COPYRIGHT 2013 RIDGEWOOD TIMES PRINTING & PUBLISHING CO., INC. NY Senate Approves Bill To Excuse Vet Post Fines Sets Grace Period For Violations The bill was recently approved by the full State Senate after clearing the Senate Consumer Protection Committee. “Veterans’ posts in our communities that serve the needs of former servicemen and servicewomen often have bars, kitchens and other facilities in their buildings which may fall under the jurisdiction of various municipal codes and agencies,” Addabbo said. “Sometimes, code violations are identified that the veterans’ organizations don’t know about, and certainly never intended, and they are slapped with heavy fines that they cannot afford to pay without closing BEN CARSON News & Opinion down the facilities altogether. Given the value of these organizations to our communities, and the extraordinary work they do on behalf of veterans who have served our country, I believe they should be given a chance to make necessary changes before being fined.” The legislation, (S.2962) was crafted by Addabbo after a veterans’ organization in his district was assessed almost $5,000 in fines because it housed an ice machine and was therefore classified as a food establishment. The American Legion Post was also fined for failing to have a sink at an outdoor barbecue event. in order to consummate the deal, a legitimate lawsuit can be initiated on the basis of fraud. The Affordable Care Act is a prime example of such a contract in the form of a bill, which never would have been passed if it had been revealed that millions of people would lose the health insurance with which they were satisfied and that they might not be able to keep their doctors, among other promises. Nevertheless, this massive case of fraud has not been legally challenged by the legislative branch, leaving one to wonder why. We hear a great deal about "Chicago-style politics." It is nothing more than a euphemism for political corruption, including bullying, blackmail and bribery. These pressures can be just as easily applied to national political figures as to local politicians. Courage can be quite difficult to find when the threat of exposure hangs over one’s head. In an age when Big Brother is capable of watching everything we do, it is not hard to imagine a scenario in which large numbers of public servants are silenced or subdued by secretive threats. I have had an opportunity to witness firsthand how the blackmail threat operates. Several years ago, while I was in the operating room, I received a call from one of the legal offices at Johns Hopkins University informing me that the state of Florida was trying to attach my wages for child support. I was shocked at such an allegation and informed them that I have three children, which I already support very ably. They said a woman in Florida was accusing me of being the father of her son, and that she had proof of our relationship. The proof turned out to be knowledge of where I went to high school, college and medical school, and where I served my internship and residency. To top all of that off, she had a picture of me in scrubs. I said anyone could obtain such information. However, the paternity suit was pursued, and I had to involve my personal lawyer. As the case advanced, I was asked to provide a blood specimen to facilitate DNA testing. I refused on the basis of the incompetence of any governmental agency that was willing to pursue a paternity suit on such flimsy grounds. I said that level of incompetence would probably result in my blood specimen being found at a murder scene and my spending the rest of my life in prison. Shortly thereafter, the suit was dropped with no further ramifications. I’m virtually certain that the woman in Florida erroneously assumed that someone who travels as much as I do was TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 • 4 Since 1908 Published Every Thursday By RIDGEWOOD TIMES PRINTING & PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. General Publication Office: P.O. Box 863299 Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299 60-71 Woodbine St., Ridgewood, N.Y. 11385 Periodicals Postage Paid At Flushing, N.Y. (USPS 465-940) TELEPHONE: 1-718-821-7500-7501-7502-7503 FAX: 1-718-456-0120 Or E-MAIL: [email protected] Or [email protected] WEB SITE: www.timesnewsweekly.com ON TWITTER @timesnewsweekly SUBSCRIPTION: $25 Per Year By Mail / $30 Outside Queens & Brooklyn Allow 2-3 Weeks For New Subscriptions. Postmaster Send Address Corrections To: RIDGEWOOD TIMES PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO., INC. P.O. BOX 863299, RIDGEWOOD, N.Y. 11386-0299 Periodicals Postage Paid At Flushing, N.Y. USPS-465-940 Photo Submissions And Requests 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. MAUREEN E. WALTHERS.........................Publisher & Editor JOHN T. WALTHERS......................................Managing Editor ROBERT POZARYCKI...................................Associate Editor DEBORAH CUSICK.................................Classified Manager MARLENE RUIZ...........................Assist. Classified Manager TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member Of The New York Press Association Reaching The Queens Homes Of Ridgewood, Glendale, Liberty Park, Maspeth, Middle Village, So. Elmhurst, Woodside, Sunnyside, Astoria, Long Island City, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Richmond Hill, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Elmhurst, And Kew Gardens. Reaching The Brooklyn Homes Of Ridgewood, Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East