To the editor,
I thought there was a law prohibiting riding bicycles on the sidewalk. Almost every person who owns a bike in Sheepshead Bay rides them on the sidewalks. They don’t even have a horn or bell to warn unsuspecting pedestrians that they are behind them, ready to pass. The police department can make a fortune in fines in this area.
Name withheld upon request
It ain’t over
To the editor,
It is sad to hear that Yogi Berra died, but his legacy as a player for the New York Yankees, and later as manager of both the Yankees and the New York Mets, will live on in history.
Unlike his boss at the Yankees, Yogi, who was the most valuable player in the American League three times, was very kind to save an ailing player from feeling unnecessary disgrace. Being a player himself, he understood how an aging player could be drained, strained, and pained.
Former Brooklyn Dodgers’ manager Casey Stengel once told Phil Rizzuto, “All you are good for is shining shoes, Sonny.” Rizzuto was 5-feet-5 and played shortstop, but subsequently joined the Yankees where he was most valuable player. Had Casey Stengel been manager of the New York Yankees, would he have told Yogi likewise? Ironically, Stengel fired Rizzuto from the Yankees.
Perhaps successful people are not too grateful to their benefactors, nor better toward their detractors.
Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Speed traps
To the editor,
I am all for Mayor DeBlasio’s Vision Zero traffic safety plan, if it slows down cars and prevents accidents. There are places where the lower speed limit is really needed, like school blocks and busy crossing areas, but there are places where speed cameras are there only for revenue enhancement. A perfect example is the red light camera on Knapp Street where the speed limit was reduced to 25 mph. From Avenue V all the way to Emmons Avenue, in both directions, there is virtually no foot traffic because there aren’t but one or two stores on the whole stretch, and two lanes on each side. The red light camera is a great tool on many streets, but not on Knapp Street.
I would like to see some statistics on the number of pedestrian accidents on this street, to see if the street really warrants a red light camera and reduced speed limit or if it’s just a trap to take our money.
Peter G. Orsi
Marine Park
Speed hogs
To the editor,
The Department of Transportation has been painting solid white lines on dangerous, accident-prone curves over the past year or so on various city and Long Island highways. Solid white lines with associated signs warning drivers to “stay in lane” have now popped up on the Belt Parkway.
Construction has begun, in earnest, to replace the decrepit Mill Basin drawbridge and a curvaceous temporary traffic pattern has been established. Too bad no one is paying attention to those signs. Even the 40-mph signs seem to be only a suggestion! Cars by the dozens swerve in and out of lanes to gain but a few precious feet of space, endangering all that drive safely within their well-defined lanes.
I do hope that highway cops take notice and engorge the city coffers with money from the hundreds of tickets they issue. These violators well deserve lighter wallets for thumbing their noses at the safety of their fellow travelers, and themselves!Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Buzz off
To the editor,
Reader Robert Lobenstein calls “income inequality” buzzwords (“New buzzwords,” Sound off to the Editor, Aug. 21). I guess he likes the top one percent having 99 percent of the wealth. He says people get commensurate pay for how hard they work. He says those who worked harder got paid more. That’s not always true.
Slavery is a big part of this country’s foundation. Slaves worked hard, but this wasn’t reflected in their pay. Slave owners didn’t work hard, but were wealthy. There were millions of slaves in this country. People worked hard in sweatshops for low wages and long hours, and in unhealthy conditions. Black women would go from Harlem to the Bronx, and would wait on street corners to be hired as domestics to work for 10, 15 or 20 cents an hour. You call that capitalism?
Capitalism says money is more important than people. In Europe the Socialist Party is a major party.
Jerome Frank
Coney Island
Sidewalk vendors
To the editor,
Liberals are the ugliest types of people. They can’t argue with you in a comprehensive way. They talk over you when you are making valid points. They don’t want to hear the truth, that’s why they talk over you.
I’m a good person inside, I just can’t stomach illegal immigrants. How dare the government allow millions of undocumented people into this country, and then get them on welfare, which I have to pay for. How dare they?
Some of them are now vendors setting up shop on sidewalks, selling food and juices from coolers and jugs. Who the hell do these people think they are, setting up shop on the corner and selling food without a permit or license?
How do their customers know their food isn’t tainted, poisoned, has listeria in it, or other tummy-upsetting microbes? Where are their plastic gloves? What about the businesses around them who sell food and drink as well, and who pay taxes, pay rent, and pay license fees and permits while these illegal vendors take away their business?
This is just another new annoying thing cropping up in my neighborhood, but it’s everywhere. Yes, it’s a problem for me.
I do hope Donald Trump becomes president, and stands by his word, and actually tosses out illegals in this country, and builds a big wall between us and the border — complete with a moat and alligators.
