16 THE COURIER SUN • JULY 25, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com editorial letters sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tonia N. Cimino Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Melisa Chan, Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola Maggie Hayes, Angy Altamirano Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Bill Krese Jan DiGeronimo Maria Romero Warren Susman Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Editorial Cartoonist Director, Business Development Events Manager Senior Acount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 Sales Fax: 718-631-3498 website: www.couriersun.com e-mail:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com Entire Contents Copyright 2013 by The Courier Sun All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE COURIER SUN and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. Hot Hot Hot As the city swelters through its most intense heat wave of the summer so far, Con Edison should be able to meet electrical demand with minimal to no disruption in service to its millions of customers. After spending millions of dollars to upgrade its infrastructure, the utility has an obligation to maintain electrical service to its customers. Every summer, we go through the same request of Con Ed asking people to reduce electrical usage during heat waves. There are many who will heed the request and cut back, and there are many who just continue to crank up their air conditioners at maximum cold settings. Stay cool, everybody John Amato Fresh Meadows McCaffrey fondly remembered Many people have expressed sadness at the loss of former New York City Councilmember Walter McCaffrey, and gratitude for his many years of exemplary public service. I would like to add my own note of admiration. He devoted himself to improving the quality of life for New York City residents and worked very hard on behalf of Queens, his lifelong home. I saw firsthand the impact of his hard work. Just one of his many professional accomplishments was enabling Sunnyside Community Services to construct a new senior center. The $1.77 million he allocated made it possible for us to build our Center for Active Older Adults, which was completed in 2008. This center now has a daily attendance of approximately 200 seniors, who are able to enjoy a hot meal, stay healthy and active, and apply for benefits. I am honored to have known Walter McCaffrey and I offer my condolences to his friends and loved ones. Judy Zangwill Executive Director Sunnyside Community Services Better idea In reference to New York State Assemblymember David Weprin and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky’s support of “Election Equality Long Overdue” (Op- Ed, July 18): supporting the NYC Board of Elections putting Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi on ballots and election material is disappointing. Weprin’s grandparents or great-grand parents emigrated to America just like mine. They quickly learned to assimilate by learning English, became American citizens and began participating in our electoral process. This is what has previously united the various immigrant groups to make our nation great. I’m sure Weprin’s Cuban mom followed this path as well. There are over 150 immigrant groups in the gorgeous mosaic of New York City. Does Weprin propose that we discriminate against over 140 other ethnic groups and not provide them with ballots and election materials in their native language as well? Can you imagine the chaos and cost to taxpayers for printing ballots, along with hiring language interpreters, at all polling place for every ethnic group? Weprin’s new state assembly district, based upon the 2010 reapportionment, includes far more new voters who don’t know him. Many are of South Asian origin. Weprin’s proposal is nothing more than politics as usual. He is just attempting to curry favor with new potential ethnic voting block. Why doesn’t Weprin promote English speaking classes to a new generation of immigrants? This is the best way to assist our new neighbors and help them participate in the election process, rather than continuing promoting tribal politics. Larry Penner THE SYSTEM WORKS Stellar work by the NYPD. Cops were able to collar an unholy criminal the DA said is accused of being a “one-man crime wave” when they arrested 34-year-old David Spencer of Brooklyn for allegedly breaking into four Queens churches between July 10 and July 17. Spencer allegedly made off with more than $7,000 worth of items – including a movie projector, a sound-system amplifier, computer equipment and musical instruments. An investigation by detectives assigned to the NYPD’s 105th and 113th Precincts’ Detective Squads led to Spencer’s arrest and arraignment on five criminal complaints, charging him with third-degree burglary, third-degree attempted burglary, third- and fourth degree criminal mischief and third- and fourth degree grand larceny. Spencer was ordered held on a total of $40,000 bail and is to return to court in August. This is a perfect example of the system working. Despite facing a “thin blue line,” the NYPD was out there, working for the community, keeping it safe. Now the case is in the just hands of the office of the Queens district attorney, meaning justice will be served. INSULT TO INJURY Waiting game. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a preliminary report on Wednesday, July 17 detailing how charities have spent more than half a billion dollars of Sandy donations. At least $238 million of the more than $575 million had not been spent as of April of this year. WHAT’S THE HOLDUP? As Arthur Lighthall, president of the Breezy Point Cooperative, said, “All one needs to do is look around Breezy Point to realize what a travesty this is.” BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. The Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, which regulates all state charities, reviewed the Sandy contributions and found that 58 percent of donations had gone to storm relief efforts; 17 organizations reported potentially using funds for non-Sandy purposes such as preventing future disasters; and responding organizations granted half of the $336 million they had received to other organizations. Now there’s no doubt that we must better prepare ourselves in the face of future natural disasters. But the fact remains that in the here and now, WE MUST REBUILD. Schneiderman’s Charities Bureau is heightening its review of Sandy fundraising and seeking more detailed answers from the responding charities, including a clearer account of how money has been spent and plans for remaining funds. We feel State Senator Joseph Addabbo said it best: “These funds are useless unless given to those who are truly in need.” VISIT queenscourier.com For more stories
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