28 The Queens Courier • DECEMBER 20, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com
28 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 20, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Scapegoating a fi ne public servant
Joseph Esposito spent nearly 50
years in service to New York City, and
deserves a far better exit than the one
he’s been forced to endure.
The outgoing Emergency
Management commissioner spent 40
years with the NYPD, rising from a
trainee in 1968 to the highest uniformed
position the force has, chief of department.
THE QUEENS
editorial
sun
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
CO-PUBLISHER
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
STAFF REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS
PRODUCTION MANAGER
INSIDE SALES MANAGER
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PRESIDENT & CEO
VICE PRESIDENT
WWW.COURIERSUN.COM
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
BOB BRENNAN
ROBERT POZARYCKI
NIRMAL SINGH
EMILY DAVENPORT
JENNA BAGCAL, MARK HALLUM, KATRINA MEDOFF,
CARLOTTA MOHAMED, ALEJANDRA O'CONNELL-DOMENECH,
BILL PARRY, NAEISHA ROSE
CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI
DEBORAH CUSICK
CELESTE ALAMIN
MARIA VALENCIA
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
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STORY: Teenager turns himself in for slashing student at Benjamin
Cardozo High School in Bayside
SUMMARY: A 15-year-old boy is now in custody on assault and
weapons possession charges for slashing a fellow student at
Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside on Tuesday morning — and
causing a 2 1/2 hour lockdown of the campus that alarmed students,
parents and staff alike.
REACH: 46,184 people reached (as of 12/19/18)
He served honorably in that role
for 13 years, from 2000 to his mandatory
retirement in 2013. During his tenure,
he particularly distinguished himself
as part of the response to the Sept.
11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Mayor Bill de Blasio made the smart
move in 2014 when he called on
Esposito to serve the city once more
as Emergency Management commissioner.
In that role, Esposito continued
looking out for New Yorkers and making
sure the city could handle any crisis,
large or small, with relative ease.
But then de Blasio decided to place at
Esposito’s feet the blame for the city’s
inept response to a November 2018
snowstorm. He had a deputy fi re him,
but due to confusion, Esposito never
got the message. He showed up to work
days later, only to later agree on his
departure aft er a conversation with the
mayor.
Th is shameful episode should not
tarnish the public’s appreciation for
Esposito’s dedication to the people of
the city. He served the city responsibly
from start to fi nish, and no politician’s
buck-passing can change that fact.
Th e mayor may not have appreciated
Esposito’s talents, but the majority
of us do. And in the end, that’s all
that counts.
A high time to
go green in NY
Ten states in this country have legalized
the recreational use of marijuana — and
if Governor Andrew Cuomo has anything
to say about it, New York will become the
11th to do so next year.
Currently, marijuana use is permitted in
the Empire State for medicinal purposes. In
recent years, the state and city have sought
to decriminalize possession of minute
amounts of weed as part of overall eff orts
to reform the criminal justice system.
Th e national trend on pot has been toward
legalization, and New York shouldn’t stand
in the way any longer.
Th e resources expended by law enforcement
toward keeping pot off the streets
could be used to fi ght more serious crimes.
Marijuana-related businesses will create
new jobs and pump money into the economy
at a time when it’s beginning to slow
down.
Th e revenue generated from taxes charged
on marijuana sales off ers a new source of
revenue to fund public improvements.
While marijuana use should be legalized,
the state must regulate the use and
sale of pot with regulations similar to those
applied to alcohol and tobacco consumption
— no sale or distribution to anyone
under 21, no smoking in public, no marijuana
use while operating vehicles or heavy
machinery, etc.
Let’s legalize it, but let’s do it the right
way.
Publisher & E ditor Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Co-Publisher Joshua A. Schneps
Chief Operating Officer Bob Brennan
E ditor-In-Chief Robert Pozarycki
Art Director Nirmal Singh
S ocial Media Manager Emily Davenport
S taff Reporters Jenna Bagcal, Mark Hallum, Katrina Medoff
Carlotta Mohamed, Bill Parry, Naeisha Rose
Alejandra O’connell-Domenech
Contributing Reporters Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni
Production Manager Deborah Cusick
I nside Sales Manager Celeste Alamin
Chief Financial Officer Maria Valencia
President & CEO Victoria Schneps-Yunis
Vice President Joshua A. Schneps
Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com
Entire Contents Copyright 2017 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.
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