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Brooklyn Daily
To the editor,
I wish to commend columnist Shavana Abruzzo on her stop-and-frisk column (“Stop-and-frisk a necessary evil,” A Britisher’s View, July 5). She is right on target about why the practice is necessary, and backed up her view with facts.
In the following issue, reader Shanequa Johnson of Crown Heights confirmed Abruzzo’s position, when she wrote that crimes are mostly black-on-black, and happen in predominantly minority neighborhoods, but law-abiding people of color are burying their heads in the sand (“Pro-frisk,” Sound off to the editor, July 12).
She ends her letter with, “If you have nothing to hide, don’t worry.” God bless Shanequa Johnson for her courage. I would be honored to stand by her side to tell Councilman Jumaane Williams (D–East New York) and Councilman Brad Lander (D–Park Slope) to get their heads out of the sand.
I was a state committeeman and Democratic district leader for 18 years. I supported progressive social programs then, and still do now, but I am disgusted with the Democrats’ position on crimes of violence. There is too much pampering of these street punks at the expense of law-abiding people.
Are the women and children of color, who are the victims of these criminals, less valuable than those protestors of stop-and-frisk?
I supported President Obama, and still do on social programs, but I am disgusted with his inciting the public. Doesn’t he realize that he gives licence to looters, under the guise of innocent protest, to take the opportunity to steal? Why doesn’t he seek justice for Devon Ward, a law-abiding African American who got lost while driving and stopped to get directions, only to be robbed and murdered by two men of color?
Thirty five states already have a stand-your-ground law. Were those laws passed because crime was not a major issue in those states? Keep up your handcuffing of the best police department in the country, the NYPD, you gutless, New York politicians, until law-abiding New Yorkers demand and get a stand-your-ground law here.Ralph Perfetto
Bay Ridge
Half-right Tom
To the editor,
I agree with columnist Tom Allon that we need a good manager and administrator for our next mayor, but I disagree in regard to Rudy Giuliani (“Our next mayor needs to be a good manager,” Mayoral Spin Cycle, June 28).
Mayor Abe Beame was a very fine and glorified office manager, and he hated to dismiss civil service employees because that is how he rose through the ranks. Beame started out as a high-school accounting teacher, and rose to mayor through clubhouse politics. It was because of him that the city was on the verge of fiscal insolvency because, as assistant director, then director, and then comptroller, he cooked the books with fiscal gimmickry, although he did not profit personally.
This was why Gov. Hugh Carey was responsible for creating the Municipal Assistance Corporation, popularly known as “Big Mac,” so the city could maintain fiscal discipline. On the positive side, Mayor Beame maintained order, when there was a blackout in his final year, with a minimum amount of strife and disruption. It is also very possible that if Beame had remained mayor in 1978 during the snow blizzard, he would have assembled a full crew, enabling people to go to and from work without paralyzing the city.
His predecessor John Lindsay did not make adequate preparations, and famously said, “Blame it on the weatherman.” Mayor Bloomberg was out of town during the blizzard of 2010, and did not even delegate his duties to another authority.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Frankly, Jerome
To the editor,
Jerome Frank is still whining about Al Gore losing to George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election (“Bush-whacked,” Sound Off to the Editor, July 26).
He complains that African Americans were intimidated by Republican mobs during the voting process. I can recall some shenanigans that went on in Florida with the recount, but I don’t remember any racial problems concerning the vote.
If Frank wants to discuss voter intimidation, the conversation should begin with the New Black Panthers in 2008. These thugs are clearly visible on video threatening white voters with batons into voting for Obama. The incident occurred on election day in 2008, in front of a voting poll in Philadelphia.
Shortly thereafter, a white worker from the Department of Justice resigned after being told by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder there would be no arrests. He was essentially informed to turn the other cheek, when the crime is a black on white one. Meanwhile, the video was so damaging that it would have been a slam-dunk case prosecuting these violent criminals.
Race-baiters, such as Barack “the bigot” Obama, Holder, Al “all Greeks are homos” Sharpton, Jesse “Hymie Town” Jackson, and Frank need to stop blaming whitey, and focus on real problems concerning our country, like black-on-black crime. Sadly, this will never happen, since they all have carte blanche to point their fingers at the “creepy-a-- cracker,” a term the prosecution’s star witness said Trayvon Martin called George Zimmerman — and a term that none of these guys would ever deem racist. Rick Lundberg
Sheepshead Bay
Erected officials
To the editor,
When Anthony Wiener pulls out of the mayoral race, and the voters spit out comptroller candidate Eliot Spitzer, maybe New York politics can return to the liars, lawyers, and general pond scum that wish to achieve political office here in the city.Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
• • •
To the editor,
Anthony Weiner, a Brooklynite, who aspires to be mayor, will hopefully not impregnate the voters with his evolving embryo of digressions.
