40 The QUEE NS Courier • september 25, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial letters NATIONAL FELONS LEAGUE? The NFL should be called the National Felons League because a rap sheet is a requirement for landing on team rosters. Those responsible for hiring and harboring violent offenders must pay for their atrocious conduct. Firing Roger Goodell isn’t enough. Let’s sack the NFL on the bottom line by ending its tax exemption. This $10 billion money machine, which pays its CEO $35 million annually, is designated by the IRS as a nonprofit, tax exempt trade association. The NFL is the only major professional sports league enjoying this privilege. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced a bill to end this tax dodge, which drew poor early support because NFL lobbyists have the best congress money can buy. But 16 women senators now demand the NFL’s zero tolerance for domestic violence. They must reinforce their demand by backing Sen. Coburn’s bill and urging their colleagues to pass it. This is a chance for red and blue state legislators to show their true colors. Are they true champions of women’s well-being or testosterone-fueled NFL cheerleaders? Contact New York’s U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Joe Crowley. Tell them to stop pro football from ripping off taxpayers and rewarding greedy owners and officials for bad behavior. The NFL deserves a penalty flag for its failures. Dick Reif Flushing HIGHLIGHTING HEALTH ISSUES DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH We have so much to celebrate this Hispanic Heritage Month. In a city of 2.3 million diverse Latinos—29 percent of New York City’s total population— Latinos have a long and rich history of influential contributions to our city. But while our communities are rapidly growing and contributing to the strengths and triumphs of our city, Latinos continue to face shocking health barriers that result in alarming disparities. For example, the HIV/AIDS mortality rate among Latinos is more than twice the rate of white non-Hispanics in New York City. Planned Parenthood of New York City is working to reduce health disparities through our Promotores de Salud education and outreach program and other initiatives, and by making our health care services available to all, no matter their ability to pay or their immigration status. We also sign people up for health insurance in all four of our health centers and will able to do so soon in our Queens center, which is set to open in spring 2015. Until all communities have access to vital HIV information, resources and compassionate health care, we will not be able to eliminate health disparities. Haydee Morales, Vice President of Education and Training Planned Parenthood of New York City ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD LEGEND LOST The death of actress Polly Bergen is another great and sad loss for the entertainment industry and for her millions of fans. During her long career, she portrayed many different characters and was a very fine actress — a true professional and a lady with a lot of class who told it like it was.Our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends and colleagues. Hollywood has lost yet another true icon. John Amato Fresh Meadows CYCLISTS MUST FOLLOW THE RULES TOO I was greatly saddened to read how a cyclist hit a Connecticut mom, Jill Tarlov, 59, in Central Park. That cyclist was listed as brain dead and has now died. Jill worked in the ‘80s for 1010 WINS. Her husband is CBS executive Michael Wittman, and he and their two children are now grieving. I feel these speeding cyclists need to be punished severely. These people have no regard for the safety of others and need to follow the rules of the road, just like us motorists. Now some of these cyclists do follow these rules, but are few who do. These rules are: proper speeds, stop at red lights, stop at stop signs, and above all give the right of way to all pedestrians. Now here is something else to think about and that is there have been more than 1,000 accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists that require hospitalization and occur each year in New York State, and about half are in New York City. And this is according to a 2011 study by Hunter College. I feel that any cyclists who kill or injure a pedestrian should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If this doesn’t happen, more people will be killed or injured. Remember the good of the many outweighs the good of the one. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is GIVE A LITTLE BIT We urge everyone to read the story of two people in Glendale both in desperate need of new kidneys. The quality of their lives has already been damaged severely and their health will surely suffer in the future as their diseases continue to affect their renal systems. This from the National Kidney Foundation: “Of the 118,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, more than 96,000 need a kidney, but fewer than 17,000 people receive one each year. Every day, 13 people die waiting for a kidney.” A brutal statistic. We urge every reader to become an organ donor. It’s a simple process to sign up — one can register as an organ donor when renewing a drivers license or on the DMV or state Health Department websites. An organ donor can save up to eight lives and a tissue donor can improve up to 12, according to the DOH. For more information, call the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry at 1-866-NYDONOR. It won’t hurt a bit. BUS ONLY This week, we report another set of bus-only lanes on Woodhaven Boulevard. These lanes are meant to speed progress along the route with a minimal disruption to other traffic. We recognize the good here and hate to seem churlish, but we’re left wondering about the rest of the plan. No one foresaw Queens as the rapidly expanding juggernaut it’s become and therefore no one really anticipated its 21st-century (and we’re a good few years in already) transportation needs. So where’s the big plan, the big idea, the big fix? We’re open to anything: extending the subways, restoring the Rockaway Line, light rail, busonly lanes, you name it. Moving people around the borough efficiently and affordably is vital to the economic health and development of Queens. Snarled roads and remote, balky transportation systems will kill business and drive away both investors and residents. It’s time for the big vision and an answer to the big questions: what kind of borough do we want and how do we attain it. Piecemeal progress on Woodhaven Boulevard, while nice, is not the big answer. HAPPY NEW YEAR It is Rosh Hashanah, the head of the year, the day that commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve. We wish all our Jewish readers L’shanah tovah! May there be peace and prosperity in the coming year. THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan William J. Gorta Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola, Angy Altamirano Katrina Medoff, Eric Jankiewicz, Salvatore Licata Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Demetra Plagakis Louise Cavaliere Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Events Manager Senior Acount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 website: www.queenscourier.com e-mail:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com Entire Contents Copyright 2014 by The Queens Courier All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AS WELL AS OP-ED PIECES IN NO WAY REFLECT THE PAPER’S POSITION. 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