FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 9, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
letters & comments
TERM LIMITS WOULD RUIN COMMUNITY BOARDS
Th e NYC Charter Revision Commission
is currently considering various changes
to the city charter that would amend various
NEW YORKERS NEED
TO CARE ABOUT
VOTING AGAIN
With the local and midterm elections
swift ly approaching, eligible New Yorkers
of all backgrounds and political leanings
must register to vote, and those who are
already registered should make sure others
in their communities are prepared to
cast their ballots. Th e rights of women,
people of color and immigrants are more
vulnerable than ever, and it is imperative
we ensure that our leaders are representing
New Yorkers’ concerns and views.
Th e data is clear: more New Yorkers
need to register and vote in elections.
From 1953 to 2013, voter turnout
decreased from 93 percent to only 26 percent,
and during the 2016 election, New
York ranked 41st out of 50 states in voter
turnout. As a city, we must work to break
down barriers to voting and amplify the
voices of women, low-income communities
and others who lack representation in
our political system.
Th is summer, Women’s City Club of
New York is hosting voter registration
events across the city, including at the
Jackson Heights Library and Queens
Central Library, encouraging New
Yorkers to sign voting pledge cards, fi ll
out voter registration forms, or update
their address if they have moved. New
Yorkers can also access voting guides and
register online at www.voting.nyc, and
learn more about voting rights and elections
from LWV-NYC.
Our goal is to promote civic engagement
and get more women and eligible
girls to register to vote, particularly those
who are seeking access and opportunities,
and empower them to make their voices
heard at the ballot box and in public
policy.
Carole Wacey, President & CEO,
Women’s City Club of New York
PRESS FREEDOM IN
TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS
Letter-writer Larry Penner is absolutely
right when he says it’s important to support
newspapers, especially local papers
(Support your local newspapers!, Aug. 2).
But I wonder if he’s aware that in March
Trump imposed a tariff of up to 30 percent
on Canadian uncoated paper.
Th at raised the price of newsprint, making
it diffi cult for cash-strapped newspapers
to circulate their work. As if limiting
economic freedom weren’t enough,
Trump is undermining Americans’ freedom
of expression with this needless tax
on journalism.
Freedom of the press is in Trump’s
crosshairs. Why? When local newspapers
aren’t there to hold governments
accountable, corruption, scandals and
costs increase due to a lack of scrutiny.
Truth, facts, reality? All off ensive to
Trump supporters.
Robert LaRosa, Whitestone
PROLIFE DOESN’T
MEAN ANTIWOMAN
Mr. LaRosa says that the rights spoken
of in our Declaration of Independence
do not apply to the “unborn” (‘Pro-Life’
Really Isn’t Pro-Life, July 13). Yet, in a
sentence following, he seems to indicate
that those unborn in “late-term situations”
do have some rights independent
of the mother.
Our founding fathers declared that
“all men are created equal, endowed by
their Creator with inherent rights; that
among these are life… .” Did our founding
fathers consider an individual to be
“created” only when he or she left the
womb? Even science tells us that the act of
creation takes place at conception.
All that follows, if it is allowed to continue,
is the maturation of a human being.
Th ere are even laws that protect the life in
the womb in the event that the individual
is hurt or killed due to an assault on the
pregnant woman.
Mr. LaRosa should not paint every prolife
person “anti-woman” or unconcerned
about other issues involving women and
children.
Bernard Zablocki, Ridgewood
Editor’s note: Th e author erroneously
quoted the Declaration of Independence
in mentioning that “all men are created
equal, endowed by their Creator with
inherent rights.” Th e actual Declaration of
Independence states that “that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their
creator with certain unalienable rights…”.
Email your letters to editorial@qns.com
(Subject: Letter to the Editor) or leave a
comment to any of our stories at QNS.com.
You can also send a letter by regular mail
to Letters to the Editor, 38-15 Bell Blvd.,
Bayside, NY 11361. All letters are subject
to editing. Names will be withheld upon
request, but anonymous letters will not
be considered for publication. Th e views
expressed in all letters and comments are
not necessarily those of this newspaper or
its staff .
governmental practices in our city.
Public hearings have been held giving the
people a chance to give their opinions
on governmental matters that need to be
changed or improved. Th e Commission
will then issue a report that will discuss
fi ndings and recommendations to
change the city charter. Th ese changes
will be brought before the voters for
their approval or disapproval in the general
election.
With regards to community boards,
there have been proposals that community
board members should be term limited.
I disagree with that stance.
I have served on my local community
board for several years and have seen
fi rsthand the importance of experience
on my board. Th e institutional knowledge
that our seasoned board members
possess assist with decision making with
frequent regularity. Many of the experienced
people on my board have lived
in their communities for long periods of
time and understand the needs and workings
of those communities.
Th is year, six new members joined my
board. Last year, six other new members
joined as well. We still have six vacancies
on my board. I believe that we have
an excellent mix in terms of diversity, age
and viewpoints.
My board is changing naturally, with
longtime members gradually leaving the
board and those positions being replaced
by new people every year. Th ere is no
need to remove from the board knowledgeable
unpaid volunteers who have
served with distinction and integrity over
the course of several years to better their
communities. I believe that this is the case
for many of the boards across the city.
Term limiting will result in weaker
boards, in my opinion, because of the loss
of experienced members.
Every board member must renew their
membership every two years. Th e local
City Council member and the borough
president decide whether to re-appoint
the board member or not. If there are
issues with a board member, that member
may not be reappointed. So serving
on a local board is not a lifetime appointment.
It is important that all community voices
are heard on our community boards.
Even though boards are only advisory
in nature, all sectors of the community
merit representation on those boards.
I would urge all community members
who are interested, to consider joining
their local boards. Applications (they
are online at queensbp.org) are fi led in
January, with appointments announced
in March.
Henry Euler, Bayside
Editor’s note: Euler is a member of
Community Board 11.
A LOOK BACK
This undated photo from the Ridgewood Times archives shows the exterior of what is today
Trinity-St. Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church at the corner of 60th Street and 60th Avenue
in Maspeth. This church, completed in May 1941, replaced the original home of Trinity Lutheran
Church of Maspeth, which was a smaller structure at the corner of 60th Avenue and 59th Place.
In 1971, Trinity Lutheran of Maspeth merged with neighboring St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church
of Brooklyn (located in Ridgewood) to form the Trinity-St. Andrews congregation. Send us your
historic photos of Queens by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed
pictures to A Look Back, Schneps Publications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed
pictures will be carefully returned to you.
/www.voting.nyc
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