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Besides, some members of the community have pointed out they see no need for another school, and the veterans’ concerns must come first. The veterans are entitled to the 90 acres they are on so they can enjoy their own campus in a secure setting and live out their senior years without being forced into the kind of situation that already exists in College Point, where there is no room for visitors to even park near local nursing homes.
Jason Kaatz,
Bellerose
Con Edison
Dear Editor:
Why are we not considering the impact of deregulation in the electrical power supply sector of the market? Con Ed’s response and subsequent performance during the power outages in Queens, Staten Island and Westchester last year are due to the failures of deregulation.
Many people have forgotten that deregulation came as a result of the victory of greed over performance and service. The pension plan terminations and wage slashing in the airline industry are also the results of deregulation in the airline sector.Proven results support the idea that we must immediately re-regulate the electrical power utilities to ensure the best results for the working people who seem to always pay the price for these snafus.
I hope that the politicians will investigate the impact of deregulation on Con Ed’s inability to provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity to the citizens of New York.
F. Christophe Silvera,
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 808, Long Island City
Jamaica Rezoning Plan
Dear Editor:
I am greatly concerned that the majority of residents are still unaware of the city’s plan to rezone much of Jamaica. This plan addresses the M1 zone (light industrial) only in the downtown area. The remainder of the M1 zone that runs along the north side of Liberty Avenue to 180th Street is not under consideration. This is the same zone that contains auto salvage yards, ready-mix companies and waste transfer stations.
Additionally, this proposal suggests up-zoning along the north and south side of Hillside Avenue by allowing 12-story buildings, six-story building along the south side of Liberty Avenue starting at 172nd Street headed west to Merrick Boulevard, and on Merrick Boulevard to 110th Avenue. This increase in density to the existing community’s borders, nullifies any down zoning of said community’s interior. It looks as though the plan will fence in the individual homeowners within the interior of the same community.
Crystal Ervin,
Jamaica
Opposes Landmarking
Dear Editor:
Let’s be honest about the facts and the goals of landmarking, and above all respect the honest and well thought out opinions of our neighbors. The only reason to landmark is to historically preserve and restore Sunnyside Gardens, turning it into a museum of historical architecture for all to study and enjoy. I am therefore opposed to landmarking for the following reasons:
Because the Landmarks Preservation Commission has not and will not provide us with any rules or suggested permissible alternate materials and will wait until a number of people submit applications before drafting rules; because the need to landmark our homes is not strong when balanced against the needs and rights of individual middle-class homeowners and the strong historical tradition of favoring homeownership for the working class in our country and city; because zoning would be sufficient to preserve the important elements of our community — the open space and the building size; because amendments to the zoning text in order to make it more workable have not been tried, but have been proposed, and many similar communities have speical zoning rules and make them work; because we have a better say in the zoning rules — community board and local input are required under zoning. With landmarking, our say is secondary — the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s primary goal is historic preservation — their job is to restore or maintatin the look of the buildings.
Ira Greenberg,
Sunnyside
Pooor Freddie
Dear Editor:
Re: “Freddie’s Life,” about renaming a street in Springfield Gardens for Freddie Dill,I met Dill many years ago when my brother, Michael Jones, introduced me to him. Although I did not know him personally, I always admired the fact that he was a businessman who cared deeply for his family and the community. I often heard about the work he did through my sister-in-law, Karen. Truly he made an accomplishment to the African American race.
Doris Jones Boyd,
North Carolina
Backs Bike Path
Dear Editor:
Re: “Bicycle Path For Unused Rockaway Rail Line,” in the Jan. 29 Queens Chronicle,Jordan Sandke and the Rockaway Branch Greenways Committee are right on track in their proposal to put a bicycle path along part of this abandoned railroad line. I grew up in Forest Hills and remember playing on that unused track as a child. Within the last year or so, my husband, Tom, and I rode bikes with a group led by Sandke. Some of the path still is passable. New York City is in the midst of a substantial and concerted effort to open more passages for quiet, non-polluting cyclists, and this Rockaway Line path should be part of that.
Elizabeth Mooney,
Forest Hills
Put Americans First
Dear Editor:
While Congress contemplates raising the minimum wage for American workers, it ignores the millions of illegal aliens who are crossing our unguarded borders and who are undercutting our citizens and taking their jobs. Thanks to our government, our working capital — which could create jobs for Americans — is exported as foreign aid, along with much of our industry and many of our white collar jobs. Our currency is inflated and even our working poor are taxed to grant education, medical care and welfare benefits to illegal aliens.
If our government is really so concerned about producing a living wage for our citizens, then why does it pursue these policies that undercut that objective?
Lawrence Burke,
Roslyn
Access-A-Ride
Dear Editor:
Regarding “Fears Over Changes To Access-A-Ride,” by Joseph Wendelken in the March 8 Queens Chronicle,Access-A-Ride is a lifeline for people with disabilities who are unable to travel independently. The changes that have been made in the application and reassessment process will keep people from utilizing its services. What is of most concern is that there was no public hearing for what is a drastic change in regulations as opposed to other modifications in city policy that would affect people with disabilities.
Even when all city buses, trainsand taxis are fully accessible, which is years off, there still will be people, due to the nature of their disabilities, who are unable to utilize mainstream transportation. Many of these people are homebound and elderly, and without people to transport them to complete the initial application, they may never receive a vital service for which they would otherwise be eligible.
Carl Herr,
Alexandre Foundation,
Kew Gardens
Flushing Meadows Park
Dear Editor:
This year, I have taken on an important issue involving abuse of power, arrogance, poor administrative skills, disdain toward the taxpayers and Flushing Meadows Park. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has shown a lack of oversight and/or care for Flushing Meadows Park. He knows he has big problems with Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, who is supposed to oversee Flushing Meadows and instead allows the destruction of that park to continue.
The crimes within the park were brought to my attention in 1999. At that time, park activist Paul Priore handed me videos showing shoddy conditions and crimes taking place openly in that park, day and night. He went to all of Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s town hall meetings, the park’s inspector general, the media, police precincts, the former Commissioner Henry Stern, Benepe and Flushing Meadows’ administrator, Estelle Cooper. He begged them to look into the crimes with the day vendors and night muggings. Instead of listening to him, they stooped to slandering him.Today, others have taken on the plight of the park’s fiasco. They are now the target of the evil Parks Department spin.
Bottom line, Flushing Meadows is used as a parking lot during tennis and ballpark events. The cost varies between the five lots from $18 to $25 per car in order to place the cars on acres of grassland. The mantra I hear from those I have contacted is, “It’s only since they are building the new Shea Stadium.” Balderdash. It has been a practice for years. Which community board gave them the heads up to do this? What politician has protested against this? Or, are they being politically quiet and going along with the flow? I think so. Try parking one car on Central Park’s lawn.
The fish smells from the head down and there is something fishy about Benepe. He knows what’s going on and appears to condone it. Ignoring the taxpayer’s cry for help just as Guiliani ignored Priore’s cries of rampant crime in the park. They only did something when the rapes, murders and beatings were made public.
Joyce Shepard,
Citizen’s Action Committee for Change,
Bayside
St. Pat’s For All
Dear Editor:
The March 4, Sunnyside/Woodside Parade was the first of what will be many parades this season. Still, it was and will be different from the others. The distinction is its absolute diversity. The parade is open and welcoming to all. Further, and very importantly, it encourages gays and lesbians to break the silence, to be proud and to exit the closet.
This parade leads the way. We hope and pray others will follow.
Stanley Rygor,
Long Island City
