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Brooklyn Daily
To the editor,
I would like to thank your paper for taking the time to do an article about the speeding on E. 66th Street and Avenue T (“Motorists are treating E. 66th Street as Indy 500, residents say,” online Nov. 15).
Unfortunately, nothing will be done. It seems that Councilman Lew Fidler (D–Marine Park), for some reason that I can’t explain, will do nothing to improve the quality of life on the block.
He says that a speed bump will result in cars flying in the air. I have never heard of such an incident anywhere. E. 63rd street has one — can anyone recall a vehicle flying through the air?
The fact is speeding on this block is at an out-of-control situation. We get the same old morons who use this block as their personal Nascar race track.
If they know that a bump is here, they will either slow down, avoid the block all together, or maybe get a job instead of driving around wasting gas and polluting the air.
I know for a fact that with a speed bump they put up signs that say “speed bump.” It’s not like a landmine that you don’t know it’s there until it’s too late.
I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician for more than 30 years. I will never forget an accident where a women was hit so hard that her leg was touching her head. In an another, a pedestrian was hit so hard that pieces of him were stuck to a storefront window two blocks away. If our elected officials can’t do whatever is possible to protect the citizens of this city, then maybe it’s time to step down.
Speed bumps need to be installed in more locations where there are red-light cameras. Mill Basin and Bergen Beach are turning into speed Meccas. There needs to be more laws in place to prevent these kinds of illegal acts.
Stopping for a red light, and then proceeding through it, is a daily thing around here. Lawmakers should legislate penalties that include forfeit of licenses, impounding of vehicles, and higher fines. Elected officials help the community in many ways, but they need to do more so that we aren’t peeling body parts off storefront windows.
Perry November
Bergen Beach
Jo got it wrong
To the editor,
Joanna DelBuono (“Not for Nuthin’) is confused about freedom of religion and separation between chruch and state (“If you ban the nativity, ban nudity,” Nov. 29).
The Constitution grants us freedom to practice our religions. It also says there should be a separation between church and state.
These are two separate things.
Joanna supports religious symbols in a public park. This is illegal, and the California judges struck it down, concerning a park in Santa Clara, because it is unconstitutional.
Some people think Christianity is the only religion in this country. There are millions of Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Shintos, Native Americans, Hindus, Sikhs, etc. They must be respected.
Not having a creche in a public park in no ways infringes on people — including Christians — from practicing their religion.
Jerome Frank
Coney Island
Sandy’s aftermath
To the editor,
The disaster that was Hurricane Sandy calls for drastic thinking.
With thousands suddenly homeless and winter fast approaching, this calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the city to create a modular home assembly line.
This solves two problems. It quickly provides well-built, safe, warm homes for our storm-ravaged homeless, and it also brings jobs to the city.
Another idea is to use the steel-shipping containers that line the docks by the thousands. They can be quickly turned into temporary living quarters.
The technology is there — we just have to think outside the box.
We cannot settle for how we used to accomplish construction jobs. We must see to it that our storm-ravaged neighbors are housed in safe and warm quarters.
I believe Floyd Bennett air field would be a good location because it’s close to Queens and Brooklyn. You could also use it to set up a temporary house community that could be secured by a fence and a neighborhood security patrol.
There is a Q35 bus stop there, so people could get to work, school, or do their shopping. We could also set up a shuttle bus system to make it more user-friendly.
M. Taeler
Marine Park
...
To the editor
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, many African Americans accused the Bush administration of being racist because of the poor response to help they needed.
I never believed that, and the proof is that the victims of Hurricane Sandy are getting the same poor response from the government today in New York and New Jersey.
It’s just the way things are done in Washington.
Promises, promises. Hurry up and wait.
Shanequa Johnson
Crown Heights
Ungolden Marty
To the editor,
What is the matter with the people in Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and the other areas that state Sen. Marty Golden (R–Bay Ridge) covers?
He is doing nothing to clean up these regions. The only thing he is doing is getting his name in the papers every week.
Graffiti and vandalism are out of control in Bay Ridge. I just noticed the trash cans were knocked over at the corners of 90th and 91st streets.
Where are the cops? Nowhere to be seen.
A few months ago I showed Senator Golden a few spots with graffiti, consisting of pink paint and black markings, and he told me to wash it off.
What kind of answer is that from a state senator? Why is he re-elected time and again?
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R–Bay Ridge) and Rep. Michael Grimm (R–Bay Ridge) are no better.
Richard Martin
Bay Ridge
Pod-cast
To the editor,
In response to Alan Podhaizer, who has accused me of completely re-writing history, I would like to point out that President Reagan did in fact respond to the attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon (“David’s Podest-al,” Letters, Nov. 29)
He responded by ordering the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey to bombard insurgent positions in and around Beirut.
Mr. Podhaizer is correct in stating that Reagan did aid Osama bin Laden during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The results? The Russians withdrew from Afghanistan. That was the object of the aid.
President George W. Bush went into Iraq for the stated purpose of finding and confiscating, or destroying Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. At the time, every western intelligence agency all agreed that there were weapons in Iraq.
It has since come to light that Saddam Hussein was bluffing when he claimed to have weapons and would use them, so as “not to look weak to other Muslim countries in the region” (his words).
Everyone, including Senators Hillary Clinton and John F. Kerry believed him, and Bush acted on what was the best available information at the time.
President Clinton, on the other hand, had three good opportunities to get Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, but did not do anything except fire Tomahawk missiles into a baby food factory.
One can correctly say that had Clinton done his job, 9-11 and both Gulf wars, complete with all their death and carnage, would not have occurred.
President Obama has a mediocre record against terror.
So he ordered the killing of Osama bin Laden and one or two of his top henchmen; any president would rightly have done the same — it’s part of the job.
I don’t think I’m re-writing history at all. If anything, I understated it.
David F. Podesta
Marine Park
Pales-whine
To the editor,
The world and its inhabitants never fail to amaze me. With all their carrying on, the U.N. votes to recognize a Palestinian state.
Notice the jubilation of the Palestinians after the vote was taken. The screaming was beyond belief.
I also know that six million screamed, and the world sat back and did nothing during the Holocaust years.
What’s next on the agenda? Hamas is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, or receives the Jean Hershholt Humanitarian Award at next year’s Oscars?
What have the Palestinians done to deserve this action from the U.N.? The whole thing smacks of anti-Semitism as far as I’m concerned.
It’s time for the U.N. to get out of New York and take up headquarters with their beloved Palestinians. Let them be warned not to use the buses.
It’s a wonderful thing that you commit acts of violence and then you get rewarded for it. It’s almost like some of the students here in the city school system.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.