New York City mayor says fingerprints should be used to access public housing

[Live and Learn]

Source: Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Friday that fingerprint technology should be used to admit residents to city-run housing projects as a way of increasing security.

"What we really should have is fingerprinting to get in," Bloomberg said while speaking on WOR-AM radio about ways to improve safety in public housing. "We've just gotta find some ways to keep bringing crime down there."

<snip>

The mayor said the projects, run by the largest public housing authority in North America, account for 20 percent of New York City's crime even though they house about 5 percent of its residents. Some 620,000 low- and moderate-income tenants live in the city's public housing.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/york-city-mayor-says-fingerprints-used-access-public-214338866.html;_ylt=AwrNUbCQ.A5SiToA.A7QtDMD

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Unbelievable! Bloomburg obviously abhors the poor and wants to make their lives as unpleasant as possible.

[DeSwiss]

1. And ''tinpot tyrants'' shouldn't be elected mayor.

- But there you are.....

[KamaAina]

48. A friend in NYC calls him the "tiny fascist"

[applegrove]

2. I went into a community building to help a man carry a dresser. I needed to hand

him his keys when others showed up to help him. I needed to get into the lobby by the elevator to do this. A girl was buzzing herself in and she kept saying to be "I can't let you in - they will penalize me $200 if I do". I had to give that man his keys. I decided I would pay the fine if she got caught letting me in and I ran past her. Gave the guy the keys. Left. No trouble for her. Except that I ran past her. It is such a hard thing because nobody deserves to live in a building that is a hell hole for crime. But she had to police me and that isn't fair for her either. Don't know enough about public housing to say if fingerprinting is a good idea. Maybe it would work if you could ban certain people from your building? I just don't know. I'm all for new technology if it helps people live better lives.

[Live and Learn]

3. And where do you propose these "banned" people live?

I find this disgusting on so many levels. Free society, my ass.

[jtuck004]

9. Freedom doesn't mean license. The better question would be to ask why they are banned. It is a

simple fact that not everyone is safe, or trustworthy enough to live in a building with other people who are just trying to work and live their lives as best they can.

[Live and Learn]

11. License? You mean we should need a license to live somewhere?

Who exactly would you "ban"?

[jtuck004]

15. In moral and legal philosophy there exists a distinction between the concepts of freedom and license

The former deals with the rights of the individual; the latter covers the expressed permission (or lack thereof) for more than one individual to engage in an activity.

You can look up the rest on your own, here.

First I would ban any motherfucker that beats up on their kids, or spouse. I would ban any drug dealer, because they often bring violence in on innocent people. I can think of a few others. Thieves, people who assault others in an act sometimes called rape, bankers, many finance people, and a large number of politicians.

Left up to me, I mighty also ban people who want others to do all their thinking for them, or who ask thoughtless questions.

[Live and Learn]

16. And these banned people would then be destined to a life of crime

since it would be illegal for them to live anywhere?

[jtuck004]

18. Well, since they already committed crimes to get themselves banned, yes. But they

are banned from me paying for their housing, not from straightening their ass up, working for living, and getting their own place.

If I have to work and pay for a place for them to live, it's not too much to ask they they don't beat, rape, rob, and hurt others. If you don't think that, feel free to swing open your doors and invite them all in.

Perhaps you could run around the housing projects posting your address on telephone poles and offering free housing if you feel that strongly about it.

Just remember what Richard Pryor said when he performed in prison - "I am GLAD we have prisons, 'cause there's some scary motherfuckers in there".

[Live and Learn]

19. Oh, you're paying for them to live.

Sorry, I didn't realize it was you. I thought it was all of us. And exactly how would someone straighten up and get a job when they didn't even have a place to live? I am guessing you would not be one hiring someone living on the street with a record.

[Live and Learn]

23. Resorting to rudeness usually means

that ones argument cannot be substantiated. Have a great night.

[ButchT]

32. Talk about thinking for yourself

I see this sentiment a lot: That people who have been convicted of a crime should be (1) banned from living anywhere, because they might commit another crime; (2) banned from working anywhere, because they might commit another crime; (3) banned from any type of public services (even the library) because they might commit another crime; and (4) banned from having civil rights, because they might commit another crime.

Seems like that pretty much precludes, "[...] straightening their ass up, working for living, and getting their own place."

[Chemisse]

36. Well stated.

[applegrove]

12. I've heard horror stories about some buildings and some people being forced to live

in some notorious buildings. It is not fair for regular people to live in fear every day. Any idea what that does to someone to live in fear every day? The stress, the emotional pain, the hopelessness. Try bringing up children in that situation.

[Live and Learn]

17. I'm sorry, what are "regular" people?

Many of the convicted grew up in these areas. Were they "regular" people until they were convicted?

[applegrove]

25. That's it exactly. If you can keep the

people spreading crime out of the building regular kids will be less likely to get into crime, be it as a gang member or a drug user, because they won't have such stressful lives that they use drugs to cope and get addicted or they join a gang to feel safe. Or they won't commit suicide in a more direct way. All these things happen to regular people living in hellishly crime ridden buildings.

[Live and Learn]

26. Of course, the middle class and rich never use drugs.

And exclusive clubs of the 1% aren't called gangs.

