12 TIMES • MARCH 19 - mARCH 25, 2015 editorial City must reform its homeless shelters Last week, a major property manager in New York City was denounced in a report for subjecting some 2,000 families to abhorrent conditions in its facilities. The Department of Investigation (DOI) audit found that these families lived in apartments with serious building, health and fire code violations such as rodent infestation, structural damage, improper means of egress, and non-working smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. But these facilities aren’t just apartment buildings, and the offending property manager isn’t the typical slumlord all too often found neglecting their buildings and tenants. These facilities are 25 homeless shelters-- including several in Queens-- operated by the Department of Homeless op-ed Services (DHS), the agency dedicated to protecting New York’s most vulnerable residents. Several of the Queens shelters surveyed, located in Corona, Jamaica and Briarwood, performed rather well and achieved passing scores. The Briarwood location, however, had 30 various violations, including an expired certificate of occupancy dating back to 1994. There is, however, blame to go around for the mismanagement at other locations, as the city is paying the actual property owners more than double the market rate to operate homeless shelters at these properties. However, the report found that the DHS did little to require these landlords to keep these facilities in good repair. If you are homeless in New York City and have nowhere else to go, New York City must offer you a place to stay until you are able to find shelter on your own accord. But what the city cannot do is offer substandard shelter to anyone. It cannot allow any individual to live in places rife with rodents, lacking in security or failing to meet basic standards for health and safety. Responding to the damning DOI report, Homeless Services Commissioner Gilbert Taylor said last week the DHS is using the report’s recommendations “to further inform our system-wide reform work.” He and the de Blasio administration must be held accountable and not only fulfill that promise of reform, but exceed it. With some 60,000 homeless people now residing in New York, it is more critical than ever that the city reform its shelter system. It must not only keep up appearances at these shelters but work quickly to get families back into independent, affordable housing; reviving the city’s rental subsidy program is one potential solution that could go a very long way to reducing homelessness and rescuing families in danger of losing their homes. Meanwhile, the city continues plans for building new, large-scale homeless shelters in Glendale and other parts of the city, most of which would be operated by third-party nonprofit groups. Perhaps the city should scrap those plans and focus instead on bringing its own shelters up to code, and treating its homeless families with the dignity they deserve. Taking a stand against congestion pricing BY ASSEMBLYMAN MIKE MILLER Rumors of congestion pricing have been circling since the early days of Mayor Bloomberg’s administration, and I want to take a moment to discuss reasons for my opposition to the congestion pricing plan. The proposal would implement tolls on all of the city’s free bridges to fill a $15 billion deficit in the MTA’s capital budget. Under the plan, seven bridges will get lower tolls and drivers on the city’s free bridges would pay $5.54 each way with E-ZPass. However, as New Yorkers, we are entirely too intelligent to believe that tolls would be added to the East River crossings and not be subjected to the constant increases that the other bridges currently face. It seems that every time we cross these bridges or tunnels that have existing tolls, the tolls have increased 50 cents here or a dollar there. Hardworking New Yorkers already pay enough in taxes and the evergrowing fares for the subways and buses make it difficult for the average citizen to even travel to and from work. Practically speaking, the congestion pricing would add just another tax on the already over-burdened small businesses throughout New York City that rely on these crossings for deliveries. Let me make the most obvious argument I can: If a delivery company that delivers to our local small business now faces additional tolls whenever a delivery is to be made, then the cost of deliveries will be increased for the small business owner, which will cause store prices to increase. Even New Yorkers who do not drive over these bridges will feel the impact of this proposal if implemented. I stand firm with my constituents and many other New Yorkers that this congestion pricing proposal is a mistake for New York City and should not be implemented. As always, if you have any questions about these laws or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me at millermg@assembly.state.ny.us or 718- 805-0950. Assemblyman Mike Miller represents the 38th Assembly District, which includes all or parts of Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood and Woodhaven. letters New York needs GMO labeling Estimates say that 70 to 80 percent of the food in grocery store shelves contains some genetically engineered ingredients (GMO). Well, let’s take a look at what GMOs are: they are made in a laboratory by large chemical corporations such as Monsanto. They are made to resist pesticides; therefore they are heavily sprayed with chemicals. Now let’s look at what we do know about vegetables sprayed with pesticides. These pesticides can’t all be washed from what we are eating. Then there’s also the matter of the pesticides we are spraying into the soil. It’s a complicated issue, but basically it comes down to knowing what’s going into our food. It’s not too much to ask that we label our food as genetically engineered here in New York. Naim Kozi High school health teacher in Queens Good students = good schools It is a scientific truism: If you can’t properly identify the problem, how can you possibly find a solution? The dog with an irritated rear end will never solve his problem by chasing his tail! Governor Cuomo’s plan reeks of the need to be politically correct so that he doesn’t offend a huge block of potential voters and the obligation to return favors to Cuomo donors. He is not at all addressing the real problem. The education process takes two to tango: teachers teach, and students have to do what is necessary to learn. It would appear that Mayor de Blasio’s approach correctly addresses the problem to our education dilemma. The problem is not bad teachers but poor pupil performance largely due to unfortunate socio-economic circumstances that these children bring with them into the classrooms. It’s “heavy baggage” that interferes with the learning process, and de Blasio realizes this by formulating appropriate measures to help these kids overcome their heavy burdens that interfere with the learning process. Good students make good schools! De Blasio’s plan will help youngsters be better students. Dave Shlakman, Howard Beach Time for closer look at charter schools The teachers union and the charter school industry fight hard and often. Especially about “co-location.” That’s the widespread practice of muscling private charters into crowded public school buildings and awarding these for-profit business entrepreneurs the lion’s share of resources and preferred space at no cost to them. You, the public, pays. The teachers’ union opposes this scheme because it is unfair. The charter operators and their lobbyists favor it because they get a great deal. Who’s correct? Whose side should you be on? Don’t make up your mind based on party membership or existing inclination to believe. Check it out yourself. Then decide. But how? Public school buildings belong to you, the public. You have the right to access them. There may be conditions but they are easily navigable, especially if you’re a parent or say you are. Avail yourself of this privilege and go visit. When you’re done with your inspec
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