FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JUNE 2, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 25 oped FOR MORE NEWS VISIT QNS.COM letters & comments READER AGREES: QUEENS NEEDS A WOMAN’S STATUE IN KEW GARDENS I read your May 12 article about the former location in Kew Gardens of the Civic Virtue monument, and was very sorry to see that a mundane and politically correct plaque is all that can be mustered as a replacement to recognize women of our borough who embody a greatness beyond gender. In the most ethnically diverse of all the boroughs, a signifi cant statue is merited by the prominence of that location of a subject recognized worldwide that inspires all human beings regardless of race, creed, religion, gender or national origin. It should also be of a time before the modern era to best avoid the controversy of passing and small-minded topical and political associations. For that reason, as important and notable all of the more recent Queens women your article mentions as candidates no doubt are in their fi elds, the standout to grace that location for all time for all the people easily ought to be Anne Sullivan (and Helen Keller), as their story stands for the great general principles of hope, persistence and selfl essness against all odds. Mitch Ross, Bayside MTA APPOINTEES CAUGHT IN MIDDLE OF POLITICAL RIVALRY Many are unaware that Governor Andrew Cuomo may be holding up the appointments of three new Metropolitan Transportation Authority board members previously nominated by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio over one year ago. They include NYC Council Transportation Committee Chairperson Ydanis Rodriguez, Tri-State Transportation Campaign Director Veronica Vanterpool and NYC Community Service Society Director David Jones. Cuomo A LOOK BACK They used to call the intersection of Metropolitan and Flushing avenues in Ridgewood “Bohack Square,” as it was adjacent to the headquarters of the nowdefunct, but still beloved Bohack supermarket chain. Bohack faded into consumer history in 1977, but its remnants can still be seen on the smokestack of one of its former buildings at the intersection. Send us your historic photos of Queens by sharing them on our Facebook and Twitter pages, emailing them to editorial@qns.com, or mailing printed pictures to The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you upon request. needs to formally submit these names to the New York State Senate for approval. This apparent inaction may be part of the respective behavior and ongoing fi ghts between NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, which is really nothing new. Democrats New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have a lot in common with the late Republicans Governor Nelson Rockefeller (1959 - 1974) and NYC Mayor John Lindsay (1966 - 1973) along with Governor George Pataki (1995 - 2006) and NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (1994 - 2001). The same is true for the late Democrat Governor Mario Cuomo (1983 - 1992) and New York City Mayor Ed Koch (1978-1988). Nelson Rockefeller, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo and son Andrew Cuomo deal with mayors who want equal billing on the political marque. Lindsay’s urban, Koch’s Big Apple, Giuliani’s safety/quality of life and de Blasio’s progressive agenda is dependent upon both increased state and federal assistance. This confl icts with governors who have to worry about all 62 counties making up New York State. It also creates problems for governors who harbor presidential ambitions. Larry Penner, Great Neck GOING TOO FAR WITH MASSAGE PARLOR BUSTS What exactly did they crack down on? One happy ending and three women giving massages with no license. Anyone have any idea what it takes to get a massage license? It puts the cost massages out of reach for 99 percent of the people. This is a crime similar to jay walking. And yet we get this sensational headline. What a waste of taxpayer dollars. A more useful allocation of resources would be to stop all that speeding down private streets where our kids walk home from school. QNS user Michael Scott ACCOUNTABILITY ON ALL LEVELS, INCLUDING H IGHER ED BY STATE SENATOR TOBY ANN STAVISKY Transparency at all levels of government is essential to the elimination of corruption and the reestablishment of the public’s trust. Over the years there have been reforms to the Public Officers Law to restore the public’s trust and confi dence in government through the prevention of corruption, favoritism and undue infl uence. Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the changes to government and political ethics in state government. Ideas and legislation have been thrown around, yet there has been no signifi cant reform. In the meantime, however, I feel my bill, S3158A — which recently passed in the Senate — is a step in the right direction. Under current law, members of the board of trustees for a community college outside of New York City are not deemed state offi cers or employees — meaning they are not held to the Public Offi cers Law gift ban. As public institutions for higher education that are heavily reliant on city and state funds, I found it odd that the Public Offi cers Law did not apply to them. Trustees, after all, hold a signifi cant amount of power and infl uence. Members of the board have oversight of budgets and the contracts included therein. In 2009, in Jefferson County, the community college’s board of trustees increased the limit on the value of a gift from $25 to $100. According to reports, the new amount would make it easier to take a college offi cial to dinner. This decision was in direct opposition to the policies and practices established by other State University of New York intuitions that eliminated all gifts of any amount. Fortunately, there have been no reports of bribery in recent years, but the questions and perception of ethics and confl icts of interest cannot be ignored. This bill does not seek to punish, but rather remove any perceived ethical issues or confl icts of interest. Transparency is important at all levels, including our facilities of higher education, especially in today’s political climate. College is a time to fi nd oneself. A place where students can discover who they are and who they would like to become. I am committed to preserving that experience by ensuring contract and budget decisions are based on who is best for the job, not who bought the most expensive dinner. Stavisky represents the 16th Senate District, which covers parts of Flushing, Forest Hills, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Rego Park, Middle Village, Fresh Meadows, Woodside and Oakland Gardens. She is the Ranking Democrat on the Higher Education Committee.
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