Sue Ben
Bay Ridge
Education pipeline
To the editor,
I applaud Borough President Adams for leading the way to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in our local schools (“Beep abuzz about borough’s tech education,” Oct. 9).
Borough President Adams has adopted a pipeline that connects elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. Now, it’s time to expand this educational model to include college and workforce development initiatives. How can we do this? Let’s talk about developing conversations with City University of New York Chancellor James Milliken and Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Carlo Scissura. These two gentlemen will be able to add needed educational and workforce development components to the model that Borough President Adams adopted.
This is only the beginning for the “One Brooklyn educational-workforce development pipeline.” Now it’s time to add the Department of Education Stem department to the mix. Let the United Federation of Teachers join in with its extensive career-training educational component. Then we need more educational finance support from Congress, the New York Senate, New York Assembly, and the City Council.
Borough President Adams has set the bar high for our students, but the added support will set the bar even higher. There needs to be a team effort to benefit our students and their future career choices.
Scott Krivitsky
The writer is a teacher at PS 188.
Chapter & verse
To the editor,
I have a friend who volunteers at the Gravesend Library. He mentioned that this library gets many new books that for now cannot be delivered elsewhere. We at the Brighton Beach Library are lucky if we ever see a new book on the shelf at any time. We are told there is no place to stack all the new books that have come in. So you would think the main library would finally do the right thing and send the new books to the Brighton Beach branch. Now is that asking too much?
If someone from the main branch would come and talk to the people who use the library on a daily basis to find out what concerns they have, maybe some progress would be made. We often hear how important the library is, especially to seniors to interact with others, as well for children who needs books for school, but then why the disrespect for patrons?Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Council ‘loons’
To the editor,
Have our City Council members totally lost their minds? They recently honored none other than convicted Soviet spy, Ethel Rosenberg, for leading a 1935 strike against the firm she worked for. No matter what the circumstances were, Mrs. Rosenberg does not deserve the honor by a council which has certainly disgraced itself.
What a poor message we send to our youth by doing this. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of sending information regarding classified atomic secrets to the Soviets. Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, turned them both in. Mrs. Rosenberg did the typing. Is she now to be made typist of the year?
What our council has done shows the ill-effects of loony, liberal progressive ways at their worst. Weren’t we all put at risk by the actions of the Rosenbergs? I imagine that the next step will be to make a television movie about them.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer should be ashamed for helping to orchestrate such an honor. Those honoring Mrs. Rosenberg spoke about the Communist hysteria during that period which led to her execution. I think we’re now in a very dangerous liberal hysteria. This is what happens when we have a council speaker who at one time refused to salute the American flag. Where is the mayor to condemn this?Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
MYOB, Ed
To the editor,
Don’t tell me to mind my own business, Ed Greenspan (“Live and let live,” Sound off to the Editor, Oct. 9). Just like you I can respond to any letter written in this paper. Unlike you I am a supporter of humans and animals. I don’t have “cohorts” and I don’t eat lobsters for the very reason that they are boiled alive.
If you read my letter correctly I said to go to the butcher and purchase a dead one, not one to be killed. And as for me mentioning the Pope, once again read my letter. He is not interfering in any religion by talking about the treatment of animals. Mr. Greenspan, am I concerned with what goes on in Israel? Yes. It bothers me to hear about the quality and loss of life anywhere and everywhere. Are you interested in what goes on in this country? You want to be a crusader for the Jewish community? I applaud you, sincerely. And I want to “yent” about animal rights. After all, it is life. Live and let live, Mr. Greenspan. Frances Stackpole
Marine Park
•••
To the editor,
Reader Ed Greenspan states the kaporos ritual in which chickens are tortured and then killed is a religious practice, and if people don’t like it they should “look the other way.”
How many evils are permitted to flourish in this world by good people looking the other way? Under the Inquisition, which was a religious practice, countless Jews were tortured and killed if they refused to convert to Christianity. Did this make it right?
In current times, the Islamic State terrorists are committing horrible acts in the name of their religion. Does this make it right?
I once read a quote by a rabbi in a newspaper article that kaporos is not a requirement under Jewish law, it is a custom! There is also an injunction in the Talmud that prohibits causing harm to any living creature. So how does committing a new sin absolve an old sin? This is the 21st century. It is past time to end this outdated, barbaric practice. There are other ways to absolve sins, such as giving money to charity, which is beneficial, and casting bread upon the waters, which is harmless.
