Sound Off to the Editor

To the editor,

This morning I watched in tears as the little 4-year-old son of NYPD Detective Joseph Lemm, who was one of six soldiers murdered in Afghanistan, was carried into St. Patrick’s Cathedral wearing his father’s police cap and badge. To grow up knowing that Muslim terrorists killed his dad will be hard to bear.

This scene and the all-too-many military funerals over the past half century are a direct result of the pall of political correctness and the lack of firm leadership from the White House on down. Since Korea, politicians have tied the hands of our brave troops and have half-heartedly supported actions against the enemy. The resulting failures in our military actions from Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East have made us the laughing stock of the world.

My heart goes out to the families and children of our forces needlessly killed in action while the government dilly-dallies in its attempt to not get the enemy too mad at us. Heaven forbid if we bolstered the Marines, the Army, and the Navy to the full pride and integrity of World War II levels, heading into battle to flatten whatever got in our way to actually win a war.

May God bless Detective Joseph Lemm’s son and daughter, and all of the children of our brave service men and women.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

NYPD boos

To the editor,

The recent war of words from former Police Commissioner Ray Kelly about the fudging and under-reporting of crimes statistics by the NYPD is reminiscent of NYPD Officer Adrian Schoolcraft who basically said the same thing in 2010 that Kelly is now saying.

He said there were quotas and under-reported crimes. His accusations got him in a heap of trouble, including a week in the mental ward of a Queens hospital. Maybe they should do the same to Kelly — he was the police commissioner at the time Schoolcraft made his accusations. By the way it turns out he had proof and his accusations were true.

Cronin Miller

Midwood

Trumpty Dumpty

To the editor,

Who knows who the next president will be. An old maxim is that Americans vote with their pocketbooks.

According to polls Donald Trump has a wide lead as the choice contender for the Republican nomination, but in last week’s “Sound Off to the Editor” a letter writer said that Trump will never become president. It was that writer’s opinion, and though a good case can be made for Republican resistance to Donald Trump — along with whatever group, ethnic or otherwise, can be instigated against him — so far, it is still anybody’s guess.

What a growing number of citizens know is that in spite of the red meat gaffs and zingers Trump throws at the media, he sounds more like the real deal than anyone else. But who knows how many dead people will be voting again, or live ones who know how to multiply their votes. Who knows how many bundles of ballots will be discovered in car trunks or fished out of the river at the last minute. Who knows the impact upon last-minute voters of the media calling the election before polls close.

This adaptation of an old nursery rhyme seems descriptive of the Trump popularity phenomenon:

Trumpty Dumpty will build a big wall,

Invasive migration will have a great fall;

All the King’s horse manure

And spineless political men

Will be discredited as

America becomes great again.

J. J. Lauria

Sheepshead Bay

School by the Sea

To the editor,

I applaud our Community Education Council 21 members opposing a plan to increase enrollment at Coney Island Preparatory Charter School (“School Rivalry: Watchdogs fight Coney Charter,” Jan 1).

We can’t forget that we already have I.S. 303 and the Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies sharing the same limited classroom space in the school building. It’s about time to think outside of the box to find a suitable space for Coney Island Preparatory Charter School within District 21 — possibly at the former Shore Hotel on Surf and Stillwell avenues.

Our politicians could acquire the property through eminent domain, which is when private property is used for public use.

It’s a perfect opportunity for the school — currently using public property for private use — to be in a new building with ample space for its students to grow. Coney Island Prep School by the Sea has a nice ring to it!Scott Krivitsky

The author is a teacher at PS 188 in Coney Island.

S

Liberal ‘nonsense’

To the editor,

There goes liberal nonsense again. Having the police less in schools will only worsen the situation. I guess that the rights of students who come to school to get an education, as well as teachers who want to teach, are disregarded to protect the chronically disruptive students. It is due to the liberal philosophy of those in charge of our schools that have ruined the school system.

