Democratic Congressman-elect Max Rose — a U.S. Army veteran and former health-care executive — ousted New York City’s only House Republican, Rep. Dan Donovan (R–Bay Ridge), in a Nov. 6 upset, winning more than 52 percent of the votes to represent the city’s 11th congressional district, which covers Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, and all of Staten Island. The incoming congressman recently talked to us about how he will hit the ground running in Washington, DC, come January, sharing plans to push for an infrastructure bill to improve his constituents’ commutes, ensure the most vulnerable residents of his ethnically diverse district are represented, and mitigate the effects of climate change in the area (Checkin’ in with … Congressman-elect Max Rose,” by Julianne McShane, online Dec. 14).
Readers voiced their thoughts:
Max Rose is nothing more than an outsider and an interloper in NY District 11. He has no connection to the district or even to his fellow democrats in the district.
He moved into an apartment in St. George, SI only last year but reportedly still lives in Park Slope. He raised most of his dirty money from outside NY-11. I’d like to hear him explain his opposition to the Constitutional travel ban to the families of Staten Islanders murdered by Muslims on 9-11. www.siliv
Max is a breath of fresh air; a practical centrist who cares about the needs of his constituents and the national interest, not ideology. His approach is rarely seen on the left or the right these days. Politicians like Max are very rare now, and he deserves our support.John from Bay Ridge
John, what approach? He is a brand-new, never-been-a-politician-before-so-has-no-voting-record, congressman-elect! We have no clue if he is left, right, center, or whatever — other that what he claims to be … because there is no voting record from him ANYWHERE! Having worked for two politicians previously does not make him a known entity. We will just have to wait, see, and hope he does right by NY-11.JD from Gravesend
He will fall in line when he gets to DC and do what he’s told. He belongs to The Party, and will be told what to think.Mustfa Khant from Atlantic Ave
Doggone good work
To the Editor,
I need to thank you for following up on the missing dog story (“Dill-ightful! Lost dog, Pickles, rescued after three-month search,” by Colin Mixson, online Nov. 28). You made my day. I had seen the “lost dog” posters in Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park, and wrote down the phone number and kept it in my bag. I recall the female lost dog also.
Recently, I saw probably the last poster left, and was saddened thinking the dog was never found, and how far could he have gone?
Then, I got the Courier on my porch in Marine Park. God bless your work!Mrs. Marshall
Marine Park
The beat goes on
To the Editor,
What goes on at PS 231 in Brooklyn? A female student claims she was harassed by another student riding on the school bus and no one did anything about this. Can you imagine that the claim was made that the child exposed himself to her? Where are the bus matrons? It is also claimed that an assistant principal at the school tried to cover the entire situation up. How about the latter doing something? After all, she should be grateful to be out of the classroom.
If these accusations are true, the accused child does not belong in a public school. When are we going to bring back the 600-school concept for the unruly? Where are the rights of children who come to school to learn, but can’t because of what is occurring in the classroom? Why are we so afraid to admit the problem exists and to do something about it?
Stop pouring money into a broken system that our elected officials refuse to do anything about. As always, we hear nothing from the United Federation of Teachers about this and similar situations. They’re probably still celebrating that 87 percent of a gullible membership voted for a contract that says NOTHING about class sizes and school discipline. We know very well that our elected officials would never send their children to such schools.
The mayor and our other so-called education leaders should report back and do some classroom teaching and see for themselves the conditions they have helped to create. Let them do this when their respective terms end.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
No fare is only fair
To the Editor,
With all of the recent talk of raising the bus and subway fare, the question appears to be “to raise or not to raise,” but by how much.
My solution is lower it to zero. If the mass-transit system is considered a public good, such as a park, then government should cover the cost using the same method as a park, through budgeted funds, and not on daily use basis. Furthermore, government gets its money from taxes and fees, and the fare is just a fee for the privilege of riding the buses and trains.
The idea is to replace the daily fee with three different taxes. The first would be a percentage of income to the New York City annual tax return. The second would be to reinstitute the commuter tax, and the third would be a surcharge on hotel rooms for tourists based on the number of people in the room and number of days. My idea would eliminate the need for catching fare beaters, no need for fair fares, no need for congestion pricing, no costs for MetroCards, no cost for developing the cashless system, and riders can go through all doors legally without paying, speeding up the trips. All of these reasons would be included in the three collection methods above. Samuel Pam
Sheepshead Bay
MTA musical chairs
To the Editor,
Hurry-Hurry-HURRY! Step right up and see the magnificent MTA management merry-go-round. Now don’t be afraid, ladies and gentlemen, get closer to watch the upper managers swinging on and off and back on again with the greatest of ease!
Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But this seems to be normal operations in the upper echelons for more than the past 30 or so years. My fellow historian Larry Penner, and other transit historians I am familiar with, plainly see what problems the system faces and what is dearly needed to straighten things out.
The first thing is getting the politicians to cease their constant meddling in areas they know little about. Joe Lhota, it seems, after barely a few months back on the job, packed it in as Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman to head back to sectors that truly appreciate and embrace his knowledge and dedication to getting the job done. Now they’ve installed a life-long politician as interim chairman, and we all know how well that is going to work. Meanwhile, the new transit president, Byford, is probably watching the clock tick down to his ultimate return to mother England.
Stability is something that is sorely needed. We need to get back to hiring transportation professionals that will dedicate five-plus years of their expertise to really bring things back up to snuff. The last good ones like Kiley and Gunn, along with Reuter and Hoffmann, pulled things back from the brink and started these agencies running on the right track. This can only again be accomplished if the Govern-Mayor and the present presence infesting City Hall take a hands-off approach and let these managers do what they are hired to do — MANAGE!
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Cuomo train stunt
To the Editor,
Gov. Cuomo’s overnight tour of the Canarsie L line tunnel was just another in a series of publicity stunts. As usual, he brings no additional funding to pay for the obvious.
Why has it taken the Metropolitan Transportation Authority seven years after superstorm Sandy to begin work on the tunnel (scheduled to start in April 2019)? What guarantee is there that it will be completed within 15 months, by June 2020 (or eight years after the initial damage)?
The MTA has an army of experienced engineers and engineering consultant firms. Why does Cuomo second guess his own management team by bringing in his own transportation experts? Larry Penner
Great Neck
