To the editor,
Vendors have a purpose. They supply food and goods at reasonable costs to the consumer. However, they should not be allowed to be located near business establishments and take business away from local merchants. That goes for food and other items, such as books, clothing, etc.
The food cart on 86th Street and Fifth Avenue is way oversized and parked on the sidewalk (“Grade ’em, he sez,” online May 16). It has grease and dirt accumulating around it, and people throw their garbage around it, and the cart and customers block the traffic on the sidewalk.
There is a place for vendors, and in my opinion they should be allowed in public areas, such as factory locations or public parks, where no other stores or restaurants are located. Then the vendors are performing a service for the public.
Vendors are not subjected to the same operating fees as store or restaurant owners. They don’t have to pay for real estate taxes or rents, water, cleaning services to the merchants association in the community. They only have to pay a small amount for a permit. Vendors also don’t have to deal with the Department of Health, which inspects restaurants and awards them a letter grade.
We all appreciate people who want to be entrepreneurs, but not at the cost to good, paying citizens.
Sharyn J. King
Bay Ridge
To the editor,
I am writing about the street vendors on 86th Street and Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge. This is a terrible shame. I pass by there about three times a week, and always see people getting food. I don’t see anything wrong with this vendor.
I think the Lone Star Bar, which is a block away, should mind its own damn business. Maybe, we should get all the bars closed down! I wish food cart operator Sammy Kassen the very best in his business, and hope he stays there for a very long time. When I get some money, I am going to buy something from him.
Our phony-baloney, malfunctioning, misfit Sen. Mary Golden (R–Bay Ridge) should get involved in this dispute. We need to close all bars down, they are nothing but trouble in Bay Ridge — and the 68th Precinct knows it.
Richard Martin
Bay Ridge
Boardwalk bedlam
To the editor,
Everyone is hooting and howling all of a sudden in a frantic manner that all Sanitation vehicles no longer ride on the Boardwalk, and police and ambulances do so with the lightest of possible vehicles (“Boardwalk war of 2012 rages on our letters page,” Letters to the Editor, May 17).
Where, if I may ask, have these concerned citizens been for past 30 years while this was happening? I know what damage a truck can do, I was on the Boardwalk 15 years back when an 18-wheeler actually came aboard from Brighton, crushed the wood and was stuck in there. It was amazing to experience, but showed us all the damages a truck can do to a wooden boardwalk.
In the end, I hope I am totally out of line and plumb wrong, and every procedure and measure suggested by concerned Brooklyn Courier Life readers is immediately considered and enacted. Furthermore, I hope all of Coney Island’s maintenance staff are trained to make repairs and all the equipment and machinery to do so is available to them.
Until then, people are getting hurt and injured so let’s move with the concrete and protect our greatest resource: the people.
Ron Kriegel
Coney Island
Jo-Jo’s ‘2.5’ cents
To the editor,
Joanna DelBuono’s column “Serendipity, then such sweet sorrow” (Not for Nuthin’ May 3), regarding the CBS TV season closer of “Two and a Half Men,” mistakenly cited “Charlie Harper’s ghost” appearing at the foot of his brother Alan’s bed, as played by actress Conchata Ferrell (Berta, the housekeeper in the series).
The part, in fact, was played by veteran actress Kathy Bates (“Misery,” “Harry’s Law”) in a cameo appearance from her NBC legal drama. Other than that, I agree with Joanna’s assessment that the show has indeed changed with the casting of Ashton Kutcher in the lead role of Walden. Alan (played by Jon Cryer) unfortunately now seems to have become more scheming, pitiable, and dependent than ever before since there is no blood connection between the lead characters.
Now I almost want to scream at my TV to him, “Get a real job, and stop sponging off everyone!”Frank J. Grassi
Bay Ridge
Fidler’s ‘flop’
To the editor,
Councilman Lew Fidler (D–Marine Park) should concede the Senate seat vacated by ex-Sen. Carl Kruger to David Storobin (“Fidler loses by 27 votes,” online May 15).
What should have been a shoo-in for Fidler turned out to be a flop. More than half of Fidler’s people voted for the other guy. Fidler should return to his term limited Council seat. I am sure his Democratic cronies will find something for him in the future.
