EDITORIAL
READERS WRITE
The north-south economic divide in Queens
Differences in opinion and
politics between north and
south can not only be discerned
on the national scene, but
locally as well.
Northwestern Queens
scuttled the Amazon HQ2
deal, a proposal that would
have greatly benefited Long
Island City and cleaned up a
sorely blighted area. While
here in southern Queens, we
not only have a successful
casino at Aqueduct Racetrack,
but a high rise hotel is now
under construction.
The concerns that residents
of the area in the vicinity
of the casino were much the
same as those in Long Island
City. But the traffic, gangs,
congestion, crime, drug deals
and prostitution that residents
feared never materialized. The
casino has been a welcome,
cooperative neighbor. It created
jobs, brought in commerce,
business, revenue and tourism.
The surrounding businesses
have profited. There have
been no drawbacks nor any
negative results.
The politicians who killed
the Amazon deal severely hurt
the districts they represent.
In the years to come, the
residents of the district have
no one but themselves to blame
for electing politicians, at the
local, state and national levels.
They were more interested
in their own careers and
having citizens depend upon
government than having
people use their own ingenuity
and skills to create a vibrant,
f lourishing local economy.
Edward Riecks,
Howard Beach
EDITORIAL STAFF
Reporters: Bill Parry, Mark
Hallum, Carlotta Mohamed, Jenna
Bagcal, Emily Davenport,
Max Parrott
Photographers: Nat Valentine,
Ellis Kaplan, Robert Cole
Copy Editors: Stephen Lepore,
Katrina Medoff
Contributing Writers/Columnists:
Tammy Scileppi, Robert Cole
ART & PRODUCTION
Production Manager:
Deborah Cusick
Art Director: Nirmal Singh
Layout: Robert Pozarycki
Cartoonist: Tip Sempliner
ADVERTISING
Senior Account Executive:
Kathy Wenk
Account Executives:
David Strauss
Sherri Rossi
PROUD MEMBER OF NEW YORK PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHER
Brian Rice
EDITOR
Robert Pozarycki
V.P. OF ADVERTISING
Ralph D’onofrio
CIRCULATION
Robert Palacios
CLASSIFIED
Classified Director:
Celeste Alamin
Classified Sales
Manager:
Eugena Pechenaya
PASS CARLOS’ LAW
After three workers were killed on construction
sites around the city last week, it is clear that the time
is now to pass Carlos’ Law.
The bill, championed by the late state Senator
Jose Peralta, is aimed at protecting the lives of
construction workers at dangerous job sites, many of
them immigrants that are being exploited with low
wages and almost no safety training.
State Senator James Sanders is now the sponsor of
the bill that just passed the Senate Codes Committee
so it can go to the floor at anytime. Carlos’ Law has
also passed the Codes Committee in the Assembly
where it can also be called to the floor for a vote.
This legislation must pass to bring some semblance
of order in New York City where construction is the
most fatal occupation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in
2017, there were 20 construction-related fatalities in
New York City.
Brooklyn’s Gregory Echevarria, 34, was the latest
worker to die when he was crushed by part of a 7-ton
crane that came loose on a Manhattan construction
site Saturday. Witnesses say the military veteran who
served four tours of duty with the U.S. military and
was a father of four, was split in half.
Nelson Salinas, 51, was killed by falling debris
while he was making facade repairs at an Upper East
Side apartment Monday and Erik Mendoza fell to his
death while working on the roof of a 13-story building
in Brooklyn on April 10.
In 60 percent of the fatal death by falling cases
investigated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, the victims were Hispanic
and/or immigrants. The percentage jumps to 74
percent in New York City and 88 percent in Queens.
It is time to pass Carlos’ Law.
The legislation was named after Corona resident
Carlos Moncayo, an immigrant worker from Ecuador
who was killed at a Manhattan construction site in
2015 after a trench collapsed on him burying him
alive. Carlos’ Law would make managers or developers
liable to a class E of D felony if found responsible for the
severe injury or death of their workers. In addition, a
conviction would include a $500,000 fine.
After the three deaths last week, the city’s
Department of Buildings announced it would deploy
more than 90 DOB inspectors to perform safety sweeps
of construction sites, and educate workers about the
importance of construction site safety.
But with more than 5,000 construction sites
currently active in New York City, what will 90 DOB
inspectors be able to accomplish? And fines of $25,000
are easily written off as the cost of doing business.
The best way to improve site safety is Carlos’ Law.
HOW TO REACH US
MAIL: 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY 11361
PHONE: Display Advertising: (718) 260-4537
Editorial: (718) 260-4539
WEBSITE: Visit www.qns.com
E-MAIL: Editorial: timesledgernews@schnepsmedia.com
Display Advertising: brice@schnepsmedia.com
Classified: classified@schnepsmedia.com
TO SUBSCRIBE: Call (718) 224-5863 ext. 257
Copyright©2019 Queens CNG LLC.
TIMESLEDGER,16 APR. 19-25, 2019 BT QNS.COM
/www.qns.com
link
link
link
/www.qns.com
/QNS.COM
link
link
link