Williamsburg And 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. Cleaning Skeletons Out Of The Closet With Europeans intrigued by America’s unexpected success, Alexis de Tocqueville carried out an in-depth study of the new nation in the 1830s. He was quite impressed with our divided government, which featured the separation of powers. This structure made it difficult for any one branch—executive, judicial or legislative—to acquire too much power and run roughshod over the other branches and the will of the American people. Unfortunately, today we are witnessing a largely unchecked executive branch issuing decrees that circumvent Congress while facing only tepid resistance. In civilian life, when a contract is entered into by two parties, and it is subsequently discovered that one side knowingly presented false promises -SEE CARSON ON PG. 30- EDITORIAL Playing the role of the world’s police officer once more, the U.S. is getting involved in the search for nearly 300 girls recently kidnapped in Nigeria by a violent, fundamentalist Islamic organization that has no problem killing anyone in its path. Since its inception in 2002, the terrorist group Boko Haram burned many Christian churches, destroyed schools (as they believe a “western education” is evil) and slaughtered an estimated 10,000 people in their bloody campaign to establish in Nigeria a “pure” Islamic state under sharia law. For years, Boko Haram’s violent campaign went unnoticed by the western world—but for whatever reason, its recent abduction of young girls struck a nerve abroad. The organization’s leadership said it would “sell them in the marketplace for $12”; human rights experts indicate many of the victims would likely be sold to the sex trafficking trade, while others would be forced into marriage to fundamentalist Islamic men. The crime, like the others Boko Haram perpetrated, is an outrage. Their reign of terror has persisted due to Nigeria’s convoluted government and the incompetence of its president, Goodluck Johnson, who only now accepted American assistance weeks after the kidnappings began. Nigeria, an oil-rich nation, is nonetheless deeply divided on theological, social and geographic terms. The northern part of the country is largely Muslim and severely poor, while the south is predominantly Christian and in better financial shape. Its dithering government, combined with collective global ignorance of the situation, allowed Boko Haram to grow in strength, power and brutality. Outraged by the mass kidnapping, hundreds of demonstrators rallied last weekend at Union Square in Manhattan and outside the Nigerian embassy in Washington, D.C. demanding action. The 20 female members of the U.S. Senate signed a joint letter to President Barack Obama urging new international sanctions against Boko Haram. The American quest for justice is prompting our incursion into Nigeria to try to help these unfortunate girls and reunite them with their families, if that is even possible now. Over the weekend, government officials announced military, intelligence and law enforcement officers would assist Nigeria in cracking the kidnapping case, rescuing the girls and bringing their captors to justice. This is all well and good, but considering our recent military history, our intervention in Nigeria must be limited. The last thing we need is another fiasco like our “humaniarian mission” to Somalia in 1993 that ended up with 18 Americans killed, two Blackhawk helicopters shot down and dead pilots dragged through the streets. We must tread carefully in Nigeria as we should in other current points of conflict around the world. The U.S. can’t keep fighting other nation’s battles for them. In order to help veterans’ organizations avoid hefty, unaffordable fines for minor building and other code violations, State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo has been advancing legislation to provide these groups with 120 days to fix problems before fines are assessed. -SEE FINES ON PG. 30- Ridgewood Development Tops CB 5 Meeting 5/14 Also: Intersection Traffic Changes Changing the zoning of another Ridgewood industrial site for residential purposes will be the focus of a public hearing at Community Board 5’s next meeting this Wednesday night, May 14, in Middle Village. As announced by District Manager Gary Giordano, the session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Christ the King Regional High School, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. The agenda includes a public hearing on an application with the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals by Moshe M. Friedman, P.E., on behalf of 11-01 Irving Ave. LLC for a variance to allow for the construction of a new three-story (with penthouse) residential building at 1504-1506 Decatur St. (Block 3542, Lot 12) in Ridgewood. The property is presently listed in an M1-4 zoning district. The variance (BSA Cal. No. 54-14 BZ) is being sought under Sections 72-21 and 42- 00 of the Zoning Resolution. Additionally, the meeting agenda includes a presentation by city Department of Transportation representatives regarding proposed safety upgrades at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue, Wyckoff Avenue and Palmetto Street on the Brooklyn/Queens border in Ridgewood. Also on the agenda is the public forum; reviews of liquor license applications and demolition notices; reports by District Manager Giordano and Chairperson Vincent Arcuri; -SEE CB 5 MEETS ON PG. 30-
RT05082014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above