Jay Lee
@jayleetx.com
Democracy + Elections @sightline.org
... plus #rstats, data viz, mapping, bikes, NYC, whatever else I'm into this week
... plus #rstats, data viz, mapping, bikes, NYC, whatever else I'm into this week
Reposted by Jay Lee
Opinion | We Have a Way to Pay for Free Buses. It Means Free Street Parking Is Over.
www.nytimes.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Jay Lee
Exciting new research that demonstrates how localities in the same metropolitan area have wildly varying tax bases—which go on to have a huge impact on the ability to provide services. Rich towns can collect more taxes, give themselves better services, and reinforce inequality.
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Exciting new research that demonstrates how localities in the same metropolitan area have wildly varying tax bases—which go on to have a huge impact on the ability to provide services. Rich towns can collect more taxes, give themselves better services, and reinforce inequality.
Reposted by Jay Lee
the two types of part time state legislator:
- retired dentist
- part time employee of a progressive nonprofit
both of these end up having distinct problems!
- retired dentist
- part time employee of a progressive nonprofit
both of these end up having distinct problems!
state legislators should be paid more. otherwise the legislatures are full of dilettantes, cranks, and nepobabies. this is why you keep hearing about the craziest fucking state laws
people hate hearing this but it's 100% true, creating a huge pay gap between political leaders, their staffs, and other elites is a recipe for corruption. of course the flip side of that is taxes on the rich should be jacked way the hell up
November 7, 2025 at 3:53 PM
the two types of part time state legislator:
- retired dentist
- part time employee of a progressive nonprofit
both of these end up having distinct problems!
- retired dentist
- part time employee of a progressive nonprofit
both of these end up having distinct problems!
Reposted by Jay Lee
Good question from @jayleetx.com prompted this look. The precincts that were strong-Harris and strong-Cuomo looked like other more progressive precincts on the ballot initiatives
November 6, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Good question from @jayleetx.com prompted this look. The precincts that were strong-Harris and strong-Cuomo looked like other more progressive precincts on the ballot initiatives
Reposted by Jay Lee
Lotta incorrect finger pointing on the demise of Question 6 (the move to on-year elections) in NYC. Conservative precincts voted against it at the highest rate
November 5, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Lotta incorrect finger pointing on the demise of Question 6 (the move to on-year elections) in NYC. Conservative precincts voted against it at the highest rate
Reposted by Jay Lee
This is the lesson of 2025
he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity
October 9, 2025 at 12:50 AM
This is the lesson of 2025
Reposted by Jay Lee
"If you set different rules, people will change how they play the game."
Thanks to those who made it to yesterday's *Hot Seat* w researcher Shannon Grimes! Our latest democracy and elections work/quips/analysis are always available via newsletter: sightline.org/newsletters
Thanks to those who made it to yesterday's *Hot Seat* w researcher Shannon Grimes! Our latest democracy and elections work/quips/analysis are always available via newsletter: sightline.org/newsletters
October 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
"If you set different rules, people will change how they play the game."
Thanks to those who made it to yesterday's *Hot Seat* w researcher Shannon Grimes! Our latest democracy and elections work/quips/analysis are always available via newsletter: sightline.org/newsletters
Thanks to those who made it to yesterday's *Hot Seat* w researcher Shannon Grimes! Our latest democracy and elections work/quips/analysis are always available via newsletter: sightline.org/newsletters
Reposted by Jay Lee
Just learned: It's so easy to sort strings that are numbers in proper numerical order with the {stringr} #Rstats 📦's `str_sort()` function and numeric = TRUE!!
x <- c("8", "10", "1", "40")
str_sort(x, numeric = TRUE)
[1] "1" "8" "10" "40"
x <- c("8", "10", "1", "40")
str_sort(x, numeric = TRUE)
[1] "1" "8" "10" "40"
October 1, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Just learned: It's so easy to sort strings that are numbers in proper numerical order with the {stringr} #Rstats 📦's `str_sort()` function and numeric = TRUE!!
x <- c("8", "10", "1", "40")
str_sort(x, numeric = TRUE)
[1] "1" "8" "10" "40"
x <- c("8", "10", "1", "40")
str_sort(x, numeric = TRUE)
[1] "1" "8" "10" "40"
going to Portland this week! what's going on?
September 29, 2025 at 11:20 PM
going to Portland this week! what's going on?
Reposted by Jay Lee
sometimes when you're very overdue on doing laundry, your only shirts available are your worst shirt, for obvious reasons, and your favorite shirt, which you have reserved in case of emergency. this is known as the Launderer's Paradox and may result in you wearing your favorite shirt to walgreens
August 14, 2025 at 5:45 PM
sometimes when you're very overdue on doing laundry, your only shirts available are your worst shirt, for obvious reasons, and your favorite shirt, which you have reserved in case of emergency. this is known as the Launderer's Paradox and may result in you wearing your favorite shirt to walgreens
Reposted by Jay Lee
America's pundit sickness in one sentence: "The question for Mamdaniism is not just whether it will play in Park Slope or Prospect Lefferts Gardens—it’s whether it will play in Plano." THAT IS CATEGORICALLY THE OPPOSITE OF THE QUESTION, HE'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, NOT PLANO
He's literally running on trying to make the city better to live in for more people, his whole message is positive-sum
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeals to downwardly mobile millennials who embrace his zero-sum politics, writes Reihan Salam. But are those voters the future of the Democratic Party?
