Mad As Hell?
To The Editor:
Gov. David Paterson has allegedly acted in an inappropriate manner in a domestic abuse case concerning one of his aides. In light of this I feel the governor needs to step down.
The scandals in our state never seem to end. Our state government is in an awful mess. We, the people of this once-proud state, are made to suffer and we deserve better from our elected officials. Enough is enough!
Like the movie "Network," where the anchor Howard Beale said in his tirade that still echoes our true feelings today, " I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
Well, are we?
Fred Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks
Not Enough Yet
To The Editor:
Admittedly, it is futile attempting to introduce reality into the mindset of the likes of some letter writers and those of their ilk, but one more attempt, more for my satisfaction than their enlightenment.
Working our way back in history, the latest decision by the 5-4 Supreme Court (consisting of five Republican selected Judges and the four consisting of three Democratic selected Judges and One Republican with a conscience) isn't a matter of "Freedom of Speech." Corporations as well as Unions have always had that; it is their "Money Talks" type of speech that is unconscionable. It is the bottomless pit of dollars available to buy all the advertising necessary to elect the candidate that best serves their profits. All this disingenuous talk about depriving them of their "Freedom of Speech" is nonsense and merely meant to mislead.
The prior 2000 5-4 George Bush selection of our President by the Supreme Court was also an injustice performed by the robed Judgstiteers. (Five Republican selected Judges versus four consisting of two Democrat selected, plus two Republicans separating themselves from the stench of their fellow five) debacle in brother Gov. Jeb Bush's decisive State of Florida.
Then there was the Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris who was in charge of election procedures. What a joke. She just happened to also be the G.W. Bush Florida State campaign co-chairman. Her devious actions to ensure G.W.'s election are famous and too lengthy for the truth-deaf to hear, but clicking onto "Katherine Harris" will expose her machinations. Her "Scrub List" with co-conspirator Sandra Mortham is interesting in terms of how to remove opposing voters. It worked.
There was also the full cousin of G.W. and Jeb, John Prescott Ellis of Fox News declaring a done Bush victory while voting was still in progress. And of course there was the famous, "preppy/Brooks Brothers riot."
To assure the halting of the manual Miami-Dade re-count, this squad of screaming programmed protesters were flown in to from other states and sent to Miami's Recount Center at Republican Party expense, to halt the procedure. It also worked. The names and photos of these paid protesters together with photos are readily available to those interested in fact.
As the Tribune's heading stated, relevant to Mr. Christman's letter, "Enough Already."
Alan Johnson,
Bayside
Missing McDonald
To The Editor:
Your paper did an excellent job featuring hospitals, past and present, and their benefits and problems. One very obvious omission was the Ronald McDonald House near Schneider's Children's Hospital. Children with their families come from all over the U.S. and the world to receive treatment and the Ronald McDonald House fills a very important need. They provide housing for these families as well as a place to relax in for a few moments.
Barbara Stuchinski,
Forest Hills
No Time To Run
To The Editor:
Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, of the Brooklyn-Queens 12th district, in her year-end review proudly declared she "voted against continued funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," and that she "supported efforts to prohibit the deployment of more troops to Afghanistan."
Presently 43 nations support the NATO-led United Nations International Security Assistance Force conducting military operations in Afghanistan to facilitate governance, socio-economic development and human rights, especially for women.
When the Taliban ruled in Afghanistan, women were forced to wear the body-covering burqa in public. The Taliban religious police openly beat women they deemed as misbehaving in dress or conduct.
Women were not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless accompanied by a male relative which led to illnesses remaining untreated.
In June 1998, the Taliban banned women from attending general hospitals. This relegated them to attend the one hospital in Kabul with a women-only ward to seek treatment.
The Taliban allowed, and in some cases, encouraged marriage for girls under the age of 16. Amnesty International reported that 80 percent of Afghan marriages were considered to be by force.
Girls were only schooled in the Qur'an until eight years of age. Thereafter, girls and women seeking further education were forced to attend underground schools where they and their teachers risked severe punishment if caught.
Even today, Taliban activists target girls' schools bombing or burning them down. Girl students are threatened attacked, even with disfiguring acid thrown into their faces on the way to school.
Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeline Albright have come out forcefully, dramatically, against the woman-hating Taliban.
Stated Albright: "We are speaking up on behalf of the women and girls of Afghanistan, who have been victimized...it is criminal and we each have a responsibility to stop it".
And one cannot say, "I deplore the atrocities but let the Taliban win."
The bible in Leviticus commands: "Thou shall not stand idly by while thy neighbor's life is at risk."
Now is the time to stand up against evil, Congresswoman Velasquez, not cut and run away. This is women's rights and lives at stake in real time.
Richard Bocklet,
Ridgewood
Park Cuts
To The Editor:
As an advocate for fiscal responsibility, especially as our recession has deepened, I certainly appreciate that the State is facing an unprecedented budget crisis and must prioritize spending. However, I was profoundly disappointed to hear that the Governor proposed to close dozens of state parks, a move that would affect hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers while producing minimal savings.
The $6.3 million saved through proposed park closures would amount to a fraction of one percent of the state's $8.2 billion budget gap.
Worse, on the same day these cuts were proposed, the state announced $7.7 million in taxpayer-funded grants to help private developers. Clearly these funds could save every park, beach and historic site on the chopping block in New York State.
As someone who does pro bono legal work for the Friends of Oakland Lake, an area parks group, has been supported for public office by the Sierra Club and has served as a Board Member of the Bayside Historical Society, I strongly believe that we must do all we can to preserve our green spaces and historic places.
In fact, cuts here may backfire because our parks and historic spaces are significant draws for tourists who bring in valuable commerce and revenue for both the private sector and state coffers. Why would we want to deter this economic activity?
State Parks has had its budget slashed 40 percent over the last two years - these further cuts and closures are nothing short of draconian. Instead, there should be more public-private partnerships, New York City-style franchises and concessions and cultivating of parks foundations to help cover this gap.
I would encourage the State Legislature to spur innovations and incentives before allowing these closures to proceed. Our parks, green spaces and historic places are too important to our environment, our culture, our quality of life and our economy.
The writer is a candidate for the 26th Assembly District.
Vince Tabone,
Bayside
Angelo Graci
To The Editor:
The Angelo Graci Republican Club held their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23. In spite of the terrible weather we had a large turnout for our meeting.
Joseph Hayon was our Guest Speaker for the evening. Mr. Hayon announced his Candidacy to run for Congress in the 9th District. His presentation on School Vouchers, Healthcare reform and other subjects were well thought out and informative.
The next meeting of the Angelo Graci Republican Club is Tuesday, March 23. We meet in the Parish Center of Christ Lutheran Church in Ozone Park. Our meeting begins at 8 p.m. All are welcome to join us for interesting conversation as well as coffee and cake.
Bernard D. Solow,
Ozone Park
Go, Goldwater
To The Editor:
The modern day conservative movement's founding father, the late Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, would have agreed with recent proposals to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in our armed forces.
Concerning gays in the military, he said, "You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to be able to shoot straight."
About the so-called Moral Majority: "I think every good Christian ought to kick Jerry Falwell right in the ass."
Goldwater believed that what consenting adults consume, inhale, perform, read or view in the privacy of their own home or private social club isn't the concern of government. Individual economic and civil liberties prosper best when government stays out of both the bedroom and marketplace.
Larry Penner,
Great Neck