To the editor,
I was horrified to learn that El Greco, a Sheepshead Bay landmark for more than 40 years, was going to be demolished (“El Greco’s last meal,” online Dec. 23).
Although the owners have been losing money since Hurricane Sandy, it is a miracle that the picturesque and famous restaurant survived, but a sacrilege that it should now be destroyed.
Sheepshead Bay has always been one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to relax in Brooklyn. I am grateful that I have a place where I can go and rest, and enjoy the swans, which I am happy are still here, along with the ducks and seagulls which float and fly on and near the ocean. The last thing this calm and quiet place needs is another high-rise apartment building!
Can’t El Greco be declared a landmark and kept standing as an important part of the borough? It could be used, if not as a restaurant, as a museum of artifacts and memories of Sheepshead Bay. Let’s not let developers ruin one of the few scenic and relaxing places left in our borough!Elaine Kirsch
Gravesend
Cop killers
To the editor,
It’s Christmas week and the news is filled with the sad story of two of our finest NYPD officers gunned down in cold blood. In this politically charged atmosphere and politically correct society, a high-ranking chief referred to the gunman as a “gentleman.” This “gentleman” had a rap sheet of more arrests that should have put him behind bars for a lifetime. Why was this “gentleman” out on the streets committing these heinous crimes?
I believe the politically correct should refer to low-life cop killers as Fine Upstanding Citizens! These F.U.C.’s deserve the full weight of the law, and then some, when they decide to kill a cop. These F.U.C.’s should, if they don’t kill themselves first, also feel the wrath and pain of the families they hurt so badly. So whenever one of these so-called “gentlemen” perpetrates a crime such as this, police brass should refer to them as the F.U.C.’s they truly are.Robert W. Lobenstein
Mill Basin
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To the editor,
An “unarmed” young man was shot. Was that the important thing? That he was unarmed? Is that ever the important thing?
Is the cop really supposed to fight back with his bare hands, even if he feels his life is in danger, because if he uses his gun and if the guy he’s trying to arrest is unarmed, then it wasn’t a fair fight? What if the “policeman” is a policewoman? Still not allowed to shoot? She also has to fight fair?
If the cop is the only one with a gun, then it might not be a fair fight but it’s not supposed to be a fair fight. An arrest is not a duel. It’s not “Man of La Mancha.” The cop is supposed to win. You’re supposed to give up. You’re being arrested. Tomorrow, you’ll have a lawyer and then there’ll be the judge.
Last week we saw what happens when the other guy is armed. That’s the way it will always be if the bad guy has a gun. Nobody reads a cop his Miranda rights. It’s just, “Bang!” Rest in peace, Officer Wenjian Liu. Rest in peace, Officer Rafael Ramos.
Stephen Finger, M.D.
Mill Basin
Arrest Al
To the editor,
I cannot understand why Al “Sharpy” Sharpton gets away with all his crap. He incited protesters to block the Brooklyn Bridge, and ambulances and fire trucks couldn’t get through if need be, just as he did back in May 2008 (regarding Sean Bell), and numerous other times.
He likes to organize protests more than he likes to bring peace. A reverend?
Where’d he get his training, alongside the Islamic State? Let us not forget that he has not paid the heap of money he owes the government, but he stands next to Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor DeBlasio at press talks, and spends more time at the White House than our elected officials. Outrageous. Arrest the low-life already.Bea Watson
Bensonhurst
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To the editor,
I have always questioned if Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton were really preachers since they have no church. When I heard Al Sharpton was guest preacher at a black Houston Church, I decided to check him out in person and see what it was all about.
I sat down and Sharpton came up to me, I don’t know why, maybe it was because I was the only white person in the church. He laid his hands on my hand and said: “By the will of Jesus the lord all mighty, and the will of God, you will walk today.”
I told him I was not paralyzed. He came back and laid his hands on me again, and repeated the same thing. Again I told him there was nothing wrong with me. After the sermon I stepped outside and lo and behold my car had been stolen.Charlie Dinsome
Bay Ridge
Elected oaf-icials
To the editor,
Two years ago 26 children and six teachers were shot dead by a loose cannon at a Connecticut elementary school. Where was the Congress that was supposed to represent us? It was so easy to go on television and feel the pain of the families who lost loved ones, but when the general public cried out to do something, some politicians were silent. So afraid that if they pushed for background checks for guns the National Rifle Association would find other candidates to support. I really find them so heartless with no feelings of any kind.
