To the editor,
Please allow me to respond to the inaccurate and irresponsible claims made in your “Critics: Greenfield threw his weight around during CB12 election” (online April 10).
I’m compelled to do so in a letter to the editor since the reporter unfortunately failed to reach out to me, despite having met me on the night of Yidel Perlstein’s election as board chairman.
Had the reporter taken a moment to get my view on this issue, he would have realized this was about reform and open government, and not about religion or ethnicity. Tellingly, the only person quoted criticizing the election — which Yidel Perlstein won by a two-to-one margin — is an anonymous “source close to the board.”
The two board members quoted by name in support of him happen to be Catholics, making it clear that this election was about reform, not religion.
This election was about the establishment, led by a chairman who has spent 34 years on the board, attempting to manipulate the system and prevent democracy from playing out by blocking a lawful vote for a new chairman because they knew the reformer — Yidel Perlstein — had the support of the majority of board members representing all areas, backgrounds, and religions.
Unfortunately, in the pursuit of controversy, your reporter failed to accurately represent the entire story, and instead gave credence to his obviously disgruntled source’s false claims and accusations, which are clearly without merit.
Based on the large amount of feedback I’ve heard from the public at large and the decisive results of the vote, I know that the overwhelming majority of residents of Community Board 12 are thrilled to have a community board that is responsive to the needs of every single citizen regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.
David Greenfield
The author is a councilman representing parts of Bensonhurst and Borough Park.
Charitable Bams
To the editor,
I have to give credit to the Obamas for their generosity! Their annual charitable donations of $172,000 are about 500 times the amount donated by the Bidens, who give about $369 a year.
I wish I could be so generous as President Obama, but I have tuition, food expenses, a mortgage, heat, electric, auto insurance, and a whole bunch of other bills to pay.
May he always be as generous as he is now. As for that miserly “Crazy Uncle Joe,” he can keep his one dollar a day — he must need it more than anyone else!
Franklin Forte
Gravesend
DOE dunces
To the editor,
It was interesting to note the comment that was made by an employee at Sheepshead Bay High School, specificially that the school shouldn’t be closed because there is now less brawling there (“Sheepshead Bay High School on fast track to closure,” online, April 6).
Less brawling? There shouldn’t be any brawling whatsoever.
When will our schools realize that for education to take place, we must have zero tolerance for any disciplinary infraction? Those who fight in the hallways deserve to be incarcerated or placed in a 600 school. Of course, our liberal politicians, the mayor, his puppet Chancellor Dennis Walcott, and others, refuse to recognize the need for the 600 school concept for chronically disruptive pupils. It is much easier for them to blame the teacher for the child’s failure.
Why do you suppose that so many teachers leave the system five years after they begin teaching? There is little to no support regarding discipline. Of course, you will hear the old supervisory line that you’re not motivating them. No matter how much money you pump into the public school system, you will obtain the same results because of the complete lack of discipline in far too many schools.
I stopped riding the B36 bus at dismissal time because of disturbance caused by students behaving like hooligans. They are boisterous and rude, they run and scream through the aisles, and they cause havoc on the bus. They think they’re back at school, so the poor behavior continues after dismissal.
It is true that schools should not be closed. It is also true that you will have an effective system only after you tighten up your disciplinary procedures.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
‘Bluffer’ Buffet
To the editor,
Everyone should pay their fair share, according to the “Buffet rule,” except for Warren Buffet! The latest is that he owes millions in taxes from 2002.
Look in the dictionary for the word “hypocrite” and Buffet’s picture should be there.
He’s not even paying what he should be paying now, and he says he wants to pay more — what a joke.
Millie and Stu Gotts
Flatbush
Public BAD-vocate
To the editor,
Does the New York City Charter assign any responsibilities to the public advocate in organizing boycotts of business?
Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio’s recent release of a web site “Iran Watch List” is designed to monitor businesses which may have dealings with Iran. This information would be used by interested citizens to participate in boycotting their products. The free publicity generated by this stunt is just a part of DeBlasio’s overall daily series of press conferences and news releases to raise his name identification with voters. It is to grease the wheels for his all-but-publically announced 2013 mayoral run. These activities are on the taxpayers time and dime, and have nothing to do with managing municipal agencies or government.
