To the editor,
Dear Mr. Lobenstein,
In your letter in the June 15–21 edition of the Bay News about the delivery man who was arrested and turned over to immigration authorities while trying to deliver a pizza to the Ft. Hamilton Army Base, you ask “Do you see anything wrong here?” I see a lot wrong here.
I fail to see why an immigrant who is trying to make an honest living, in this case delivering pizza, and support his family should be arrested and possibly deported for not having been able to get a green card. He was not trying to blow up Ft. Hamilton. He did not have a truckload of bombs nor other deadly weapons. He was merely trying to deliver a pizza. I don’t think anybody who needs refuge and is willing to do honest, useful work should be denied a chance to live and work in America.
We Americans, including President Trump, need to remember our own origins. My Jewish parents had to flee Russia in the early 20th Century because Jews were being persecuted and killed. Had they not been allowed to enter America, they might have been killed and I might never have been born. When Hitler came to power, Jews once again had to flee Europe. Many of them escaped to America and got into this country any way they could, legally or illegally. All they wanted was to survive and earn an honest living.
People of other religions, from other countries, are now suffering from persecution and starvation. Why shouldn’t they be allowed to enter America? Why is President Trump separating small children from their families? I think this atrocity should be stopped and all immigrant children should be returned to their families, and these families of suffering immigrants should be given sanctuary in America. Maybe then immigration officers could concentrate on capturing criminals who enter this country illegally with guns and bombs rather than arresting innocent pizza deliverymen.
Elaine Kirsch
Gravesend
Applause for Trump
To the editor,
Congratulations, Mr. Trump, for doing something historic, that 11 of your presidential predecessors could not. You broke the ice between two warring nations and planted the seeds of peace and a possible future democracy in a part of the world that sorely needed it. Thank you for tempering expectations at home by not doing a Neville Chamberlain, touting “peace in our time.” We know it will be a long process, though now, as step one is behind us, the intricate nuts-and-bolts discussions will commence.
Meanwhile, Democrat liberals are busy tearing down whatever accomplishments may have been achieved, and in their ignorance, freely put their own feet in their mouths. Hell, they would even criticize Jesus as he walked on water and fed the 5,000 too. Kudos to you, Mr. President, and the upper echelons of the government too!Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Not careful enough
To the editor,
Vision Zero hasn’t made a great difference, since the news reports traffic accidents [in which] people [are] still getting injured or killed by cars or other vehicles. It would be totally unrealistic to have cameras on every street corner, or cops as well. I wish [we had] the same Vision Zero [restrictions] for bikes on the sidewalks or [the] Boardwalk, who think it’s a race track. While some complain about legalizing pot, how many people died in traffic accidents due to smoking pot? Hello! [After] all [the] traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers, why not ban booze? Because the booze lobby has a foothold in the political arena. How often when a person was caught with a suspended license more times then one can count, did he or she continue to drive?
John Snow
Brighton Beach
Coney Island’s embattled former assemblywoman, Pamela Harris, pleaded guilty in federal court on June 12 to charges of stealing thousands of dollars from city and federal storm-recovery agencies to pay for lavish personal vacations and lingerie. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said the government’s prosecution of Harris proved that politicians are subject to the same laws as their constituents and will be punished if they try to flout them. (“Former Coney Island assemblywoman pleads guilty to fraud, lying, witness tampering,” by Julianne McShane, online June 13) “The defendant’s guilty plea today clearly demonstrates that elected officials are not above the law and will be held responsible for their crimes,” said Richard Donoghue.” One of our readers let us know he agreed:
An elected officials stealing from the taxpayers? Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that was going on.
Perhaps [if] the law enforcement’s powers [that] be would vigorously pursue the maximum possible sentence allowed by law and not allow taxpayers to pay for her defense, maybe, just maybe these lowlifes would consider the consequences before they start stealing from the very people who thought enough of them to elected them to office.
Bob from Gerritsen Beach
The public college where a Southern Brooklyn councilman wants to host gender-exclusive beach days this summer is looking into whether it can legally do so. (“Legality of proposed gender-separate beach days at Kingsborough questioned,” by Adam Lucente, online June 15). A spokesman for Kingsborough Community College said they began evaluating the issue after Councilman Chaim Deutsch’s (D–Manhattan Beach) idea drew mixed reviews. The review we received from at least one reader, however, was very clear:
This reminds me of reading in the Jerusalem paper (free on-line and worth a read) about the signs in Hebrew that appeared in South Williamsburg warning Jewish women to cross over to the other side of the street when Jewish men approached. The purpose of the article was to warn the sign-hangers that they were not in Jerusalem West any more but in the real America so they should cut out this nonsense before the Gentiles took notice. A chanda for the goyim, as they might say. Old world attitudes don’t travel well.
Tom from Sunset Park
Fare weather
To the editor,
June 22 marks the 103rd anniversary for construction of the BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan Rapid Transit) Fourth Avenue Brooklyn line. This service ran from City Hall to 95th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Thousands of riders payed a 5-cent fare. The original BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan Rapid Transit — today’s B, D, J, M, N,Q, R and Z lines) and IRT (Interboro Rapid Transit — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Franklin Avenue and Times Square shuttles) subway systems were constructed and managed by the private sector with no government operating subsidies. Financial viability was 100 percent dependent upon farebox revenues. They supported both development and economic growth of numerous neighborhoods in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens. As part of the franchise agreement which owners had to sign, City Hall had direct control over the fare structure. For a period of time, owners actually make a profit with a 5-cent fare. After two decades passed, the costs of salaries, maintenance, power, supplies and equipment would pressure owners to ask City Hall for permission to raise the fares. Politicians more interested in the next reelection refused this request each year for well over a decade. As a result, in order to survive owners of both systems began looking elsewhere to reduce costs and stay in business. They started curtailing basic maintenance, delayed purchases of new subway cars, postponed salary increases for employees, and canceled any plans for system expansion.
In 1920, automatic coin-operated turnstiles were first introduced on the Lexington Avenue subway. This began the elimination of ticket collection employees.
In 1932, NYC began building and financing construction of the new IND (Independent Subway – today’s A,C,E,F & G lines). This new municipal system subsidized by taxpayers dollars would provide direct competition to both the IRT and BMT. Municipal government forced them into economic ruin by denying them fare increases that would have provided access to additional badly needed revenues. The owners folded in 1940 and sold out to City Hall.
In 1953, the old NYC Board of Transportation passed on control of the municipal subway system, including all its assets to the newly created New York City Transit Authority. That same year, the fare increased from 10 to 15 cents and tokens were introduced.Larry Penner
Great Neck
