To the editor,
Joanna DelBuono’s alarmist trashing of the mayor’s compost plan is rife with inaccuracies and unfounded concerns (“Trash talk: Why I hate the mayor’s compost plan,” Not for Nuthin’, June 21).
I live in Sheepshead Bay, and have been composting my vegetable, fruit, and plant scraps for more than 15 years. I have never had a problem with rats or foul odors. How is this any different from the current situation, since the same vegetable matter is sitting in our trash cans for days before being picked up?
The mayor did not invent this idea. It’s based on existing composting programs in other cities, such as San Francisco and Seattle. This would save the city an enormous amount of money, as currently $336 million is spent on shipping our trash long distances to other states.
We have a real waste disposal problem and this is another way to reduce it.Shirley Ranz
Sheepshead Bay
Enjoyable columnists
To the editor,
The reason I read your newspaper is because I thoroughly enjoy “A Britisher’s View” by Shavana Abruzzo.
Her recent column about the flag was outstanding, and so eye opening (“Every day should be Flag Day,” June 14).
Unfortunately, too many people take for granted all of the freedom given to them in our great country, but don’t show the proper respect for our flag. Shavana reminds them with her own beautiful words, the importance of flying Old Glory forever.
“Not for Nuthin’” by Joanna DelBuono is another enjoyable column, helping us to relive good memories and remember the way it was. More human interest makes a better newspaper.Gloria Hacken
Trump Village
‘El Drecko’
To the editor,
El Greco diner in Sheepshead Bay should be called “El Drecko.”
I’ve been a customer since the late 1970s, but I will never go there again. I recently took some friends, who were visiting from New Jersey, there for dinner. I was mortified to see that the ceiling above us was half hanging over our heads. Water was pouring from it, near the kitchen. Then we heard a banging sound, and pieces of ceiling fell into my friend’s cheesecake!
The food was not up to par and the service was slow, although there were not a lot of customers. When I complained, the hostess was indifferent.
Take my advice, stay away from “El Drecko.”Andrew Feinstein
Sheepshead Bay
Ed’s dunces
To the editor,
To think brats will decide a teacher’s fate in the nonsensical, new evaluation system. Teachers will now hesitate to give failing grades, for fear of being rated badly by students.
Whatever happened to the days that children came to school well behaved, so that teachers could teach? Our once great school system began to fall apart rapidly once we adopted ideas of more parental input, cooperative learning, the total child, the abolition of the Board of Examiners so that unqualified people could get positions, and more importantly, the decline of discipline in our schools.
We need to have state education Commissioner John King, Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, public education figure Michelle Rhee, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, and Mayor Bloomberg all begin teaching in our schools, along with the Unity Caucus of the United Federation of Teachers, and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators people, just to get a taste of the conditions they have helped to create.
I rate all concerned ineffective for failing to lower class sizes, remove unruly children, and assign people as principals to schools, despite the fact that the latter have never taught. They have failed the students and teachers in this city.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
• • •
To the editor,
I can’t believe that the principal who allegedly threatened to blow up the school is still working there. Had that been some student who made that threat, do you think it would take three years to investigate before he was out of the school?
It reminds me of when little Johnny is punished for saying a curse word and his defense is, “Daddy says it.” The next time a student threatens to blow up the school, either verbally or by posting a threat on the internet, his defense will be, “The principal says it.”
This guy’s gotta go, now. Better to be safe, than sorry.Peter G. Orsi
Marine Park
Book ‘boobs’
To the editor,
As a baby boomer, I grew up when the TV was known as the “boob tube.” We had very few stations to watch, and we took advantage of whatever was on.
We had no modern devices to keep us busy, so after doing homework, we played outdoors until it was time for dinner. We also had the opportunity to use the public library to help us to learn about people from many other cultures
Now as an adult, I enjoy going to the library and holding a book in my hands, having the freedom to select whatever book I’d like to read. Never in my memory, while in school, was I ever told by my teachers what books I needed to read, and how many I needed to finish. I found reading to be fun and I was stimulated to read many different types of books.
Today, young school children are told what to read and how many books they’re required to finish in a certain amount of time. In many cases in the library, I see children seated at a computer. It’s a rarity to see children taking out books. Adults are also using the Kindle to read books online.
I spoke to a young girl who mentioned how she hated to read. My first thought was maybe she couldn’t read, or her parents couldn’t help her, or maybe she couldn’t see. I mentioned to her how important it was to read, so we can learn about many other cultures.
We were never pressured to learn. Through an ongoing weekly test, our teachers were able to evaluate our progress, and if we needed extra help, it was always available to us.Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Talk to Chuck
To the editor,
What gives with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–Park Slope)? He claims to support the anti-gun movement, yet he could not muster enough votes to make background checks for gun buyers the law.