Those include leaving a trail of sexually explicit emails and provocative photos to female admirers under the pseudonym Carlos Danger, risking his political career to prove that he is the macho man, though resigning his congressional seat and leaving some stains.
But now he’s rising to the challenge to replace Mayor Bloomberg, whipping out his political agenda, expressing the policies he embraces, exposing his views, standing erect with his faithful wife Huma Abedin — an aide and confidante to Hillary Clinton — who learned how to stand by her man from a pro.
Back to Anthony, who was never seen eating a wiener, and his verbal ejaculations, in the form of apologies. His human lava could dry up, and his prized family jewel might loose its luster, due to over-exposure. Hopefully he has come to the realization that he needs to keep his schmuck in his pants.A. Braverman
Brooklyn
• • •
To the editor,
Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner’s recent call for a city bill of rights to support independence from Albany could also include control of municipal public transportation.
The original Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit and Interborough Rapid Transit subway systems were granted franchise agreements by the city. They constructed and managed these lines by the private sector with no government operating subsidies. The city had direct control over the fare structure. For a period of time, owners actually made a profit with a five-cent fare. After two decades passed, the costs of salaries, maintenance, power, supplies, and equipment pressured owners into asking the city for permission to raise the fares.
Politicians more interested in the next reelection refused this request each year for two decades. In order to survive, owners of both systems began looking elsewhere to reduce costs and stay in business. In the 1930s, municipal government forced them into economic ruin, and the owners folded and sold out to the city. In 1953, the old Board of Transportation ceded control to the newly created Transit Authority. Then, Gov. Rockefeller created the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the 1960s. The governor appointed four board members, the mayor four more, and suburban county executives the rest.
Who would Weiner appoint as mayor to the M.T.A. board to ensure it is more efficient?
If municipal elected officials feel they could do a better job running the nation’s largest subway and bus system, and avoid any future fare increases, would Weiner step up to the plate and put both systems, as he says, “back on track?”
Does Weiner use his own MetroCard to ride the subways and buses, like millions of New Yorkers do on a daily basis?
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Limousine liberals
To the editor,
In April, 1981, Jane Byrne, then-mayor of Chicago, went to live in a housing project to see what it was like. She was applauded by the residents for coming. Yet, she lost the next election.
People have short memories regarding what their elected officials have and haven’t done. Several of our own mayoral candidates pandered to the politically correct by visiting the Lincoln Projects recently. The city has been derelict in its duties, but we must also blame the people in the projects for creating such conditions. I am confident that
city officials did not come into the project and proceed to write on the walls of the hallways, or urinate there.
I believe that the candidates should go even further than this visit. Let them start teaching in city schools, and accompany police, fire, and sanitation workers to their jobs, in order to see what really goes on. But they will not because most, if not all, of the candidates are limousine liberals. They’re the first to speed away — or move — when an area begins to go downhill.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Al’s pals
To the editor,
The five mayoral candidates who took Al Sharpton up on his challenge to have a sleepover in pubic housing, in Harlem, are idiots. It was nothing more than a publicity stunt, and if one of them does get elected, that would be the last time they see public housing again, except for Gracie Mansion.
I would like to see Al Sharpton dare them next to jump off a bridge.Augie Pazzo
New Port Richey, Fl.
Brighton Breach
To the editor,
When I listen to News 12 to check out the local weather, what amazes me is all I hear is the weather in Coney Island and Manhattan Beach — not a word about Brighton Beach, like somehow it doesn’t exist. I find that so offensive that I wonder what type of reporters they hire.
When Hurricane Sandy did its major damage in Coney Island, the city decided that new lifeguard stations and bathrooms needed to be rebuilt. So far so good. The same could be said for the new lifeguard stations near Brighton Second street. The bathrooms on the beach still stand. But what about the former bathroom that stood on Bay Second? I was told it would be more cost-effective to rebuild the structure.
What we have now is half of Bay First Street fenced off by construction materials. All I see on Bay Second are pilings and nothing more. Where is the local council person who is supposed to represent us? Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Bloomy bootcamp
To the editor,
Mayor Bloomberg will soon be out of office and can now follow his passion and form the “Bloomberg Bootcamp.” We could use another Jack LaLanne or Richard Simmons.
