A SIGN OF THE TIMES....
Whoever said the word is mightier than the sword never saw Kill Bill 1 and 2. However, there is a long tradition of ‘sayings’ used by people to get a point across. Years ago one the most popular was signs, saying, “Actors are not wanted or allowed in here.” That wasn’t seen in the window of some boarding house – it’s tacked on the front door of the Screen Actors Guild.
We’ve all seen western movies in which towns placed large wooden signs warning bad elements to, “be out of town by sundown.” When a dumb Alaskan town put one up the bad element stayed six months. Throughout history town elders have used written warnings to get a point across and if it was ignored the local Doc Holliday took care of the problem. Some inner-city citizens have taken the practice up trying to rid their neighborhoods or drug dealers. They put up signs, “Move two blocks over and you can sell your brains out, Bro.”
Instead of paying some high priced public relations firm to come up with clever campaign to boost his town, borough president Marty Markowitz of Brooklyn had the chutzpah to plug his great borough in a totally inventive way. He wants Brooklyn citizens and visitors to know they are leaving or entering a very special place.
Brooklyn, New York is famous for The Brooklyn Dodgers – who left in the late 50’s moving to Los Angeles…a day that will live in infamy. It’s also famous for the unsurpassed Nathan’s Hot Dog stand in Coney Island. It was also proud of a group of young men in the 1930 and 1940’s with a special talent – killing. Murder Incorporated was their nickname. Death was their game.
Marty Markowitz is a unique politician. He truly loves his home town. He started putting up signs at every entrance into Brooklyn praising the borough. “Not Just A Borough, An Experience”; “Name It…We Got It”; “Like No Other Place in the World”; “Believe the Hype.” All clever, attention getting and wonderful publicity. Not wanting to rest on is past laurels, Markowitz approached the Department of Transportation about a new sign in January 2004. He was rebuffed because the agency felt the new sign would be distracting to motorists. Borough President Markowitz refused to accept their decision. He’s a determined fellow which is probably why he still lives in Brooklyn. He began calling in political chits and after “revisiting” the issue, the DOT allowed the sign to go up two weeks ago. Marty said, “He was thrilled.”
Now motorists crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan are faced with a huge sign, affixed to a cross beam of the bridge high above the bustling traffic that says, “Leaving Brooklyn? Oy Vey!” It’s a sweet victory for the politician whose borough is home to a large Jewish population. “Oy Vey,” is an original Jewish “expression of dismay or hurt,” said Marty. “The beauty is, every ethnic group knows it,” he said, and motorists seeing it know it means “Dear me, I’m so sad you’re leaving.”
When asked if the “Oy Vey: sign will stay up indefinitely? Markowitz smiled and said, “I think these things are up to the discretion of the borough president,” managing to sneak in a plug for his re-election bid.
His opponent, Seamus O’Reilly has blasted Markowitz saying he’s using his Jewishness unfairly. He also protested that Marty was behaving like a “putz”; “a schmuck”; “a Tokis leker”; and a “Mamzer.”
We’ve all seen western movies in which towns placed large wooden signs warning bad elements to, “be out of town by sundown.” When a dumb Alaskan town put one up the bad element stayed six months. Throughout history town elders have used written warnings to get a point across and if it was ignored the local Doc Holliday took care of the problem. Some inner-city citizens have taken the practice up trying to rid their neighborhoods or drug dealers. They put up signs, “Move two blocks over and you can sell your brains out, Bro.”
Instead of paying some high priced public relations firm to come up with clever campaign to boost his town, borough president Marty Markowitz of Brooklyn had the chutzpah to plug his great borough in a totally inventive way. He wants Brooklyn citizens and visitors to know they are leaving or entering a very special place.
Brooklyn, New York is famous for The Brooklyn Dodgers – who left in the late 50’s moving to Los Angeles…a day that will live in infamy. It’s also famous for the unsurpassed Nathan’s Hot Dog stand in Coney Island. It was also proud of a group of young men in the 1930 and 1940’s with a special talent – killing. Murder Incorporated was their nickname. Death was their game.
Marty Markowitz is a unique politician. He truly loves his home town. He started putting up signs at every entrance into Brooklyn praising the borough. “Not Just A Borough, An Experience”; “Name It…We Got It”; “Like No Other Place in the World”; “Believe the Hype.” All clever, attention getting and wonderful publicity. Not wanting to rest on is past laurels, Markowitz approached the Department of Transportation about a new sign in January 2004. He was rebuffed because the agency felt the new sign would be distracting to motorists. Borough President Markowitz refused to accept their decision. He’s a determined fellow which is probably why he still lives in Brooklyn. He began calling in political chits and after “revisiting” the issue, the DOT allowed the sign to go up two weeks ago. Marty said, “He was thrilled.”
Now motorists crossing the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan are faced with a huge sign, affixed to a cross beam of the bridge high above the bustling traffic that says, “Leaving Brooklyn? Oy Vey!” It’s a sweet victory for the politician whose borough is home to a large Jewish population. “Oy Vey,” is an original Jewish “expression of dismay or hurt,” said Marty. “The beauty is, every ethnic group knows it,” he said, and motorists seeing it know it means “Dear me, I’m so sad you’re leaving.”
When asked if the “Oy Vey: sign will stay up indefinitely? Markowitz smiled and said, “I think these things are up to the discretion of the borough president,” managing to sneak in a plug for his re-election bid.
His opponent, Seamus O’Reilly has blasted Markowitz saying he’s using his Jewishness unfairly. He also protested that Marty was behaving like a “putz”; “a schmuck”; “a Tokis leker”; and a “Mamzer.”
posted by THE RANTING OLD GEEZER at 8:08 PM
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