To the editor,
School is open, yet parents of more than 1-million school-age children were denied once again the opportunity to shop for reasonably-priced clothing and school supplies at Walmart.
Polls of ordinary New Yorkers continue, resulting year after year — and now decade after decade — to support the right of Walmart to open stores across the city.
Residents in the other 59 counties outside the city, but within the state, have had the option of shopping or not at Walmart for decades. The same is true for virtually every other city and state. Only our city is behind the times.
Our residents continue to be denied the opportunity to shop at Walmart due to excuses made by politicians, such as Comptroller John Liu, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, most members of the City Council, along with numerous fellow liberal Democratic Party elected officials and their union allies. Many other Democratic Assembly, state Senate, and Congress members also oppose Walmart opening stores within their respective legislative districts, boroughs or any place in the city. They feel that we should oppose Walmart because of substandard salaries and unfair competition they would provide against smaller stores.
Construction of a new Walmart can provide work for construction contractors and their employees. Once opened, there are employment opportunities for many workers.
More than 10 percent of New Yorkers, including students, housewives, heads of single family households, senior citizens, and others currently out of work, along with seven percent who have given up looking, could find employment. The city would benefit by millions in sales, payroll, and real-estate tax revenue which could help fund essential municipal services everyone desires.
Walmart is the nation’s largest private sector employer with over 1,200,000 employees, and growing each year. Tens of millions of Americans, including many fellow New Yorkers own stock in Walmart. The same is true for the various retirement and pension plans many people participate in. Starting pay averages several dollars above the minimum wage for new employees around the nation. Promotional opportunities, including training for higher paying managerial positions, are common. They also offer health care and other benefits. Walmart may actually pay higher salaries and offer more benefits than some of their competitors such as Target, Kmart, Costco and BJs which are already here.
Several hundred thousand New Yorkers work off the books, full- and part-time with no benefits. Many existing retailers pay minimum wage with no benefits. Public officials opposing Walmart never talk about these abuses.
The free enterprise system made our nation great. Economic growth and the creation of wealth comes from businesses, small and large. Consumers shopping at Walmart get a bigger bang for the buck by being able to compare prices, quality and service to other stores. Many New Yorkers, poor, working class, single household, middle class, and seniors can’t afford to pay extra. They need the great prices, good quality merchandise, affordable food, drugs, and school supplies that Walmart offers.
Consumers have voted, with their feet, all over America, making Walmart the number one retail merchant success story it is today. It is time to allow Walmart the opportunity to compete in our city’s marketplace as well!
If public officials continue refusing you a choice, the only recourse you have is to vote them out of office, or deny them promotion to higher public office. Ask your local candidates in the upcoming primary or general election were they stand on Walmart. Don’t vote for them, if they will not give you a right as a consumer to decide who to patronize.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Brighton Bliss
To the editor,
There have been dramatic changes in Brighton Beach in the last 10 years.
The neighborhood was primarily of Jewish families when the Trump Village, Warbasse, Luna Park, and Brightwater Towers residences were originally built.
Not anymore. Today, I can see the difference when I walk around the area. The neighborhood has come alive. It is more exciting and invigorating as it has become more cosmopolitan.
Brighton Beach is now made up primarily of Russian immigrants, a large Latino population, and Muslims. One hears many different languages spoken. It resembles a miniature United Nations.
Vans arrive each morning, carrying Russians from Long Island and New Jersey, allowing them to shop at the Russian specialty stores, and dine in the many Russian restaurants. There are also nightclubs where one can come to dine, drink, and dance the night away.
Brighton Beach is considered to be Little Odessa because it’s near the ocean, beach, and boardwalk.
There has also been a building boom. Condos are being built and the architecture of the area has really changed. I must give credit to the Russians for beautifying the neighborhood. One can find flower stands on practically every corner. The variety and the colors make for a magnificent sight.
Changes are always welcome, as long as they are for the betterment of the neighborhood — and Brighton Beach has surely changed for the better.
Etta Dorf
Brighton Beach
Seeing red
To the editor,
The Russian culture is alive and well in South Brooklyn.
In Brighton Beach, most of the store signs are in Cyrillic, and their wares have Russian appeal.
The Shorefront YMHA has all kinds of programs geared to Russians.
The Manhattan Beach Bathhouse should be used to serve all the different types of Americans living in the community.
Name withheld upon request
Settling scores
To the editor,
I am not a religious man. I won’t say that I don’t believe in God, but I will say I will wait till I’m dead to see if there actually is one.
I don’t understand how, not only President Obama, but the rest of the world, does not understand that this violence across the Middle East over a movie made in the U.S. by a lunatic is a complete outrage.
These people believe in this “God” named “Allah” and they think it is fine to fly planes into the two most important builidings in the world. Yet, some convicted idiot comes out with a YouTube movie disgracing their “God” and that gives them the right to kill innocent American diplomats who could be doing much safer jobs over here.
My suggestion to our lame-duck president is to tell all those innocent, oppressed people across the Middle East to get the heck out of town, so that the civilized countries in the world can get together and blow that whole region off the face of the earth.
Scott Byrne
Floral Park, N.Y.
‘Bold’ Shav
To the editor,
Shavana Abruzzo, I just read your “Moonies” column (“Moonies” were outta this world! “A Britisher’s View,” Sept. 13).
Wow, you are a heck of an adventurous, fearless, bold lady. Weren’t you afraid of being hypnotized or drugged, and swept away to some undisclosed spot on the map?
Wish I could hear your stories, ’cause I love a British accent.
Joan Applepie
Mill Basin
‘Pharaoh’ Marty
To the editor,
Just as the Egyptian Pharaohs built pyramids as egotistical monuments to themselves for the future, our “pharaoh” is also intent on building a pyramid to himself.
Borough President Markowitz, who leaves office next year, is spending $2 million in taxpayers dollars to have the decaying and defunct Parachute Jump in Coney Island illuminated with dancing LED lights (“Source: Luna Park operator poised to light up Parachute Jump,” online Sept. 14.
In his State of the Borough address, Markowitz vowed, “We’ll relight the Parachute Jump with enough bling so it can be seen from outer space.” No doubt the name “Marty Markowitz” in dancing lights will be visible from Mars, too.
What a waste of taxpayers’ money. I am sure $2 million could be put to better use. But wait!
There is more! Marty also wants to have a huge observation-type wheel built in Brooklyn (“Blunder wheel! City shouldn’t put observation ride in Staten Island, Coney Islanders say,” online Aug. 31).
With two pyramids, Marty will out do the pharaohs!
Ira Drogin
Sheepshead Bay
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.
