President Trump's fact checking and lies

Wow, just wow.  Not since Bill Clinton has a U.S. President lied to the American public so much as our 45th President, Donald Trump.

First, to be honest and fair (and I am not fake news), I wish our Commander-in-Chief, Donald J. Trump, all the best in his tenure as our U.S. President.  I won't praise or criticize Trump about his proposed policies.  However, when Trump and his staff make false statements to the public about the crowd size at his Inauguration last Friday, or retracts a statement about who is paying to build a wall across the U.S. Mexico border, I have serious reservations about his fitness to serve as our 45th U.S. President.


1.  Trump calls CNN "fake news"  - -  MIXTURE:  On January 11, then President-elect Trump held a press conference where he directly called out CNN's reporter Jim Acosta for fake news in response to a unverified CNN report that the Russians had a dossier on Trump along with intelligence reports on his personal and financial information which may have compromised the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.  Let's get one thing straight, the information was not verified to be true.  However, by Trump calling out CNN "fake news", does not mean that all of CNN's news is fake.  CNN, along with most news outlets does take a liberal slant and is biased against conservatives.  But that does not mean CNN is a bad source of news information as Trump walked out from an archived CNN interview from 1990  with Charles Feldman when asked about Marvin Roffman's allegations that the upcoming Taj Majal Casino in Atlantic City would not survive 3 months after opening and Trump's questionable managerial practices in his casinos,  Long story short, Roffman's allegations was partially right as the Taj Mahal went into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection only 16 months after the casino opened in March, 1990.     On the other side, the news media was caught with their pants down when Zeke Miller, a TIME magazine reporter, falsely reported that Donald Trump removed the bust of Dr. Martin L. King from the White House Oval Office.   The story was quickly retracted but it's false reports like this which President Trump does have a valid point when it comes to fake news.  However you can also Google conservative "news" sites yourself which post satire and fake news.

2.  Trump claims in his tweet that his inauguration looked like the largest ever with over 1 million people - - FALSE:   He is a pathological liar to claim that there appeared to be over 1 million people.  Let's be clear, he did say "it looked like one million - a million and a half people",  but a side-by-side comparison of Trump vs. Obama's 2008 inauguration clearly showed not even close to the 1 million Trump assumed.  Even the ultra-conservative FOX News read between the lines in Trump's lies when correspondent Chris Wallace questioned White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus about the crowd size and called him out    And the Washington (WMATA) Metro rail system recorded less than 200K trips at 11 AM on Trump's Inauguration Day with most stations have plenty of parking spaces available.

3.  Trump wants Mexico to build the wall, all at their expense.  - - FALSE:  Trump now wants to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall using OUR government money and OUR taxpayer funds - - then he will send the bill to Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico President.   Considering Trump's fiery accusations that all \Mexicans are rapists and murders, I don't think the Mexican government will pay a penny for Trump's wall - - no, no not the way to build foreign relations with incendiary and false accusations like this.  Good luck Mr. Trump, you'll need it.



There are other statements which Donald Trump has made, some true, some false and some as Politifact has pointed out  - - "pants on fire".  Politifact has awarded Trump the 2015 liar of the year.  So, here is a full list of Donald Trump quotes which came under scrutiny.  Mr. Trump you were elected by the American public, regardless on whether there was voter fraud in the polls or not - - it's your turn to prove in your bold, cocky statements that you promise in "Making America Great Again".   Prove us that you are for real or shut your Twitter infested mouth up.

What's next after Phase I of the Second Ave subway

On a side note - the NY Post has a good article of the restaurants along Second Ave, check them out.