Now two NYPD officers have been gunned down by a deranged man. This was not the first time this has happened. Are politicians going to be silent once again in the face of our local police being shot down? Who is next on someone’s list to be taken out?Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Snail bus
To the editor,
I’m glad that you ran an article (“Bus lane is slow lane, say locals,” online Nov. 25) based on my letter (“Bus fuss,” Sound Off to the Editor, Nov. 24), but I was very displeased with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s response.
The agency mentions “bus-bunching,” called caravans years ago, is not unusual due to traffic and handicapped access. However, those are normal issues. It does not explain why there is a very long wait for a bus and only one bus shows up. Where are the other buses? Another long wait and several show together. It does not explain why there are so many more buses these days showing signs stating “Next Bus Please.” They have few passengers and there is no bus for a long time after that. The only two reasons for this sign is that it is a run-off (i.e. a bus being taken out of service and going to the depot) or it is extremely late and the dispatcher has given the okay to play catch-up on the line.
I’m positive that this is happening throughout the system. The other day I saw four buses on the B68 line together at Avenue U going toward Prospect Park. This is unacceptable. In addition it is tough to get an express bus lane when the street has only two lanes in each direction and I don’t believe it would solve the problem.
I agree with reader Ed Greenspan about the behavior of the bus drivers (“Bus fuss,” Sound of to the Editor, Dec. 19). I’ve had some drivers who were very inconsiderate and rude, and I reported them, but do be aware of the tremendous stress they are under from dealing with people and traffic.
It is up to the dispatchers to make sure that the buses are running on time and to take action when there are traffic issues to put them back on schedule when they are running late. It is also up to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to investigate complaints, especially when there are several about the same issue.Ronald Cohen
Gravesend
Neigh to Blas
To the editor,
The city’s carriage horse industry is a 150 years old and run predominately by hard-working Irish immigrants. This industry has been under a microscope for years assuring the horses are well taken care of. These horses work no harder or under any worse conditions than millions of hard-working immigrants did for years making the city and country great. I hate to bring race into this, but if the drivers and owners were black, I don’t think our mayor would be for the banning of horse drawn carriages and the loss of hundreds of jobs.Lottie Murphy
Bay Ridge
Boardwalk blues
To the editor,
For years there has been an intense campaign by friends, neighbors, and those with affection for the Boardwalk to keep it as it should be, and not allow it to be reconstructed as the essentially concrete sidewalk the Parks Department proposes.
We are pleased that Councilmen Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay) and Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island) have supported our position and oppose the plan, but are very concerned that Assemblymen Steven Cymbrowitz (D–Sheepshead Bay) and Alec Brook-Krasny (D–Coney Island) have procrastinated and sent mixed signals to a public that needs to be assured of their support.
Assemblyman Brook-Krasny has not responded to calls or emails on the subject and sent someone to support rather than oppose the plan at the design commission hearings. Assemblyman Cymbrowitz never offered a position at this crucial hearing, and although he has offered, recently, to rescind funding for the project, it may be very late in the game, and unless done with more energy, too little to win.
We are very pleased with the support our concerns have had from Deutsch and Treyger and hope that Cymbrowitz and Brook-Krasny will join them, and assure their very concerned public that successful action can happen before the December 31 deadline.
The answer to the continual threat to the integrity of the Boardwalk is to join Councilman Treyger in recognizing for all time that it is a landmark, and as such should be preserved by the New York City Landmark Commission for this and future generations.
Stuart K. Pertz
The writer is an adjunct assistant professor at Pratt Institute’s Grad Center for Planning.
