See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
Brooklyn Daily
To the editor,
You devoted a good part of a recent issue to Borough President Markowitz’s accolades (“Farewell to the King of Brooklyn,” Nov. 15).
I would like to present the other side. Marty has done some good and he is one of the most charismatic and charming people one may ever meet. That being said, he seems to have lost interest in the people and what the people want and need.
Let me point to his desire to have an amphitheater at Asser Levy Seaside Park. That amphitheater was to be a six-month concert venue which would basically replace the only green space in the community with a building. Instead of having a park with a stage in it, it would have been a 10-story building with some grass and a few trees.
Most folks appreciated the six nights of concerts, though I must add that it was horrific for the neighbors who may have had a headache on those nights or whose windows shook from the blasting of the bass. It was also across from two religious institutions which was illegal. Let’s not forget that upon investigation, it was discovered that for 19 years he did not have a sound permit, also illegal. So let’s finally be clear. We were never against the six nights of music.
But the worst part was the way Marty manipulated the facts. He told everyone that the music was not wanted by the community. He even had Neil Sedaka speak against the community for shutting down the concerts. He went to the New York City Council-Committee on Public Safety and dropped names like Liza Minnelli, Neil Sedaka, and others, as if to say we were against these entertainers who most of us loved. It was such manipulative and ugly behavior his part. To describe more aptly what it was like watching Marty do this repeatedly in interviews, I remember some words from “My Fair Lady” that Rex Harrison spoke about a not-so-sincere character: “Oozing charm from every paw, he oiled his way across the floor and in a voice too loud.” So much bravado instead of the truth.
Also, why didn’t Marty thank the 10,000 people who signed petitions saying that the advent of an amphitheater would make their lives miserable with noise and traffic in a residential area. The ethical thing would have been to say, “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t aware, please forgive me, I will find a more appropriate location — and not outside your windows.” The ethical thing to do would have been to discontinue the fight against “the people” he cared so much about and thank them for educating him about the issues, so he wouldn’t do something so disrespectful to so many people.
But we all know Marty wants to have his name up in lights at any cost. Look at the $2,000,000-plus light fixture he put up in Coney Island while the neighborhood was reeling from Superstorm Sandy, saying that the lights will be seen from Mars (what an ego) and it will bring more revelers to the amusement area which will better serve the largely impoverished community — a community still suffering from the loss of a hospital, medical facilities, schools, a library, and more.
We all know that the amusement area monies will not trickle down to the community! And now once again he is pushing his name to be up in lights in a community that doesn’t have the money to go to his concerts and will have to live with the horrendous noise, mind-boggling traffic, and lack of parking for residents, creating a danger zone. Try getting an ambulance through the streets with seemingly endless traffic. We saw that a few years back watching ambulances, fire trucks, and city buses at a complete standstill in traffic during his concerts.
One of my least favorite tactics of his was the complete lack of respect for Brooklyn on signs welcoming folks to Brooklyn — “Welcome to Brooklyn, Fugheddaboudit.” This is analogous to the dumbing down of Brooklyn. How embarrassing to announce to the world that we speak poorly. I have a very thick Brooklyn accent and thought “fugheddaboudit” was cute when I heard it as a youngster, but I am grown up now. To put it on a sign, to announce to the world at large that we are a people who don’t speak well is embarrassing. “Fugheddaboutdit” is our letterhead and invitation to others as they enter Brooklyn? Yuk!
Now that Borough President-elect Eric Adams is coming on board, maybe we can change those disrespectful signs. As far as Marty Markowitz, they tell me he was a good guy at one time. As for now, fugheddaboudit!Chana Bela
Brighton Beach
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To the editor,
I applaud the decision to have Marty Markowitz serve as liaison between the diplomatic community and local residents, businesses, and government (“Should Marty Markowitz become the city’s envoy to the world?” online Nov. 20).
It would be a perfect fit to have Mr. Brooklyn as ambassador for the city. Public Advocate-elect Leticia James and Councilman David Greenfield (D–Midwood) are looking at the big picture by connecting Marty with promoting city tourism.
