To the editor,
In regards to your story that Councilman Domenic Recchia’s campaign is full of Joe Sitt cash (“Recchia campaign is full of Sitt,” Will’s Watch by Will Bredderman, online Dec. 20).
As an educator and community education advocate, I applaud all the amazing projects that were developed in Coney Island because of Councilman Recchia. Instead of looking into where the support and donations are coming from, let’s talk about Councilman Recchia’s drive and determination to revitalize Coney Island. Councilman Recchia had the foresight to reach out to real estate developer Joe Sitt and present him with a plan for the growth of Coney Island. This is the type of individual that we need in Congress. Yes, people make investments in what matters most.
As 2014 rolls around, we want a congressman that produces results. Domenic Recchia is that person. Scott Krivitsky
Coney Island
President Pinocchio
To the editor,
Shocking! Another liberal plays the race card. Joana Lucas-Henrichsen writes Obama is disrespected because he is black, in response to Not for Nuthin’ columnist Joanna DelBuono’s article, “Obama is disrespected because he lies” (“Zip Joanna,” Sound off to the editor, Dec. 16).
President Pinocchio is disrespected for his blatant lies, including ObamaCare, the Benghazi bombings, and the “Fast and Furious,” Internal Revenue Service, and National Security Agency scandals. I also disrespect President Pinocchio for the 20 years he spent seated in hatemonger Reverend Wright’s church. Everyone knows the only reason President Pinocchio suddenly left that “cracker”-despising, so-called house of worship was for political expediency.
Therefore, I firmly believe that calling Obama “President Pinocchio” is far too kind, and Barack the Bigot is a more appropriate nickname.
Lucas-Henrichsen went on to pen that President George W. Bush was a liar. Perhaps President Bush was disrespected and targeted because he is white. Congratulations on having carte blanche to freely engage in race-baiting without any ramifications. However, if you want to know the true meaning of racism, you can either watch our commander in chief on TV reading from his teleprompter or you could simply just look in the mirror.
Rick Lundberg
Sheepshead Bay
Fugheddaboutit, Marty
To the editor
I find it most interesting that outgoing Borough President Markowitz takes the side of management in the struggle against the workers of Junior’s Restaurant, when the latter attempt to unionize.
This is the same Markowitz who founded the Flatbush Tenants Council to protect the rights of tenants. This council in reality is a union of tenants to fight landlord abuses. When he became borough president, Markowitz became too friendly with real estate investors at the expense of tenants. I am not sorry to see Markowitz depart from office. He wholeheartedly endorsed Bloomberg for a third time. Why not? He took full advantage of the situation and got himself another four-year term.
The idea of making him an ambassador to New York is ludicrous. We have more important items to spend tax dollars on than this nonsense. Let him retire on Social Security or better still, take up per-diem work in our troubled school system.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Blotter blackout
To the editor,
The police blackout on crime blotters is indefensible (“The blackout continues: Why you are still getting next to no crime news,” online Dec. 19).
As the government increasingly collects and stores information on citizens, it seems determined to obfuscate transparency and reduce citizen access to public information. Why is this policy changing now in the waning days of the Bloomberg-Kelly administration? For 30 years, this publications assiduously protected the identities of victims and witnesses, while alerting citizens to local crime patterns. The New York Press Club called this “another example of blatant hostility by the NYPD towards locally-based media outlets.”
Perhaps this hostility stems from a disparity between the volume of crime, and NYPD’s claims that crime is down. It is devious of the agency to claim that there has been no change in policy, while creating a labyrinth that even the most determined and resourceful reporter could never negotiate. This assault on the free press is an assault on freedom and democracy, and is taking place at the federal level, as President Obama attempts to bypass traditional media access to the White House, screening, censoring, and suppressing any coverage deemed out of context.
Eliminating a free press is the first necessary step in replacing liberty with tyranny. Wake up citizens! The war on a free press is far more pernicious than the war on Christmas.
On another note, “It’s Only My Opinion,” online Dec. 9, columnist Stanley Gershbein asked, “Who are the bean counters who claim prices rose only 1.2 percent overall last year” (in reference to the paltry 1.5 percent Social Security cost of living increase). I say they are the mercenary mathematicians, specious statisticians, and pseudo-scientists, who well-realize that they would never again be hired if they presented the real facts.
Stanley, the reason your beloved Hebrew National pastrami went up $2 a pound is that you are paying for the energy, transportation, labor, business occupancy, tax, insurance liability, and other expenses passed along to the consumer. Accurate statistics would result in a 20.5 percent cost of living increase for recipients. But then Social Security would be bankrupt by Sep. 2014.
Joseph McCoppin
Sheepshead Bay
Obama-No-Care
To the editor,
ObamaCare is like a good-news, bad-news joke. Forty-five thousand people die each year in America because they have no health insurance, and are unable to receive all but emergency doctor care. Most people, however, have health insurance, and are able to see a doctor when needed. But 400,000 Americans die each year because they can’t pay for medical care with their health insurance.
We have the most up-to-date means of medical testing in the world. But we over test for medical problems, and the tests create their own set of medical problems. Thousands of people also suffer from malnutrition in America each year, believe it or not. Most Americans getting on in years are able to see a doctor, but most of them are so medicated that their problems worsen.
ObamaCare does nothing to solve these problems, and that is why it won’t last.David Raisman
Bay Ridge
Junk justice
To the editor,
Retired Brooklyn state Supreme Court Judge Frank Barbaro now contends he falsely convicted a white defendant in the murder of an African American in the late 1990s.
It is clear that Barbaro needs to come to peace with himself and atone for his injustices before he walks through the valley of the shadow of death. But better he rectify them belatedly, rather than not at all.
These types of unfortunate situations might be greatly reduced, if the governor appointed the state Supreme Court judges. Then, they wouldn’t be beholden to special interest groups.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Snow scofflaws
To the editor,
The first snowfall of the year provided many homeowners and merchants where I live an opportunity to demonstrate their consistency. They are the ones who, having failed to comply with the law intended to make sidewalks safe for pedestrians in winters past, didn’t clear the sidewalks of snow and ice this time around either.
City property owners are supposed to shovel their sidewalks within four hours after the snow has stopped falling or, if it ends after 9 pm, clear their sidewalks by 11 am the following day. Otherwise, they risk a $100 fine.
Evidently, these repeat scofflaws don’t care that their neighbors, customers, and passersby could be seriously injured if they slipped and fell on their sidewalks. Nor does the possibility of an expensive lawsuit encourage them to act responsibly.
Maybe an onslaught of fines after every snowstorm would do the trick. Besides making the city’s streets safer for pedestrians, it could generate much-needed funding for neglected municipal projects.
The effectiveness of such a ticket blitz could be enhanced by empowering parking-enforcement officers to ticket those who fail to keep their sidewalks clear of snow and ice.John Casson
Park Slope
