EDITORIALS
TimesLedger Newspapers’ staff shows its support for the awareness of heart disease and dresses in red
on National Wear Red Day. Photo by Mark Hallum
OTHER VOICES
RED FOR A CAUSE
New York needs congestion pricing now
Forest Hills Green Team,
a grassroots group in central
Queens, has joined more than
50 organizations in the Fix the
Subway coalition, which supports
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to
implement congestion pricing.
Charging fees on vehicles
driving into or within
Manhattan’s central business
district is projected to raise $1.5
billion a year for mass transit
in New York City, while helping
weekday traffic in Manhattan
move 20 percent faster.
Expensive upgrades are
essential for our subway and
bus systems, which are already
underfunded and in crisis. Recent
UN reports warn we have less
than 12 years to avoid the worst
climate crisis scenarios. Because
congestion pricing will lower
carbon emissions by shifting
more trips from vehicles to mass
transit, it is an essential part of
New York’s response.
Similar fees were last proposed
in 2007, but technological
advances since then, such as
GPS and open road tolling with
EZ Pass, now enable customized
tolls to be collected automatically
without slowing traffic.
Some elected officials have
claimed that this would unfairly
burden low income outer borough
residents, many of who live far
from mass transit and have no
choice but to drive.
However, according to a
Community Service Society study,
only 4 percent of outer-borough
residents drive to Manhattan
for work, and a vast majority of
them have moderate and higher
incomes. Only 2 percent of the
working poor might potentially
pay a congestion pricing fee.
Most of that group already relies
on public transit and would
benefit from improved funding
and service.
While congestion pricing
won’t pay the full price of subway
upgrades — estimated at $45-
60 billion — it is considered the
single biggest contributor of
predictable, sustainable revenue
for this purpose. These fees can
be required to be used only for
mass transit improvements.
At the same time, MTA
needs to be reformed and closely
monitored.
We invite Queens elected
officials, community boards,
civic groups to join us in urging
Gov. Cuomo to include a robust
congestion pricing plan in the
state budget this year.
Mark Laster and Dan Miner
Co-Chairs
Forest Hills Green Team
MAKE THE RIGHT CALL
The debate rages on.
Is Long Island City the right place for Amazon’s
new headquarters? Will the move help or hurt the
local economy?
When the retail giant announced its intention
to build its new headquarters in Long Island City,
there was strong reaction from both sides.
On one hand, there was positive reaction. Those
who were on board with the plan believed the new
headquarters would bring thousands of jobs to the
New York City, particularly for Queens residents.
They believed the initial $3 billion investment
from New York City would offer a return of more
than $27 billion over the next 25 years.
On the other hand, local elected officials,
including state Sen. Michael Gianaris and City
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer — both of whom
initially supported the plan before it was approved
only to step back after Amazon head Jeff Bezos
gave the proposal a thumbs up — spoke out against
the proposal.
One of reasons Van Bramer has been against
the HQ2 project is because of the online shopping
behemoth’s stance on labor unions. He also called
out Amazon’s reported ties to federal Immigration
and Customs Enforcement agency.
What he’s neglected to mention are the numerous
benefits the project would provide for Queens.
The proposal includes the redevelopment of the
Anable Basin waterfront in Long Island City that
would transform the area into a hub of commerce
in Queens. That’s in addition to all the jobs the
move would provide, as well more business for
local shops.
Now, after months of political backlash from
local politicians, recent reports have Amazon
supposedly reconsidering whether Long Island
City is the right place for its new headquarters.
Should Amazon decide to pick a different
location, Queens — and New York City — would
have missed a tremendous opportunity. Other cities
would be chomping at the bit for an opportunity
like this — a chance to bring thousands of jobs to
the area and boost the local economy — yet here we
are, facing the possibility of Amazon leaving before
it even arrived.
We need to take a stand and prove to Amazon
that Queens is the right place for them. There’s too
much at stake to let an opportunity like this pass
us by.
So, we encourage you to reach out to your elected
officials and encourage to do the right thing and
support the Amazon project.
ASTORIA TIMES ■ BAYSIDE TIMES
FLUSHING TIMES ■ FOREST HILLS LEDGER
FRESH MEADOWS TIMES
JACKSON HEIGHTS TIMES ■ JAMAICA TIMES
LAURELTON TIMES ■ LITTLE NECK LEDGER
QUEENS VILLAGE TIMES ■ RIDGEWOOD LEDGER
WHITESTONE TIMES
BRIAN RICE
Publisher
ZACH GEWELB
Editor
RALPH D’ONOFRIO
V.P. of Advertising
ADVERTISING
Senior Account Executive:
Kathy Wenk
Account Executives:
David Strauss
Sherri Rossi
CIRCULATION
Roberto Palacios
EDITORIAL STAFF
Reporters: Bill Parry, Mark
Hallum, Carlotta Mohamed, Jenna
Bagcal, Emily Davenport
Photographers: Nat Valentine,
Ellis Kaplan, Robert Cole
Copy Editors: Stephen Lepore,
Katrina Medoff
Contributing Writers/Columnists:
Tammy Scileppi, Robert Cole,
Robert Pozarycki
ART & PRODUCTION
Art Director: Leah Mitch
Designer: Connie Sulsenti
Layout: Zach Gewelb
Cartoonist: Tip Sempliner
38-15 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, New York 11361
Advertising: (718) 260-4537
Classifieds: (718) 260-4590
Editorial: (718) 260-4539
www.TimesLedger.com PROUD MEMBER OF NEW YORK PRESS ASSOCIATION
CLASSIFIED
Classified Director:
Amanda Tarley
Classified Sales
Manager:
Eugena Pechenaya
TIMESLEDGER,16 FEB. 15-21, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
/www.TimesLedger.com
/www.TimesLedger.com
/TIMESLEDGER.COM