When we are looking at the big picture and promoting the New York brand globally, let’s not forget the importance of empowering our students with the vast cultural and educational resources that the city has to offer. Our schools need to have a voice that will reach out to the Department of Cultural Affairs, and provide useful artists and cultural organizations to team up with our schools. Let’s talk about the Alliance for the Arts, American Association of Museums, Americans for the Arts, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts for Transit, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, and the Arts and Business Council of New York. These organizations will provide valuable and effective tools to make learning fun for our students. Isn’t fun the magic ingredient that puts a spark into learning? I would take the big-picture concept of student tourism, and focus on the sights and sounds of the wonders of Brooklyn.
Let’s promote New York tourism and Brooklyn student tourism. We have the choice for the city ambassador, but now we have to look for a voice for our schools. It shouldn’t be too hard, if you look closely.Scott Krivitsky
Coney Island
Thanks-4-giving
To the editor,
Thank you to all who participated in the Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association’s Thanksgiving food drive by donating food and money. We collected approximately 20 frozen turkeys, several food gift cards, and 1,000 cans and packages of food for distribution to needy families in Brooklyn. The beneficiary was the long-established food pantry at Our Lady of Refuge Church at Ocean and Foster avenues.
Special thanks to the businesses who hosted our collection boxes: Michael’s Bakery, JoMart Chocolates, Mini-Mart and Pronto Pizza, all on Avenue R at Nostrand Avenue; Tom’s Cleaners and Henry’s Deli on Avenue S at Nostrand Avenue; T & D Bakery on Avenue U near E. 23rd Street: G & S Pork Store and Avenue U Fish Market, both on Avenue U near E. 27th Street; and Roosevelt Savings Bank at Avenue U and Nostrand Avenue.
Key Food on Gerritsen Avenue allowed us to set up a very successful food collection table, and Councilman Lew Fidler (D–Marine Park) and state Sen. Marty Golden (R–Bay Ridge) generously supported the event.Ed Jaworski
The writer is president of the Madison-Marine-Homecrest-Civic Association.
Small-biz nod
To the editor,
Please support small retailers by joining your neighbors on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. Do the same as often as possible during the other 364 days a year. Skip the national chain stores’ annual Black Friday madness, which now starts early Thursday at most large retail stores. Only PC Richards is closed. They allow their employees to stay home with family.
Take a pass on Cyber Monday for those who want to shop on the Internet. Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, get a good night’s sleep, and come out and support small business by shopping local. In these difficult economic times, it is especially important to patronize your neighborhood businesses. There are so many great options. These people are our neighbors. They work long hours, pay taxes, and provide local employment without the support of government subsidies at taxpayers’ expense. If we don’t patronize our local community stores and restaurants to shop and eat, they don’t eat either.
Please join me and your neighbors in continuing to support the Courier newspapers, like this one. Patronize their advertisers; they provide the necessary revenues to help keep them in business. Let them know you saw their advertisement. This helps keep our neighbors employed and the local economy growing.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
B44 fuss
To the editor,
Your story “Faster Lane” (Nov. 22) about the so-called Select Bus Service on the B44 route should have been called “Slower Lane.”
The writer portrays this as the greatest thing since sliced bread. In truth, it is such a failure that it makes ObamaCare seem like a rousing success by comparison. The buses are a public safety menace. Rather than decrease travel time, a significant amount of time has been added to the rides. The “select” makes fewer stops than the “limited” it replaced, requiring elderly passengers to walk up to 10 blocks to catch the bus. The torture really begins at the bus stop. You have to wait on line to buy a ticket, with about 50 other people, at rush hour. When the bus finally arrives, passengers are permitted to get on and off through three doors, leading to a potentially dangerous situation because people are trying to get off, while others are trying to get on. All of this chaos means that drivers end up staying at each stop for up to 15 minutes sometimes. To compensate for being so behind schedule, they speed to the next stop. One day, a driver ran a red light, nearly hitting a boy crossing the street. When a passenger yelled, “Slow down!” the driver responded, “I can’t, I’m behind schedule.”
