Please, forget about it
To the editor,
As if “Jersey Shore” wasn’t enough, now we have “Mob Wives”, “The Housewives of New Jersey” and the Marino’s “Thicker than Water.” Since when did bashing Italians become so popular? Try it with some other nationality and see what happens. There would be an uproar.
Peter G.Orsi
Marine Park
A few more points
To the editor,
I completely agree with Ernesto Cavalier in his letter (“Sick and tired,” Letters, Aug. 17). However, I feel he omitted a couple very important items. So, with his approval, I hope he does not mind me adding a couple things.
1) I’m sick and tired of people complaining about what is wrong and not getting involved in someway to fix things. Back in the 60s, there were massive demonstrations against the policies in Washington. Now people lay down like lambs.
2) I’m sick and tired of people complaining that the problem in Washington is to get rid of all the ineffectual Senators and Congressmen, but then the people reelect the incumbents.
Things might actually start to improve when the people start to use the tools available to them in this so-called democracy.
Ronald Cohen
Sheepshead Bay
Do you know Mr.Raisman?
To the editor,
I read Stanley Gershbein’s column faithfully and often see the name “Mr. Raisman” mentioned (“Stan takes aim at the FAA, and has a TEA Party” It’s Only My Opinion, August 15). Who is this Mr.Raisman? What is his first name? Is he a real person, or just a figment of your imagination? Please clue your readers in; don’t keep us inquisitive souls in the dark any longer. Thanks for your prompt reply.
Joan Applepie
Mill Basin
Editor’s note: Raisman frequently questions Gershbein in letters and e-mails that Stan refers to in his columns.
Beep’s a Bully
To the editor,
Here is the truth in the way Markowitz actually handled the Aretha Franklin concert. (“Thousands shut out of Aretha’s concert,” Aug. 17) Who does borough president Markowitz really think he is kidding? Just take a hard look at the new venue at 21st Street in Coney Island. Notice the black curtains Markowitz placed around his venue, successfully blocking
Brooklynites from viewing Franklin standing in the Jumbotron singing her classic songs. Doesn’t the curtain force people to rent his $5.00 chairs (which adds more money into the concert series’ discretionary fund coffer)? Isn’t the aforementioned the real purpose of these curtains? Additionally, what about the 1,000 or so seats Markowitz reserves every Thursday for his political cronies, his sponsors, and his sponsors’ relatives and friends, and their relatives and friends, and their relatives and friends
Need I go on? Make no mistake about it, the problem which occurred at the Aretha Franklin was Markowitz’ doing, not the fact that New York City’s Corporation Counsel ordered him out of Asser Levy Park based of attorney Norman Siegel’s brilliant efforts. Indeed, Ms. Shai Husain was “…shut out…” of the Franklin concert. I’m also sure Ms. Husain will vote in coming elections.
Dr. Steven M. Lipson
Gravesend
Don’t blame Bush
To the editor,
Obama really must stop saying he inherited a massive deficit from Bush. It’s nonsense. If he inherited anything from Bush, it was the 2007 budget deficit — which came from a Democrat-controlled Congress. It happened to be the second lowest deficit since 2003, and the smallest deficit of the previous four steadily declining deficit budgets. Obama’s 2008 budget had a deficit four times bigger than the one he inherited, and that deficit now is four times the 2008 budget deficit (data is from the CBO). What he is really saying is that he inherited a deficit that HE voted for, and then voted to increase that deficit four-fold. He conveniently “forgot” to mention that what he also inherited was an AAA credit rating, which was downgraded on HIS watch. He can fool all of the people some of the time; but he can’t fool all of the people all of the time. People voted for Obama to prove they are not racists; now they must vote against him to prove they are not idiots.
David F. Podesta
Marine Park
Where do you think you’re going?
To the editor,
I don’t begrudge the Obama’s vacations, but a ten day vacation at $50,000 per week sounds a little excessive to me at a time when so many Americans are in such dire straights. This vacation in Martha’s Vineyard will also cost the taxpayers millions for security, staff and every other expense that goes along with it. But according to Mayor “Moneybags” Bloomberg, it’s fine. He says the phone works from Martha’s Vineyard so there is no problem; too bad the phone didn’t work from Bermuda last winter when he was escaping New York and the blizzard. Can you hear us now?
