FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 28, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
oped letters & comments
APPLAUDING THE
CITY COUNCIL’S
PLAN TO OPEN
CITY’S BEACHES
Th e New York City Council
has released its set of guidelines
for opening up the city’s beaches
for swimming, and, as usual, our
clueless mayor still doesn’t get the
whole picture.
Th ere is absolutely no reason
why swimming should not be permitted,
as well as having restaurants
adjacent to the beaches
opened, with lifeguards on duty.
New Yorkers certainly deserve
to have the right to swim, sit on
the sand and enjoy the upcoming
summer season, since they have
been locked down in their homes
and apartments for nearly three
months. Th ey have all had plenty
of practice on how to social distance,
so there should not be any
problems with this proposal that
the City Council has put forth.
However, once again, the mayor
is being his usual selfi sh, arrogant
self and does not seem to agree
with the City Council, which has
the power to overrule him — and
that is exactly what they should do!
Th e mayor has acted like a Nazi
storm trooper ever since this pandemic
began its sweep across the
city, and he needs to be stopped
immediately! His terrible and irresponsible
actions and decisions
have caused more destruction and
chaos than the great Krakatoa volcanic
explosion of 1883!
City Council, do your job and
override this idiotic imbecile!
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
DON’T RELEASE
RIKERS INMATES
As a longtime resident of the NY
City Council’s 24th District, I’m
disgusted by Rory Lancman’s support
for criminals and disdain for
his constituents’ safety.
He reflected both attitudes in an May
14 New York Daily News guest piece
headlined: “Decarcation is a COVID-
19 normal we must stick with.”
Lancman says we should “eagerly
embrace” the release of over 1,000
off enders from Rikers Island, even
though he admits that 100 of those
freed during the COVID crisis were
later charged with new off enses.
Does he mean that we should
“eagerly embrace” the 21 percent
spike in shootings, 38 percent rise
in burglaries and 63 percent jump
in car theft s that soon followed the
exodus from Rikers? (New York
Post, May 26).
NYPD Commissioner Dermot
Shea and the commanding offi cer
of the 107th Precinct in Lancman’s
district condemned the mass
release of repeat off enders.
As a failed candidate for Queens
district attorney last year, Lancman
now panders for ethnic votes to
sustain his political career aft er he’s
term limited out of his current job
at the end of 2021.
Voters must reject his lunatic
logic.
Richard Reif, Kew Gardens Hills
BREAKING DOWN
THE BELMONT
PARK PROJECT
“Belmont Park redevelopment
project gets green light as judge
tosses two lawsuits” (Bill Parry —
May 21) is not the end of the story.
Th e Belmont Park arena project
has plenty of service options,
which are already available. For
years to come, many of these may
now not be fi nancially viable as a
result of the COVID-19 virus.
Fewer new jobs may actually be
created. Many of the promised new
stores and boutiques in the “retail
village” may never open. Th e same
is true for proposed new dining
options, sports bars and restaurants.
Next, there will be less of a need
for conference centers and meeting
rooms along with movie theaters
and concert facilities. All of
these so-called benefi ts would have
competed against existing shopping
malls, upscale stores, restaurants,
sports bars and would have
stolen some of their customers.
Th ere are already plenty of hotels
and colleges which off er conference
centers. Th e same is true for
movie theaters and smaller, more
intimate concert facilities.
Since there are less than 60
Islanders home games, the facility
will have to be leased out for
another 100 events to turn a profit.
Why would any rock band
appear there, when they can go
to Jones Beach Th eater, Westbury
Music Fair, Nassau Coliseum, Citi
Field, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Forest
Hills Stadium, Madison Square
Garden, Barclays Arena or Radio
City Music Hall?
Th e same is true for World
Wrestling Federation, circuses, college
sports or other events requiring
space for several thousand participants.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
Working together to
shape Queens’ economy
for years to come
BY TOM GRECH
Th e COVID-19 pandemic has
had a profound impact on every
aspect of our lives, and has been felt
by businesses both large and small,
in every sector of our economy.
Queens is tough and resilient and
we will get through this, but what
we do today will shape our economy
for years to come. Right now, we need the government
and the private sector to work together and support the
investments that will bring Queens back better and stronger.
One reason Queens is well-positioned to recover is
because we are the aviation borough. LaGuardia Airport
and JFK International Airport are engines of economic
activity that employ 49,000 people and contribute more
than $64 billion in economic activity to the metropolitan
region. Th e Queens Chamber’s 1,150 member businesses
rely on our transportation infrastructure. As we begin to
reimagine our economy and onshore manufacturing jobs,
Queens has everything in place to serve as a manufacturing
and distribution hub.
Th is will require investing in the infrastructure of tomorrow,
particularly at our airports. Th e Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey, the agency operating JFK and
LaGuardia, is projected to see a $3 billion reduction in revenue
over the next 24 months due to the precipitous decline
in travel. Th is means less money for the Port Authority’s
capital program to make investments in the necessary infrastructure
improvements to support the economic recovery
of our borough and region.
Th ese infrastructure projects, as currently planned,
include public-private partnerships that would leverage
more than $10 billion in committed private capital, while
creating about 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. When
you combine both public and private investment, the Port
Authority capital plan would drive $20 billion of capital
spending in the next fi ve years. Th is includes plans to transform
JFK Airport into a modern, international gateway;
the ongoing project to build a new LaGuardia Airport; and
AirTrain Laguardia, which would create a reliable rail link
between Midtown Manhattan and LaGuardia Airport.
Th ese projects create well-paying jobs right here and right
away. Th e transformation of LaGuardia Airport is creating
7,000 direct construction jobs and another 7,000 indirect
jobs. Th e project at JFK will create more than 30,000 jobs,
half of which will be direct construction jobs. Th ese historic
investments in new, world-class airports are investments in
Queens and our future.
Revenue is the life blood of the Port Authority, which differs
from other government entities in that it takes no taxpayer
dollars and is completely self-sustaining. As Congress
considers aiding states and other local governmental units,
it must also assist fi nancially independent, multi-state entities
like the Port Authority.
Th at’s why the Queens Chamber joined more than 50
business, labor and civic stakeholders, and more than
two dozen bipartisan members of the New York and New
Jersey Congressional delegations in supporting the Port
Authority’s call for federal assistance to avoid cuts to its capital
program.
Putting our economy back on track depends on these
job-creating capital projects moving forward promptly. Th is
is not the time for delay — or worse, canceling capital projects.
Congress must approve federal funding for the Port
Authority equal to its loss of revenue so that we can create
jobs and ensure economic growth well into the future —
and maintain Queens as the home of opportunity.
Tom Grech is president and CEO of the Queens Chamber
of Commerce.
THE RED CROSS PROMOBILE KITCHEN GIVES SNACK BAGS TO FLUSHING
HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER WORKERS // PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ROY NAIPAUL
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