To add injury to insult, so-called “fare inspectors” randomly board buses, further preventing the bus from proceeding to the next stop. If you are unable to produce a ticket, you will be given a $100 summons. But even if you have a ticket, you could still be subject to the $100 fine, if it is more than an hour since the ticket was punched. For instance, if you bought the ticket at 10 am, and the agent boards at 11:01 am or later, you have to pay for the consequences of the Transit Authority’s ineptitude.
I hope Mayor-elect DeBlasio has the good sense to be able to abate this public nuisance and restore the regular B44 limited service as quickly as possible.
Barry Lapidus
Midwood
Prosecute ‘knockout’
To the editor,
Remember when Christine Quinn was so rightfully upset when gay people were being hit on the streets? Now, our outgoing speaker remains woefully silent when Jewish people have been profiled or targeted for harassment and assault in the “knockout” crime spree, where assailants attack randomly people, aiming to knock out their victims with one punch.
I also haven’t heard anything from Mayor Bloomberg of Mayor-elect DeBlasio regarding this situation. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly hasn’t decided, if knockout is what it really is as yet. Must someone get killed before appropriate action is taken?
Where are the demonstrations to protest this outrageous behavior? Our streets are becoming like public school hallways and classrooms. Those convicted of such crimes must be punished to the fullest extent that the law permits.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
ObamaDare
To the editor,
I’m sure ObamaCare was meant to help all Americans with affordable health care, but so many Americans are opposed to it for various reasons, mostly because it isn’t working the way President Obama promised it would.
I don’t have to go through all the reasons — there are 2,700 pages of them. Obama ought to put his big-boy pants on and admit this health care act is not working as planned, and will only get worse when the website is in full swing.
One of the biggest marketing blunders in history was back in 1985 when Coca-Cola introduced the “New Coke” to us. Thousands of people complained, and let Coke know about it. They heard the people and after only three months they introduced Coke Classic, the original Coke. Today Coca-Cola has the market share of all colas because those in power listened to their consumers.
Sometimes politicians have to swallow their pride and admit the law isn’t working as planned. I’d be willing to bet that Obama’s ratings would go right up and he would gain the trust of America again. If not, he will be leaving the White House with a legacy he won’t like one bit.
Cronin Miller
Midwood
For Xmas sake
To the editor,
Well it’s that time of year when one hears a plethora of Happy Thanksgivings, Happy Hanukkahs, Happy Kwanzaas, Happy New Years and assorted other seasons greetings.
If I am not mistaken, something in between is seriously missing. Oh yes — Christmas! One would never know that it was the Christmas season, as it seems to be forbidden to say “Merry Christmas” in modern, politically correct society.
Television is great for ignoring the word “Christmas” to the point where one advertiser was selling “seasonal wreaths.” Let’s see, it is made up of Christmas tree branches, has a great-looking Christmas garland wrapping with fine Christmas ornaments, all topped off with a big, red Christmas bow. Yet to utter the word “Christmas” might bring the wrath of the American Civil Liberties Union upon its doorstep.
I am not overly religious, although everyone should observe his or her religious holidays to the fullest. Christians should stop being the silent majority, especially around this time of the year, and when one is confronted with a generic “seasons greetings,” stand up and tell the person, “No, it’s Merry Christmas!”
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
No sale
To the editor,
I wish supermarkets would change their advertisements.
Every Thursday the Marketeer is thrown in front of my apartment, filled with sales by local supermarkets and stores. I peer through the fliers pen in hand, ready to circle all the good sales of the following week. However, I get very irritated at some of the advertisements, such as: “Buy one, get one free” (when a price is not stated, I ignore that advertisement); “Must
buy four” (heck, I don’t want to have to buy four of the same product if I’ve never tasted or used it before, nor do I have the room to store multiple numbers of large items — I ignore that advertisement, too); “Save $1 on two and get 50 percent off the second same item (why doesn’t the store simply lower the price, but again there is no price, so I ignore that advertisement, as well); “Half price (what’s the original price? I ignore that advertisement too.)
Name withheld upon request