Sound Off to the Editor

To the editor,

I too have been horrified by the three calamities of the past weeks that Shavana Abruzzo writes about in “A Britisher’s View” (“Three calamities in one week: A grim reminder of mortality,” April 3). What is even more horrifying is that all three of these tragedies could have been prevented.

If the Sassoons had smoke alarms in every room in their house in Midwood those seven children would probably still be alive. Also, their hot plate should have been checked for defects before they used it. All electrical appliances need to be checked regularly for broken plugs, worn cords, and whatever else can go wrong. Just because something worked right last time doesn’t mean it will work right this time.

As for the buildings in the East Village, someone who obviously didn’t know what he was doing tried to alter the gas lines and destroyed several buildings instead, killing two people. I am tired of seeing stories of fires, explosions, and building collapses every day on the news. I believe most of these could have been prevented by careful work on construction and renovation projects and electrical wiring by thoroughly trained and alert workers, and use of the best possible materials instead of cost cutting.

As for the plane, I do not understand why an obviously disturbed pilot was allowed to fly a plane! Wasn’t Andreas Lubitz given a thorough psychological screening before he was hired? And why didn’t anyone who knew him notice, before his last flight, that he was suffering from suicidal depression? I think that all pilots should be given periodical mental health screenings as well as physical checkups. No pilot should be allowed in the cockpit alone. On long flights, there should be three pilots or co-pilots so that each pilot can take a break leaving two pilots still in the cockpit. This would be expensive, but worth it in terms of security.

I do believe that with proper precautions many of the horrors and deaths we are witnessing can be prevented. Cost cutting, in the end, does not save money. It costs lives.

Elaine Kirsch

Gravesend

‘Minimalist’ Israel

To the editor,

Tom Allon writes about “the importance of Schumer’s rise to power” (“Political Spin Cycle,” April 3) and criticizes Sen. Schumer for “supporting Israel’s controversial policies in Gaza” and “Netanyahu’s expansionist policies,” but he is wrong in his analysis and descriptive language in both instances.

In Gaza I don’t think that any fair-minded person could describe Israel’s defense against thousands of missiles targeting its population centers as “controversial.” Regarding “expansionist policies,” Israel, which controls about one tenth of one percent of the land in the Middle East and only 22 percent of the Palestinian state (Jordan controls the other 78 percent), is the width of Brooklyn and Queens together. Minimalist would be a more accurate word to describe the current borders of Israel.Ira Nosenchuk

Coney Island

Tsarnaev ‘scum’

To the editor,

Death is too good for him, but life is even better! Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been found incredibly guilty on all 30 Boston Bombing counts and now the jury is to decide his punishment. Death is too quick of a sentence. As we Americans are so sensitive to the way we put our skells out of our misery, he would be about 60 years of age and millions of our tax dollars would enrich the lawyers during endless appeals.

But life in prison would be bad for us too. He would get his own private cell, Islamic books, a personal prayer rug, time off from work details to bow and pray for additional deaths to the infidels, special food for his Halal dietary needs, and conjugal visits! Life or death this piece of scum will be an albatross around our necks for years.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

Mayor Bill-oney

To the editor,

The hypocrisy of the DeBlasio administration never ceases to amaze me. While causing misery for drivers throughout the city with his ill-conceived traffic calming ideas, and wanting drivers to now to give even more tolls, fees, etc., to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, so they will have more money to squander. I read the mayor and his posse routinely drive to the Slope YMCA from Gracie Mansion, so he can get his work-out in, before his busy day (“Idle worship! Mayor’s cars running while he jogs at Slope Y,” online March 31). The engines of the two SUVs, with his posse-in-tow waiting for him, are constantly running and spewing fumes, sometimes up to an hour while he is at the gym.

Former Transportation Alternatives’ hypocrite Wiley Norvell, who hasn’t seen a car he has liked in his entire life, gives the mayor a pass. Oh well, go figure. Richie Hecht

Bay Ridge

Jes’ saying

To the editor,

I came across a poster that read: “If the USA can’t afford to provide basic medical care, feed the poor, protect the environment, maintain our infrastructure, or teach our children anymore, then what exactly is our bloated military budget defending?”

This question has been asking umpteenth times and never seems to be acknowledged and addressed by those whom are elected to office to represent the welfare of the citizens who put them in office.

The electoral and political systems in place in Washington D.C. and in most state legislatures represent and focus on the welfare of those who pay to put them in office, the so-called one percent corporate class.

Extreme party gamesmanship and partisan politics has taken over this country. I do believe the GOP has been, since the day President Obama has taken office, purposefully and maliciously obstructionist to prevent this administration from having successes, and will continue to do so until a new president is sworn into office in 2017. Despite all denials to the contrary, obstruction seems to live in the hearts of many Republicans, as does a perceived racism which includes disdain for the poor.

