To the editor,
Your Dec. 1 front page juxtaposed two telling illustrations of the strong arm of city government.
The completion of the Calko Medical Center in Bensonhurst (“City: Add spaces to med center”) is being held up by the city because of community demands for more parking, but the same city agency is giving the go ahead to the Voorhies Avenue mosque despite vociferous opposition by the local community, ignoring its complaints of traffic congestion on this narrow, quiet street (“Mosque moves ahead”). Your reporter helpfully reminds us that the Voorhies Avenue community’s objections seem to be based on anti-Islamic sentiment. Does that mean their fears are unfounded and therefore not worthy of consideration?
Fortunately, that same front page was redeemed by the heartwarming photo of two lads singing our national anthem with pride and gusto (“Pledging allegiance!’).
As always, kudos to Shavana Abruzzo (“A Britisher’s View”) for her fearless critiques of liberalism, radical Islam and all enemies of America. She and Stanley Gershbein (“It’s Only My Opinion”) never fail to give thanks to our brave military and veterans who have defended our way of life in this greatest nation on earth.
Patricia Levine
Marine Park
‘Carl-and-Dom’ show
To the editor,
Was it necessary to call Michael Turano state Sen. Carl Kruger’s “purported gay lover?” (“Case against Kruger’s ‘crony’ dropped,” Dec. 1).
Was this phrase necessary or was it included to demean the men? Had Kruger been accused of illegality involving a female lover, would the writer have used the term “purported heterosexual lover?” I think not.
Also, I hope you received a substantial sum for the full-page “ad” Di Fara’s was given in the same edition (“Pizza the action!”).
The owners continually flaunt the dirty conditions for which they have been cited for years, and this is page two news?
The smirks on the face of Dom DeMarco and his daughter, Margy, show just how serious they are about maintaining an establishment that meets the criteria of the health department throughout the year — not just after a failed inspection.
Martin Boxer
Sheepshead Bay
Road rage
To the editor,
“Cuomo’s BQE failure endangers us all” (online, Dec. 9) is nothing new. Governor Cuomo cut off funding to support reconstruction or outright replacement of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
Construction of any new freight, public transportation, tunnel or bridge project can take decades by the time feasibility studies, environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements, construction, budgeting, identifying and securing funding are completed. This is before the project reaches beneficial use.
As years and decades go by, costs go up by hundreds of millions — even billions — of dollars.
There has been a series of feasibility studies dealing with this highway over the decades, sponsored by various governmental agencies and public officials. They generated money for consultants along with free publicity for elected officials who promised a bright future, but left everyone holding an empty bag. At the end of the day, based upon past history for other large projects, don’t count on seeing the shovel in the ground to start re-construction before the end of this decade.
Who knows if we will even see completion of this project within our lifetimes!
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
‘F’ for Unity Caucus
To the editor,
The Unity Caucus has controlled the United Federation of Teachers for half a century, and it’s high time that it showed some leadership.
It shou1d petition the legislature to end the disastrous mayoral control of schools. Stop giving up contractual items. The 2005 contract was a perfect example. Bloomberg saw giving up items as weakness and was emboldened to demand further concessions.
Demand the restoration of the “600 schools” for chronically disruptive pupils, and install cooperative learning and alternate assessments for such brats. Restore the absent teacher reserves back to their regular positions. These people did not teach 15 years to be relegated to substitute status.
Also, begin interviewing prospective mayoral candidates now. We’re paying for failing to endorse William Thompson in 2009. Set term limits for U.F.T. officials, and at the end of their terms, have them return to teaching. Too many officials have been out of the classroom for too long and have forgotten the rigors involved.
Have the city live up to class size contractual limits as well. Larger class sizes mean less time for individual student attention, and more behavior problems.
We need a committee of active and retired teachers and supervisors running our schools. They have served in the trenches, and know what students and teachers need in order to succeed. Such a system would rely heavily on parental input. Then establish separate bargaining units for teachers, secretaries, psychologists and other functional members. No one group should be voting on another group’s work load.
Denounce, too, the idea of a leadership academy for principals. These people never taught one day, and they’re observing and rating teachers? Outrageous!
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
No horse play
To the editor,
I disagree with the recommendation by animal rights groups to ban horse and carriage rides through Central Park.
As a carriage driver for 29 years, I can attest that our proud horses are well cared for. It is tragic that one died recently. But, as Millie Gotts pointed out on this page recently, people also die all the time. So do dogs, cats and all other animals.
The animals rights groups spew so much misinformation about the treatment of horses, so here are the facts.
Each horse receives two medical exams each year. How many people can say the same? Each horse lives in an oversized box stall with enough room to lie down and turn around. Our horses are fed the highest quality feed available with plenty of water, and each horse receives five weeks vacation per year!
Our industry is regulated by five city agencies, and no horse works seven days a week, 365 days a year as the animal rights groups would have you believe.
Millions of tourists come to the city each year, and we provide a service much in demand.
If people want to make up their minds on this issue, I would urge them to drop by the park for themselves and see our beautiful horses.
Bring along a thermos of hot chocolate and your best caroling voice! Happy holidays!
Peter Fountaine
Marine Park
Mitt-Perry bet
To the editor,
Presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry should have accepted the $10,000 bet Mitt Romney offered him at a debate in Iowa — and just crossed his fingers so he didn’t have to pay up if he lost.
Don’t politicians do that all the time — make promises they can’t keep?
They know the rules as well as we do, even if you pinky-swear just keep your fingers crossed and you are not responsible for lies or broken promises.
Peter Orsi
Marine Park
Smut ‘wrongs’
To the editor,
Larry Penner (“Smut rights,” Letters, Dec. 8) reveals a three-monkey, see-hear-speak no evil attitude to pornography, which is illegal to show children either in private or public.
Hard-core, perverted, sadomasochistic porn leads to violence and abuse against women and children, and destroys marriages.
Years ago, serial woman killer Ted Bundy attributed his murderous behavior to pornographic photos that he viewed as a child.
Adults, today, who make Internet porn available to children “in the privacy of their homes” must be held accountable.
Robert Bonsignore
Marine Park