Then to compound the felony, Schumer is considering to ask Mayor Bloomberg to back off campaigning against the re-election of those gutless politicians who did not rule for background checks.
Schumer wants to maintain a Democratic majority in the Senate for next year’s important elections. Mark my words — Chuck Schumer will take a stab at getting the vice president nomination in 2016. I also predict that he will be denied the honor.Ugo M. Rosiello
Mill Basin
Paula fried
To the editor,
Paula Dean got fired from her TV food show for telling some off-color jokes about black people and using the n-word. Bill Maher tells a joke about a young boy with Down syndrome, and nothing is done.
I guess because he is a comedian and she’s a chef, right?Millie Gotts
Kensington
Public oaf-icials
To the editor,
Whether in the city or Albany, it’s clear that our political system is rife with corruption. Until we take on the role of money in politics and the corporate stranglehold of our political parties, our legislators will never represent “we the people.”
A comprehensive system of campaign finance reform is long overdue. A fair elections system of lower contribution limits, strong enforcement of election law, and increased transparency built on public financing of elections, will begin the process of necessary reform to Albany.
As a concerned constituent and member of Common Cause-NY, I want to be sure that our elected officials are accountable and transparent. Our legislators need to start making necessary reforms to rein-in the rampant corruption in Albany. By making reforms that enforce the need for socially conservative campaigns, we will be on the right path to ensuring our representatives serve their constituents, and not the special interest groups who fund their campaigns.
One change will not suddenly end corruption, but we know we can’t have the cultural change we need in Albany, unless we reform how we fund elections.
I hope our Independent Democratic Conference, and Republican-led Senate coalition, will take bold action and support fair elections. We cannot continue to live by the status quo. I urge our state senators to listen to their constituents and ensure a campaign finance reform bill comes to vote on the Senate floor.Edward Yanishefsky
Homecrest
Army order
To the editor,
Kudos to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) for exposing sexual abuse and ensuing cover-ups in the military.
A decorated war hero is more inclined to receive protection from his or her superiors — justified or not — because he or she may affect the outcome of the war.
Presidents George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower warned against the danger of military dictatorships, and that the civilian needs to control the military. Many officers, who are judges in the military, might go very easy on culprits, for fear of losing their own jobs. Bad publicity could also result in a reduction in military funding, which could affect the outcome of our military conflicts, and ultimately affect our nation.
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn once said about Gen. George Marshall, “He will tell the truth, even if hurts the Army.”
It is clear discipline has broken down, and respect and trust need to be restored.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Senate gangland
To the editor,
I often hear the term “gang of eight,” so I looked up the term “gang” and found some interesting definitions.
A gang is a group of criminals or hoodlums who band together for mutual protection or profit, a group of delinquents who are part of an alliance of many gangs sometimes called a nation, a pack of wild dogs, and the colloquial term for the group of eight U.S. senators writing the immigration reform bill.
You could put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig, and a gang is a gang, even if its members are wearing suits and ties.
Sidney Morganstein
Mill Basin
High-n-mighty Quinn
To the editor,
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has been using the power of her office to assist her mayoral ambitions. The lines are blurred between her current job and the job she seeks. She has engaged in a non-stop series of press conferences, news releases, letters to the editor, and guest columns in newspapers, at taxpayers expense.
Quinn should have avoided the appearance of any conflict of interest by resigning as speaker. She could have ended the charade and been honest enough to run full time for mayor on her own time and dime. Hard-working municipal civil servants work full time. They can’t campaign part time during the day, like Quinn. They would have to either take a leave of absence or quit their day job.
In January, 2010, Speaker Quinn announced her appointments of various council committee chairpersons. Councilmembers loyal to their respective county organizations were rewarded with salary increases or lulus, ranging from $4,000 to
$28,000 to chair these committees, which were renewed every year. The average salary for a New Yorker is $41,000 per year. Councilmembers have a base salary of $112,500, plus bonuses, for a part-time job.
There is a clear appearance of a serious conflict of interest with Quinn running for mayor. Will she be rewarding those loyal councilmembers with lulus in exchange for their support of her campaign, when issuing the remaining 50 percent balance of lulus in July 2013?
This conflict of interest will be even worse when the new municipal budget is adopted in July 1. Will Quinn “steer” the bulk of several hundred million dollars-worth of member-item, pork-barrel projects she controls to the same loyal councilmembers and recipients of earmarks, who by coincidence will be supporting her in the Democratic primary? All of these lulus and member-item, pork-barrel projects are paid by your hard-earned tax dollars.
Just like past Speakers Miller and Vallone, Speaker Quinn believes she is qualified to become mayor. On Primary Day, voters may tell Quinn “no thanks,” just like they did for Miller and Vallone.Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