Reasonable discourse and ideas need be put on the table by all sides of a debate with compromise ruling the day so that advances and laws and such can be put in place that do address the needs of the country, of the citizenry. This is not happening at all. The GOP can claim to have made effort, but in reality all they do is knock down ideas put forth that do appear to have the best interests of “the many” at the core of the discussion. They also tend to create many distractions, that though some may be valid concerns, in reality they shut down all conversation and thus possible movement.

I think many politicians on both sides of the proverbial aisle are inept, partisan, and do not have our best interests at heart.

To quote the great John Lennon: “everybody’s talking and no one says a word; Everybody’s runnin’ and no one makes a move; strange days indeed; most peculiar, mama.”

Barry Brothers

Homecrest

Edu-vacation

To the editor,

I saw in the paper that so many children were absent more than 10 percent of the time during the last school year. This doesn’t take into account the students who are marked present and then proceed to cut classes and cause mayhem during the day.

My favorite was when parents would come to school and inform me and other teachers that they were going on vacation for 10 days to two weeks and demand that we give them the work in advance so that their child wouldn’t fall behind. This is absolutely ridiculous. If the child was not there when the work was being taught, the best the teacher could do was to give them pages to read and questions to answer from the texts. The supervisory staff should have stepped up to the plate to remind the parent that school was in session and that these vacation days were totally illegal. This was never done because principals fear parents.

Years ago if a child was absent excessively, the child was not promoted. This would never occur today, as supervisors look to get rid of children who are chronic discipline problems and whose absences are a relief both for them and the teacher.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Jeb Boo-sh

To the editor,

If Jeb Bush runs for president he will not get my vote. He is a job killer. Back in 1989 he outlawed “dwarf tossing” in Florida. Many little people lost their income because of this ban. It was a safe sport mostly played in bars. The dwarfs wore helmets and other protective gear and were tossed onto a mattress or against a wall of velcro. They made a pretty good living until then-Gov. Bush stopped it. Who is he to decide what people do for a living?Nick Finer

Hallandale, Fla.

Cop cop-out

To the editor:

Is excessive force the new norm? The police go through an extensive period of training in hand-to-hand combat, use of a nightstick, pepper spray, and Taser guns. The purpose of this training is to keep the cops safe, have his orders obeyed and in the event of a physical altercation, for the other person to survive and face justice. Killing a person should be the last resort and then, only on the rarest of occasions.

This is not the case: excessive force is the new norm. This allows cops to use excessive force with impunity. Whether this occurs out of malice or fear is irrelevant, the result is the same — dead civilians, and cops who go on as if nothing happened.

As a first-year college student at Bard’s BPI campus, a victim of the criminal justice system, and a man who has studied and practiced law for the past 16 years, I am well aware of how our criminal justice system works, or rather does not work. In my own case, the district attorney and every witness testified that I used a .38 caliber revolver. At the age of 17 that was used to indict and convict me. According the medical examiner and an NYPD ballistics report the victim was shot with a 9mm gun. Guilt, innocence, and evidence are irrelevant, the district attorney will trump all else.

Cops, who are not given consequences for killing civilians, sends a message that cops can kill with impunity. No race of people is safe, as cops kill more white people than any other race. It has been reported that cops have killed everyone from kids to old ladies. None of these cops are locked-up. This encourages a cop versus civilian atmosphere. A civilian has no way of discerning a good cop from a bad cop, a killer cop from one who will not kill them or someone around them. People have video footage of some of the deadly incidents and have seen the footage explained away as inaccurate. This leaves people in danger at the hands of the police, prosecutors, and judiciary. Accountability for cops is not on the horizon.

A civilian that kills a cop is put in jail, generally with no bail, or bail that should be called a ransom. They will remain in jail for years facing either a death or life sentence, before the case is adjudicated. Their conviction is almost certain. In contrast, a cop whokills a civilian, in the extraordinarily rare instance they are charged and indicted for the person’s death, will remain free on bail for years. They will usually not be facing a death or life sentence. Once the case is resolved, which statistically results in an acquittal, or a conviction of some lesser included offense, but not the murder they will go about life with no more than a slap on the wrist. This reinforces the notion that cops are beyond the law, and their lives are more valuable than civilians are.

Michael Kirshtein

The writer is an inmate 96A7220 at Eastern Correctional Facility, Naponoch, N.Y.

