Editorial
Believe in science, take the vaccine
Moments after becoming the fi rst
New Yorker to receive the FDAapproved
COVID-19 vaccine in
front of a national audience just before 9:30
a.m. Monday morning, Queens health care
worker Sandra Lindsay said she felt good
— and hopeful for the future.
The vaccine, described by Governor
Andrew Cuomo as “the weapon that will
end the war” against COVID-19, is fi nally
making the rounds through the health care
and nursing home communities. The rest of
us should be able to get it in a few months,
and the end of this nightmare pandemic
will not be far behind.
But doubt over the vaccine, and the science
involved, remains among too many
Americans — and Lindsay used her opportunity
to speak to the city, state and country
to deliver a simple yet powerful message in
her post-vaccination remarks.
“I believe in science. As a nurse, my
practice is guided by science and so I trust
that,” Lindsay said. “What I don’t trust is
that, if I contract COVID, I don’t know
how it would impact me or those who
I come in contact with, so I encourage
everyone to take the vaccine.”
For months during this pandemic,
Lindsay — as an intensive care nurse at
Northwell Health — experienced the horrors
of COVID-19 fi rsthand, with patient
after patient arriving in the ward, desperate
for breath and life.
All the while, she and her colleagues
provide the best care they could, with the
best knowledge available — while putting
themselves at the risk of COVID-19 infection
themselves. They’ve seen recoveries;
they’ve seen tragic losses.
Yet they persist and keep fi ghting the
fi ght few of us would dare to encounter
— their actions not unlike a cop running
toward an armed gunman, or a fi refi ghter
racing toward a burning building.
We owe it to the health care professionals
on the front lines, as much as we owe it
to ourselves and the people we care about,
to do as Lindsay said: to “believe in science”
and get the COVID-19 vaccine when
it’s fi nally available.
We cannot listen to the untruths of antivaxxers.
We cannot fear the unknown regarding
possible side effects of the vaccine,
none of which have been proven serious or
long-lasting to this point.
Let’s put an end to the massive death and
pain of COVID-19. Let’s protect ourselves,
our loved ones, our health care heroes.
Let’s believe in science.
Op-ed
MTA boss looks to help
from Washington with
new president coming in
BY PATRICK J. FOYE
With the end of 2020 fi nally in
sight, we’re all looking back on
a year unlike any other – one
fi lled with unprecedented challenges and
heartbreaking loss. A new year is a time for
renewal, and there’s fi nally some reason for
hope in 2021.January will bring the inauguration
of President-elect Joe Biden, hopefully
positioning our agency one step closer to
receiving $12 billion in desperately needed
federal aid. Congress must move forward
with additional relief for public transit, and
we continue to advocate with our industry
peers for at least $32 billion for mass transit.
Together, we urge swift passage of a bill
that would deliver desperately needed aid
to systems across the country.Mass transit
carried New York through this horrifi c and
unprecedented public health crisis, and we
will carry it out of this, too. But the personal
and fi scal impact has taken a heavy toll on
our agency, as we mourn the 130 of our
heroic colleagues whom we’ve lost, and
thank all of our hardworking employees who
continue to show up each day to help make
sure doctors, nurses, pharmacists, grocers,
food delivery workers, and other New Yorkers
get to their jobs during the pandemic.For
months, we have said that the fi scal impact
of the COVID-19 crisis has been worse on
New York’s transit system than even that
of the Great Depression and that we need
signifi cant support from the federal government.
That need hasn’t lessened over time.
To be clear, we need $12 billion in federal
relief or we’ll be forced to undertake draconian
cuts in service, lay off thousands of our
colleagues, pursue additional fare and toll
increases beyond what was already planned,
and continue the freeze on our historic $51.5
FILE PHOTO/TODD MAISEL
billion capital plan. This is not a bluff. We’re
already doing everything we can to keep the
metropolitan region moving.But even in the
face of once-in-a-hundred-year challenges
this year, there have still been bright spots.
In addition to providing critical service,
our dedicated workforce advanced major
projects this year that will strengthen our
system and improve our customer service
experience for decades to come, like the
rollout of the OMNY contactless fare payment
system, installation of new elevators to
improve subway accessibility, completion of
the L Train Tunnel Project, and completing
positive train control on the railroads by the
federal deadline, just to name a few.
And with vaccines on the way, we’re optimistic
about their ability to not only protect
our employees but also encourage New Yorkers
to return to their jobs by mass transit. We
don’t expect to immediately return to our historic,
pre-pandemic levels of ridership. But
whatever happens, we remain committed to
our core mission: making sure ourcustomers
have the safe, reliable service they need to
get to work or school or, when they reopen,
Broadway shows, concerts, sporting events,
and everything else that makes New York
City so vibrant and unique.
So, while we refl ect on this diffi cult and
unusual year, we also remember there’s still
much to be thankful for this holiday season,
like the incredible essential workers – including
the brave women and men of the MTA–
who have kept our city functioning.
We can all take pride in being New York
tough, and in taking care of each other
through this diffi cult time. The upcoming
year won’t be an easy one, but here’s to a
safer and better 2021.
Patrick J. Foye is the chairman of the
Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTORS
ART DIRECTORS
ADVERTISING
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
PUBLISHER’S LIABILITY FOR ERROR
The Publisher shall not be liable for slight changes
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value
of an advertisement. The publisher’s liability for
others errors or omissions in connection with an
advertisement is strictly limited to publication of the
advertisement in any subsequent issue.
Published by Schneps Media
One Metrotech North, 3rd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 260-2500
Fax: (212) 229-2790
On-line: www.thevillager.com
E-mail: news@thevillager.com
© 2019 Schneps Media
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
ROBERT POZARYCKI
GABE HERMAN
ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL
MARK HALLUM
MICHELE HERMAN
BOB KRASNER
TEQUILA MINSKY
MARY REINHOLZ
PAUL SCHINDLER
MARCOS RAMOS
CLIFFORD LUSTER
(718) 260-2504
CLUSTER@CNGLOCAL.COM
GAYLE GREENBURG
JIM STEELE
JULIO TUMBACO
ELIZABETH POLLY
Member of the
Minority Women Business Enterprise
8 December 17, 2020 Schneps Media
/www.thevillager.com
link
link
/www.thevillager.com
link
link