Where is the teacher’s union in this matter? Probably out campaigning for other liberals. Our schools will never improve until disruptive students are removed.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Subways 101

To the editor,

Jan. 9 marks the 109th anniversary of our city’s subway system connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan. On Jan. 9, 1908 service from Brooklyn Borough Hall connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan opened to the public. Thousands of riders paid a five-cent fare. The original B.M.T. (Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation, today’s B, D, J, M, N, Q, R and Z lines) and I.R.T. (Interboro Rapid Transit, today’s 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 on 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 made a profit with a five-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. This additional revenue was needed to keep up with maintaining a good state of repair, increase the frequency of service, purchase new subway cars, pay employee salary increases and support planned system expansion. Politicians more interested in the next re-election (and subscribing to the old Roman philosophy of free bread and circuses) 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, canceled any plans for system expansion and cut corners to survive. Does any of this sound familiar from the present?

In 1920, automatic coin-operated turnstiles were first introduced on the Lexington Avenue subway. This began the elimination of ticket collection employees. In 1932 the city began building and financing construction of the new I.N.D. (Independent Subway — today’s A, C, E, F and G lines). This new municipal system, subsidized by taxpayers dollars, would provide direct competition to both the I.R.T. and B.M.T. Municipal government forced them into economic ruin by denying them fare increases that would have provided access to additional badly needed revenues. Big Brother, just like “The Godfather,” eventually made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. The owners folded in 1940 and sold out to City Hall.

In 1953, the old city 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, N.Y.

****LARRY PENNER****

Tarnished Silver

To the editor,

The legacy of former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the area of transportation leaves much to be desired. Consider the schedule, budget, and the cost for four major transportation projects that he took great pride in promoting.

Washington paid twice with your tax dollars for building the new South Ferry subway station. First, for almost $600 million in 9-11 funding, a second time with more than $300 million in Hurricane Sandy funding to rebuild what was damaged. The downtown Manhattan Fulton Street Transit Center was first paid for with 9-11 funding. Cost overruns of several hundred million were covered by American Recovery Reinvestment Act funding.

Fourteen years after 9-11, the Cortland Street World Trade Center subway station is still several years away from being back in service. If there are no new delays, perhaps the station will reopen by December 2018. Transit officials fought for years over budget, funding sources, scope, and schedule. Construction for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority portion of the project just started a few months ago.

There is no funding in the agency’s propose 2015-2019 capital program to initiate construction for the second segment of the Second Avenue subway, north from 96th Street to 125th Street. It will take several decades and $20 billion more for completion of the next three segments of the Second Avenue subway, north to 125th Street and south to Hanover Square downtown in the financial district. The project was originally proposed in 1929!

Silver claimed to be a friend of both commuters and the 99 percent. In reality, he lived the life style of the one percenters. He frequently traveled around town with a personal driver at taxpayers’ expense. I doubt if he ever purchased a MetroCard or rode the subway, like several million New Yorkers do daily.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

Two-fare drone

To the editor,

The proposal by state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge) to offer two free transfers for those who have to ride two buses before boarding a subway is wishful thinking. People who moved to Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach and Gravesend — areas represented by Golden — knew full well that they would be living in a two-fare (bus to subway) and sometimes three-fare (bus to bus to subway) zone with longer commutes to and from work.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority services continue to be one of the best bargains in town. Since the 1950s, the average cost of riding either the bus, subway or commuter rail has gone up at a lower rate than either the consumer price index or inflation. The MetroCard, introduced in 1996, affords a free transfer between bus and subway. Prior to this, riders had to pay two full fares. Purchasing either a weekly or monthly pass further reduces the cost per ride. Many employers offer transit checks, which pay even more of the costs.

For years, local politicians would stir the pot on this issue. Now the latest cause is the cost for those handful of people out of several million daily riders who have to pay two fares versus one. An overwhelming majority can afford and already purchase either a weekly or monthly unlimited MetroCard, which makes the “double fare” issue moot.

Residents, taxpayers, and commuters in Golden’s district would be better off if he worried more about how the State Legislature will find the $8 billion Gov. Cuomo promised to bridge the $8.3 billion shortfall in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-proposed $28 billion, five-year capital plan when they reconvene in January.

