FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 30, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 15
oped letters & comments
CITY SHOULD NOT
BE RELEASING
INMATES EARLY
Th ere is no rhyme or reason as
to why Mayor Bill de Blasio has
released more than 900 inmates
from city jails during this COVID19
outbreak.
Th ese people committed crimes
of various categories, and they were
sentenced to jail for what they did,
and must continue to be incarcerated,
not set fre-e! Now, our illustrious
mayor decides that he must
release them so they are protected
from COVID19? He has lost all
sense of logic and common decency
by doing this.
What should have been done was
to separate these inmates and move
them around in the jails, not send
them back out into society! Already,
more than 50 of these people have
again committed crimes that have
forced our brave and dedicated
NYPD to rearrest them!
Also, our dedicated and hardworking
corrections offi cers who
staff the city’s jails must have the
protective equipment needed to
stay safe as they continue to risk
their lives each day doing their very
diffi cult jobs under even more diffi
cult conditions due to this medical
nightmare.
Th is mayor has done nothing but
create additional havoc and chaos
by taking this reckless and irresponsible
action. He needs to be given
a one-way ticket to the land of Oz;
maybe the wizard will give him all
of the things he is lacking: compassion,
common sense, and courage,
of which he has not any at all!
New Yorkers are fed up with this
mayor, and he must be asked by the
City Council to tender his resignation,
along with that of the medically
incompetent city health commissioner,
who told New Yorkers in
early March that there was nothing
at all to fear from COVID-19.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
RISE IN NURSING
HOME FATALITIES
IS TROUBLING
I am extremely appalled and troubled
to read about all the deaths in
nursing homes in the city of New
York.
As reported there have been more
than 2,000 deaths in nursing homes
and many from COVID-19 virus
citywide. Some of these nursing
homes have had numerous violations.
Added to that, patients from
various hospitals who had tested
positive for the virus were dumped
into these nursing homes and, as
such, more patients became infected.
Added to that, the medical staff
were not prepared to handle the situation
with the proper protective
equipment.
Some of these nursing homes
are safe and managed properly, but
there are several that are not. I’m 70
years old and I am afraid of having
to someday be admitted to one of
these nursing homes.
Something needs to be done or
many more seniors will truly die.
Remember this too: Evil thrives
when good people do nothing!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
EARTH DAY SHOULD
BE CELEBRATED
ALL YEAR
Let us celebrate Earth Day, April
22, all year long.
Besides recycling newspapers,
magazines, glass, plastics, old medicines,
paints and cleaning materials,
there are other actions you can
take which will also contribute to a
cleaner environment.
Leave your car at home. For local
trips in the neighborhood, walk or
ride a bike. For longer travels, consider
many public transportation
alternatives already available. MTA
NYC Transit subway, bus, LIRR,
Metro-North, PATH, NJ Transit,
Staten Island Ferry along with other
private transportation owners off er
various options, such as local and
express bus, ferry, jitney, subway
and commuter rail services.
Most of these systems are funded
with your tax dollars. Th ey use less
fuel and move far more people than
cars. In many cases, your employer
can off er transit checks to help subsidize
a portion of the costs. Utilize
your investments and reap the benefi
ts. You’ll be supporting a cleaner
environment and be less stressed
upon arrival at your fi nal destination.
Many employers now allow
employees to telecommute and
work from home. Others use alternative
work schedules, which aff ord
staff the ability to avoid rush-hour
gridlock. Th is saves travel time and
can improve mileage per gallon. You
could join a car or van pool to share
the costs of commuting.
Use a hand-powered lawn mower
instead of a gasoline or electric one.
Rake your leaves instead of using
gasoline powered leaf blowers. Th e
amount of pollution created by gasoline
powered lawn mowers or leaf
blowers will surprise you.
A cleaner environment starts with
everyone.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
What Congress has
done and must do to
help those aff ected by
the COVID-19 crisis
BY ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ
Our district is the epicenter of
the epicenter. Among the ZIP
codes with the highest number
of positive cases, fi ve of the top
10 reside in NY-14. Th e neighborhoods
of Jackson Heights,
Corona, Elmhurst and East
Elmhurst have a combined population
of about 600,000 and more
than 7,260 coronavirus cases.
Manhattan, with nearly three times as many people, had
about 10,860 cases.
Our community is also disproportionately at risk for
the greatest consequences of the virus. Bronx residents
are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than other New
York City residents. Latinx people also comprise 34 percent
of the COVID-19-related deaths in New York City,
the largest share for any racial or ethnic group.
Congress has not yet done nearly enough to address this
crisis. I believe our next stimulus must include three critical
policies. First, we must provide recurring monthly
payments of $2,000 per individual and $1,000 for dependents.
Second, unlike the last stimulus package, immigrants
must be given relief. Th ose with tax ID numbers
should receive stimulus checks, and all immigrants,
regardless of status, should be eligible for healthcare programs.
Finally, we must expand public plans like Medicare
and Medicaid to cover those who lose their insurance
when they lose their jobs.
Th ere is some relief currently available. To date,
Congress has made COVID-19 testing free; required companies
of fewer than 500 people to provide paid sick and
family leave; increased funding for food banks and nutrition
programs; granted direct cash assistance for adults
with Social Security numbers earning $99,000 or less; created
a new pandemic unemployment insurance program;
and provided relief for small businesses.
To learn more about how to apply for any of these programs
— and to learn about resources available to immigrant
communities — go to my website, ocasio-cortez.
house.gov, or call our offi ce, 718-662-5970. Last week, our
offi ce responded to over 400 inquiries.
We know many of you are facing issues applying for
unemployment. Th e state has revamped its website in
response. Now, once you apply online, you will receive a
call from the state within three days. You no longer have
to call the state to complete your application for unemployment
insurance.
We also know many of our small businesses are frustrated
by the delays with the Paycheck Protection Program.
Congress recently reached a deal with the Trump administration
this week to add an additional $300 million to
the program. While many of the problems with PPP were
not addressed, including a defi cit of funding for minority
owned businesses, this should free up lenders to begin
distributing loans again.
I’m not one to sugarcoat. Th ings are very hard, and
Congress has not done nearly enough. But I’m also not
one to stop fi ghting. Just two years ago, I was a bartender.
My family lived on the precipice of economic ruin aft er
my father died unexpectedly. I know personally the devastation
many of you are facing. Please know that I will continue
to fi ght every day to get you the relief you deserve.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez represents
the 14th Congressional District covering much of northwestern
Queens and the eastern and central Bronx.
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL //
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