To the editor,
Kudos to Joanna DelBuono for her straight–from–the–shoulder, gutsy column, “America the Beautiful — but these guys aren’t” (Not for Nuthin’, July 5).
Politicians only think three ways: me and myself, the next election, and what’s good for the party. Disgraced ex-senator Carl Kruger regularly issued a bulletin blowing his horn on how he helped a pair of seniors collect benefits that they were already entitled to. He sponsored 372 bills, but only one passed.
Can someone tell me, what legislation Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) has sponsored? He’s on TV every weekend to make a statement — after the fact. Were any of his bills voted on? How many passed?
The good Lord tells me he will give us a second time around. What would I like to do? I replied be a racketeer — oops! — I mean a politician. It’s the best racket in the world.
Ugo M. Rosiello
Mill Island
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To the editor,
When it comes to gun violence in America, Joanna DelBuono really should take the time to think a minute or more (“ ‘Why?’ is the question we can’t answer,” Not for Nuthin’, July 26).
Sensible government enactments like stop-and-frisk do prevent and limit Aurora-type massacres, vendettas, random bystander shootings, and murder–suicide incidents.
Joanna DelBuono may not take my word for it, but maybe she should talk to any of our police and enforcement officers, including Commissioner Ray Kelly. Or, better still, just ask the co-correspondents and columnists she meets at the coffee table.
It would be a good place to think for a minute or two.
Henry Ranz,
Sheepshead Bay
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To the editor,
Whether it was the mass murderer in Colorado, or the killer of the 4-year-old in the Bronx, we must remember that these killers were once sitting in a classroom.
Imagine being judged ineffective because you couldn’t “handle” such youngsters.
Our mayor correctly wants stricter regulation of guns. How about regulations on those who use the weapons to create unthinkable tragedies? This would start in our schools, where students are completely out of control. We have ticking-time bombs sitting in our public classrooms, and the mayor, schools chancellor and other educational leaders, who know nothing about the school system, do little to nothing about it.
Teachers can only be rated when the discipline problems are dealt with. Disruptive children have no place in our public schools whatsoever.
They need separate areas to attempt to educate them. Not every child is academically oriented.
We must bring back and emphasize vocational training. As shop teachers are retiring, their positions are being done away with.
We need work–study programs so that if a student is getting paid for doing work outside of school, they might come to value an education.
Younger disruptive pupils don’t need to be in school for longer school days. We need firm discipline with zero tolerance for disciplinary infractions.
The answer for improving schools is not by alternate assessment, cooperative learning, and extensive teacher training — these ideas are not working. But maintaining military discipline would improve things substantially.
I cordially invite the media to go to the schools unannounced and see what goes on in a given day.
Giving notice that you’re going only gives time for the principal to hide the behavior problems in the auditorium, gym, or offices of the dean.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
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To the editor,
I know it must be frustrating for Mayor “Little General” Bloomberg not getting his way all the time, but on the topic of gun control: to suggest the police go on strike is irresponsible. I hope he wasn’t serious and this is just a case of his mouth being in motion before his brain was in gear.
It certainly is a case of open mouth insert foot for the city’s very own Napoleon.
Michael Rocky
Dyker Heights
B64 bungle
To the editor,
The MTA discontinued the B64 line two years ago, just before the Coney Island summer season.
Now they’re restoring the bus line in October, after the summer is over.
Brilliant.
Just brilliant.
Jack Eagan
Bay Ridge
‘Throwaway people’
To the editor,
It’s bad that homeless people are in Coney Island (“Coney Island merchants want aggressive panhandlers gone,” July 16).
The police should take them to shelters, or someplace where they can get help. Any one of us can become homeless, especially in these hard economic times. When I was at the Atlantic Avenue station, I went down in the subway, to go where I was going. I saw a young blonde woman sitting on the floor. She had a tiny baby and a little sign. It said, “I lost my job, please can you help me?”
I gave her a dollar and I said, “Good luck.” Many walked by her, and they gave her nothing, like she was just some garbage, lying there.
Let’s face it, homeless people are just as human as you and me.
Jerome Frank
Shore Road
Food for thought
To the editor,
Mayor Bloomberg I need your help. I am a man in my mid-50s and have been called big-boned, well-nourished, and many other words describing my size, including many that aren’t as nice as the ones mentioned.
I know all the things you do are for our own good and someday history will prove you to be a man way ahead of his time. Anyway I have tried almost every diet in the book and have lost hundreds of pounds over the years and gained it all back, and then some. When I read about the ban on super-sized sugary drinks I thought it was a great start, but you didn’t go far enough. My problem is all-you-can-eat buffets. These should be outlawed. Not only do I overeat at them, but after sitting and eating at them for four or five hours I have to put up with dirty looks and derogatory comments from the proprietors of these places. One guy even gave me my money back and asked me never to come back. You could imagine how humiliated I was. Naturally I turned down his offer and the police were called.
Mayor Bloomberg, please help me, and others like me — we just can’t control ourselves when it comes to all these buffets.
Maybe you can make a law mandating that chubby people have to wear a piggy nose in public. I know you will think of something. Please help me before I explode!
Joey Apancia
Gravesend
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.