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To the editor,
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz should be embarrassed to make a U-turn at this stage of the game. His obvious piggybacking on the good deeds of Councilmen Mark Treyger and Chaim Deutsch in their efforts to truly represent their constituents is a lame effort to make us think that he cares about our community. His claim that his reversal is due to now realizing how the project was changed from its original plan is either false, or points to ignorance or indifference on his part. The community’s fight against this project has been well documented for a long time. Let us turn our attention to a real representative, Councilman Treyger, and his idea to landmark the iconic Boardwalk!Rose Cherry
Sheepshead Bay
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To the editor,
I am a lifetime resident of the Brighton Beach community, and as such, along with my fellow residents of the area, have always enjoyed and appreciated the Boardwalk, which for us has become a virtual iconic landmark.
In common with the vast majority of my fellow residents, I am greatly dismayed by the city’s plans to modify the surface and replace the boards with a concrete and plastic material.
We have expressed our concerns over this plan on numerous occasions, and thus are feelings about this matter are well known.
Councilmen Chaim Deutsch and Mark Treyger have offered our communities much support to our concerns.
What is puzzling to me at this point is the position of Assemblymen Steven Cymbrowitz and Alec Brook-Krasny. Cymbrowitz, as a result of numerous communications addressed to his office, is now taking a position of opposing the Parks Department project, after providing funding for work which in this honest opinion is being misused, whereas Brook-Krasny has not responded to
any form of communication regarding this matter from any constituent.
It would appear to be incumbent on these two representatives to clarify for our community precisely where they stand on this issue. It is important for us to be informed of the truth of this matter, as these two gentlemen provided the funding for the Parks Department work, without any further inquiry as to the exact use of this funding and the exact work contemplated.
One would hope that these issues would be clarified, and at the same time the Parks Department work be immediately called to question, and the funding for it cancelled.William Zucker
Brighton Beach
Kim Gone-un
To the editor,
I think the response to North Korea’s cyber attack on Sony was a little harsh by the U.S. — if in fact we were behind their nine-hour internet interruption. Kim Jong-un must have been jumping mad when he couldn’t watch his daily cartoons or episodes of “The Three Stooges” that he watches everyday because he likes to watch Moe dropping young Kim Jong-un on his head over and over, and also believes Moe is his real grandfather. I don’t think they’ll try anything again.Nufigity Sanzone
Coney Island
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To the editor,
It is a crying shame to see that Sony entertainment knuckled under to the demands of terrorist scum. Their cowardice has again empowered low-lifes to threaten our people and land, and possibly carry out another 9-11 attack. Each time Americans cower under threats we sink faster and faster into a shivering, sniveling, third-world power.
I say that the people of America, its leaders, military, and corporations come to terms of how great this country really is, grow a big pair, then stand up and launch a large scale 9-11 attack of our own. It’s time to silence and ignore the spineless, politically correct jellyfish that control our once-proud government, and put our full answer to terrorism where our military is.
The world is being taken over by threats from North Korean slime, Taliban cretins, and other religious and governmental dictatorships. The longer we and the remaining democracies let things slide, the more terrible the inevitable war between them and us will become.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Cop-n-community
To the editor,
What really bothers me when I hear my neighbors in Brighton Beach and Coney Island complain about the lack of adequate police protection: Gee, the only time there are more police presence is during the summer, and mostly in Coney Island.
So the bottom line is other precincts lose officers because they are on detail elsewhere. Under Mayor Bloomberg he decided to cut the starting pay for police rookies, so why would anyone think of becoming a police officer
Where are the auxiliary cops that once were a presence in Brighton Beach? What happened to the uniformed officers I’d see on a daily basis walking up and down Brighton Beach Avenue? I’m aware that the 60th Precinct has undercover cops, but seeing uniformed cops would be a greater deterrent to any potential crime.
I’ve have been going to the community council meetings month after month, and the constant concerns from the resident about shootings seems similar to Chicago. To quote Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island), the police force needs to keep pace with the city’s population growth,
Many years ago Chicago had high-rise projects where crime was rampant. People did not know who their neighbors were, and shootings became a way of life. What the smart politicians finally did was to take down the projects and replace them with small townhouses. Then people began taking pride in their neighborhood and got to know their neighbors. Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
When, oh, when?
