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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 24m

Dear American polling industry / media buyers of polls: can you please for the love of God stop reporting "Republicans believe but Democrats believe" results without also reporting Independents? If you aren't adding that neutral crosscheck on partisan views, it's basically puppet theatre.

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 46m

Tucson, AZ and fare-free bus service

Boo-is Lehe 🦇 🎃 @lewislehe.bsky.social · 52m

(i think) tucson is the most populous city (not counting luxembourg) w/ fare-free buses. ~40th highest-ridership US bus system: 2019: 14.2MM, 2024: 15.8MM. they used to have much higher ridership. dunno why.

www.kold.com/2025/08/07/b...

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 1h

After-mayoring, in New York City

Chris Sommerfeldt @c-sommerfeldt.bsky.social · 1h

New: Mayor Adams told senior staffers today he has received at least one offer for a post-City Hall job, per four sources.

He didn't share details, but two of the sources said he described it as an opportunity "of a lifetime" second to being mayor. www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/15/n...

NYC Mayor Adams tells staff he has been offered a new job: sources

Two of the sources told The News the mayor did say the job offer or offers he has received would amount to an opportunity “of a lifetime” second to being mayor of New York City.

www.nydailynews.com

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 1h

OMG @nber.org is pandering to my personal tastes here. US municipal debt and policy responses to debt pressure during the Depression era...

www.nber.org/digest/20251...

Municipal Debt and Public Services During the Great Depression

www.nber.org

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 3h

It was ever thus

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 3h

The renewed John V. Lindsay East River Park, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NY. H/t @brooklynspoke.bsky.social

hellgatenyc.com/new-east-riv...

After All That, the New East River Park Is...Fucking Awesome

We'll have to see whether the new resiliency infrastructure will withstand another superstorm, but we're happy to report that the park itself is, so far, a smashing success.

hellgatenyc.com

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 3h

I think where I'm troubled by Johnson's policy on this is he now knows better than anyone just how much they're running out of oxygen, but there's been no acknowledgement that at some point, something has got to give, either in the form of *actual* revenue growth, or *actual* spending reductions.

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 3h

His administration is maneuvering back and forth to try to forestall inevitable long-term solutions b/c those solutions aren't happy ones (taxes or cuts). I've been there; there is an art to the maneuvering. But there's also a point where the room to maneuver runs out, the gimmicks exhausted, etc.

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 4h

Current mood:

youtu.be/L762HQ-ha7I?...

Funky Nassau- beginning of the end

YouTube video by hehewuti212

youtu.be

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 4h

Chicago fiscal. As budget gimmicks go, this is a big one. The good: it seems to be real money. The bad: it seems to be one time money (and less than half of the problem it is solving is one-time).

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 4h

Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget proposal plans to extract an unprecedented amount from special taxing districts to give Chicago Public Schools millions.

In financial maneuver, Mayor Brandon Johnson finds millions for Chicago Public Schools

The school district is expected under a 2026 budget proposal to get at least $379 million from special taxing districts. CPS is facing cuts from the Trump administration.

trib.al

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 5h

a close up of a man 's face with the words i 've seen things you people wouldn 't believe

ALT: a close up of a man 's face with the words i 've seen things you people wouldn 't believe

media.tenor.com

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 5h

TFW you wake up and automatically, silently start to shout arguments against inertia to yourself, in preparation for the meetings to come.

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 12h

Big city mayor seeks demotion to lower office, in Lima, Peru

The Manila Times @themanilatimes.bsky.social · 13h

LIMA, Peru — Few people take kindly to being compared to a pig but the portly, balding ex-mayor of Peru's capital Lima, who resigned on Monday to run for president, has embraced his 'Porky' epithet.

'Porky,' the Peru presidential hopeful vowing 'war' on gangs

www.manilatimes.net

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 12h

New York City

Spectrum News NY1 @spectrumnewsny1.bsky.social · 14h

President Donald Trump renewed his threats against New York City on Tuesday, suggesting he would withhold funds and deploy federal troops if Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor.
Read more: http://specne.ws/ry26wJ

Trump renews his attacks on Mamdani and threats against the city

President Trump threatened to withhold funding and send troops to New York if Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor.

specne.ws

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 13h

Maybe related to the P3 structure? I mean, right off the bat, the closest thing to the EC P3 we have here in Winnipeg actually includes annual deposits for a capital maintenance fund (that is sometimes in surplus if work isn't needed), for example.

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 13h

Now that tens of millions have been fucked by him, the details can't be nearly as interesting

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 13h

I've spent a lot of time in the last decade or so tracking local govt declarations of a state of emergency across North America, and this one seems like an entirely new category of emergency.

Los Angeles County, CA (pop. 9.6 million)

abcnews.go.com/US/los-angel...

Los Angeles County declares state of emergency over immigration raids

Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency over ongoing federal immigration raids.

abcnews.go.com

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 16h

Condo markets, in Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas Review-Journal @reviewjournal.com · 16h

In August, there were 853 potential condo buyers in the Las Vegas Valley, compared with 2,449 sellers, for an 187% imbalance towards buyers, according to new data.

Why do Las Vegas condo sellers outnumber buyers?

The Las Vegas Valley’s condo market is the 13th most imbalanced among the biggest 50 metropolitan regions in the United States, according to Redfin.

www.reviewjournal.com

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 21h

The Third World War is already underway, it's just that only one side knows it has been fighting it, Exhibit #851

Mark MacKinnon @markmackinnon.bsky.social · 21h

"An evolving and escalating campaign."

Drones over European airports, sabotage and electronic warfare. Is Russia conducting a "psyop" against the EU and NATO - or laying the groundwork for an expansion of the war in Ukraine?

My analysis

Russian drones over Europe could be a ‘psyop’ – or preparations for a wider war

Analysts say the Kremlin already sees itself as being in a low-intensity war with the West

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 21h

Vancouver, BC

Local BC News Headlines - Curated by CivicInfo BC @bcheadlines.bsky.social · 21h

#VancouverBC - Vancouver mayor wants part of B.C. government park board legislation removed globalnews.ca/news/1147751...

Vancouver mayor wants part of B.C. government park board legislation removed - BC | Globalnews.ca

Ken Sim says neither he nor the city council has ever formally requested that any provincial changes be exempt from the referendum for any parkland transfers to First Nations.

globalnews.ca

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 22h

Calgary, AB

Jason Markusoff @markusoff.bsky.social · 22h

Why zoning is a big deal in Calgary's election: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

To these Calgarians, ‘repeal’ is more than an election slogan. Here’s why zoning is a big deal | CBC News

The debate is on and residents watch from the sidelines — some anxious a row house development will destroy the tranquility of their home, others because they dream of a postage stamp yard they can af...

www.cbc.ca

Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 23h

And who led the charge to close it? A New York City mayoral candidate by the name of Andrew Cuomo, while serving as the Governor of New York State.

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 23h

Shutting down Indian Point was a massive, expensive mistake: "NY's electric grid operator warns of looming 'reliability shortfalls'" -- www.timesunion.com/capitol/arti...

NY's electric grid operator warns of looming 'reliability shortfalls'

“Taken together, these two reports show the grid is at a significant inflection point,” said Zach Smith, a senior vice president with the New York Independent System Operator.

www.timesunion.com

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Brian F. Kelcey @stateofthecity.bsky.social · 1d

Seattle transit

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 1d

Seattle's transit agency is pivoting away from battery electric buses, and looking to reinvest in a well-tested technology: trolleybuses. www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/13/m...