’ during my 6-year tenure as Editor in Chief of the Resident, but I considered her an ally in trying to make the community I was then covering - and now live in - the best it could be. RIP, Bette.”

Where the bus won’t stop - One thing about the MTA, in the best of times and the worst of times, they always give you something to write - make that complain - about. This time it’s about the M101 Express bus drivers who won’t stop to pick up passengers at the 36th and Third Ave Express bus stop although that’s the latest stop on the uptown route. It replaces the original stop on the southeast corner of 34th and Third which was relocated to the northeast corner of 34th and Third because of construction. After many months, construction started at that location and the new Express stop was at 36th and Third which was always a stop for local buses. Despite a sign at the location saying that M101, M102, M103 buses stop there, bus drivers refuse to pick up passengers. Nobody expects the drivers to pull over to read the sign. We just expect them to know the route and to pick up passengers.