New York, Chicago and Boston are beset by rising unemployment as private employers flee. There are higher public expenditures for education, police and fire protection and other public services while the tax base shrinks and taxes rise. Increasing rates of violent crime plus numerous other serious urban ills -- what do their mayors worry about?

New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat all but in name, morphs into Nanny Big Brother, scolding about his constituents' health, decreeing how much soda pop a consumer can purchase while mandating posted calorie counts for restaurant food.

Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Boston's Thomas Menino, both Democrats, have decided to ignore the section of the Constitution relating to freedom of speech and religion because the owner of a fast food chicken restaurant, Chick-Fil- A, exercising said Constitutional rights, publicly stated his opposition to same sex marriage. He never said anything about not serving or employing same sex couples or individuals who practice or believe in it. Using the heavy handedness for which they're known, both Emanuel and Menino have therefore decided to ban Chick-Fil-A restaurants from their urban paradises because of the owner's liberal political incorrectness. (Menino is said to be rethinking this and Bloomberg, while sympathetic to same sex marriage, disagrees with the ban.)

All three display the arrogance of the liberal--s/he knows best about everything so everything must be done my way or no way.

This attitude is summed up in an e mail a friend forwarded me, authorship unknown, about the differences between Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. Test it on those you know.

If a Republican doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a Democrat doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a Republican is a vegetarian, she doesn't eat meat.
If a Democrat is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned or regulated for everyone.

If a Republican is homosexual, he leads his life.
If a Democrat is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a Republican is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
If a Democrat is down and out, she wonders who is going to take care of her.

If a Republican doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
if a Democrat doesn't like a talk show host, he demands that he/she be taken off the air.

If a Republican has no religious belief, he doesn't go to church.
If a Democrat has no religious belief, he wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a Republican needs health care, he shops for it, or finds a job that provides it.
If a Democrat needs health care, she demands that the rest of us provide it.

If a Republican reads this, she'll forward it so her friends can reflect on it.
If a Democrat receives this, he will delete it because he's "offended".

For fun, try adding your own differences between the two. Helpful hint: you will be more productive if you're eating a Chick-Fil-A sandwich washed down with a 20 ounce soda pop.

hat tip: Diane Dubey