12 AUGUST 29, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
The mayor who just won’t listen to us
He’s fl own to Iowa, South Carolina
and New Hampshire in recent
months as part of his quixotic
presidential bid, opening his ears to
anyone who will consider giving him
their vote.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio seems to
have a problem listening to Queens,
where residents are in rebellion
over his plans for their communities.
To describe his administration’s
response to them as being tone deaf
to the “World’s Borough” would be a
profound understatement.
Glendale residents have been
fi ghting a proposed homeless shelter
for up to 200 men in their community
for years now. Last week, the de
Blasio administration, through the
Department of Homeless Services,
announced it would move forward
with the plan anyway.
Kew Gardens residents have
rallied for months against a proposed
community jail at the former Queens
Detention Complex. Next month, the
City Planning Commission — led by
a de Blasio appointee — will likely
vote to approve the plan as part of the
de Blasio administration’s eff orts to
EDITORIAL
Mayor Bill de Blasio having fun on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa. Queens residents simply want the
mayor to come home and listen to them. Photo via Twitter/@BilldeBlasio
shutter Rikers Island for good.
Even on smaller matters, de Blasio’s
City Hall doesn’t seem to give a damn.
Bayside activists have been
complaining for months about
the configuration of bike lanes on
Northern Boulevard and made
suggestions to fi x them. What has the
mayor’s administration done about it?
Nothing.
When Ridgewood residents told de
Blasio’s Department of Transportation
that it didn’t want a bus lane on Fresh
Pond Road (and offered their own
alternatives for their consideration),
the agency acknowledged them in a
letter to the local councilman — but
also indicated in that very same letter
they were moving forward with the
plan anyway.
You can, if you will, boil down
the opposition to homeless shelters,
community jails, bike lanes and bus
lanes to NIMBYism. There’s certainly
grains of truth to support that. But each
of these plans have genuine concerns
about public safety and community
conditions that are being generally
dismissed because of that perception.
And, in the end, even the NIMBYists
have a valid point: de Blasio and his
representatives do not seem willing to
listen to anything that their opponents
have to say.
Much like another headstrong leader
in our country, de Blasio seems to think
that he’s only the mayor of those who
elected him — not the mayor of all New
York City.
All of this has resulted in a deep
sense of angry skepticism among
Queens residents who have also lost
faith in the city government to do the
right thing.
It’s on de Blasio to step up and direct
his administration to hear Queens
residents out on these issues.
De Blasio should stop ignoring
Queens while embracing Iowa. Either
he’s the mayor, or he’s a campaigner. He
can’t be both.
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ESTABLISHED 1908
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VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
Editor-in-Chief
ROBERT POZARYCKI
Classifi ed Manager
DEBORAH CUSICK
Assistant Classifi ed Manager
MARLENE RUIZ
Reporters
EMILY DAVENPORT
MARK HALLUM
CARLOTTA MOHAMED
MAX PARROTT
BILL PARRY
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STORY:
Flushing store owner prepares to
fi ght back against possible opening
of liquor store chain
SUMMARY:
Employers at Marpat Wines and
Liquors store in Flushing are fearing
the worst — the possible shutdown
of their business and jobs if Total
Wine & More, a fast-growing chain
of nearly 200 stores, sets up shop
across the street.
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