Cronin Miller
Flatlands
Tremor trash
To the editor,
I found it amazing how a couple of seconds of slight tremors in NY from the earthquake in Virginia dominated the news for the entire day. My guess is that there isn’t enough news to report for all of these 24 hour news channels. What’s next, a reality show about it? Give me a break.
Cronin Miller
Flatlands
Who-gh Carey?
To the editor,
Having read Thomas Tracy’s article on former governor Carey (Hugh Carey, governor who saved New York, is dead, Aug. 11) Thomas Tracy made two mistakes in his article:
First, Mr. Tracy said Carey had a 21 year career. In fact, he was in office 22 years. Since he was elected to Congress in 1960 and served until the time he was sworn in as governor, Hugh Carey only served 14 years in Congress.
Second, Tracy said in Congress, Hugh Carey rose to the ranks as chairman of the Ways and Means committee.
This is also inaccurate. It is true Hugh Carey was an able and respected member of the Ways and Means Committee, but he was never chairman. It was Wilbur Mills (D–Arkansas) who was chairman and then Dan Rostenkowski (D–Illinois) who served as Chairman of the tax writing committee.
Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
• • •
To the editor,
While I never voted for Hugh Carey, I am sorry to hear of the former governor’s death.
Hugh Carey has to be given credit where credit is due for saving New York City when it was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1975.
But I believe that if Lacolm Wilson had been elected governor instead in 1974, New York City would not have been on the verge of bankruptcy because Gerald Ford was a Republican President and Malcolm Wilson was also a Republican, so they would have been less likely to embarrass or hurt the city.
Richard Nixon was more kindly to New York City than his successor Gerald Ford since Nixon had joined the law firm of Mitchell, Mudge, Rose and Nixon’s first Attorney General John Mitchells’s law firm specialized in municipal bonds. Those in Congress who were most vocal in calling for Richard Nixon to resign were Bella Abzug (D–NY) who first brought up the impeachment revolution and Hugh Carey himself who brought Gerald Ford to presidency. When governor Carey and Mayor Beame were pleading for aid to New York City, Ford said “What is so bad about New York City defaulting? Grand Rapids, Micighan defaulted and was in better shape than ever.” This led to the Daily News headline “Ford to city: Drop Dead.”
While I agree that Hugh Carey was not the best person to be governor of New York State, he clearly withstood the best. May he rest in peace.
Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
To the editor,
America the Beautiful is Not Just a Song
We are people with many different faces
We are people of many faiths and many races
The police and firemen, and all those who perished
They will forever and ever be cherished
The doctors, the nurses and the EMS
Were also heroes in this time of stress
In spite of our tears, our resolve was ignited
By the cowardly attack that made us more united
They thought we were beaten, but they were wrong
Our love of freedom is much too strong
In spite of everything, we’ll still get along
Jay Sonners
Coney Island
King Marty’s reign
To the editor,
Self annointed “King of Brooklyn”, Marty Markowitz continues his arrogance and hubris. He broke the law when he did not pay for his wife’s travel with him on trips to Europe and Turkey, which were really thinly disguised vacations. If our senators and members of congress take their wives on vacations, they have to pay for them. King Marty thinks the law should be changed — I don’t. Taxpayers who already pay for Marty’s antics — including three chauffeurs — don’t need to foot the bill for five borough presidents’s wives when borough presidents travel. Or perhaps King Marty thinks a new law should only apply to King Marty.
Ira Drogin
Flatbush
’Fess up!
To the editor,
Religious leaders, political leaders, financial leaders, community leaders and police officers are making this society go down the toilet. What the hell are you people thinking, with your little brain? When you get caught, then say you are sorry and admit to being stupid. I know the people will forgive you and you will at least be able to go on with your life after doing a spread for Playgirl.
PS. Who will be next?
Jaime Medina
Marine Park
Freedom ain’t free
To the editor,
Higher education is not free,
Medical coverage is not free,
Electrical power is not free,
Water service is not free,
Homes are not free,
Politicians are not free,
Petroleum is not free,
Food is not free,
Most major roads are not free,
Some national monuments are not free,
Dying is not free.
