FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 24, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 47
BELLEROSE NEEDS
MORE TRAFFIC AGENTS
Gone are the days when we had regular
scheduled maintenance of our arterial
roadways — twice a year is not
enough to cut waist-high weeds along
with litter on roadways like the Cross
Island Parkway, Braddock Avenue and
Little Neck Parkway.
No real building code enforcement
for the one- and two-family homes
(the city’s real tax base) which, in fact,
the mayor is personally responsible for
families living in dangerous living conditions
with illegal attics and cellars all
over the place.
It’s time to start fi ning landlords and
homeowners for telling their tenants
not to let the building inspector in.
Increase the fi ne for each time they are
refused entry.
But no, the mayor doesn’t want to do
anything about these unsafe conditions
for these unfortunate renters. I am told
that in one case in our neighborhood
children are living above a garage.
Th e outer boroughs see less traffi c
enforcement with trucks parking on
thoroughfares, in front of libraries for
long periods of time and on homeowners’
side streets, depriving homeowners
of parking in front of their homes.
No traffi c agents … therefore no tickets
issued in our area of Bellerose. Th e
outer boroughs will decline with the
mayor’s inaction.
Virginia Salow, Bellerose
ELECTION DAY IS
ALMOST HERE
Nov. 5 is Election Day, and is a
time for all registered voters to get
out and vote.
In the last general election, voter
turnout was low. Well, in my opinion,
I fi nd that to be a total disgrace.
We live in a free country and
we have the right to choose who
can better represent us. When we
don’t vote, the possibility exists that
wrong candidates — who don’t
always represent our vital interests
— get elected.
We need representatives who
want to serve the people and are
truly concerned with what we the
people hold most dear.
Th ere are many issues that should
concern us, including taxes, education,
homelessness, aff ordable
housing, health care, crime and
transportation. Th e issues are endless
and need to be addressed by
our elected representatives who
hopefully have workable solutions.
When we don’t vote, we have no
right to complain about how bad
things are. Added to that, when
we don’t vote, the quality of life
decreases.
We all need to express a desire for
better communities. So, I am calling
on my fellow citizens to please
go out and vote on election day!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
TIME FOR THE MTA
TO PAY ITS DEBTS
Moody’s Investment Firm recent
report predicts that the MTA’S proposed
$51 billion 2020 - 2024 Five
Year Capital Plan will add $38 billion
in long-term debt. Th is is on top of the
MTA’s current $44 billion debt.
Don’t be surprised if this new plan
is reduced by billions. Th ere may also
be future service cuts, reduction in
employee salary increases, delays in
routine maintenance, reduction in capital
projects scope of work or delaying
other capital projects until the next
MTA 2025 - 2029 Five Year Capital
Plan.
Th e MTA reminds me of Wimpy who
said, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for
a hamburger today.” Wimpy paid his
debts the following Tuesday.
Th e MTA never seems to pay its
debts, but keeps on borrowing more to
pay for future capital projects. If you or
I managed our fi nances like the MTA,
we would be serving hard time in debtors
prison.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
oped letters & comments
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Cuomo deserves
praise for Mother
Cabrini support
BY CHAZZ PALMINTERI
Th e people of New York
spoke loud and clear:
When the city asked them
which women should be
honored in perpetuity with
a government sanctioned
statue, the overwhelming
favorite was Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.
For reasons that are apparently too classifi ed
for City Hall to divulge, Mayor Bill De Blasio’s
administration ignored the results of the poll
they commissioned in an about-face that can
only be described as extremely insulting to
the patron saint of immigration and the millions
of Italian-Americans and Catholics who
revere her.
However, it’s a testament to her everlasting
infl uence and legacy that Governor Cuomo
has proudly volunteered to assemble a State
Commission to work with the Columbus
Citizens Foundation and the Diocese of
Brooklyn to build a Mother Cabrini statue in
New York City as quickly as possible.
Of the city’s 150 statues, only fi ve of them
are of women. Th is is certainly a travesty
that needs to be corrected, and the people of
New York were right to overwhelmingly select
Mother Cabrini as the fi rst to be immortalized.
She is the embodiment of New York values
and a unifying symbol. She founded some 70
schools, hospitals and orphanages dedicated to
caring for the city’s poor, sick and unwanted.
Today, New York’s 700,000 Italian-Americans
— and any immigrant who has sought refuge
in this great city — owe her a debt of gratitude.
I’m still scratching my head over fi rst lady
Charlene McCray’s decision to spearhead an
initiative to involve the public in the decision,
only to disrespectfully cast aside their votes to
honor an icon who aided the huddled masses
of poor and vulnerable immigrants on their
journey through Ellis Island to American citizenship.
It’s a clear implicit bias.
However, I agree with Governor Cuomo
when he says it’s more important to correct this
injustice than to dwell on this slight to one of
New York’s most important immigrant groups.
Few ethnic groups have immigrated in bigger
numbers to this city to escape oppression
and poverty than Italians. And I applaud
Governor Cuomo for standing up for our
shared heritage, and the heritage of New York’s
massive Italian-American community.
Th e Statue of Liberty is the fi rst thing our
ancestors saw when coming to America, and
now a monument to Mother Cabrini will grace
the shores of Manhattan in the shadow of Lady
Liberty, and remind future generations of this
country’s promise.
Mother Cabrini represents the core values
of this great city of immigrants — and New
Yorkers overwhelmingly selected her as their
top choice to be honored. Th e city ignored
their wishes but thanks to the state, a wrong
has been righted and soon a statue of Cabrini
will stand as tall as her legacy.
Chazz Palminteri is an actor, screenwriter,
producer and playwright.
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