The late Kings County Democratic Chairman Meade Esposito must be turning in his grave.Ugo M. Rosiello
Mill Island
’Terrible’ Shav
To the editor,
Shavana Abruzzo’s column, “Facebook co-founder runs to Singapore — where he’ll pay less tax” (A Britisher’s View, online May 18) is terrible.
I’m an American citizen and have been to Singapore many times for business. It is nowhere near as autocratic as you make it to be, and is by far one of the cleanest and safest places to live on earth.
Saverin is an a——, no doubt, but the American legal and economic system allows him to be one and no one cares, especially since he helped found one of the most revolutionary programs on the internet.
I guarantee you he is not giving up his citizenship just to avoid taxes, there are many better countries in the world that have a lot to offer.Alex Wolfgram
Brooklyn
Bredderman’s a liar
To the editor,
I was very disappointed with your very one-sided, negative report on the Dyker Beach dog run which portrayed the local dog walkers as heathens who ruin the dog park for all local dog lovers (“Dogs get bused to Dyker run,” May 17).
I know many people who only go to the dog park on weekdays when the dog walkers are there specifically because I trust that they will control all of their animals, unlike many of the individual owners.
Furthermore, the dog walkers bring water and tennis balls for all dogs in the park to use, not just their own, and do their best to create an enjoyable environment for the dogs. I love their animals just as much as they do.
What really upsets me is I was there when your reporter was interviewing individual owners and I know for a fact that there was a plenitude of positive things said about both the dog walkers and the park, none of which was included in the article.
Raina H.
Bay Ridge
Teacher’s lot
To the editor,
Since Chancellor Walcott is so adamant about getting rid of ineffective teachers after two years, how about putting the same policy into effect regarding disruptive students? Such students need to be placed in 600 schools where they could get attention and much needed guidance.
Their continued presence in public schools only allows for more havoc. Even the best of teachers have to waste their time constantly disciplining the unruly. No one ever thinks of work-study programs for such students. A full day of school is not for them and perhaps by working, some would begin to value an education. Besides, earning some money for the house wouldn’t hurt either.
Why haven’t excessed teachers or ATR’s been put back in the classroom so as to lower burgeoning class sizes? Instead, they are relegated to substitute status. Talk about wasting money. None of the ATR’s will take a buy-out unless they can collect their pensions now and be covered under health insurance. Would you?
Only in this system would classes be suspended on June 25th and June 26th, but students told to report back on the 27th.
Having never served in the schools, the DOE doesn’t realize what the last day is like in too many of them. You need your battle gear. You can also stop with the nonsensical training.
Prior to my retirement, I had to sit through a film where Ted Danson was giving tips on teaching. Just like many of our current principals, he never taught and is now a self-proclaimed expert.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Mayoral whims
To the editor,
Former New York City Comptroller and 2009 losing Democratic Party Mayoral candidate William Thompson is a profile in courage for resigning as chairman of the Battery Park City Authority. He is now free to run full time for Mayor with no conflicts of interest. Contrast his courage with the four cowardly lions — New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York City Comptroller John Lui, New York City Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. They all lack the moral courage of Thompson and continue to hold one public office while openly campaigning for the upcoming 2013 Democratic Party Mayoral Primary. The lines are clearly blurred between their day job and new job they each seek. All have been actively working the Pay for Play fundraising circuit, along with visiting every local and county Democratic Party clubhouse on day one after lame duck Mayor Bloomberg took his last oath of office in January 2010.
Quinn, Lui, de Blasio and Stringer start out with many advantages not available to ordinary challengers. During their respective terms of public office, each incumbent has daily television, radio and newspaper exposure, press conferences, newsletters, guest columns in newspapers, letters to the editor and speaking engagements on a regular basis. Don’t forget the perks of public office, including announcements of member items (many of which taxpayers consider local pork-barrel projects) which are used to raise name recognition and assist in greasing the wheels of re-election or attempt at a higher new office.
If Quinn, Lui, deBlasio and Stringer are serious about running for Mayor, they should resign their current office today. End the charade by being honest enough to run full time on their own time and dime. Allow citizens a Special Election to elect a replacement who can represent them full time. It is time we elected someone who is not using one public office as a stepping stone to another.
Hard-working municipal civil servants who work full time can’t campaign part time during the day as Quinn, Lui, de Blasio and Stringer do. They would have to either take a leave of absence or quit their day job.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.