Sarah Vogel
Brooklyn
Meat over matter
To the editor,
In these difficult economic times, it is especially important to patronize your local fast food eatery, diner, restaurant or steak house. My wife and I don’t mind occasionally paying a little more to help our local businesses survive. Don’t forget your cook and server at your favorite local neighborhood restaurant. We try to tip 20 percent against the total bill, including taxes. If it is an odd amount, we round up to the next dollar. If we can afford to eat out, we can afford an extra dollar tip. When ordering take out, we always leave a dollar or two for the waiter or cook. It is appreciated.
Remember these people are our neighbors. Our local entrepreneurs have continued to create new employment opportunities without the assistance of federally-funded taxpayers’ stimulus dollars. They work long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment. If we don’t patronize our local restaurants, they don’t eat either.Larry Penner
Great Neck. N.Y.
Uncle Sham
To the editor,
What took so long for the federal government to prosecute Don Blankenship, ex-chief executive of Massey Energy Co. whose mine explosion in West Virginia killed 29 miners in 2010?
The former attorney general never took the bankers to court for the financial meltdown. All they were required to do was pay a big fine, which is like chump change. Now he is gone and where do you think he went back to? Wall Street.
When it came to unarmed black men shot by cops where was he? So it took a new attorney general to at least make some type of effort to investigate the causes of black men being shot by police. Let’s see what happens now? Not all cops are bad, but at least investigate the complaints of excessive force.
Go back to the time when cops walked the beat, and businesses owners and residents knew the local beat cop. Someone made a suggestion about having a handful of children coming to the precinct to meet the local cops. This would take away the fear of all cops. Afterwards they would receive a certificate which they could bring to school.Solomon Rafelowsky
Brighton Beach
‘Weakened’ Chuck
To the editor,
I am not surprised that according to a recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, Sen. Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) most recent favorable approval rating is down to 52 percent. This represents his lowest approval ratings since May 2000.
There are two reasons for this decline: One, like the cowardly lion from the Land of Oz, Schumer came out against the proposed treaty with Iran, but with a wink and nod to President Obama refused to lobby his fellow senators in joining him to oppose the treaty. Many Jewish and non-Jewish friends of Israel are not happy with his abdication of leadership on this issue.
Two, since 1981 under Schumer’s watch as both a congressmember and senator our national debt went up by $17.4 trillion, increasing from $1 trillion in 1981 to $18.4 trillion, today. No wonder Schumer never talks about this at his standard Sunday news conferences. It is nothing to be proud of.
Besides conservatives and Republicans, many mainstream moderate Democrats and independent voters are not happy with his fiscal mismanagement of Washington. Younger voters who will have to pay off this debt are especially displeased.
Schumer faced unknown Republican challengers with no-name recognition, money or party support in 2004 (Howard Mills) and 2010 (Jay Townsend). New York Republicans now have a surprising opportunity in 2016. Given Schumer’s weakened poll numbers, perhaps a brave Republican candidate with both name recognition and the financial resources to offer a serious alternative will finally step forward to challenge him in 2016. It might make for an interesting contest as opposed to another Schumer coronation.
If New York Republicans give Schumer a free ride for the third time, he will be free to run around the nation in 2016 assisting other fellow Democrats running for the Senate. Democrats only need a net pick up of five seats to regain control of the Senate. Schumer will use his well-oiled, pay-for-play fundraising machine — he already has $20 million in the bank for his 2016 race with no announced opponent — to raise whatever it takes, be it $100 million or more, so he can become the Democratic Senate majority leader.Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Vroom-tastic
To the editor,
We always think of a motorcycle club members as being bad people. Well the other week on television, I saw a show about a motorcycle club dealing with troubled children.
What a big surprise when they mentioned how they help children having emotional problems, taking them to court, being a friend to them, and helping them with school. Since some of the children came from abusive families they really appreciated the support from both the men and women members. These children bonded with this club members, and were given rides on their bikes which put a happy smile on their faces.
We have the Police Athletic League that also mentors young children, keeping them out of trouble and being a positive role model. I do believe if more organizations would get involved, life for many children would be more fruitful. We need to do this to create a more humane society.
Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
War and peace
To the editor,
How strange it seems that President Obama, soon after taking office, was given the Nobel Peace Prize. In my memory I have never heard of such a thing.
So we’ve gone through years and years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what have we achieved? Nothing but death and destruction in both countries. How about the men and women soldiers coming back with missing arms and legs, plus many who developed post-traumatic stress disorder? One mother mentioned her son left a normal life and came back a killer. How sad that so many sacrificed their lives. So many of these soldiers have developed severe mental disorders due to war.
Let’s not forget the drone strikes that have taken the lives of many innocent civilian, plus the Doctors Without Borders. Time after time they put their lives at risk to help save the victims of war. To me any apology of any kind is worthless.
We still have war, despite our president being given the Noble Peace Prize. He should return it, and donate any money he received to Doctors Without Border for their life-saving work.
Name withheld upon request