If DeBlasio is now interested in foreign affairs, perhaps he should consider becoming a candidate to either run in his local congressional district or challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) in the Democratic Party Primary and drop out of the 2013 mayoral campaign? DeBlasio continues to accept excessive campaign contributions from municipal labor unions and follows their agenda lockstep. In the interest of fair and open disclosure, why not just call him the “Office of Municipal Unions Advocate?” When it comes to marching with the United Federation of Teachers, versus parents and taxpayers, he is truly the “teachers pet.”
The yearly city contributions to municipal employee pension plans are taking up a greater percentage of the budget. It is the equivalent of a growing iceberg which, just like the infamous “Titanic,” if not dealt with quickly will sink us all.
The city has a municipal budget of $65 billion dollars with over 220,000 employees. This is greater than most states and many nations. DeBlasio has never built a business, created jobs, met a payroll, balanced a multi-billion dollar budget or managed any significant agencies with large numbers of employees. His ego, just like predecessors Mark Green and Betsy Gotbaum, is using this office as a stepping stone to run for mayor. He brings no real qualifications for the second toughest job in America.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Citizen ‘vigilante’
To the editor,
Call me crazy but I’m a firm believer in the old adage that desperate times call for desperate measures. We are in desperate times, criminals with guns are shooting at innocent men, women, children, cops, and even each other.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly is doing a fine job, but he isn’t able to stop the influx of illegal guns coming into New York. Like drugs, gambling and prostitution, I don’t think guns will ever stop being a serious and deadly problem in this city.
Good, decent, hardworking people have to be afraid to walk the streets because some tough guy with no heart or brains is packing a gun, and is stupid enough to use it for any reason on anyone — anytime, anywhere. It’s time that the good citizens of this town also get guns, legally of course, after a background check and a class on gun safety. Then maybe the next time some idiot thug goes to rob, mug or rape an innocent victim — or waves a gun around for cheap thrills — he will think twice!
Incidents like the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida are few and far between, and I think the benefits will outweigh any ill effects this gun law will have, and be in keeping with the second amendment of our Constitution — the right to bear arms.
I know this might sound extreme to some, and maybe it is, but like I said it’s just not working the way it is now. Let’s give the jerks with the illegal guns something to think about the next time they go out with an illegal gun looking for trouble. I, for one, would hope I would never have to say. “You picked on the wrong one today,” but I guess it’s better than begging for your life.
Cronin Miller
Midwood
‘N’ word woes
To the editor,
Mega kudos to CNN anchor Don Lemmon for having the courage to speak the truth anout the n-word, no matter what anyone thinks.
The n-word is the stupidest word I have ever heard, and it is not a nice word, but it is a word like many other words in the dictionary. It’s used mostly these days in a pejorative sense, not unlike many other words used to describe someone’s race or nationality in an offensive way.
There are also pejorative words for Italians, Jews, Hispanics, Chinese, and so forth, and they can be hurtful and even cause a bloody nose or worse. But they are only words — hurtful words, derogatory words, bad words but, nonetheless, only words. Using these words to quote what someone said — at appropriate times — is understandable, so let’s stop pretending the word never existed.
Let’s all grow up and remember that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never harm me.
Maureen Parker
Sheepshead Bay
Reality ‘asses’
To the editor,
Just when I thought it was safe to turn on the TV, another reality shows rears its ugly head.
We have seen people of almost every race and nationality putting their lifestyles in front of millions of viewers, making complete asses of themselves and giving some people the false impression that this is the norm for the rest of us.
Now a new reality show is coming called “Shunned” and starring ex-Hasidim — something I don’t believe any of us saw coming. The old saying “money is the root to all evil” certainly applies here. Why else would all these people go on TV in front of millions of viewers and family and friends and make a mockery of their religion, their heritage, their family values, and everything else held sacred by their families?
Peter Orsi
Marine Park
