THE JOB AHEAD:  Now that we have a speaker of the House, Congress can move forward, or backward, however you see it.

But out in the real country, the actual story of America is being written.  The condition of the nation is precarious.  People are hurting.   And help is not guaranteed to be on the way.  And our citizens feel it.

Crime is a major, and growing, issue.  We are seeing a frightening breakdown in the concept of a nation of laws.  As a prime example, look at New York, America's supposedly premiere city.  We thought New York had brought violent crime under control during the Giuliani and Bloomberg mayoralties.  The improving statistics, year by year, gave us hope.  But the beast is back, as are Democratic mayors.  You think there's a connection?  From Daily Mail: 

The New York City Police Department has released its annual round-up of crime over the past year - and it has revealed that crime is up in virtually every category, despite recent assertions from the city's mayor.    

The statistics paint a bleak picture of the city's efforts to address crime that's rocketed since the pandemic - a campaign that has been touted as successful several times over the past year by Mayor Eric Adams.

However, statistics show the politician - who ran on promises of addressing violence on the city's streets and is now entering his second year as mayor - was mistaken.

The data, released by the department Wednesday, comes exactly two weeks after Adams assured citizens that officials had taken strides in the unrest, while touting supposed gains in public safety.

Adams, who himself is a former NYPD police captain, unveiled his 'Blueprint to End Gun Violence' early last year, along with a 'Subway Safety Plan' - both of which have so far proved largely ineffective, according to the new statistics.

The data shows that rapes, robberies, and assaults are all up from last year, since hitting highs not seen in decades in both 2020 and 2021.

Rape - which rocketed in 2020 when streets were empty and unemployment rife due to unrest caused by the coronavirus - rose by 7 percent, with more than 120 occurring this year than last.

Robberies, meanwhile, rose a shocking 20 percent, despite recent measures taken by Adams, 62, to increase police presence throughout the city.

Assaults and theft throughout the city, meanwhile, show a similarly pronounced rise, with felony assaults up 12 percent - 26,039 incidents this year compared to 22,835 seen last year - and burglaries up an alarming 25 percent.

All other crime categories - including grand larceny and motor vehicle theft - showed similar rises except for murders, despite the outset of the pandemic coming now nearly three years ago.

The statistics directly contradict repeated statements from Adams that New York - which saw incidents of violence and shootings swell to historic highs in 2020 when its streets were hollowed out by lockdowns - was well on the path to recovery, the most recent of which came just last month.

'Anyone who studies crimes, they know what it’s about,' the mayor began, speaking at a presser in Midtown. 'How do we continue to trend in the right direction?' 

He added that he and his team, upon taking office nine months into the pandemic, had known it 'wouldn’t happen overnight.'

'But we pushed ahead in spite of that,' he continued, before citing statistics that showed recent headway cops have made in quelling murders and shootings. 

'New York remains — and people sometimes forget this, but I really want to highlight this,' Adams said, 'the safest big city in America.'

He went on to add: 'And in 2023, we want to push this city to be safer.”

COMMENT:  It may well be that New York remains "the safest big city in America," but people ask, "Compared to what?"  Thousands of crime victims care little for numbers.  And residents feel crime.  They feel it around them.  It affects their everyday decisions.  It guides things like allowing children outside to play.  It destroys communities and forces us to live in fear.  Mayor Adams may be well-meaning, but he doesn't get it. 

January 8, 2023