Bad economics

To the editor,

Is there real reason to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the New York City Economic Development Corporation? New York City prospered and successfully grew prior to creation of this group and it’s predecessor, the N.Y.C. Public Development Corporation which was created in 1966. In 1991 the N.Y.C. Public Development Corporation (P.D.C.) was merged with the N.Y.C. Financial Services Corporation (F.S.C.) to form the N.Y.C. Economic Development Corporation. In many instances projects supported by these government corporations have been heavily subsidized by taxpayers, commonly known as corporate welfare. Between direct government funding, low-interest and below-market-rate loans, and long-term tax exemptions, the bill to taxpayers in the end is greater than the so-called public benefits.

There is also a relationship between pay-for-play campaign contributions from developers to elected officials looking for favorable legislation, private-property condemnation under eminent domain, building permits, public infrastructure improvements, along with direct and hidden subsidies. In some cases city and state development corporations actually compete against each other attempting to outbid each other in offering potential investors the best deal. This translates to the highest subsidies at taxpayers’ expense.

Don’t forget the conflict of interest for senior staff from municipal regulatory and permitting agencies. Too many leave in the twilight of any mayoral administration to become employees or consultants to the same developers they previously oversaw.

Take Seth Pinsky, former executive director of the N.Y.C.E.D.C. who went on to become executive vice president of the RXR Realty. Some developers try to purchase the support of local community groups by making so-called voluntary donations. They also make promises for capital improvements, which after the major project is completed don’t always appear. Other commitments for creation of permanent new jobs and tax revenues frequently do not meet expectations. If these projects are worthwhile, why can’t major developers use their own funds or obtain loans from banks, like medium and small businesses?

Real business people who believe in capitalism build their companies on their own. How sad that some don’t want to do it the old fashioned way by sweat and hard work. They are looking for shortcuts in the form of huge subsidies at taxpayers expense and favors from elected officials.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

Blott Stringer

To the editor,

Comptroller Scott Stringer is a spoiled child having a temper tantrum. Perhaps he needs a time out. Who knew that taxpayers are paying for members of the NYPD Intelligence Division to serve as his personal security detail. Stringer recently fired four of New York’s Finest from this security detail because they were late in picking him up from his expensive Manhattan home one morning. Is anyone aware that Stringer is the target of any terrorist groups which would merit this level of protection? I seriously doubt that al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Islamic State or any other terrorists are even aware of his existence.

Municipal employees could never get away with the same abuses. They could not use city vehicles during work hours to chauffeur spouses around town. At a minimum, they would have to reimburse the city for the costs of all these personal trips. The Department of Investigations needs to take a look at this serious potential waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers dollars.

Let Stringer assign one of his several hundred staff members to serve as his personal chauffeur. Better yet he could set an example and follow Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick’s bill requiring employers with 20 or more workers to sign up for transit checks. Stringer could do likewise and give up both his free parking space at City Hall and his special police parking permit. He can use his transit check to purchase MetroCards. This will afford Stringer the opportunity to join several million constituents who use public transportation on a daily basis and also contribute to a cleaner environment. Stringer talks about being a friend of the 99 percent, yet he prefers the perks of a one percenter.Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

Martial schools

To the editor,

I was about to come up for tenure when Hugh Carey defeated Malcolm Wilson to become governor of New York in 1974. The United Federation of Teachers wholeheartedly supported Carey. No sooner was he governor than tenure was changed to five years, and therefore myself and others had to wait two additional years to achieve this job protection.

At the time the union urged membership to donate to vote for the Committee on Public Education to get the tenure back to three years.

Gov. Cuomo is falling into the same trap as Gov. Carey did. It doesn’t matter how many years of teaching is required as long as the system allows us to work under the same abysmal conditions. City classrooms have the largest classroom registers and consequently disruptive children in them. No matter what is tried nothing will work until we attempt to resolve the problems of class size and children who refuse to behave themselves in school. It is ridiculous that people who never spent one day in the classroom as a teacher attempt to make rules that classroom teachers have to work under.

Stop with the liberal nonsense of total child, alternate assessments, and other jokes, and institute military discipline in those schools requiring it. Any teacher cannot teach without discipline — Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina knows that.

Ed Greenspan

Sheepshead Bay

Oaf-icials

To the editor,

Looks as though the veterans’ affairs chief was caught with his foot in his mouth, lying about his military service, and on camera too! It is a sad state of affairs as one by one, our leaders, our so-called impartial newsmen and the people that seek the trust of the populace are exposed. Especially when they boast of experiences they never had or college degrees they never earned, though, most have an excellent B.S. in bull!

My generation was taught not to trust anyone over 30 (I’m 63 now), and my father had a saying that pretty much covered his opinion of politicians and glad handlers: “They all lie — like a rug!” As each politician is disgraced or carted away in handcuffs, it only reinforces my opinion of these leaders. Dad was only too right.