But we live in the land of the free. I suppose I must be on the wrong side.
Jaime Medina
Marine Park
TV tax breaks
To the editor,
New York gives tax breaks to the TV and film industry and what happens? More productions are made here, more money for us, more jobs, more jobs, and even more money. Hey this could work nationwide if Obama tries giving tax breaks to other businesses. Hellooooooo!?
Mark Romeo
Bergen Beach
Markowitz out for himself?
To the editor,
“Give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself.” Such is the direction taken by our borough president Marty Markowitz. Look what Markowitz has done over the last several years. Back in February, Markowitz used his chief of staff at a real estate closing, resulting in a $2,000 fine from the Conflicts of Interest Board. Most recently, Judge Kenin Casey fined Markowitz to the amount of $20,000 (Marty: Change the law!, Aug. 4) for his tourism junkets by permitting remunerations for his wife’s expenses. This writer, as a nationally recognized scientist, recently returned from a lecture trip at New Orleans, LA., and is scheduled to speak in China in October. I would never use my grant funding for public, private, or corporate reimbursements for my wife on her accompanying me on my professional excursions. Clearly, Judge Casey is correct in his statement that BEEP Markowitz used his position “…for private and personal advantage.” Our BEEP notwithstanding, actually has the audacity to suggest that the law should be changed — permitting politicians’ spouses to get reimbursed for traveling with their better halves on political junkets. Indeed our BEEP has “chutzpah.” Lest we also never forget Markowitz’s support for a third term for Bloomberg, and of course a third term for the position of Brooklyn Borough President. Do we call these latter points political masturbation?
And what about consideration for the rights of the people? Markowitz’s ignoring the issue of noise pollution finally resulted in the New York City Corporation Counsel’s ordering Markowitz to vacate his Thursday night concerts from Brooklyn’s Asser Levy Park; the concert’s relocation is currently on an asphalt/cement block on 21st Street and Surf Avenue. With this point, let us review how Markowitz sets up his Thursday concerts at Coney Island – forcing people to wait in the intense heat for hours upon hours before having the gates opened (at 6:30 pm) to purchase the so-called “limited“ numbers of iron rental chairs. Such rental chairs parenthetically, are situated on some 80% of the asphalt in front of the portable stage. What about the folks who bring their own comfortable beach chairs? They are forced to sit in the back of the fenced-in asphalt lot, where the performers look like grains of sand strewn on the famous Coney Island Beach Resort (Letters, Aug. 4).
The concerts are previously paid for, by the Markowitz/concert sponsors. The sponsors, their distant families, their friends, and the Markowitz political cronies, march in the last minute before the music starts to procure their reserved seats. Again, what about the masses who live in Coney Island and vicinity? Have respect for such individuals by removing the pay seating; Let residents enter throughout the afternoon to relax in their own comfortable beach lounge chairs under the sun, and then take in the 1960s and 1970s headliner shows. Indeed, complaints from the citizenry have been expressed to the Brooklyn Borough President’s office. My word, what is Markowitz doing to the voters of Brooklyn? Lastly, does Markowitz really think he might ever answer a phone as he sits at the ol’ mahogany desk in Gracie Mansion?
Dr. Steven M. Lipson
Bergen Beach
Sheepshead is missing a super power
To the editor,
The vacant supermarket space is a neighborhood center designed to provide convenience shopping for the day-to-day needs of the area residents of the immediate neighborhood. These centers are usually anchored by a supermarket and supported by stores offering drugs, sundries, snacks, and personal services.
Before a corporation goes ahead with a site location, they work out a detailed statement of projected expenses. Some examples are rent costs, real estate taxes, common area charges, maintenance charges, insurance, salaries and stock.
A shopping center is the sum of its parts. If its retailers are successful, the center will be successful. If they are not successful, so is the center.
The Lefrak Organization, and Premiere Properties, should be working a lot harder to replace the Pathmark space with another supermarket, even if they have to give them a lower rent and a longer lease. This is how the big shopping centers are able to get a better quality of tenants. The anchor store brings in the customers to the center.
So come on Premiere Properties and politicians (you know who you are), we need a new supermarket fast, winter is right around the corner, and it is too far to get to another supermarket.
Mark S. Parness
Sheepshead Bay
