North Central Bronx Hospital (3424 Kossuth Ave.) is currently offering COVID-19
tests for the community. Patients do not need an appointment to get a test and
results are available within 48 hours. Photo courtesy of Miriam Quin
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR MAY 15-21, 2020 25
BY AL D’ANGELO
What is happening to our
country?
Politics aside, think about
what is going on in America. We
have political parties that can’t
work together for the good of the
country. We have a biased press
that has its own agenda having
nothing to do with the good of the
country. We have institutions
of higher learning that only allow
free speech if it meets their
philosophical narrative.I was always
taught education was the
exchange of ideas and freedom
was allotted to everyone and everyone
has a right to their opinion
whether we agree or not. We
have a government that is split
according to party lines and God
forbid you go against your party
because if you do, the full weight
of the party will descend on you
and any funding you need for
your constituents will be cut off.
How is this good for America?
Now we learned of the corruption
at the highest levels of
the FBI and how they colluded
to overthrow an elected president
of the United States. Every
American in this country, no
matter what your political party
or whether you love or hate the
president, should be outraged.
The fourth estate (the press)
has a vital part to play in our
Democracy. Their job is to tell
us the facts not to skew them
to fi t a political narrative. Let
us make up our own minds.
The editorial page is where you
give us your opinion. When we
start thinking that the end justifi
es the means we have lost
our moral compass. We are a
country of laws, the responsibility
to make these laws rest
solely with the United States
Congress. Once those laws are
made it is the duty of the executive
branch to see those laws are
carried out whether they agree
with them or not. If the law is
perceived to be unjust it falls on
the Supreme Court to rule if it
is constitutional or not. We are
a Democratic Republic ruled
by a constitution. We elect representatives
that refl ect our
views to speak for us; therefore,
voting becomes a duty of every
American citizen.
The entire city is on lockdown
— people have lost their
jobs, many are worrying about
where their next meal is coming
from, houses of worship are
closed, our dead cannot be properly
mourned, yet from this desperation
heroes arise. The city
shows its heart in times of crises.
First responders, hospital
workers, supermarket personnel,
postal workers, neighbors
helping neighbors and the many
acts of kindness that makes us
proud to be Americans.
With all the hardship and
pain facing this city you would
think our mayor would work to
alleviate as much of that pain
as possible. He plays politics
by giving out masks throughout
the districts except for our
district, I guess he doesn’t like
our councilman. He did not
give The Bronx its rightful allocation
of the 49 million stimuli
given to the city. I guess he
doesn’t like our Bronx politicians.
How about the people
of New York Mr. Mayor? Your
ticket agents are still out in
force. parking tickets, sanitation
tickets, parks dept. Tickets
— that’s just what we need when
we have no jobs — kick us when
we’re down. Thanks for caring
about the Bronx Mr. Mayor.
Councilman Gjonaj and the
Morris Park Community Association
teamed up to give out
hundreds of masks and gloves
to the community on Mother’s
Day. Miguel the owner of Big
Deal added fl owers for the ladies
in honor of their day. This
is what community does, neighbors
helping neighbors.
CIVIC CENTER
Morris Park Civic
Association
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
Flying beneath the
radar is Green Light
New York, which took
effect Dec. 14 2019. The
Green Light Law, approved
by the Assembly
87-61 and Senate
33-29, permits undocumented
immigrants
and any other resident
of New York to apply for
specialized driver’s licenses
from their local
Department of Motor
Vehicles offices.
These licenses differ
from what is already
given to current applicants
in New York, and
cannot be used to board
a plane. The purported
intent of this document
is to allow individuals
to legally drive in New
York.
According to the
New York Law Journal,
opponents of this
controversial action
believe those licenses
will allow undocumented
immigrants in
New York to cast ballots
in state and local
elections. There is no
fail-safe in the current
state rules for voter registrations
that prevents
undocumented immigrants
from casting ballots.
Any resident with
a nine-digit driver’s license
number in New
York can theoretically
register to vote without
proof of citizenship in
the honor system like
format.
As reported by Kayla
Epstein of the Washington
Post, the bills’ sponsor,
Senator Luis Sepúlveda
declared, “This
legislation will not only
provide undocumented
immigrants with a legal
solution to obtain a
driver’s license, but its
positive impacts will
include significant economic
growth. Millions
of dollars will be raised
in revenue, auto insurance
premiums will decrease,
and local economies
will see a boom as
earnings and spending
increase.”
Green Light NY will
place additional drivers
on over congested
NYC roadways and is
unlikely to result in insurance
rate reductions
for those with cars
registered in Bronx
County. According to
the Property Casualty
Insurance Association
of America due to territorial
rankings, property
and auto insurance
rates in Bronx County
remain among the nation’s
highest. It is reasonable
to surmise additional
driver licenses
will lead to across the
board increases in drivers,
cars, and potentially
automobile accidents.
Green Light New
York is not a surefire
path toward auto insurance
rate reductions.
The vocal, City Hall
inspired, anti-automobile
movement has encouraged
numerous
actions such as road
diets, parking spaces
eliminations, holiday
street closures, congestion
pricings, and
the use of revenue generating
traffic devices.
These actions, part of
the Vision Zero initiative,
are plausible safeguards
to eliminate
traffic related deaths
and injuries on NYC
roadways by creating
safe zones and decreasing
vehicular traffic.
The Green Light law
by encouraging more
drivers on already
overcrowded roadways
seems contrarian to
these long-term safety
measures tailored to
protect those on New
York City roads and
streets. Despite the
likely increase of automobiles
on many “dieting”
and overcrowded
roadways the typically
tumultuous factions of
the City Hall supported
anti- automobile movement
remain in library
reading room silence.
The surface intent
of the Green Light
Law providing undocumented
immigrants
that meet DMV requirements
with opportunities
to obtain
drivers’ licenses without
eligibility to vote
in elections is an incontrovertible
truth.
However, actions have
consequences or in this
case unintended benefits.
The Green Light
law, absent of measures
to prevent voter
fraud appears tailored
to stimulate political
agendas, and voting
blocs, certainly not local
economies. Is this
is another example of
hypocrisy by bureaucracy
in the Big Apple? CIVIC CENTER
Spencer Estate
Civic Association
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