July 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
America's pundit sickness in one sentence: "The question for Mamdaniism is not just whether it will play in Park Slope or Prospect Lefferts Gardens—it’s whether it will play in Plano." THAT IS CATEGORICALLY THE OPPOSITE OF THE QUESTION, HE'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, NOT PLANO
Reposted by Jay Lee
"voters are why I lost" is the funniest possible thing for a politician to say.
WITH AUDIO ⬇️
At the Hampton Synagogue this morning, Andrew Cuomo blames Zohran Mamdani’s young, Jewish and pro-Palestinian voters for his primary loss.
forward.com/fast-forward...
At the Hampton Synagogue this morning, Andrew Cuomo blames Zohran Mamdani’s young, Jewish and pro-Palestinian voters for his primary loss.
forward.com/fast-forward...
Cuomo blames Mamdani’s young, Jewish and pro-Palestinian voters for his primary loss
Andrew Cuomo is sharpening his attacks on Zohran Mamdani, accusing the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor of ‘fueling antisemitism.’
forward.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:45 PM
"voters are why I lost" is the funniest possible thing for a politician to say.
Reposted by Jay Lee
Reposted by Jay Lee
Still the most insane growth story in urban America. Population was only 560k at the turn of the century
For the first time ever, Seattle has officially surpassed the 800,000 population mark, according to the latest tally from state Office of Financial Management.
Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/06/27/s...
Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/06/27/s...
July 1, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Still the most insane growth story in urban America. Population was only 560k at the turn of the century
Reposted by Jay Lee
Any excuse to repost an all-time Bluesky banger
June 25, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Any excuse to repost an all-time Bluesky banger
Reposted by Jay Lee
Go vote, NYC. 🗳️
a cartoon drawing of a city with buildings and a sign that says go vote nyc primaries
ALT: a cartoon drawing of a city with buildings and a sign that says go vote nyc primaries
media.tenor.com
June 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Go vote, NYC. 🗳️
Reposted by Jay Lee
YYYY-MM-DD OR NOTHING AT ALL
June 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
YYYY-MM-DD OR NOTHING AT ALL
Reposted by Jay Lee
producers in the control room turning a big dial that says "manufacturing consent" up to 11
June 22, 2025 at 2:56 AM
producers in the control room turning a big dial that says "manufacturing consent" up to 11
Reposted by Jay Lee
Gotta admit, “Yes, cers” is a bit odd.
As my wife said, it sorta’ has Teenjus vibes.
As my wife said, it sorta’ has Teenjus vibes.
June 20, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Gotta admit, “Yes, cers” is a bit odd.
As my wife said, it sorta’ has Teenjus vibes.
As my wife said, it sorta’ has Teenjus vibes.
Reposted by Jay Lee
Gonna level with you bro I think DHS needs to be dissolved after this. Regardless of what national security functions fall under its remit, it's clearly institutionally constructed in such a way allows it to be used as an unaccountable tool of executive power. Can't reform your way out of that.
June 18, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Gonna level with you bro I think DHS needs to be dissolved after this. Regardless of what national security functions fall under its remit, it's clearly institutionally constructed in such a way allows it to be used as an unaccountable tool of executive power. Can't reform your way out of that.
Reposted by Jay Lee
Whether visible or invisible, permanent or temporary, almost all of us will have or know someone with a disability.
As Mayor, I’ll fight like hell for truly accessible public transit.
As Mayor, I’ll fight like hell for truly accessible public transit.
June 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Whether visible or invisible, permanent or temporary, almost all of us will have or know someone with a disability.
As Mayor, I’ll fight like hell for truly accessible public transit.
As Mayor, I’ll fight like hell for truly accessible public transit.
Reposted by Jay Lee
because America is so lax about unmarked cop cars and its state agents love using them so much, it’s impossible to say whether this is an ex-cop car, a current cop car, or just a regular Ford Explorer with steelies and a light bar plopped on it.
June 14, 2025 at 4:46 PM
because America is so lax about unmarked cop cars and its state agents love using them so much, it’s impossible to say whether this is an ex-cop car, a current cop car, or just a regular Ford Explorer with steelies and a light bar plopped on it.
Reposted by Jay Lee
I’ve seen a lot of “the left is blowing this race by uniting behind a socialist like Zohran” takes
but not enough “the establishment/center is blowing this race by uniting behind a sexual harasser/corrupt weirdo like Cuomo” takes
but not enough “the establishment/center is blowing this race by uniting behind a sexual harasser/corrupt weirdo like Cuomo” takes
New York City - Democratic Mayoral Polling:
Cuomo: 51%
Mamdani: 49%
Data For Progress / June 4, 2025 / n=819
Cuomo: 51%
Mamdani: 49%
Data For Progress / June 4, 2025 / n=819
June 10, 2025 at 1:43 AM
I’ve seen a lot of “the left is blowing this race by uniting behind a socialist like Zohran” takes
but not enough “the establishment/center is blowing this race by uniting behind a sexual harasser/corrupt weirdo like Cuomo” takes
but not enough “the establishment/center is blowing this race by uniting behind a sexual harasser/corrupt weirdo like Cuomo” takes
Reposted by Jay Lee
people think agriculture is fully solved science for some reason and, uh, it’s not
June 5, 2025 at 3:09 PM
people think agriculture is fully solved science for some reason and, uh, it’s not