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A LOOK BACK
The Dietz Coal Company is pictured in this 1940s picture at the corner of Cypress Hills Street and 71st Avenue in Ridgewood. The plant
went out of business years ago and is now the site of the Glendale Mews condominiums. Share your historic photos of Queens with
us by emailing editorial@qns.com, or mail printed pictures to A Look Back, The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361.
All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you.
letters & comments
This generation’s fi ght
for voting rights
BY CONGRESSMAN JOE CROWLEY
Each generation has faced their own fi ght for the
fundamental right to vote. In the early 20th century,
suff ragettes fought to extend the franchise to women.
In the 1960s, legislation fi nally went into eff ect to
make equal access to the polls — regardless of race —
a reality. Years later, young people rallied to extend
the franchise to those between the ages of 18 and 24.
A new generational fi ght was kindled four years
ago when the Supreme Court overturned essential
parts of the ”Voting Rights Act,” infl icting one of the
most devastating blows to our democracy in recent
American history.
Th e Shelby County v. Holder ruling essentially put
the burden on Congress to protect the rights of eligible
Americans to freely vote. But in the four years
since, a Republican-controlled Congress has failed
to act.
Congress must restore these vital voter protections
that secured the integrity of our democracy
for decades. Th e good news is we have the legislation
to do it.
Democrats have consistently asked the House and
the Senate to take up the ”Voting Rights Advancement
Act,” which would redeem America’s promise of a
fair vote for every age-eligible citizen by modernizing
key portions of the ”Voting Rights Act.” I’m a proud
sponsor of this legislation and have been among
the most vocal proponents of updating the historic
”Voting Rights Act” since the Shelby decision.
Th ere is nothing that wouldn’t be improved —
from healthcare, to our criminal justice system, to
campaign fi nance laws, to more aff ordable education
and housing — if every American eligible to vote
didn’t face unnecessary obstacles to doing so.
While the obstacles to voting are no longer as overt
as the poll taxes and literacy tests of decades ago, the
fi ght is as equally important today as it was then.
And just like then, this is a major issue impacting
our democracy. Aft er the Supreme Court ruling, an
eruption of unjust voter ID laws rose, erecting unfair
barriers to voting. Not a single state required voters
to show photo identifi cation to vote before 2006.
Now, 10 states do.
Th ese laws are designed to keep younger voters,
poorer Americans, and minorities from voting.
One of the biggest threats to voting rights comes
from the White House. In addition to renouncing
longstanding support to legal challenges to discriminatory
voter laws, the Trump administration has
created the Presidential Advisory Commission on
Election Integrity – a commission designed to investigate
“improper voting registration” and “fraudulent
voting.” Craft ed by President Trump, the commission’s
true aim is to verify an unsubstantiated claim
that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally in the latest
election. Th is is all to provide cover for a new spate of
voter restrictions that will make it harder for millions
of more Americans to cast their ballots.
To fi x the Supreme Court’s misguided ruling,
Congress must quickly enact the ”Voting Rights
Advancement Act.” But I fear my Republican colleagues
will feel no need to address this issue until
there is signifi cant external pressure on them to do
so.
Th is is why a new generational fi ght; a new cadre of
leaders must take up this mantle. It is now time for
a new generation to take the baton and stand up for
our democracy.
Congressman Joe Crowley, who represents parts
of Queens and the Bronx, is the chairman of the
House Democratic Caucus.
BRING THE SUBWAYS
UP TO SPEED NOW
Th e derailment of 2 cars of an
A train in Harlem last week is just
the latest in a series of problems
that have been plaguing our aging
subway system.Th is time 34 people
were injured, fortunately none too
seriously, but the fact remains that
there were injuries -- and that does
not bode well for the MTA.
It is time to get the subways
back up to speed. Improvements
are needed throughout the entire
80-year-old system, from new signals
to new tracks, signals, escalators,
elevators, and a much
improved PA system, as well as and
station platforms.
Th e riding public deserves to be
able to use a system that is safe,
modern and up to date. Our fi rst
responders handled this latest problem
very well, and deserve to be
commended for their work.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
DID PROTESTERS
KILLED TREES?
Regarding the protests against the
Independent Democratic Conference
outside State Senator Tony Avella’s
offi ce last week: If these protesters are
hanging on the climate change issue,
much of which has been debunked,
then the person who made the statement
about them killing trees to create
placards for a non-issue was correct.
Th ey need to be informed and
act on facts not emotions and hysteria
based on falsehood.
QNS member Steven Katz
‘BEE’ KIND TO THE
POLLINATORS
Recently, we had National
Pollinator Week, a week dedicated
to celebrating bees and other pollinators
that make our foods, farms
and fl owers possible. And we need to
do more to protect these pollinators.
Environment New York and our
national network launched the Bee
Friendly Food Alliance to unite chefs
and restaurant owners in New York
and across the country to save the
bees. Aft er all, who knows better
than chefs and restaurateurs: no bees
means no food.
Bees pollinate many of the foods
we enjoy, everything from strawberries
to almonds to avocados.
Unfortunately, bees are dying off at
alarming rates with signifi cant consequences
for our environment and
our food supply.
From pie shops and breweries to
fi ne dining establishments, chefs and
restaurants were hard at work this
Pollinator Week raising awareness
and educating customers about the
vital role that bees play for our food
supply and the need to save them.
And even though Pollinator Week
might be over, we’ll be continuing to
build the Bee Friendly Food Alliance
this summer and beyond!
Heather Leibowitz, Director
of Environment New York
