To the editor,
For the past few years our little enclave in Marine Park has been plagued with graffiti. It seems all too apparent that the police have little interest in halting this crime even though many of the stores along Avenue S have video surveillance.
Today I was greeted with yet another piece of graffiti going up on the wall of a candy store on East 36th street and Avenue S. The owner seems to have let an “artist” ply his trade on the west-facing wall of his store. This, together with a fading and tagged wall facing east, makes it look as though our neighborhood belongs in Bedford-Stuyvesant or Brownsville, not Marine Park. I hope that I am not the only one being vigilant and will be e-mailing local associations in an effort to stop unwanted murals like these from springing up all over the community. Unless residents don’t care anymore about their neighborhood, and have thrown in the towel?Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Just too high
To the editor,
I would like to know why we need so many high-rise buildings in Sheepshead Bay. I am particularly concerned that the new high-rise you’ve written about, and that I’ve seen, is right near the public library on Ocean Avenue and Kings Highway and will, when completed, add to the already dangerous flow of traffic on these streets (“Ocean rising! Tide of development sweeps Ocean Avenue” by Julianne Cuba, online April 17). Hundreds of drivers and pedestrians have to navigate these streets every day. I feel like I and my friends are taking our lives in our hands every time we have to cross Ocean Parkway to get to the library. I dread to think of some some happy little girl or boy heading eagerly to the library to get a book but ending up under a car or bus instead.
Wealthy real estate tycoons will not agree with me, but I think that what Sheepshead Bay really needs is not more high-rise condos and big-name department stores, but safer roads, less traffic, more family restaurants (many once-beloved restaurants, including El Greco’s, have been razed to make way for more condos), and more mom-and-pop businesses, many of which have also been torn down to make room for still more high-rises. We need more parks and playgrounds and Sheepshead Bay desperately needs more schools. Where are the children who move into the new condos supposed to go to school? I hope someone can give me an answer.Elaine Kirsch
Gravesend
Lie-brarians?
To the editor,
On April 18 at around 12:30 pm I wanted to confirm that the Kings Bay Library was going to hold its normal Lego activity at 3 pm. The librarian had no idea what I was asking about and called someone up who apparently was out to lunch. I was informed that there was no Lego activity, but to come to the Creative Kids activity at 4 pm instead. The librarian had asked me how old my kids were and I said 4. She did not say I should not bring them to the 4 pm activity because they were too young.
I brought my kids for the activity and another librarian told me that my kids were too young, and she made my older kid cry. I clearly believe she is in the wrong profession if she is making children who frequent the library and want to take part in library activities cry.
I have donated money to the Brooklyn Public Library with the money earmarked for this branch. I will never give any money to this branch again as long as they continue to have on their staff incompetent librarians.Samuel S. Pam
Sheepshead Bay
Fix our schools
To the editor,
I would like to see the various news outlets publish articles concerning teachers who were assaulted by students in school. Many teachers sustained injuries, making them lose classroom time, and there are plenty of pedagogues who never returned to the classroom after such incidents.
No one dares to bring up the idea of reestablishing the 600-school concept for chronically-disruptive students. We have had, and still have, students in school who have an agenda consisting of nobody learning anything while they are around. These are the students who talk in class out of turn, answer the teacher back, throw objects around the room, fight with other students and do anything else possible to make sure that the teacher’s lesson is destroyed. No teacher can teach without proper discipline. Instead, we have a Department of Education and a mayor who refuse to do anything about the lack of discipline in public schools. When confronted with this, they and the supervisory staff blame the teacher for not “motivating” these students. Many schools are so out of control that they need military discipline to reestablish order. Instead, our liberals, who control the schools, advocate such nonsense as alternate assessments, cooperative learning and other nonsense so as to push the disruptive child out with a worthless diploma.
As for the United Federation of Teachers, they gave up on these schools years ago. In any event, the hierarchy of the union has been out of the classroom for decades so they really don’t care what goes on in the classroom. Groups of teachers who have been against union policies allow themselves to get bogged down on social issues and adopt such ideas which alienate the regular membership.
Currently, if a parent refuses to sign for special education evaluation, the child is allowed to remain in a regular classroom, so the mayhem continues. If we would only start fining the working parents for their child’s unruly behavior, we might see a big improvement. Parents on public assistance should have their monthly allotments lowered until their child behaves.
I would love for reporters to visit schools unannounced and see for themselves the lawlessness that occurs in the hallways. Too many of our schools have virtually become war zones.
It is only when we establish firm discipline with zero toleration for any infraction, that then and only then may we talk about evaluating teachers. The UFT and Council of Supervisors and Administrators need to be in court to make sure that disciplinary problems are adjudicated properly. If you don’t behave, you don’t belong in school. Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
War of words
To the editor,
So the fearless leader of North Korea is now threatening to blow up our naval fleet in international waters. I can only read the lips of the commanding admirals: “Make our day!” I guess that if this really happens that Mr. Trump will exponentially increase employment in our Southern states as Kia, Hyundai, Samsung and other fine South Korean manufacturers flee to the United States, before their country is rendered into a mass of green glowing glass.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
A tax attack
To the editor,
Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s proposal to raise the cost of a pack of cigarettes from $10.50 to $13 just like past increases will not discourage consumption. The growth of so-called illegal street-corner bodega and deli cigarette sales known as “loosies”— two for $1 — will rise in proportion to periodic government increases in taxes on the purchase of cigarettes. This once again will occur if Mayor DeBlasio’s proposal is passed by the New York City Council and becomes law. Many consumers will just travel past the city line to stores selling cigarettes in neighboring Connecticut, Nassau County, New Jersey and Westchester communities to patronize stores offering lower prices. The underground economy will make an even greater fortune selling untaxed cigarettes. Both the city and state will see an increase in the loss of millions in uncollected tax revenues. Why sell hard drugs when you can sell cigarettes with virtually no penalties? Consumption of tobacco has been part of mainstream America, transcending generations. Despite the best efforts of government to limit consumption via excessive taxes and smoking restrictions, just like alcohol prohibition in the 1920s — both are doomed to failure. These actions infringe on citizens’ civil and economic liberties.
Creative entrepreneurs will always provide what citizens desire, regardless of government approval. Consumers have voted with their dollars, making tobacco consumption a multi-billion-dollar enterprise today.
Our tax dollars would be better used if police and judges spend more time prosecuting those who commit real crimes against individuals or property than going after those who sell “loosies.” Law enforcement authorities should be free to pursue those who commit real crimes against citizens and property.
At 18, you are old enough to vote, be a parent, pay taxes, own a car, take out a bank loan, serve in the military and die for your country — but not consume tobacco. This makes no sense.Larry Penner
Great Neck
