Derail Fast Track! Join The 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol Volunteers Needed from Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village & Ridgewood 718-497-1500 MMAAUURREEEENN EE. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS..........................................PPuubblisshheerr && EEdditoorr JJOOHHNN TT.. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS................................................................................................PPuubblliisshheerr EEmmeerriittuuss RROOBBEERRT POOZZAARRYYCCKI.................................................MMaanaaging EEdditorr JJOOSEE VVAARRGAAS.............................................Prrodducction//Saaleess MMaanaageerr DDEEBBOORRAAHH CCUUSSICCKK..............................................CClaassssiffieedd MMaannaaggeerr MMAARRLLEENNEE RRUUIZZ............................................AAssssisst. CClaassssifieedd MMaanaageerr TTIIMMEESS NNEEWWSSWWEEEEKKLLYY IIss LLiisstteedd WWiitthh TThhee SSttaannddaarrdd RRaattee && DDaattaa AAnndd IIss AA MMeemmbbeerr OOff TThhee NNeeww YYoorrkk PPrreessss AAssssoocciiaattiioonn TIMES, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 • 4 Times Newsweekly EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL Times Newsweekly Established In 1908 As Ridgewood Times PPhhootoo SSuubbmmissssioonnss AAnndd RReeqquueesstss Photographs submitted to the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times should be in electronic high resolution (300dpi) JPEG (.jpg) or TIFF (.tif) formats. Sharp and clear non-Polaroid photo prints in color or black and white are also acceptable. Photographs submitted will become the property of this newspaper, with the exception of photos or other materials sent for use by The Old Timer and photos which are part of paid announcements. We welcome the submission of unsolicited photos or related materials for consideration of publication, but we cannot guarantee their use. The return of such photos or materials, except in cases as noted above, is not possible. We regret that we are unable to accommodate requests for photos taken by photographers working on assignment for the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times. Reaching The Queens Homes Of Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria, Long Island City, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Richmond Hill, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Elmhurst & Kew Gardens. Reaching The Brooklyn Homes Of Ridgewood, Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East Williamsburg & Williamsburg. COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion and only for that portion of the ad in which the error appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement. CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT 22001155 RRIIDDGGEEWWOOOODD TTIIMMEESS PPRRIINNTTIINNGG && PPUUBBLLIISSHHIINNGG CCOO., IINNCC. 60-71 Woodbine St., Ridgewood, N.Y. 11385 General Pub. Office: P.O. Box 863299 Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299 Periodicals Postage Paid At Flushing, N.Y. (USPS 465-940) TTEELEEPHHOONEE: 11--771188--882211--77550000/77550011/77550022/77550033 FFAAXX: 11--771188--445566--00112200 EE-MMAAIILL: iinnffoo@@ttiimmeessnneewwsswweeeekkllyy..ccoomm WWEEBB SSITTEE: www.timessnnewssweekklyy.ccoom OON TTWWITTTTEER @@timessnnewssweekklyy PPUUBBLLIISSHHEEDD EEVVEERRYY TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY FFOORR OOVVEERR 110066 YYEEAARRSS PAT BUCHANAN Same Old Albany News & Opinion Last November, Republicans grew their strength in Congress to levels unseen since 1946. What united the party and rallied the nation was the GOP’s declared resolve to stand up to an imperious president. Give us powerful new majorities, said John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, and we shall halt these usurpations of Congressional power. And, so, what is the first order of business now in the Ways and Means Committee of Paul Ryan and Senate Finance Committee of Orrin Hatch? “The first thing we ought to do,” says Ryan, “is pass trade promotion authority.” Trade promotion authority, or “fast track,” is a synonym for Congress’s surrender of all rights to amend trade treaties, and a commitment to confine itself to a yes or no vote on whatever deal Obama brings home. Watching the GOP’s reversion to form calls to mind the term the neocons gave the French for refusing to join Bush II’s big march to Baghdad: “cheeseeating surrender monkeys.” With the huge Trans-Pacific Partnership in negotiations, Obama wants Boehner and McConnell to agree in advance not to tamper with it. “Hands off!” he demands. If this GOP agrees to this, it will, in its first great decision, be engaging in an act self-castration. Why would they do this? Has Obama’s record been so impressive the GOP should give up its constitutional power to amend trade treaties? As the liberal group Public Citizen Well, that didn’t take too long. After indicted former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced he would step down from office, Assembly Democrats vowed that things would change in Albany this time, starting with the election of his successor. What a crock that turned out to be. Five candidates emerged last Wednesday, Jan. 28, including Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie and local Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, a familiar face and name to our readers. The