With the first Phase of the Second Ave Subway open  the attention is now drawn to Phase 2 of the four phase Second Ave Subway Line, which is now from 96th Street to 125th Street and Lexington/Park Aves, along Second Ave then turning west onto 125th Street where it will bridge (or tunnel I should say) the gap between the 125th Street Lexington Ave stop with the Metro-North Harlem-125th Street stop.  The good news is that over half of line's tunnels are complete from the 1970's construction.  The bad news is that only a little over $1 billion of the $6 billion is needed to complete Phase 2 and construction won't be complete until 2027 at the earliest and the section at 116th Street has to be reconstructed to add a station there.   Then you have Phase 3 and 4 to deal with as the cost will escalate as the years progress,  

But let's look at the "what if" scenario after all 4 phases are complete?   Why not build across 125th Street, linking the 2 and 3 lines at Lenox Ave and the A/B/C/D lines at St. Nicholas Ave?  But first the MTA should make Phases 2 through 4 of the Second Ave Subway a top priority because the key is providing an alternative service to lower Manhattan,   I also think that under phase 4, another station should be built, South Ferry to properly connect with the 1 and R subway lines as well as the State Island Ferry, giving riders from Brooklyn and Staten Island another viable transit option.   Presently, there is no free transfer proposed on the Second Ave line south of Grand Street.   The MTA should press on the Feds and NY State for as much funding as possible to get these projects going for the next 10 years.  

I have some more suggestions - - of course nothing will happen for the next 30 years but you never know:


1.  Extend the line into the Bronx with stops under Third Ave at East 138th Street to connect with the Pelham 6 and < 6>  subway lines, 149th Street to serve the busy Hub shopping area and the 2/5 lines.  Then the line would stay on Melrose Ave instead of 3rd and turn west onto 161st Street with a stop at Morris Ave before merging with the Concourse B and D lines along the Grand Concourse.  The western section of the Bronx has the 4 line as the only East side option and that is so crowded now.  Having a line from the nearby IND Concourse segment travel on the East side may take some burden off the 4 line.  And then extend the D and the second line across East Gun Hill and Bartow Ave to Bay Plaza in Co-Op City.

2.  Branch off at East Houston Street and connect with the G line in Brooklyn.  That sounds outrageous but the G line is the orphan of the NYC subway system, the only full length subway line which never touches Manhattan.  But this would be nothing new for a subway line from East Houston St. in Manhattan because in 1929, NYC Independent Subway System (collectively known as the IND) proposed a South 4th Street subway line as well as the Second Ave subway which would connect with the G line at the Broadway-Union Ave station in Brooklyn station then continuing through Bushwick and down as the Utica Ave line.  In fact, there is a subway shell atop the lowest point of the Utica Ave A/C lines as well as an unfinished mezzanine area.  You can see the station shell by looking at the top of the platform walls on the C local tracks.


3.  And something not related to the Second Ave subway - - the 7 line.  There has been a lot of talk from officials in NY and NJ about the 7 line should go out to New Jersey - - well I say NO - -  bring he 7 line downtown.  The 7 line's Hudson Yard terminus is facing south, send it down 11th Ave and West Street then turn onto Battery Place where it would connect with the 4/5 at Bowling Green and the R/W at Whitehall Streets.  That would entail ripping up the Joe DiMaggio Highway for the next 20 years, that I feel was a mistake to build this so-called "highway" at street level instead of replacing it with a new elevated highway which would be a better version of the Miller Highway.  


Of course these are my thoughts.  Anyway, here's to a great 2017 ahead for all of you.

The subway comes to Second Ave, finally (with lots of photos)

It's finally here - after 87 years of planning, false starts, and a work stoppage in 1975 - - a portion of the Second Avenue subway finally opened for passenger service on New Years Day, 2017- let THIS sink in.

With that in mind, let's stop the history lesson and go right to the photos on the first day, as well  as other photos taken a few days later. Enjoy them


NOTE:  The first revenue train, departed 96th Street/2nd Ave shortly after 12 Noon.  Car #8957 was the lead car in this train and it traveled southbound on the northbound track to south of 72nd Street where it switched over to the normal southbound track.  This was because two Q trains were starting on the southbound track, one each at 86th Street and 72nd Street stations and placed into regular service.  The first northbound Q, from 57th Street and 7th Ave (not from Coney Island) entered the 2nd Ave corridor around 12:20 PM.  


