October 28, 2009 --

That is Zukerman – without the “c” for “cynical.

David is for my mom’s father who passed away when mom was six years old. The R is for mom’s favorite uncle – Reuben, who passed away a few months before my birth.

First – many, many thanks to LPR webmaster Terri Fassio and everyone at Skullco.com without whom this internet campaign for NYC Public Advocate would not have been possible. After this posting, LPR will return to bi-weekly posting – more alert than ever, G-d willing.

Here, a few more pre-election day [November 3] thoughts from LPR (better known to, say, Verizon and Con Edison as David R. Zukerman.)

Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs chieftain, reportedly (per NYTimes columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin) said, about a month ago that the anger over top-level corporate pay is “’understandable.”

Chieftain Blankfein might better have studied this observation of E.E. Schattschneider: “It is remarkable how little opposition is aroused by general changes that affect us like the pressure of an atmosphere … Changes in the relative position of things are painful.”

Chieftain Blankfein, my sense is that we are undergoing changes that are “painful” – to us “outsiders” -- because they are“relative.”

Madison, some 175 years before Prof. Schattschneider, described fairly well, I think, what has been going on of late: the “ambitious sacrifice of the many to the aggrandizement of the few.”

Author Thomas Wolfe offered this view of the process, some 70 years ago: “I think the enemy is single selfishness and compulsive greed.”

Previously at this website, I suggested that we could use a new “AA” service organization: “Aggrandizers Anonymous.”

Ecclesiastes 5:9 recognizes I think, the addictive nature of the acquisition wealth: "Whoever loves money will not be satisfied with money; whoever loves wealth hasn’t sufficient income; this is senseless.”

Ecclesiastes will be the basis for the Aggrandizers Anonymous program.

I am asked quite often how much longer I will go without electricity and phone service. My answer: as long as it takes for these companies to invite to me speak to them on the profitability of a cooperative approach to free enterprise.

Perhaps I receive what I view as misplaced sympathy because so many among us are discouraged – discouraged that we can have impact on the powerful forces that have come to rule our lives. Discouragement that leads to despair and then apathy is worse than clinical depression.

Clinical depression does not necessarily encourage officials to turn tyrannical. Political apathy, however, is the ally of tyranny. Political apathy must mean, in part, lack of interest in defending what is right, attacking what is wrong.

Machiavelli teaches that reformers will not gain support until the people on the sidelines are convinced the reformers will prevail.

Mindful of Machiavelli’s insight, I view myself as no more than a cheerleader, working, as G-d gives me the light so to do, to encourage everyone NOT to be discouraged.

For me the test of success is plain enough: when people who hear of my combat with Verizon and Con Ed – and of my write-in campaign to step between the people and those who bully them – respond affirmatively.

Whatever the results election day, I pledge to LPR clicksters that the campaign against predatory free enterprise and bullies in government will continue as long as G-d gives me the strength to carry on.

Did I mention that, with respect to a write-in vote, my last name does not have a “c” in it – that “c” stands for cynical?

There is no place for cynicism I serving the people in furtherance of our common good.