for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com april 11, 2013 • The queens CourieR 29 oped street talk What do you think should happen to the officials arrested in the scandal? They should definitely be investigated, because as a New Yorker who was born, bred, and raised here, it’s an embarrassment. They should not be excused. Irene Sole BY ROSA MICHAELS They are not worthy of their positions because they are just trying to sell and buy someone into the position of mayor. They should be fired. Luciano Lamour They are just corrupting the system, they should lose their positions and whatever the law says should happen, that’s what should happen. Shivanane S. They should be removed from their political positions. There is probably so much more behind the scenes that we’re not aware of. But if the public becomes aware of it. Mark Rosendorf After understanding the scandal, it’s unfortunate that what we imagine politicians do is actually found to be true in this situation. This leads the public to have less faith in politicians. Marcy Blank I think, if they’re found guilty, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They are supposed to be representing the people. Evelin Bailey They should be tried. If they are guilty their sentence should be modified based on the charges. Harold Yerushalmi Because of their alleged illegal activity they should continue to go through the legal process to investigate if they are guilty. If they are, they should follow legal proceedings and lose their positions. Lisa G. Let’s Not Make A Deal BY GEO FFRE Y CRO FT In a recent op-ed (“A new alliance for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park,” March 10) Councilmember Julissa Ferreras argues for the need to create a new nonprofit alliance dedicated for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (FMCP). The alliance would collect money from the USTA and other businesses using the park and spend it exclusively on the park. Agreeing to a deal that puts money into a park fund in exchange for a yes vote, along with a few other “concessions” is a misguided policy that would allow the USTA to expand and set the stage for more businesses to try and take more public parkland. That is exactly what is not needed for the park. It is the city’s legal responsibility to properly fund our public parks, not that of private businesses. Make no mistake this is NOT like the Central Park Conservancy or the Prospect Park Alliance model as she has attempted to claim. There is a huge difference between receiving philanthropic contributions from civic-minded people seeking nothing in return and establishing a fund explicitly created for extracting money from businesses exploiting the park. She said she is doing this to “to help protect this irreplaceable park.” The park does not need this type of “protection.” A detailed plan on how this alliance model could work has already been drawn up. It was devised with the help of a Parks Department partner group New Yorkers for Parks, in concert with the councilmember, working behind closed doors. Despite repeated requests Ferreras has refused to voluntarily provide a copy of this plan. For the first time in 15 years I’ve had to resort to FOILing a councilmember. This is not a good sign. These deals only weaken communities and make it easier for the next encroachment. They also allow the very people whose job it is to properly fund and protect our public spaces off the hook. The councilmember was correct, though, when she said the park has not received the attention and resources it deserves. Whose fault is that? Does anyone think our elected officials are doing their jobs when FMCP has only 14 employees for a 1,200-acre park? That’s disgraceful. Each year our elected officials allocate a fraction of the funds desperately needed to properly maintain, operate, secure, and program our 29,000 acres of public parks. This year is no different. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s current $70.1 billion proposed budget allocates just $ 283.2 million or o.4 % in tax levy funds for parks. Over the last 40 years no other city agency has lost a greater percentage of its workforce than the Parks Department. This happens year after because the public does NOT demand accountability. The city continues to try and abdicate its responsibilities by entering in these public/private agreements that officials are not only allowing but actively encouraging. They are increasingly resorting to these pay-to-play funding schemes. This welfare mentality has to stop. These deals hand over enormous power and decision making authority to these groups with little transparency and accountability on what is supposed to be public land. We need our elected officials instead to allocate proper resources for our parks; it’s what the public pays taxes for. Until communities begin to stand together and demand accountability from officials and “so called” park advocacy groups, the public can expect more of the same – our parks being sold out. Geoffrey Croft is the founder and president of NYC Park Advocates, a non-profit watchdog group dedicated to improving public parks. He is also a founding member of Save Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, a coalition of community based civic and environmental groups opposed to the commercial encroachment of FMCP. IDENTIFY THIS PLACE To find out the answer to last week’s “Identify this place” please visit www.QueensCourier.com
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