96th Street - 2nd Ave, including opening day and when I attended the PM open house on December 23rd.

86th Street - 2nd Ave

The Q train with the colorful Second Ave Subway wrap

An Q train (left) with an N train (right).  Some rush hour N trains run to/from 96th Street/2nd Ave instead of Astoria-Ditmars Blvd

Now 72nd Street station:

NEXT:  What I think the MTA should do in the next phases of the Second Ave Subway

NYCT misinformation gets customers lost

On Saturday, I volunteered to help out about 8 customers who were lost - why?  Because these customers were told by NYCT conductors to take the J train which was not running in Manhattan.  You would think conductors would stop for a moment and see these weekend diversions - - they are posted at every station and look like this (whoops, the J was cut out from the pic):

Yup, I made more observations at Fulton Center, this time picking a good weekend where not only the A/C trains were on their usual diversion over the F line due to Sandy related work at the Cranberry St. tubes, but the J was not running between Hewes St and all of Manhattan from 5:45 AM to 8 PM on October 8th.  I made my rounds along the 2/4/5/6 lines at Fulton Center and Brooklyn Bridge (and a quick trip to J at Canal St) from 8 to 10 AM,  Here's what I saw.


7:39 Am:  I rode the SB 1 train on my way towards Fulton Center, car # 2281,  The conductor announced A/C transfer at 168th Street, that was incorrect because the C was not running between 168 and 145th Streets.  She was correct at 96th Street in informing customers that there is no #3 train service.

Now, I arrived at Fulton Center and it was all automated R142 trains on the 2 line.

8:20:  2 train SB  #6545 - - conductor allowed J/Z transfer as well as A/C.

8: 26  2 train NB #7055 - - I asked conductor if A/C was running - - "should be running" - - BUZZZZ, please try again

8:27  2 train NB     #6556 - - male conductor was telling people who needed the A/C to take the J upstairs.  I asked him if the J was running, he said yes.

8:30  2 train SB #6410 - - heard automated announcement "transfer is available to the A/C/J trains - - I asked the conductor if the J was running, she said "J was running"./

8:33  2 train NB #6425   - - failed on automated announcements, and conductor said he was "positive that J is running".

8:38 2 train NB #6656 - - failed announcement.  Of course, I had to stop 3 more customers because they were told by that conductor the J is available at Fulton Center

I went over the Brooklyn Bridge - - the northbound 5 train I was on at 8:51 AM #6355, allowed the J transfer announcement at Brooklyn Bridge.

8:56 AM - - 6 train NB #1741 ready to depart at Brooklyn Bridge, the conductor told one man that the J was running upstairs.

I rode to Canal St where the J platform was "closed"  - - the only reason why that platform is open is because of an street level entrance from Centre St at Canal St, SW corner.  There were no NYCT employees to let people know on the platform that the J is not running (and these people don't read signs on the platform columns).  But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that NYCT is getting their act together in coordinating travel alternatives with other construction projects - - like this sign below at Fulton St.  So it's still up to the customers to read them.

On my way home, I rode on a northbound 4 train (#7789) where the conductor allowed 2 transfer announcement - - no 2 trains running in the Bronx.


On a similar note about misinformation,  on Oct. 17    an incident on the SB E and M lines at 53rd Street and Lexington Ave forced some reroutes - - this was posted at 4:10 PM.

I rode two 6 trains at 5 PM, nearly an hour after the service notice was posted - - so that should be more than enough time for conductors on the 6 line to make adjustments in their announcements.  Conductors on two 6 line trains both announced the E and M transfer at 51st Street car #1811 southbound and #2151 northbound.




