FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 2, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 45
oped
A LOOK BACK
Queens marked the fi fth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy this past week, and we found in our archives a rather unforgettable image
taken during the cleanup. These very unusual sand dunes were created out of sifted sand that piled onto Rockaway streets during
and after the superstorm. Photographer Stephane Miller took this picture of the dunes made in Riis Park in January of 2013. Look
closely and you’ll see the Gil Hodges-Marine Parkway Bridge in the background. Send us your historic photos of Queens by email to
editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed pictures to A Look Back, The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside,
NY 11361. All printed pictures will be carefully returned to you.
letters & comments
Gambling with our
rights and protections
BY JOHN DURSO
Every 20 years, New Yorkers are asked to vote on
the merits of holding a state constitutional convention.
On Election Day, this referendum question will
be on the back of your ballot and your vote will decide
whether or not we should revisit our state constitution
for amendments.
While it sounds like it would be a good opportunity
to make change, this idea discounts the fact that
we are also opening both ourselves and future generations
up to having our hard-earned rights rolled back.
The New York state constitution is an incredible document
that provides some of the most explicit protections
for our state’s working families. It specifi cally
guarantees the right to collective bargaining, giving
workers a voice on the job to fi ght for better wages and
benefi ts, raising standards for New York’s union and
non-union workers alike. Our constitution also protects
pensions for dedicated public sector employees who
keep our towns and cities running. It even ensures our
access to workers compensation should we be injured
while at work and the right to public assistance should
we fall on hard times.
Advocates for the constitutional convention have
argued that opening our state constitution would allow
for the inclusion of a progressive agenda, such as ethics
reform and codifying important civil rights. I agree
that there is always progress that can and should be
made. However, we have accomplished many great
things that improve the lives of New Yorkers in the last
20 years including paid family leave, marriage equality
and raising the minimum wage, amongst others. The
issues that are currently being advocated for can similarly
be addressed through the legislative process. By
opening our state constitution, we also open ourselves
up to other agendas and a constitutional convention
does not necessarily guarantee a progressive outcome.
The fact is, the political climate that we live in is
fi ercely partisan and in many cases, it is also anti-worker
and pro-austerity. There is a growing national appetite
amongst conservatives for policies like “Right to
Work” which strip away unions’ ability to eff ectively
advocate for not just the men and women they represent,
but workers as a collective.
A constitutional convention creates a very clear
opportunity for corporations and super wealthy special
interest groups to start chipping at away our rights
and protections in order to further their own interests
and wealth.
Furthermore, proponents of the convention are billing
it as a “People’s Convention.” However, traditionally,
convention delegates have been comprised
of sitting elected offi cials, despite the fact that they
do already have the ability to make changes to the
state constitution as necessary. Delegates would also
receive an $80,000 salary, which in many cases would
double some already taxpayer-funded salaries.
New York has been home to many groundbreaking
movements and victories, and I believe more is
to come. However, a state constitutional convention
would be the ultimate gamble, leaving us vulnerable to
the infl uence of big money and special interest groups
and with too many unknowns in regards to the status of
our rights as working people, taxpayers and residents.
We cannot put our rights on the table on Nov. 7.
I encourage you to join me and so many other New
Yorkers by voting against the constitutional convention
referendum.
John R. Durso is the president of Local 338, RWDSU/
UFCW, which represents more than 13,000 workers in
the food and health care industries, among other businesses.
FOOD FIGHT OVER
MEATLESS MONDAYS?
Th e Department of Education,
bursting at the seams with its compulsively
conceived innovations,
has established a pilot program of
“Meatless Mondays” in school cafeterias.
Th at’s a tall order.
Th e DOE is anxious to ensure that
every penny of its budget is lovingly
spent before the close of the fi scal
year, or else it may lose funding in the
future. In government circles this phenomenon
is known as “use or lose.”
No matter how slick the advertising
of new menu products, or
upscale their ingredients, or seductive
the sound of the title of the new
dishes, the kids won’t be fooled or
swayed. Th ese kids haven’t yet developed
the adult skill of wilful blindness
to folly.
Th ey will do again what they did
not many years ago when the DOE
recruited a high-priced sous chef bearing
novel enlightened recipes and held
a full-court press to introduce him.
Th e kids either spat it out, dropped it
to the fl oor, threw it at mates or adults
assigned to the cafeteria, or just ate any
available default item.
Th e surest way to spark a student
riot it to take away their pizza and
replace it with carrot hot dogs.
Ron Isaac, Fresh Meadows
DEEDS NOT WORDS TO
STOP OPIOID CRISIS
We welcome the president’s
announcement declaring the opioid
crisis a national public health emergency.
Th e growing opioid epidemic
is devastating individuals and families
across our country, and requires
urgent and sweeping attention.
However, the president’s action
needs to go further—and must
include the allocation of new
resources to fi ght the opioid epidemic;
that means more funding
for overdose prevention education,
syringe exchange and distribution
of Narcan (overdose reversal drug).
Existing federal programs, like the
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program,
currently off er services for people facing
substance use and mental health
challenges. Diverting existing budgetary
allotments that are designated
to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS
and other illnesses will harm the public
health, rather than respond with
needed resources to combat the escalating
opioid epidemic.
While our president has branded
the epidemic “a public health
emergency,” in order for our country
to become, as Mr. Trump said,
“the generation that ends this crisis,”
we need the president and secretary
of health to earmark additional
funding.
Sharen I. Duke, Executive
Director and CEO, Th e
Alliance for Positive Change
CONCON IS A
PANDORA’S BOX
FOR NEW YORK
On Nov. 7, voters will have three
ballot proposals to consider as well
as selecting candidates for various
offi ces. Proposal #1 deals with
whether the state should convene
a constitutional convention to propose
and consider various changes
to the New York state constitution.
If Proposal #1 passes, there would
be an election in 2018 for delegates
to the convention, with the convention
convening in 2019 to consider
all of the possible changes. Th ose
proposals would then be brought
forth to the voters for their approval
or disapproval.
Th ere is a fear that there may
be delegates elected who would be
backed by those special interests,
many of whom have huge fi nancial
resources. Th ose delegates would
then have sway over what is ultimately
decided to bring forth to the
voters and those issues may refl ect
the wishes of the special interests
who backed those particular delegates.
It has been suggested that there
could be changes brought forward
that would undermine measures that
are already in place in the state constitution
that protect workers, tenants
and others. Changes to our educational
system may also be under
consideration by proponents of
those who do not support public
education. It even has been suggested
that those state employees who
have retired with pensions could face
changes in benefi ts as a result of a
constitutional convention.
Th is proposal for a constitutional
convention is a Pandora’s box!
When you consider all of the pros
and cons of holding a constitutional
convention, it would seem that a
“No” vote for Proposal #1 wins the
contest.
Henry Euler, Bayside
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