Robert W. Lobenstein

Marine Park

Tunnel vision

To the editor,

Your story “Tunnel Aversion” (March 26) concerning the proposed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel which might connect New Jersey to Brooklyn and Queens is under consideration again. In theory, it might move thousands of trucks on a daily basis off the roads and on to railroad tracks for significant portions of the journey between New Jersey and Long Island. It reminds me of the long-forgotten proposed tunnel between 69th Street in Bay Ridge and St. George on Staten Island. The concept was to extend subway service from Brooklyn to Staten Island. Ground was broken with entrances at both ends in the 1920s, but the project quickly ran out of money and was abandoned to history. When living on Shore Road in Bay Ridge, friends and I would look to no avail in attempting to find the abandoned site filled in decades earlier. Flash forward almost 90 years later and we have the proposed “Cross Harbor” rail freight tunnel project.

Construction of any new freight, public transportation tunnel or bridge project can take years if not decades by the time all feasibility studies, environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements, construction, budgeting, identifying, and securing funding is completed. This is before the project reaches beneficial use. Construction for the 2nd Avenue subway began in the 1960s. Bond money intended for this project in the 1950s was spent elsewhere. The latest completion date for the first segment of three stations between 63rd and 96th streets on the upper east side of Manhattan is 2016 at a cost of $4.5 billion. Construction for the original tunnel to support bringing the Long Island Rail Road from Queens into Grand Central Station began in the 1960s. The latest completion date is now 2023 with a cost of $10 billion. No one can identify the source for the estimated $16 billion to build a new tunnel for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak known as the “Gateway project” to gain additional access to Penn Station from New Jersey. Ditto for paying back the $3 billion federal loan which covered a majority of the estimated $4 billion for replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge in Westchester. Any guess who will find $5 to $10 billion or more needed for construction of a new Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel? This may be just another in the continuing series of feasibility studies sponsored by various governmental agencies and public officials over decades. They generate some money for consultants, along with free publicity, for elected officials who promise a bright future, but all to often move on to another public office before delivering. You are frequently left holding an empty bag with unfilled promises. At the end of the day just like the long abandoned Brooklyn to Staten Island subway project, don’t count on seeing any shovel in the ground before the end of this decade. Don’t count on completion of any Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel in our lifetime.

Larry Penner

Great Neck, N.Y.

No ‘Ted’ fan

To the editor,

A short while ago a friend sent me an email that included the following Susan B. Anthony quote: “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” and out from my fingers came this:

At the behest of a friend I watched the short speech Ted Cruz gave the other day in announcing his candidacy for the 2016 Presidential election. Ugh, it was not easy to make it through.

Ted Cruz, an anti-establishment candidate, is extremely biased in his views and hopes for the country; what he expressed is not inclusive of the many. The mere fact that he chose to announce at a strictly Christian university speaks to his affirmed bias that negates the inclusion of far too many citizens.

Constitutionalists like Ted Cruz are extremely focused on the issue of “freedom.” They feel that government and freedom are not great bedfellows and that many governmental decisions impinge upon freedoms. The other side of the coin is that there are many who believe that without governmental oversight, absolute freedom allows those in positions of power to retard access and progress of those who are less “wealthy” or to harm the environment without care, or responsibility should harm be done. Often time they feel that those who are strict constitutionalists interpret aspects of it to their own beliefs which negates those of others. They use the correct wording that “every child, every citizen,” but their conservative backgrounds and leanings negate the needs and beliefs of far too many citizens. The whole concept and usage of the “G” word in itself offends many citizens.

Their concept of “liberty” and “freedom” is limited, and far from inclusive of everyone. They use their fundamental religious and constitutional rhetoric to disguise their disdain for the poor and needy, for people who are not like them.

I was just informed that after bashing the Affordable Care Act relentlessly, that he was “forced” to see medical insurance via Imagine this bigoted nincompoop is not re-elected in Texas? Can hardly imagine that after seeing the reception and responses Cruz got from the born again audience at Liberty University. The cheering they offered up each time Cruz mentioned things like lessening accessing to food stamps or health care for the poor, or putting up electrified fences around the country’s borders, or mentions the guns issues around the Second Amendment. Imagine how aghast I was at this creep using the “imagine” image of John Lennon as the theme for his announcement.

What I can imagine is this jerk disappearing into the vile woodwork of his inner demons, getting himself and his minions to secede from the republic to turn back their clocks to any century they want, leaving me and my ilk far, far away and free from their hell. I’m quite sure that other can easily continue this “rant” by pointing out many examples of the great hypocrisy that exists between the rhetoric they spew and the decisions they try to enact on behalf of the citizens they represent while in Washington, D.C. Come all future elections, city, state and federal, if the preponderance of voters choose to stay home again, instead of voting with a clear and thoughtful mind and heart, they’ll get exactly what they deserve, and I’ll have to move somewhere, far away.

Barry Brothers

Homecrest