On Saturday 10/15 - - the 7 train was not running in Manhattan and there was no PATH service from 33rd Street every weekend through December (except certain holiday weekends) - - only one conductor on the D and F lines passed.  Additionally, why would the R160 subway cars - - the most reliable and efficient cars in the NYC subway system, have the wrong weekend information?   The picture below on a Queens-bound F train shows PATH connections at 14th and 34th Streets as well as the 7 train at 42nd/Bryant Park.

8:15 PM - - SB D #2640 - - announcements were made but omitted the 7 and PATH

8:18 PM - - NB F #9370 - - failed on PATH

8:24 PM - - SB D #2658 - - failed on 7 train - - no PATH announcement

8:33 PM - - NB F #9878 - - failed on 7 and PATH

8:47 PM - - SB D #2698 - - Passed on 7 and PATH, the only conductor to do so.

9:06 PM - - NB D #2762 - - Failed on 7 - - also announced M transfer at 42 and 47-50/


What can I say about riding the subway on weekends?



  

Evan McMullin over the clowns Trump and Clinton

Evan McMullin (I), remember the name.

McMullin is an independent conservative (left-centrist) who is the best alternative to that clown Donald Trump, in the 2016 Presidential election race, along with another clown, Hillary Clinton.  Sadly, McMullin is on the ballot in only 11 states with write-in ballots in approx 20 more states.  McMullin is one of three alternatives to Trump and Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Race , the other two independents who have ballots in all 50 states are Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party Dr. Jill Stein.  To me, Americans have a choice when it comes to voting and the events in the past month leaves me very disturbed about Trump and Clinton.  Between Trump's derogatory remarks he said 10 years ago about grabbing a woman's you-know-what, to Hillary Clinton dodging an FBI investigation about the deleted emails and the phantom server (amazing that nothing was connected between the multiple "suicides" of persons known to the Clintons.), I wonder who would be fit to be commander-in-chief for the next 4 years.   Trump claims the election was rigged in favor of Clinton from the get-go but the election is rigged against the 3 independents because they did not participate in the previous two Presidential debates and it's unlikely that any of the independent candidates will be in Wednesday's debate.  

In the spirit of being impartial and politically neutral, here is a brief summary of the three independent candidates.  

Evan McMullin:  Former CIA director, McMullin is pro-life, believes that same sex marriages should be respected by moving on  as well as keeping Guantanamo Bay prison open, supports Republican tax reform (but it's going to benefit the rich more than the working class, unless he tweaks it), and maintains border security without deporting 11 million Muslims and Mexicans.  Finally, while McMullian is against most provisions of Obamacare - he affirms that the uninsured people have a need for basic medical care and is willing to keep some provisions of it.  

Gary Johnson: (Libertian Party)  Pro-Life, wants to legalize drugs, supports same-sex marriage, against stop-and-frisk, believes iin big government without massive debt, supports free trade agreements, believes that states should have more control over Medicare/Medicaid

Dr. Jill Stein:  (Green Party):   Abolish private prisons, increase taxes for millionaires and offshore accounts, against privatization of Social Security. charter schools, common core in schools and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.



You can peruse the linked names and make an informed decision - - the general election is less than 3 weeks away.  The three-ring circus is now on the final act.   

Why isn't the KKK classified as an terrorist organization?

With all the talk about NFL San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick's kneeling every time the U.S Star Spangled Banner is played - as a way to protest institutional racism in the United States - it's interesting to point out one thing that neither Kaepernick, nor the U.S. government is acknowledging or mentioning what should have been done decades ago - - the Ku Klax Klan (KKK) should have been labeled as a terrorist group similar to the Islamic State of Iran and Syria (better known as ISIS).


Let's look at what qualifies to be a terrorist group in relation to what the KKK has historically done:

1.  Commit violence or threats of violence in furtherance of advancing a social, political, ideological, or religious change:  For most of their time, the KKK has committed mass executions of colored (black) men, women and children to advance "white supremacy" in the United States.  The KKK claimed responsibility of firebombings against public places which mass numbers of black people converge, usually churches and buses.  Their means of intimidating blacks were to put burning crosses on their properties (along lawns), place a doll with a noose around the neck at nearby trees or in front of porches owned by black families, ride in a caravan of vehicles and travel slowly towns where blacks live and "preach" their hatred in groups right in front of victim's homes.