election was scheduled for Feb. 10; it seemed at first the Democrats would consider each candidate fairly, deliberate and make a careful decision. But in just two days’ time, the race was over. Three candidates dropped out and supported Heastie, as did the Brooklyn and Queens County Democratic Committees. Nolan vowed to stay in it to the end, despite reports that suggested her colleagues very quickly and nearly unanimously aligned themselves with Heastie, giving him the majority needed to win the speakership. Then the Assembly Democrats closed ranks further at a Feb. 2 meeting, and Nolan had to fall on her sword and give up her quest for speaker. The next day, every Democrat voted Heastie in as speaker in the expedited vote. All but two Republicans voted for their minority leader, Brian Kolb. The dissenting Republicans, in a jab at the rancid Albany atmosphere, voted for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who’s famous for locking up corrupt New York lawmakers on an almost monthly basis. This election reeks of the same internal machinations that made Albany the butt of political jokes it has become. The promises of change, reform and openness with regard to this process were forgotten within hours, not days. The machines backed their candidate and the others fell into line with a swiftness unusual for regular business in the state capitol. Since Heastie became speaker, one story after another about him raises some troubling concerns about his eight terms representing northeast Bronx. The New York Daily News reported that Heastie received more than $23,000 in travel compensation from the state last year, the third-highest total among fellow state lawmakers. Yet Heastie missed 173 votes, accounting for 15 percent of the total votes the Assembly cast in 2014. Just 13 colleagues had fewer votes. In the same report, Heastie’s spokesperson stated the missed votes came toward the end of the session in June, when he was called away on family and work matters. Heastie is an adjunct professor, but after becoming speaker, he vowed to give up that job. Additionally, Heastie introduced only 51 bills in the 2014 session, five of which the Assembly passed. Colleagues described him in the Daily News report as being very low-key but capable of bridging divides among the Democratic caucus and Republicans. On top of that, Heastie also serves as chair of the Bronx County Democratic committee. Since taking that office in 2008, as reported, four Bronx lawmakers were arrested on various corruption charges. A Capital New York report questioned about $60,000 in unitemized campaign expenses in examining his campaign finance report last year. The report also mentioned that about $383,400 in discretionary funds awarded in his district over the last three years went to groups that either contributed to Heastie’s campaign or to programs operated by campaign donors. Heastie has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but let’s face it, these reports suggest he’s not the reformer Albany desperately needs. One could make the argument now that perhaps no incumbent there is capable of bringing about such reform—either because everyone’s record is stained beyond redemption (which is unlikely), or because forces behind the scenes simply won’t allow reformers to take charge. Nevertheless, Speaker Heastie vowed to “change the cynicism into trust” and champion a government “as good as its people.” We’ve heard this before from other politicians who talked the talk, then walked the walk into a courtroom. Let’s see if he actually means what he says. Board 5 To Meet In M.V. Wed. Night A proposed Newtown Creek aeration facility in Maspeth and street fairs scheduled to take place later this year will highlight the next Community Board 5 meeting scheduled for this Wednesday night, Feb. 11, in Middle Village. As announced by District Manager Gary Giordano, the session will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the cafeteria of Christ the King Regional High School, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. The meeting will begin with two public hearings, the first of which will focus on an application that Phillies Pizzeria II Inc. filed with the Departments of Consumer Affairs and City Planning to continue operating an existing enclosed sidewalk café at its restaurant located at 74-02 Eliot Ave. in Middle Village. The outdoor café, located on the east side of 74th Street, has 16 tables with 33 seats. Then the board will hold a public hearing regarding an application submitted by the Department of Environmental Protection to select 58-26 47th St. in Maspeth (Block 2601, Lot 25) to construct a water aeration facility. The property is adjacent to the Newtown Creek. Following the hearings, the board will embark on its normal agenda, which will include the public forum; reports from Giordano and Board 5 Chairperson Vincent Arcuri; and committee reports. The Executive Committee will also present its recommendations for proposed 2015 street festivals in the board’s confines. For more information or to register to speak in advance, call Board 5’s Glendale office at 1-718-366-1834. -SEE BUCHANAN ON PG. 23- ©Times Newsweekly 2014 – GCOP NEXT MEETING: Thurs., Feb. 12, 2015 8:00 pm St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall Myrtle Ave. and 68th St., Glendale All It Takes For Evil To Thrive Is For Good Men & Women To Do Nothing
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