statements BTR letters & comments
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2020 13
Ft. Schuyler
Hotel column
Dear editor,
It is always nice to re-read
Bill Twomey’s article about
the Fort Schuyler Hotel, especially
on St. Patrick’s Day, one
of Bill’s favorites days for family
and community.
First was breakfast at St.
Benedict’s greeting local politicians,
the master of ceremony
at the parade, then dinner
with family and friends.
I thought your readers
would enjoy seeing one of
my old postcards of the Fort
Schuyler Inn/Hotel from 1909
along with the author Bill
Twomey with the stained
glass sign.
Thomas X. Casey,
Secretary,
East Bronx History Forum
EBHF offi cers (l-r) Tom Casey, Rich Vitacco, Bill Twomey and Tom Vasti
stand in front of the Fort Schuyler Hotel stained glass.
Don’t abuse
the bailout
Dear editor,
There are other fi nancial
solutions to Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
than looking for a $4 billion
bailout from Washington due
Different
approaches
Dear editor,
Ronald Reagan famously
declared that “government is
not the solution to our problem,
government is the problem.”
This mantra has been
parroted by conservatives
since the time of the Gipper.
The tepid response to the current
health crisis by the present
administration seems to
prove that point, although not
in the way Reagan intended.
The coronavirus has not been
eliminated by the misinformation
and happy talk fl owing
from the White House, but
Americans have been placed
in jeopardy by the 45th President’s
woefully ineffective
leadership and his penchant
for ignoring or eliminating
experts that contradict his uninformed
positions.
Contrast the bumbling performance
of Trump with the
level of competence displayed
by our governor, who has
taken the decisive, drastic action
necessary to stem the effects
of this pandemic on the
citizens of New York. Unlike
the president he has told those
critical of his efforts, “I accept
full responsibility. If someone
is unhappy, blame me.” Despite
repeated warnings from
various government agencies
about the impending arrival
of the virus, and his failure
to prepare for this ominous
development, Trump stated
“I don’t take responsibility at
all...” Some mainstream politicians
believed that Trump
would grow into the job of
president but, alas, this does
not seem to be the case.
Pasqual Pelosi
to unanticipated costs incurred
by the coronavirus
pandemic. Washington has
already accumulated $23 trillion
in long term debt. With
a $4 trillion plus annual budget,
this debt was anticipated
to grow by $1 trillion annually
for years to come prior to the
coronavirus.
The federal government
will fund a stimulus package of
$850 million. It will be paid for
with more borrowed funds increasing
our national debt once
again. This legislation will deal
with the growing coronavirus
threat. Every village, town,
county, city and state along
with many private sector businesses
will look toward Washington
for additional fi nancial
assistance. Just who is going
to bail out Uncle Sam to pay for
this?
All levels of government
and the private sector must
also make diffi cult fi nancial
decisions on how to use existing
resources. Americans
prioritize their own family
budgets. They make the diffi
cult choices in how existing
resources will be spent. What
can wait till later will be post-
This week’s As Stated
presents an assemblyman’s
request to forego DMV safety
inspections, a question about
Congresswoman Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez priorities during
these troubling times and
a plea to release the incarcerated
because of the COVID-19
global pandemic.
Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz
raised concern of required
DMV vehicle inspections during
coronavirus..... “In times of
global health crisis, we need
to be able to make adjustments
that protect the public health.
Extending expirations on vehicle
safety and emissions inspections
is a common-sense
solution which will allow people
to focus on staying healthy
and supporting each other
through this time of crisis.
Nobody should have to worry
about getting their annual inspection,
especially as most
people are not going to be using
their cars very much anyway.”
Statement from Michelle
Caruso-Cabrera, candidate
for Congress, on Governor Cuomo’s
coronavirus announcement.....
“This morning Governor
Cuomo advised New
Yorkers the corona virus
house bill passed this week
does not make New York State
eligible for the $6 billion in
aid. I echo the call of New York
Governor Cuomo: we need our
New York Congressional delegation
to address this issue
and do it now.
“Where was Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez when this happened?
She should have been
doing her job for New Yorkers.
Instead, she is soliciting campaign
money by emails and
tweets for Bernie Sanders, her
ASSEMBLYMAN JEFF DINOWITZ
campaign and others. We need
results not politics.”
Luis R. Sepúlveda, state
senator, released the following
statement in regards to the
growing public health threats
in New York prisons and jails
posed by the COVID-19 global
pandemic..... “The COVID-19
public health emergency is
developing quickly, and it is
clear it has entered New York
State’s prisons and jails.
“Along with Assembly Corrections
Chair David Weprin,
we are calling on Governor
Cuomo to immediately convene
an emergency COVID-19
release committee to evaluate
all people in custody in
state correctional facilities for
early release from incarceration.
We must release as many
people as possible to avoid a
public health disaster in our
correctional system, which
would inevitably impact and
undermine any efforts to contain
the epidemic across New
York State.”
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