FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 28, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 35
A LOOK BACK
‘Twas the day after Christmas in 2010 when Queens and the rest of New York City was socked by a massive snowstorm. The snowfall, up to 20 inches in most spots, was so rapid and heavy that it
overwhelmed the Sanitation Department’s ability to quickly plow the streets and keep the borough moving. Residents woke up on Dec. 27 to fi nd many roadways, such as 74th Street off 66th Drive
in Middle Village (as shown), completely impassible. It would take several days before the streets were fully plowed and the borough was back up and running at full strength. Send us your historic
pictures of Queens by email to editorial@qns.com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed pictures to A Look Back, The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All mailed pictures will be
carefully returned to you.
oped letters & comments
ISLES ARENA AT
BELMONT A BIG POWER
PLAY FOR QUEENS
It has just been announced that the
Islanders are moving back to Long Island
where they belong with a new 18,000-
seat arena that will be built near Belmont
Park in Elmont. What is really sweet is
that it will be on the border of Queens,
where I live in Glen Oaks Village.
Th is is great for all us hockey fans and
all others who would like a sports arena
close to home. Not to mention get to see
the Rangers and Islanders play against
each other, closer to home for many of us.
Let’s go Islanders!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
BUY AMERICA ACT
MAY LEAD TO MORE
FED FUNDS
Governor Cuomo signing the “NY
Buy America Act” legislation mandating
the MTA and other state agencies
to “Buy American” is nothing new for
the MTA, New York State Department
of Transportation, Th ruway Authority
and Bridge Authority. Th ey receive
billions each year from the United
States Department of Transportation
Federal Transit and Federal Highway
Administrations.
“Buy America” requirements for both
transit, bridge and highway projects are
one of many requirements for receipt of
federal funding. Th is impacts the MTA’s
ability get the best bang for the buck
when spending $7 billion in direct federal
formula grant funds, potentially several
billion more in competitive discretionary,
New Starts and Hurricane Sandy
relief dollars under the MTA $32 billion
2015-2019 Five-Year Capital Program.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
CUOMO’S PREPAY PLAN
IS TAX SCAM, TOO
How is it that no one is calling out
Governor Cuomo’s fake “tax help”?
We live in New York. How many New
Yorkers have $11,000 to $20,000 and up
sitting around to “pre-pay” their taxes?
Th is is a slap in the face to all hardworking
New York families. Th is is a slap in the
face to the middle-class families that make
up home ownership in this state!
Where are our elected representatives?
Why aren’t they calling out this farce?
What else are they doing to rectify this
burden?
Th is is not a fi x. Th is is an insult. We
need a permanent fi x in this overpriced,
underserved state!
Alfredo Centola, Whitestone
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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 publication
or its staff .
Mr. Mayor: Restore order in the courts
BY COUNCILMAN RORY LANCMAN
New York City’s justice system cannot
function without judges.
Yet today our Criminal Courts are
plagued by a speedy trial crisis, driven
in part by the lack of judges available
to hear cases.
Without judges, attorneys cannot
present the facts and make their case;
the accused cannot put forward their
defense; victims cannot seek justice;
and witnesses cannot be heard.
While cases languish in the courts,
those defendants who cannot aff ord
to pay bail are stuck on Rikers Island
indefi nitely. As a result, individuals
are separated from their families and
communities and unable to earn a living
for long periods of time — all at a
great expense to the taxpayer. In 2015,
misdemeanor and low-level defendants
waited on average 564 days for a trial
by jury, or 474 days for a trial by judge.
As time goes by, and the prospect of
a speedy trial fades, victims and defendants
alike are more likely to surrender
to the system to move ahead with their
lives, instead of seeking justice. Th at is
a travesty.
Mayor de Blasio must not exacerbate
the problem. In November 2016, eight
New York City Civil Court judges were
elected to the state Supreme Court,
thereby leaving these positions open
for the mayor to fi ll on Jan. 1, 2017.
Interim Civil Court judges are almost
always assigned to serve in Criminal
Court.
Inexplicably, the mayor let the vacancies
linger well into May 2017, and
were only fi lled aft er the Courts & Legal
Services Committee, which I chair,
held an oversight hearing to examine
the delay. Th e mayor’s unwillingness
to promptly fi ll these vacancies left the
city’s judiciary understaff ed at a time
when our courts are starved for judges.
Aft er the mayor fi nally fi lled these
vacancies, I urged him to immediately
begin the vetting and review process
for the 2018 vacancies to ensure that
our city has a full slate of judges.
In the coming days, we will fi nd out
if the mayor is serious about having
a fully staff ed judiciary to take on the
current case backlog. On Jan. 1, there
will be 12 vacancies on the New York
City Civil Court as a result of the Nov.
7 general election. Th ese vacancies have
been known since September 2017,
when the Democratic and Republican
parties held their nominating conventions.
Despite this, we have yet to hear
from City Hall if the mayor is on track
to fi ll these openings in a timely manner.
New Yorkers already spend enough
time waiting for their judicial system
to function at an appropriate pace. Th e
mayor should not make this problem
worse.
Lancman represents the 24th Council
District, which covers Kew Gardens Hills,
Pomonok, Electchester, Fresh Meadows,
Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood,
Parkway Village, Jamaica Hills and
Jamaica.