2.  Their targets reach across a specific class or group:  The murders/killings by the KKK are intended to install fear among blacks (especially in the south).

3.  The crimes are both illegal and morally wrong:  The killing of just one innocent person falls under both categories.


Now if the KKK was made as a terrorist organization, then that would have removed quite a few people from elected office or disqualify them from running in any capacity decades ago.  Among the most notorious former or current Klan members who held office are Sen. Robert Byrd, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black and the most notorious racist to hold office, David Duke who was at one time the Chair of the Republican Party's Louisiana branch (Duke was a democrat also).



Here is a short list of terrorist acts which have been confirmed that the KKK claims responsibility for:

1.  1951, Florida:  The Christmas Eve murders of Civil Rights activist Harry T. Moore and his wife by members of the KKK firebombing his home.  The blast injured Moore's mother and one of his daughters.  This tragic incident set off a firestorm in the black community over this despicable act of terrorism because the KKK also was responsible for at least 11 related bombings in the state of Florida alone.

2.  1963, Birmingham, AL:   The 16th Street Baptist Church was destroyed in a huge bombing plotted by four Klansmen.  The blast claimed the lives of 4 innocent girls and injured 22 girls who attended a church function.  The four Klansmen used 15 sticks of dynamite and a timer to set it off under the church''s front steps,  Also on that same year in Mississippi, Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers was assassinated by Klansman Bryon De La Beckwith

3.  From 1882 to 1968, members of the KKK lynched over 3,000 innocent blacks in that time period.


While this article appears to take a Liberal slant, there are some undeniable facts about the United States government's refusal to monitor the activities of the KKK and the Jewish Defense League (JDL), another "terrorist" organization through wiretaps and surveillance.  BTW:  I disagree with the author's comments about Al Queda - - they are the most serious threat to North America, Israel  and Europe.  

The KKK continues to enjoy the protection by the American Civil Liberties Union because they are exercising their 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech and to peacefully assemble.  However the KKK's past history of terrorism should exclude them that right because the United States should have labeled them a terrorist group decades ago.  Last Thursday, two Hispanics and one Middle Eastern student donned KKK clad during Spirit Week at a Florida High School.  What's dangerous is that these students were non-whites promoting terrorism and mass-murders.  The KKK is back on the rise now with a massive recruitment effort across the United States.


Unless the U.S. Government takes action against groups like the KKK, they will continue to rise exponentially and post a serious threat to blacks across this nation.

The R179 subway car has finally arrived in NYC

They are finally here, one car to be exact

The long awaited R179 subway car model for MTA NYCT Transit, finally arrived in NYC over the George Washington Bridge on a Silk Road truck - - the first car (3014) arrived tonight on NYC Transit property for months of in-house testing and set up.  After 9 more cars will be delivered over the next 2-3 weeks, NYCT will spend a few months prepping the trainset for their 30 day in-service acceptance testing on a lettered subway line to be determined - hopefully this will take place within the next 4-6 months.  The test train will have car numbers 3010 through 3019, and if all goes well, 290 more subway cars will be delivered to NYC Transit property throughout 2017 into spring 2018.


Here are the very first photos of car #3014 waiting at the holding area on the Fort Lee, NJ side of the George Washington Bridge.

Here is a video of that same car traveling on West 178th Street as it crosses Fort Washington Ave in Manhattan - along with a photo..

And finally here are a couple of more photos of the R179 car coming down Wesr 215th Street, crossing 10th Ave as it prepares to knock the welcome door at NYC Transit's 207th Street subway yard in upper Manhattan.

EDIT:  Here is an excellent 4K video taken by DJ Hammers as 3014 enters NYCT property.

Thank you for viewing - - lights out for me.  Good night.