"Police Package"

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   From Saturday's NEW YORK POST, 21 February 2004:

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/18498.htm
MAYOR MIKE SILENCES THE SIRENS

February 21, 2004 -- Driving around in a city-owned car equipped with lights and sirens - known as "the police package" - has long been one of the favorite perks of municipal officials. But it's one of those privileges that isn't really meant to be used - except in an emergency.
Unfortunately, one of them got caught doing exactly that - and not during an emergency, either.

Which is why Mayor Bloomberg was right to strip more than 250 officials of the souped-up security status.

It all came about because a TV news crew caught Carol Robles-Roman, Bloomberg's deputy mayor for legal affairs, routinely using her lights and siren as a means to part traffic.

Not only that, her driver was videotaped driving on the shoulders of roads to avoid congestion.

The mayor once threatened to "shoot" anyone who was caught using flashing lights and sirens improperly. Luckily for Robles-Roman, he decided such drastic action wasn't necessary.

But the mayor - whose own official vehicles rarely use the police package and even wait at traffic lights just like the rest of us - raised a valid point that none of his predecessors seemed to consider: "It is hard to understand why they have to rush to get someplace in order to pass a piece of legislation, file a piece of paper, or whatever."

Again, they're for emergencies only - and only for officials whose jobs require them to respond to emergencies.

So he stripped the package from 78 percent of those who'd had it.

Now that's a government cut to which no one can object.

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MISC.

   From a Dos Rios menu:
CAFE AMERICANO
CAFE AMERICANO CON LECHE
TROPICOLADA
KOALA KOLADA
AMAPOLA--I was told this is coconut cream and pineapple juice, like a pina colada
HERRADURAS

CHICHOS BAR--another "bar" (salad bar, milk bar, et al.)