BY FRANK VERNUCCIO
Homeowners and merchants
in the Throggs Neck
community and similar areas
are under relentless attack by
New York City’s government,
and those who know how to
manipulate it. It’s about to get
even worse, indeed, far worse.
Escalating taxes and fees,
reduced police protection, absurd
traffi c schemes, massive
corruption, intense applications
of fi nes, assaults on the
very character of the neighborhood,
crippling proposals
to place massive tolls on drivers
commuting to their jobs in
Manhattan, and a plan to impose
measures that would kill
a major source of employment
combine to place the future of
middle-income communities
in dire jeopardy.
Throggs Neck is about to
face a dramatic crisis. The
Food Town block, according to
submitted proposals, may be
torn down and replaced with a
twelve-story mixed-use building
that will include a large
amount of restricted housing.
This will change the very character
of the community. The
huge increase in congestion,
and the many problems that
consistently follow restricted
housing will alter much of
what makes this community
one of the best places in the
city to live. This is a pivotal
moment in the existence of the
neighborhood. Should the proposal
become reality, the area
will be forever and intolerably
changed for the worse. It is up
to every resident and every
merchant to individually contact
their elected representatives,
community board personnel
and civic associations
to fi ght this terrible plan.
There are other attacks on
the horizon. A proposal exists
to base property taxes on the
latest sales prices. This will
lead to tremendously large
hikes. Because New York City
has a unique personal income
tax, in addition to huge federal
and state income taxes, it was
always thought that this would
take the place of large property
levies. Many homeowners live
on the edge of affordability because
of the high state taxes
imposed, combined with the
city’s personal income tax. If
property taxes are increased
further, many residents will
no longer be able to afford living
in their own homes.
To be blunt, New York’s
state and city government
doesn’t pass laws or generally
BRONX TIMES R 36 EPORTER, AUG. 6-12, 2021 BTR
govern based on what is
best for the citizenry. It is devoted
to a political philosophy
of “fundamentally transforming”
America, and doesn’t particularly
care about issues of
personal or property rights,
public safety, common sense or
sound fi scal policy.
That can be seen clearly in
transportation strategies. The
multi-faceted campaign to harass
drivers out of their vehicles
while not providing any
adequate mass transit alternatives
is a prime example. Imagine
if every driver instead
showed up at their local bus
or subway stop. The system
would collapse, and with it, the
city economy.
Most recently, the absurd
attacks on the police, and the
restrictions on allowing them
to do their jobs without being
prosecuted or fi red illustrates
the ideological assault on city
residents. Yes, of course, if
an offi cer acts with excessive
force or in a discriminatory
manner, he or she should be
penalized. But that has metamorphized
into insane restrictions
on the police doing their
jobs. The consistent presumption
that every time an offi cer
takes action he or she is subject
to intense inspection or
criticism is, combined with the
outrageously ignorant policies
of no bail reform and toleration
for criminal actions, destroying
the safety of city residents.
It should be noted that in
some cities, the ideologues who
defund the police appropriate
funds to provide protection for
themselves.
Adding to all this is the
recurrent proposal to enact
a stock transfer tax, a levy
placed on every action in
which a share of stock is transferred.
The stock exchanges
have already stated that they
would leave New York if this
occurred. New York would
look like Detroit after the auto
industry left.
The only good news is that
all of these proposals, bringing
restricted housing to the area,
increasing property taxes, establishing
a stock transfer tax
and other insanities, can be
avoided if each of you openly
express your opposition and
follow through at the ballot
box.
CIVIC CENTER
Community Action
Civic Association
BY JOE MONDELO
Hello Sam Young members
and friends of Post 620.
How has your summer been
so far? With all the heat and
rain in July, we are all hoping
for a better August. Our
fi rst outdoor movie night
went well. It was a beautiful
night. Our new member
Joe F. did an outstanding
job tweaking the sound
and video. A small community
crowd took advantage
of event, and stated they
will be back for more with
additional friends (They
must have been the scouting
party). We have received a
sponsor to support our Movies
under the Stars. So be on
the look out for several more
family community outdoor
movie nights at our Post. We
are choosing the selection
and will advertise both the
dates and titles in the next
column.
I was up in Albany last
week for the 103 Department
of New York State Convention.
It was limited to only
100 members out of 87,000.
Truth be told, only around
700 would have attended.
Our new state commander is
Frank La Marsh from Staten
Island. We wish Frank the
best of luck and success in
the coming year. Sixteen
resolutions were brought to
the fl oor and voted on. You
can fi nd it on the department
website. By the way,
the Desmond hotel that held
the convention did a major
remodeling. You wouldn’t
have thought it was the same
place.
We will be working on our
Erickson side of the building.
Gonna make it nice and
pretty to sit outside. Talking
about outside, on Saturday,
the city Sanitation Department
did a major job in
cleaning up the garbage that
the slobs threw away along
the fence across from our
building. A big thank you
NYSanitation Department.
I hope the slobs don’t start
trashing it again.
Time to start sending in
your dues. It can be done online
or in the reminder envelops
national sends out. The
Theodore Korony Post 253
will host it’s annual Support
our Troops BINGO night
on Friday, Sept. 10. Contact
Colleen or Judy. Until next
week, stay safe and healthy.
For God and Country.
CIVIC CENTER
American Legion
Post 620