He would be the perfect replacement for Jack LaLanne, with all his healthy ideas, like bans on smoking, trans fats, sugary drinks, implementing healthy school lunches, bicycle riding, and now stair climbing. He could have a TV show or do infomercials.
I could just see him barking orders, dressed in army fatigues, with a riding crop under his armpit at Bloomberg Bootcamp.
Chita Vilard
Flatbush
• • •
To the editor,
If health-and-fitness guru Mayor Bloomberg had his way, it would be illegal to take elevators for less than five floors. You would have to hoof it, the way he does in his townhouse. I could see it now. Cops issuing summonses to people sneaking on elevators for short trips.
He could also charge a small fee to tenants in city-owned buildings for using the stairs, even though the elevators are broken down. Think of the money they’re saving on the gym membership that they would have to pay to use the StairMaster.Jesse Blaze
Midwood
• • •
To the editor,
Nanny Bloomberg is at it again. Now he’s telling New Yorkers to take the stairs instead of using the elevator — something he does in his townhouse. He says by walking up his five flights of stairs, it helps to keep him in shape.
Well, Mr. Mayor, people have been doing this for years, but not by choice. There are the thousands of people who live in city-owned buildings, whose elevators are constantly broken down and not fixed, sometimes for weeks. Thanks for the workout.
Peter G. Orsi
Marine Park
DNA 101
To the editor,
I attend the My Turn program at Kingsborough Community College for seniors. In a course I am taking for the summer, our professor pointed out that there is no difference in the D.N.A. of African Americans, Asians, or any other non-white people. There is a greater difference of individual D.N.A. between two Caucasians, or two African Americans.
Racism always looks to stigmatize and stereotype various groups. And the one percent that truly runs America’s power and wealth at the disadvantage of the 99 percent use racism to separate any opposition to challenge poverty, and the inequalities in distributing services and goods.
We just have to look to prisons where the administrations use one racial prison group against the other to maintain control. In California, inmates are engaged in a hunger strike to bring attention to long-term solitary confinement, and they have reached a truce amongst the inmates to not fight each other in prison and to stop street violence among gangs, in order to work together for a real America.
Let us have a criminal justice system that reduces recidivism with rehabilitation instead of brutal punishment, and ends the torture of solitary confinement. Allan Feinblum
Midwood
Joan’s tips
To the editor,
Are you running to the garage every time you need a tool? Try storing your most-used gardening tools in a mailbox out in the yard. You can attach a mailbox to your deck, or to the side of your home, or to a post in the garden, for your gardening gloves, trowel, snippers, etc.
It’ll come in mighty handy in the summertime, to have those gardening tools on hand.Joan Applepie
Mill Basin
Bloomberg’s cop-out
To the editor,
Mayor Bloomberg expounds that the murder rate has gone down in the years since he took office. But as I watch my local news station, how come all I hear is news of more shootings, and small children getting injured by gun fire?
Let’s not forget when the mayor decided to cut the pay for new police recruits, many would-be applicants turned to other city positions.
Then we lost about 5,000 police officer, with many seeking police work in Long Island, where the starting pay is higher.
Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Unethical pols
To the editor,
Is it ethical for elected officials to hold one office while campaigning for another?
Consider Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, Comptroller John Liu and Council Speaker Christine Quinn running for mayor, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer running for comptroller, and Councilwoman Letitia James (D–Fort Greene) and state Sen. Daniel Squadron (D–Brooklyn Heights) campaigning for public advocate.
Contrast all of them with former Bill Thompson, Erick Salgado, and Anthony Weiner running for mayor, Eliot Spitzer running for comptroller, and Noah Gotbaum, Cathy Guerriero, and Reshma Saujani running for public advocate. These candidates are running without the benefits of currently holding other public office.
The lines are clearly blurred between the day jobs and the new jobs DeBlasio, Liu, Quinn, Stringer, James, and Squadron seek. All six have been engaged for years, in a non-stop series of press conferences, news releases, issuance of various reports, letters to the editor, guest columns in newspapers, and publicity stunts at taxpayers’ expense.
Hard-working civil servants work full time. They can’t campaign part time during the day. They would have to either take a leave of absence or quit their day jobs.
DeBlasio, Liu, Quinn, Stringer, James, and Squadron should avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest by resigning their current offices.Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.