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Party switch deadline
looms large for
Bloomberg voters
BY STATE SENATOR
DIANE SAVINO
Last week, when my endorsement
of Mike Bloomberg for
president became public, my
inbox was fl ooded with messages
from both Democrats
and Republicans asking how
they could support the former
mayor’s campaign. My answer: check your voter registration
to make sure you can vote in New York State’s
Democratic primary on April 28.
With the deadline to change one’s party affi liation
approaching this Friday, Feb. 14, now is the time to
ensure voters can cast their ballots in April so Mike
can win big in November.
It’s no surprise New Yorkers of all backgrounds are
excited to vote for Mike Bloomberg. Since the start of
his mayoral tenure in January 2002, Mike has proven
time and again to have our backs.
When Mike took offi ce, New York was still on its
knees aft er the 9/11 attacks. Fires had just stopped
burning at Ground Zero and Lower Manhattan’s future
looked bleak. Undeterred, Mike took charge and made
sure Downtown could once again become a critical
business district and thriving residential neighborhood.
Th anks to Mike’s vision and follow-through, Lower
Manhattan recovered and is now both safer and stronger
than ever.
But that’s not all Mike did for New Yorkers during
his 12 years at City Hall. He created 400,000 jobs and
diversifi ed the economy, making it more resilient to
recessions. He raised teacher salaries by over 40 percent,
which in turn increased high school graduation
rates signifi cantly. And he created new parks and
public health initiatives, including a smoking ban in
indoor workplaces, to help us all breathe easier. By the
time Mike left offi ce at the end of 2013, New Yorkers
were living an average of three years longer.
Now that he is running for president, Mike has
released a number of policy proposals that will continue
to improve life for all Americans. In his national
infrastructure plan, Mike has committed to repairing
240,000 miles of roads and 16,000 bridges by 2025. As
our 21st century city continues to struggle with 20th
century infrastructure, Mike will fi ght for the resources
we need to keep our competitive edge.
As president, Mike will make education and upskilling
a national priority. He has vowed to strengthen the
country’s network of community colleges and create a
path for one million Americans a year to start apprenticeship
programs. And, addressing one of the most
important issues in my district, Mike has put forth
solutions to tackling the opioid epidemic that has
destroyed too many families. He’ll enforce federal laws
mandating insurance coverage for substance use disorders
and make it far easier for people to get the addiction
treatment they need.
I have no doubt Mike could win against Donald
Trump in the general election. Th is isn’t just because I
believe in him as a leader—a Quinnipiac poll released
earlier this week shows that Mike would beat the president
by nine points if the election were held today.
Th ere’s no question Mike needs a strong showing
in his home state on April 28. If you believe in Mike,
change your registration by this Friday to vote for him
in the primary. Th e road to the White House is long,
but with your help and your vote, Mike will get it done.
Diane Savino represents the 23rd State Senate
District covering parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
HOMELESS
SHELTERS PUT THE
PUBLIC AT RISK
I don’t get it! Th e Constitution
of the United States, in the very
fi rst paragraph, specifi cally states
America’s agenda, but when it
comes to the placement of many
homeless shelters around the city
of New York, the “law of the land”
means nothing to the de Blasio
administration.
“We the People of the United
States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the Common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty
to ourselves, and our Posterity,
do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States
of America.”
Th e point is, the purpose of
America fi rst and foremost is
the protection of America, and
the protection of the people, and
the general welfare of the public.
But emphasizing the rights of the
individual were only a secondary
thought — that’s why the Bill of
Rights were amendments to the
Constitution.
In other words, the protection
of individual rights must work in
harmony with the protection of
the general welfare of the public,
which are New York City’s neighborhoods,
and especially when it
comes to insuring the protection
of our school children and our
local neighborhood businesses.
However, that isn’t the de Blasio
administration’s agenda. Th e mayor’s
agenda doesn’t care about
the general welfare; in fact, the
de Blasio administration’s agenda
is implemented through violating
the law of the land — the
Constitution of the United States
— and that is why this homeless
agenda must be stopped!
Th e best example of this lawless
and outrageous agenda can
be seen in Ozone Park (100-32
Atlantic Ave.), where the city is
trying to beat a lawsuit so it can
open a homeless shelter, located
within 140 feet of the property
which houses the High School for
Construction Trades, Engineering
and Architecture — a school with
over 1,000 students and dozens
of teachers that is only 300 feet
from a very active children’s playground.
Homeless shelters must work in
harmony with America’s purpose
to ensure domestic tranquility as
established under the Constitution
of the United States. Without that
protection, homeless
Shelters put the public at risk,
especially our children.
Harold Berk
WHAT’S NEXT FOR
NEW YORK CITY
TRANSIT AUTHORITY?
It will be interesting to see if
the next New York City Transit
Authority president will be successful
in following up on preserving
both funding and implementation
of projects and programs championed
by Andy Byford’s Fast Forward:
Th e Plan to Modernize NYC Transit
subway and bus system.
Let’s hope that $19 billion worth
of funding support in the current
$51 billion MTA 2020 - 2024 Five-
Year Capital Plan remains in place.
We will have to wait and see if
the $19 billion balance of funding
needed to complete this plan will be
approved in the next Metropolitan
Transportation Authority 2025 -
2029 Five-Year Capital Plan.
We will also have some clues
about what the future holds when
the MTA gets around to releasing
the updated MTA 2020 - 2040
Twenty-Year Long-Range Capital
Needs Plan.
It was supposed to be released by
the end of December 2019. I wonder
if the MTA has delayed release
of this key document until it has
been pre-approved by Governor
Cuomo’s offi ce, before it is seen by
the public?
Larry Penner, Great Neck
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