It all comes down to the availability of increased funding for additional transportation service to serve residents of two fare zones in the outer boroughs. Operating subsidies are required to increase the level of service and reduce the amount of time one waits for a bus on existing routes. Same for adding more off-peak, late night and weekend service.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

MTA delay

To the editor,

No one should be surprised by the recent news from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that the Second Avenue Subway won’t be open by next December. The agency reminds me of Capt. Renault from “Casablanca” when he said, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on!”

Riders who have been waiting since construction restarted in 2007 with an original service date of 2013 may not be able to pick up their “winnings” until 2017 or 2018. The project was originally proposed in 1929!

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

****ROBERT LOBENSTEIN*****

Crooked pols

To the editor,

First Shelly, then Skelos, then others. So our dear New York State democratic leader, Shelly Silver, has been convicted on all counts of bribery and other misdeeds of directing clients’ money to his own pockets. Shelly lamented in his defense that it is standard practice by all legislators in Albany to do what he did.

A few months ago the State Senate refused to fund an expansion of jails. It was sad to hear that, as the good citizens of New York are eagerly waiting to hear about the next round of indictments and convictions of crooked politicians who infest Albany. Their next stop should be a few years in this fine state’s overcrowded jails.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

Hill-n-Donald

To the editor,

Hillary Clinton was complaining that the Muslim terrorist groups were using Donald Trump for video recruitment purposes. That lie was quickly exposed and Hillary wound up with egg on her face. Then a video surfaced where Muslim terrorists actually were using footage from Trump’s campaign to recruit new terrorists. I wonder how much Hillary paid them to do this?

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

*****ED GREENSPAN****

Classroom trenches

To the editor,

As Warner Wolfe used to say, “Let’s Go to the Videotape,” when he would want something investigated further. Similarly let’s go to the school records of violent criminals, or better yet, do something with them in their formative years so that they don’t resort to such violence. If you opened the school records, you would see evidence of cutting class, constantly disrupting the class, roaming through the hallways, cursing, screaming, fighting, and causing all sorts of mayhem.

So-called staff development is a complete joke and everyone knows it. Let all the militants, ultra liberals and critics of teachers get themselves teacher licenses and get a taste of what it is like in the trenches.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

‘Demagogue’ Donald

To the editor,

It has become apparent to me that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would be absolutely perfect in still another remake of the great film, “All the King’s Men.” After all, as demagogue Willie Stark, Broderick Crawford received a well-deserved, best-actor Oscar. Trump could easily pass that, if not do even better in the part. He gives new meaning to the term demagoguery. Hollywood should definitely take notice.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Mitt’s a hit

To the editor,

Given the current crop of Republican presidential candidates for 2016, a new “three Rs” should be in vogue — “Run, Romney, Run.” Millions of voters now realize the mistake that was made in 2012, and many will cross party lines and vote for him. Why not? Richard Nixon came back from defeat in 1960 to win the presidency in 1968.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Pledge allegiance

To the editor,

Of course the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited in schools. As a student of public schools in the 1950s, I remember “the lord is my shepherd” being recited from the Bible in the auditorium until someone finally realized that this was a violation of separation of church and state.

Religion does not belong in our public schools. This means that all symbols representing a religion should not be in the school either. After all, by doing this, we are doing a disservice to those students not of a particular religion, as well as students who are atheists.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Bernie Panders

To the editor,

Bernie Sanders, what’s so bad about living in a rent-controlled building? You bemoaned that fact about living in such a building in Brooklyn at the last debate.

The rent-controlled buildings on Kings Highway were, and are still, lovely buildings with affordable rents. Ditto for rent stabilization. You’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know that since 1970, if a rent controlled apartment is vacated, it becomes rent stabilized. May the Lord bless rent control and rent stabilization.

Apparently in Vermont, where you fled to, no such problems of homelessness exist to the degree we’re facing in New York.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay