30 THE COURIER SUN • DECEMBER 4, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com editorial letters sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tom Topousis Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola, Angy Altamirano Katrina Medoff, Eric Jankiewicz, Salvatore Licata Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Demetra Plagakis 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 Events Manager Senior Acc ount 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 www.couriersun.com editorial e-mail: [email protected] for advertising e-mail: [email protected] Entire Contents Copyright 2014 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. IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is VISIT QueensCourier.com FOR MORE STORIES Monster snowstorms could be new normal in warmer world The monster snowstorm in Buffalo last week was downright scary. But storms like this are exactly the sort of extreme weather that climate scientists predict will become more frequent in New York unless we reign in the carbon pollution fueling global warming. We know what we have to do: limit carbon from the largest sources – our power plants – and shift to clean energy like wind, solar, and energy efficiency. And that’s just what the Environmental Protection Agency would do under the newly proposed Clean Power Plan. But instead of letting EPA do its job, polluters’ allies in Congress are actually threatening to shut down the government instead of cutting carbon from power plants. Its time for New Yorkers, along with our leaders like Governor Cuomo, to do everything they can to support EPA’s action. Governor Cuomo has stuck up for our health by investing significantly in renewable energy. Now it’s time for him to come up with a strong plan that uses wind and solar energy to beat the Clean Power Plan targets! Heather Leibowitz Director of Environment New York Congress and president must work together As the new year approaches, it is time for both the Congress and the president to put aside their differences on the many important issues that affect our nation. Immigration, the war against ISIS, continued high unemployment and tensions continuing nationally as a result of the Ferguson case need to be addressed. Compromise and not confrontation is what needs to be stressed by both sides. The president needs to understand the concerns of the American people, which are channeled through the Congress, and the Congress needs to be willing to be flexible as well. Without flexibility, there will be government gridlock, which would not bode at all well for our country. John Amato Fresh Meadows No salary increase necessary Now that 99 percent of our state Assembly and state Senators have been reelected, many are looking to pass legislation in a lame duck session which will give them a future salary increase. The 2014 State Legislature Session Calendar covered a six-month period from Jan. 1, 2014, to June 30, 2014. There were 129 available weekdays. After subtracting New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day and Memorial Day, most ordinary New Yorkers worked 125 days. The Legislature was in session only 62 days. Not bad for a part-time job. Many members find the time to hold down second jobs paying even more. Most members in the majority Democratic State Assembly and Republican State Senate/ Independent Democrat coalition supplemented their base pay of $79,000 per year with lulus for chairing dozens of useless committees and subcommittees. These are up to $41,500. This can result in a salary of $121,000 per year. This is supplemented by day-to-day meal expense accounts and reimbursement for travel to and from Albany. Nobody was drafted to run for public office. Everyone knew of both the salary, perks of office and limited work requirements. Members of the state Legislature are lucky to have their part-time jobs! There are plenty of out-of-work New Yorkers who would be more than happy to replace them. They would gladly show up for work full time, not constantly complain or ask for a salary increase. Larry Penner Great Neck No amnesty! I’m absolutely disgusted with President Obama’s efforts to grant amnesty to 5 million undocumented immigrants. President Obama is granting amnesty to these persons who will certainly not be voting or supporting Republican candidates in the coming years! I like what Senator Ted Cruz has been saying! No amnesty! Obey the constitution! Let’s restore the republic! We must never surrender! Now is the time to fight the Democrats and the “RINOs” with everything we have! Michael Mullaney Bayside RIDGEWOOD IS BREWING It’s a small start, but the planned opening of a new, microbrewery in Ridgewood is likely a sign of bigger things to come for the neighborhood. Our congratulations to Queens native Rich Castagna, who recently began work to convert an empty warehouse into his new Bridge and Tunnel Brewery at the corner of Decatur Street and Wyckoff Avenue. Castagna clearly sees the potential for the once-quiet neighborhood. But he’s also reviving a tradition that occupied many of Ridgewood’s residents of generations past who worked in the breweries of neighboring Bushwick, which at one time was the East Coast’s leading producer of beer. It’s nice to see growth that links to a neighborhood’s past. Ridgewood has long been one of the city’s lesser-known neighborhood jewels. But that’s changing as the community’s quiet streets are becoming home to artists and musicians alongside working-class New Yorkers. The trick is keeping Ridgewood’s charm as the neighborhood is revitalized. Rezoning of blocks of historic homes under the last mayoral administration does help to preserve some of the community’s character. New businesses that harken back to Ridgewood’s roots, like Castagna’s microbrewery, also go a long way toward capitalizing on new trends that resonate with the past. The brewery will have a tasting room up front. Hopefully in years to come this will be a place for Ridgewood residents new and old to create a sense of community. A GIVING SPIRIT The holiday parties are kicking into gear, and festive lights are blazing from residential streets to downtown shopping areas. It’s hard not to be festive at this time of year. But for thousands of New Yorkers, down on their luck or elderly and alone, the holidays don’t include much celebration. That’s why there’s no better way to get into the spirit of the season than by thinking of someone else. It could be a visit with a neighbor who has no family, or shopping for toys for one of the many drives to help unfortunate kids have a little fun this season. The Queens Courier is one of many companies and organizations holding toy drives to make the holidays a bit brighter for kids who wouldn’t otherwise expect much in the way of holiday gifts. The newspaper has organized a toy drive for 83 boys and 83 girls through the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens. Toys for kids between the ages of 5 and 10 can be dropped off at The Courier’s office at 38-15 Bell Blvd., or at branches of the Flushing Bank. Toys are also being accepted at Christie Salon & Co., in The Bay Terrace Shopping Center, 23-64 Bell Blvd. Rest assured, there’s no shortage of ways to make someone else’s life a bit better during the holidays by donating toys, food or time to those in need.
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