The only difference between the people you are so scared of and the "regular" people is a lack of money.

[damyank913]

39. you're scratching the surface of what the plan truly is....

..."Maybe it would work if you could ban certain people from your building". Imagine public housing tied into a fingerprint database. Hmmm. Where have I heard that before? NYC is rapidly becoming the most "monitored" place on the planet.

[snot]

4. Why aren't keys sufficient?

[jtuck004]

5. They get lost, stolen, handed around, copied, etc. n/t

[msongs]

6. does bloomberg own stock in for-profit prison corporations? nt

[Live and Learn]

7. Probably that and fingerprint scanners. nt

[mozan]

20. fingers

of course he does. he has a few friends ready for the biz.
just like the "drug" test kits charge each persons for a job $30..test cost them 30 cents...
make money to not hire.

[Politicalboi]

8. Stop and frisk saves lives

And now this. This man is insane.

[jberryhill]

10. The wealthy, of course, have doormen

Doormen who know the residents and keep an eye on everyone who comes and goes.

Why not get them doormen?

[Live and Learn]

13. Yeah, but the doormen let some of the biggest crooks ever go through

and hold the door open for them.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. I just had a Rhoda flashback of Carlton the Doorman on the intercom.

[delrem]

14. one thing about being a billionaire "philanthropist",

you can get away with being a total asshole.

[JVS]

41. Anyone can get away with being a total asshole, but doing so and winning mayoral elections takes $$$

What's the deal with NYC anyway? Who elects these mayors that nobody seems to like?

[cstanleytech]

24. Wont work people will find ways around it so it will just be a huge money pit

and inconvenience to alot of people who imo dont deserve to be shit on anymore.

Edit: If he wants to cut down on "crime" though he needs to tackle the main cause............poverty.

[Niceguy1]

27. at least the mayor cares enough

To try to make life better for those who live there

[Live and Learn]

31. How would this help anything?

Does anyone believe that locks are the cause of the problems there?

[Lint Head]

28. He's one of the rich fucks who are a part of the problem. What would one expect.

[Comrade Grumpy]

29. He's not leaving quickly enough. n/t

[Historic NY]

30. Biometric fingerprint Door locks. Keyless Entry.

"Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for the mayor's office, said Bloomberg was talking about using fingerprint technology to replace traditional locks."

Its probably a safer alternative then to tens of thousands of keys.

People a saying its racist but many locales and building are using it, including major business' centers. Some people even use it on their electronic devices.

Its not unpleasant you stick you index finger on a pad and the lock opens.

[Travis_0004]

34. I agree I don't really see the big deal.

I think there are a lot of security advantages to that vs a key, at least for the main doors.

Another solution would be to use RFID tags instead of a key. If one gets lost, you can disable just that one tag, and copying the tag would be very difficult, but they would be a bit more expensive to replace.

[blkmusclmachine]

33. Piss in a cup, eye scans, fingerprinting, cameras everywhere...

Just Another Day In The Burgeoning Police State

[durablend]

47. But at least the terrorists won't win!

Assuming we actually know who the terrorists actually are!

[tclambert]

35. Prop the door open with a chunk of concrete.

[Historic NY]

37. Thats whats happeing now..........

the process is to lower crime in the project not accelerate it.

[Gormy Cuss]

38. And propping the door open will still happen even with biometric locks

which is why this is a truly stupid idea for addressing crime in NYCHA properties. Who will benefit from the biometric locks? Follow the money.

[geomon666]

40. Maybe we can wear electric dog collars next, eh Bloomy?

Fucking asshole.

[They_Live]

42. You first, Bloomberg,

right after your mandatory drug test and your lie detector test.

Dickweed.

[Jim Lane]

43. Everybody's missing the real point.

There's nothing in the linked article about barring convicted felons from public housing. Presumably, once you're accepted as a tenant, regardless of your record, your fingerprints would be scanned into the lock and it would open for you. For the tenants, this does have advantages over keys.

The real problem with the idea is right in the linked article: "Bloomberg ... pointed out that locks on buildings were often broken."

Yes, Mr. Bloomberg, what happens back here in the real world is that the locks break, the tenants notify your NYCHA minions about the problem, and then nothing happens. The lock stays broken for weeks or months. People who actually are criminals get into the building and commit rapes, assaults, robberies, etc. Then the injured victim sues the NYCHA and you end up paying out way more than it would have cost to fix the damn lock in the first place. I can show you a few case files if you're interested.

Bloomberg naturally gravitates toward a technological fix. Just spending the money on routine maintenance isn't sexy but it's what would work.

[Live and Learn]

44. I don't think everybody missed the point.

They simply took it to the next logical conclusion. No where in the article does it say that the crimes are being committed due to broken locks. These are extremely expensive locks and they would break too.

Forgive some of us for thinking requiring fingerprints seems a bit intrusive and could lead to background checks just as they seem to want to do for all the other social programs.

Bloomburg isn't the type that just wants to help the poor.

[LiberalElite]

45. OH GOD is it time for him to go! eom

[LiberalElite]

46. TO MYSELF: HEY I'M OVER 1,000 POSTS!