FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 25, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
oped letters & comments
NO BOARD TERM
LIMITS NEEDED
I oppose the Nov. 6 ballot proposition
to provide term limits for
community board members. Why?
Because term limits already exist.
All community board members
must be reappointed every two
years by their respective borough
president aft er recommendation
from their local City Council member.
Th is two-step process is fair and
equitable for anyone who applies,
and community board re-appointments
are based on past service and
attendance, otherwise members are
not re-appointed.
Community board members are
dedicated, passionate, hard-working
volunteers who do not see their
roles as honorariums. Many boards
today do not have the full 50-member
body allowed by City Charter.
Even with these current vacancies
and opportunities for new members,
many do not apply as this
dedicated volunteer role is not for
everyone. Term limits will further
dampen encouragement for new
membership.
Term limits would cause a huge
loss of institutional knowledge.
Many community board members
are valued experts as attorneys,
architects, engineers, police
and fi re offi cials and these esteemed
individuals are extremely diffi cult
to replace.
Civic organizations rely on their
local community boards for this
expertise and institutional knowledge
to protect the best interests of
their neighborhoods.
It takes many years for community
board volunteers to learn and
correctly apply government procedures,
applicable law and public
policy. As the vice chairman of
Community Board 7 Queens, I see
many new members express themselves
incorrectly or abstain from
voting because they admittedly do
not understand the subject matter.
Developers would love to appear
before inexperienced community
boards who would lack the expertise
and articulation to oppose them
thus creating a “developers’ dream.”
Most people do not realize that
term limits do not exist for our
U.S. senators, Congress members,
governor, state comptroller,
state attorney general, state senators,
Assembly members or district
attorneys. Yet the mayor wants
term limits for the passionate volunteers
that are gate-keepers of our
local communities?
Th is is why many elected offi cials,
including four borough presidents,
oppose the community board term
limits proposal. Th ey understand
and value the input of their local
community boards who willingly
volunteer their time for the betterment
of their communities.
Chuck Apelian, Flushing
DESPAIR FOR
THE REPUBLIC
Mark Twain supposedly said, “It
ain’t what you don’t know that gets
you into trouble, it’s what you know
for sure that just ain’t so.”
Today, too many Americans listen
only to biased news, accepting
falsehood as fact and voting against
their own best interests. Th ey don’t
recognize that politicians disregard
constituents to do the bidding of
corporations and wealthy donors
who can spend unlimited amounts
of money on political campaigns
thanks to Citizens United.
Instead of promoting the common
good, our present administration
is undoing regulations that
protect us and the environment.
Th is increases profi ts for corporations,
but huge profi ts have not
resulted in higher wages for workers.
Democracy is bogus when policies
that don’t benefi t most citizens
are promoted by a few and accepted
by the rest.
Th e truth has now been deemed
“fake news” by our president, who
lies on a regular basis and calls the
free press the enemy of the people.
We need to get smart, get involved
and fi ght for our rights. If we don’t
have a democracy with some for all,
we will have an oligarchy with all
for some.
With such widespread lack of
knowledge and acceptance of outright
lies, I’ve lost all hope for our
country.
Linda Imhauser, Whitestone
MORALITY GONE
IN THE GRAND
OLD PARTY
Th e reality for most people is
morality is that we hold others to
and when it comes to ourselves
we fi nd rationalizations for exceptions.
Guilt is felt for others while
we bathe in the light of a higher
standard.
Th e politics of today are shockingly
removed from questions of
morals, ethics or probity. What was
an outrage in the past can be overlooked,
excused and forgiven. Th e
old premise that Americans forgive
past transgressions and that the sinner
is permitted a fresh start truly
applies only to allies and those who
have power over us.
South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham,
as a congressman who prosecuted
Bill Clinton in the House to win
the votes needed for impeachment,
is not the same person as senator
today. Th e Republican Party devotion
to higher standards of moral
conduct has disappeared under the
sway of Trump’s ironclad grip of
the Republican base.
Republicans are no longer enraged
by Russian aggression, fear of nukes
from North Korea that are no longer
considered a threat as a result
of “love,” accepting that America’s
allies are simply money grubbers
while hate fi lled groups are equal
to those who oppose their rhetoric
redefi nes the Republicans as lacking
any claim to the American legacy
of exceptionalism.
Ed Horn, Baldwin
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Reject two city
ballot proposals
BY HENRY EULER
On Election Day, voters will be asked to consider
three proposals put forth by the NYC Charter
Revision Commission. Th ese proposals were developed
following public hearings that were held across the city
regarding changes to be made to the City Charter.
I have opinions on Proposals No. 2 and No. 3. Th ese
opinions are my own, and not necessarily the opinions
of any of the civic or community organizations that I
belong to. For full disclosure, I am a member of Queens
Community Board 11 for 13 years.
Proposal No. 2 deals with the establishment of a Civic
Engagement Commission, which will promote participation
by city residents in certain aspects of decision
making in terms of making recommendations
for projects in communities. Participatory budgeting
will come under the purview of this commission. Also,
the mayor will be able “to assign relevant powers and
duties of certain other city agencies to the commission,”
according to an online abstract.
It seems to me that this makes the city agencies
involved less eff ective and less relevant, with more
power being given to the Commission.
Th e mayor will be appointing 8 of the 15 members
of the commission, a majority of the seats. Th e City
Council speaker will get to fi ll two of the seats, and each
of the fi ve borough presidents will appoint one member
to the commission. One of the mayor’s appointees will
be the Commission chair and this chair will employ and
direct the commission staff .
Doesn’t this give the mayor extraordinary control? I
believe we should be decentralizing power in the city,
not giving the mayor, whoever he or she may be, more
power. I think that this proposal needs more review and
reassessment before it is put before the voters.
Proposal No. 3 seems to be getting the most public
attention. It would term limit community board members.
Th e reason to do this, given by the proponents,
is the need to expand diversity on boards throughout
the city.
Th is is a worthy goal, however, when I look at my
own board, I feel that we are already well on our way
to achieving this goal. We have been adding new members
each year, so we do have a board with diverse backgrounds,
ages and beliefs.
As a community board member, I appreciate the wisdom
and knowledge of many of my fellow board members
who have served their communities on the board
for long periods of time. We have vacancies on my
board, so what would be the sense of removing long
time members and losing all of their experience and
know-how with board concerns like land use matters
and other community issues?
Our newer members do not necessarily have this type
of knowledge. Th ey are learning, just as we all learn
from interacting with each other. Removing longtime
members would weaken boards, in my opinion.
Board members are unpaid volunteers who spend
many hours at monthly meetings and various committee
meetings. Board members must reapply every two
years and are appointed by the borough president with
the input from local Council members.
If a board member is not doing a good job, he or she
may not be reappointed. Board membership is not a
lifetime position.
Term limits for community board members do not
make sense, in my opinion. I will be voting “No” on
Proposal #3 as well as Proposal # 2. Th e proposals are
on the back of the ballot.
Mr. Euler is a resident of Bayside.
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