To the editor,
When are black leaders going to speak up and condemn black-on-black crime, instead of blaming cops? When are Muslim leaders going to condemn the senseless murders of innocent people by the radical Muslims? When will parents take responsibility for their young children? When will fathers raise their children with their wives, instead of just making a baby and walking away? When will the exaggerated claims of racism and the war on woman finally end? When will teachers stop getting the blame for failing students who don’t do their homework or even show up for school? When will the borders be secured? When will politicians stop lying to us? When will the streets in my area pave the streets that have been torn up for months?Maureen Parker
Sheepshead Bay
Toll-light robbery
To the editor,
The article on the toll of the Verrazano Bridge was more telling than you know (“Bridging the gap: MTA wants to raise Verrazano tolls to balance budget,” Nov. 20). So there are 180,000 vehicles crossing the bridge daily with a daily revenue of $936,000, according to a transit spokesman. If you take half of the 180,000 and they pay $10 for EZ-Pass and have the other 90,000 vehicles ride free, that would still bring in a revenue of $1,800,000. Realistically, where is all the money collected in tolls really going?Joe Donato
Park Slope
Mayor DeDozio
To the editor,
New York Republican Committee chairman Ed Cox suggested the Mayor DeBlasio will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2016. That reminded me of the commercial that Hillary ran in 2008 in her bid for president: “Your kids are safe and asleep and the phone rings at 3 am in the White House, etc.”
I could only imagine if DeBlasio was president and the phone rings at 3 am while he is asleep, the phone would just ring and ring, and he would turn over and pull the covers over his head and continue to sleep.Peter G. OrsiMarine Park
War heroes
To the editor,
When I read that soldier Brent Grommet’s German shepherd was taken from him when they returned from war, it made me very sad and as mad as hell. This young soldier and his dog, Matty, were together from the beginning at basic training to deployment in Afghanistan. Both were injured by a roadside bomb.
Specialist Grommet suffered traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This soldier who fought for his country, sustained serious injuries, and was almost killed only wants his partner and best friend back with him. This is not only a very small price to ask for, but it is also the law. Robby’s Law passed in 1990 and was signed by Bill Clinton.
This hero was told by higher-ups not to speak to the media about Matty the dog or he would wind up in Leavenworth. Talk about loyalty. These two want to be together again and deserve to be. Didn’t the government already do enough to disrespect and harm our veterans with the Veterans Administration scandal? I’m not holding my breath for the return of the dog to his best friend, after we saw the way the U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi was held in a Mexican prison for more than 200 days, but I sure will be praying that Specialist Grommet and Matty are reunited. I would hate to think some bigwig took the dog home to his family and won’t give it back or worse. This is the very least we could do for one of our hero’s who was willing to put his life on the line for us.
I think those monsters being held in Gitmo are being treated better than we treat our own veterans. Our president authorized the release of five monsters for the return of one army deserter. Mr. President can’t you authorize the release of one dog for a hero?Rosie Boxer
Rockaway, N.Y.
Credit gas-bags
To the editor,
I went to a gas station expecting to use my VISA card to fill up my tank. Imagine my horror when I was told that by my using VISA to pay for the gasoline, the price would be 13 cents more per gallon! Yes, $3.45 cash per gallon versus $3.57 VISA per gallon. Outrageous.
I always knew VISA to be 10 cents more per gallon, but now it’s 13 cents more per gallon if one uses a credit card. Aaarrrgh.A. Smith
Mill Basin
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
Dems the breaks
To the editor,
Yes, it’s super important to be informed and to have opinions but a constant, repetitive drone of negativity, cynicism, anger, and fear accomplishes nothing. It’s far too easy to be critical of others. It’s much more difficult to devise something positive and or good, or to invest the time and effort necessary to become actively involved in local or larger issues and programs in place, or to spend some time trying to offer up something positive: an idea, a movement, or even something already in place that might spark change for the better.
C’mon, two wrongs do not make a right. Just because the other (red) side does it does not mean “we” should too. “We” lost the 2014 midterm elections because the right messages weren’t getting put out and what was being said did not engage the voters enough to get them to actually vote. Maybe it’s time to try other tactics?Barry Brothers
Homecrest
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.
