WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 26, 2018 13
QUEENS SENDS TOO
MANY TO RIKERS
Regarding the July 11 Ridgewood
Times story about Queens leaders
speaking out against the latest study
related to the closing of Rikers Island:
I was very frustrated to read the disingenuous
statements by Queens County
Senior Executive Assistant District
Attorney James Quinn about people
being released from jail pre-trial.
It’s one thing for the Queens District
Attorney Offi ce to have a backwards
and out-of-date ideology about crime
and punishment, but it is another to
make attempts to bolster that point of
view by misrepresenting the facts.
The reality is that Queens, as a county,
sends too many people to Rikers
Island.
According to Department of Correction
Statistics, more than 9,000 people
were sent into city jails during the past
fi scal year. Quinn might tell you this
is essential for “public safety” but that
is not true.
Of the 16,375 felony cases adjudicated
in Queens last year, only 1,162 ended
with a prison sentence – every single
other defendant, many of whom Quinn
now says are too dangerous to be on
the street pre-trial, were released
directly from jail back on to the street
at the end of their case because judges
determined that the cases did not merit
prison time.
In fact, more than 4,500 of these
cases ended with a dismissal, because
they did not even merit prosecution
to begin with.
My question for Quinn is this: if it’s
safe for people to be out on the street
aft er a short jail stay, why was it ever
necessary for them to be in jail at all?
Nick Encalada-Malinowski, Civil
Rights Campaign Director, VOCAL-NY
Editor’s note: VOCAL-NY (Voices Of
Community Activists & Leaders) is
an organization which aims to boost
activism among low-income residents
aff ected by myriad issues including
mass incarceration, drugs, homelessness
and HIV/AIDS.
GAZA REMARKS
DISQUALIFY
OCASIO-CORTEZ
Democratic candidate for the U.S.
House of Representatives Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez recently publicly accused
Israel of “committing a massacre”
of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
notwithstanding the fact that Hamas,
a U.S.-designated terrorist organization,
admitted that the majority of
those killed were members of that
organization.
Ms. Cortez, who has a history of anti
Israel activity supporting the BDS
movement, defends her remarks by
claiming she is “not an expert on the
Middle East.” Giving her the benefi t
of the doubt that she is not an anti-Israeli
anti-Semite, her remarks clearly
disqualify her from holding public
offi ce, let alone the position of U.S.
Congresswoman. Clearly, by her own
admission, she has taken a position
with no knowledge of the facts.
Does New York want to be represented
by someone who shoots from
the hip without understanding the
issue? I think not.
Marty Miller, Queens
COULD LIRR WOES
GET WORSE?
ABSOLUTELY
There continues to be an increase
in the frequency of major service disruptions
due to storm, signal, power
and stalled train problems in the East
River Tunnels. Periodically these
problems occur between the Tunnel
Portals and Harold Interlockings, west
of the Woodside Station. The result is
numerous delays, cancellations and
combining of trains.
The East River tunnels were built
between 1905 and 1909. As they continue
to deteriorate, there will be more
problems. Additional reduction in
service will happen over coming years,
due to ongoing Amtrak work at Penn
Station and East Side Access to Grand
Central Terminal construction west of
Woodside.
Amtrak will not start major work
on the East River Tunnels until 2025
aft er LIRR East Side Access is open for
business by December 2022. Don’t be
surprised when Amtrak takes out one
of four East River Tunnels at a time for
one to two years to accomplish major
repairs.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
‘PRO-LIFE’ REALLY
ISN’T PRO-LIFE,
READER SAYS
Frederick Bedell, in his July 5 letter
(“Sounding off on Supreme Court Decisions”)
asks why the unborn are not
aff orded the same rights stated in the
Declaration of Independence.
The answer? Because they are
“unborn.”
Aside from late-term situations, the
choice of whether or not to have an
abortion should be left to women, no
one else.
Political “pro-lifers” don’t really give
a damn about life. Let’s be clear: these
people are not “pro-life,” they are
anti-abortion, which means they’re
anti-woman. If they were actually prolife,
they would be fi ghting hard for
healthcare, childcare, gun control, education
and protecting the environment.
These are the same people who don’t
think medical insurance should cover
contraception for women, yet believe
coverage for Viagra is a priority. The
same people that cut school food programs
for poor children.
So if you’re a fetus, they care. But if
you need formula, diapers and shelter?
To hell with you.
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
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LETTERS AND COMMENTS
The old-fashioned “box
car diner” was a staple on
the American landscape
during the early part of the
20th Century. One used to
stand in Ridgewood at the
corner of Fresh Pond Road
and Metropolitan Avenue.
George’s Diner, as it was
once called, is pictured
in this 1930 photo. The
restaurant changed hands
and evolved over the years
into the Fresh Pond Diner,
which served its fi nal meal
back in 2005. The diner
was later torn down and
replaced by TD Bank. 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, ℅
Schneps Communications,
38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside,
NY 11361. All mailed
pictures will be carefully
returned to you.
A LOOK BACK
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