Message from Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 46 CTOBER 25-31, 2019 BTR
Action
Association
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
In my capacity as the councilmember
for the 13th District, I am responsible
for representing a multitude of different
interests, which can sometimes
come into confl ict and demand a nuanced
response for resolution.
The proposed construction of an
outpatient opioid clinic at 2500 Williamsbridge
Road is an issue requiring
a careful response, and while I
recognize the need for resources to
those suffering from opioid addiction,
the location of the clinic is inappropriate.
2500 Williamsbridge Road is in a
residential neighborhood with several
nearby schools, and as a father and
dedicated community leader, I believe
that such a clinic poses a public safety
risk in that location. I am interested in
working with relevant parties to determine
a better, more appropriate location
for the opioid clinic. While no one
can doubt that the need for treatment
clinics, it is essential that we meet this
demand in such a way that minimizes
potentially negative externalities.
I am strong proponent of community
safety and health. Earlier this
year I co-sponsored legislation requiring
the NYC Department of Education
to stock opioid agonists in schools - enabling
school administers and health
professionals to revive individuals
from otherwise fatal overdose. Combatting
the widespread opioid epidemic
that affl icts our nation and our
communities is extremely important
to me. But I must balance the needs of
our community, chiefl y amongst them
being public safety.
These interests do not need to be
mutually exclusive, we can fi nd a way
to achieve both ends, and that begins
with fi nding a better location for the
proposed opioid clinic. As a councilmember
for your district, I am committed
to fi nding a location that allows
sufferers from addiction a resource for
healing, but one that also doesn’t unduly
intrude on safety concerns. Let’s
do this together.
Not too much new info to
get out so I am just sending
reminder dates for what is in
the near future coming up.
October 26, at 7 p.m. will be
the Post’s Annual Halloween
Party. Admission is $5 a head.
It’s pot luck, so bring a dish.
There will also be a cash bar.
Costumes are a must, no exceptions.
There will be a prize for
best costume.
November is a busy month
for the Legion so I want to get
some dates out early so you
can mark your calendars.Sunday.
November 3 at Brewski’s
the 2nd Annual Christian Engledrum/
Korony Post Troop
Fundraiser, cover charge gets
ya some great music from local
bands. This event raises
money to send care packages
to our troops serving in
harms way, protecting our
freedoms.
On Friday, November 8,
P.S. 108 hosts a Veterans Appreciation
Breakfast where
the children thank and honor
the veterans, it is a very nice
ceremony, nice to see a school
educating the children love of
country and patriotism. On
Saturday, November 9, 7 p.m.,
Marine Corps League, Yankee
Detachment 255 will host the
Marine Corps birthday celebration,
$20 in advance or $25
at the door, buffet dinner,cake
and coffee, beer, wine and soda.
If you wish to pay in advance
there will be a sign up sheet at
the Post.
On Sunday, November 10,
at noon sharp, Throggs Neck
Annual Veterans Day Parade,
come out and thank the veterans
for all they have sacrifi ced
for us. I will continue to post
these dates as we get closer to
each of them.
That’s all for now. We are
stronger as one, let’s work together.
God bless America.
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Reminders are always
good.
Bronx County American
Legion meets 1st Wednesday
at Sam Young Post 620. All Legionnaires
are welcome.
Our Post 253 meeting is
the 3rd Sundays, at 11 a.m. at
American Turners NY, ‘the
Turner Club.’
On Sunday, November 3
we have the Christian Engledrum
Korony Post 253 Support
the Troops fundraiser at
Brewski’s.
The Annual Veterans Day
Parade down East Tremont
Avenue will be Sunday, November
10. Form up at Lafayette
Avenue at around 11:30
a.m. for noon step-off.
Traditionally we have the
Monday, November 11 ceremony
at Winged Victory, the
‘Soldiers & Sailors’ WW1 monument
at Pelham Parkway on
the way out towards City Island.
Arrive around 10:30 a.m.
for the 11th Hour Ceremony.
AMVETS Post 38 is having
Sunday afternoon and Monday
Night Football. Come on
by.
Sick call: Get well Dave!
Don’t send a fruit basket, send
golf balls. I hear he loses a lot
of them...
Until next time: Let’s honor
those serving our country by attending
these and other support
and memorial functions.
BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
The belief by many Democrat
leaders that they are immune
from the law has reached
breathtaking proportions. The
support of the media for that
feeling of entitlement is deeply
disturbing.
The public has become familiar
with unpunished scandals
and blatant misdeeds such
as the Obama Administration’s
use of the IRS to assault
the Tea Party, Hilary Clinton’s
email abuse, and her approval
of the sale of the basic ingredient
of nuclear weapons to Russia
in return for a massive donation
to her organization. It
is becoming increasingly evident
that during the 2016 election
and its aftermath, the
leadership of the Obama-era
FBI, joined by former CIA Director
John Brennan, abused
their positions for partisan political
purposes and initiated a
massive probe based on nothing
more than false charges
procured by the Clinton campaign
of fi rst candidate then
President Trump. The issue
has caused massive disruption
that caused extensive and unnecessary
division within the
nation.
But a dramatic new wrinkle
has been added.
There is signifi cant reason
to believe that, while serving
as Vice President, Joe Biden
substantially abused his position
to enrich his family, in
particular, his son, Hunter
Biden. Hunter fl ew along with
his father on Air Force two to
China on an offi cial mission,
and returned with an over one
billion dollar business deal in
his pocket. Further, according
to former NYC Mayor and presidential
attorney Rudy Giuliani,
Hunter Biden was making
millions on the board of
one of the most corrupt companies
in Ukraine. Biden’s boss,
Guliani disclosed, had stolen $5
billion from Ukraine and was a
fugitive.
ABC News reports that
“Democratic presidential candidate
Joe Biden declined to
answer questions on the campaign
trail…about his son’s
overseas business dealings in
countries where the then-vice
president was conducting diplomatic
work.”
But the scandal gets far
deeper. President Trump
urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky to probe the
matter, an appropriate action
for the nation’s chief executive
to undertake in the wake of a
signifi cant foreign policy issue
affecting the highest levels of
the U.S. government. An individual
described as a “partisan
whistleblower,” complained
about President Trump’s action.
The response from key
Democrats and their media allies
was stunning. House Intelligence
Committee Chairman
Adam Schiff has called for investigating,
not Vice President
Biden for his alleged misdeeds
in China and Ukraine, but
President Trump, for attempting
to get further information
about Biden’s actions. Schiff
states that President Trump
threatened to withhold military
aid to Ukraine unless that
nation cooperated in the investigation.
According to an article in
the Independent Journalism
Review “Former Housing and
Urban Development Secretary
Julián Castro — a 2020 Democratic
presidential hopeful …
blasted Trump as a ‘criminal’
and said the president ‘must
be impeached immediately.’…
The whistleblower complaint
has resulted in three House
committees, who will look into
whether the president tried
to have Ukraine aid in his reelection
campaign and attack
Biden — a frontrunner in the
Democratic presidential primary
race — as well as it being
a national security threat.”
A review of major media
sites reveals that the comments
of Schiff, who has been a key
anti-Trump player in the false
Russian-collusion charges,
have received far more print
and air time than the actual
and deeply substantial corrupt
actions of the former Vice President.
The extreme partisanship
of both the Democrat leadership
and their allies in the
media, the willingness to tear
the nation apart in return for
partisan gain, should disturb
every American regardless of
ideology or party.
We have seen this before,
and the comparison is frightening.
Democrats, in their bid to
protect the practice and spread
of slavery, willingly split America
asunder and initiated the
Civil War.