Commentary on happenings relating to greater Sunnyside Woodside from the unconcealed POV of the writers. Agree or disagree? Send comments to SmallTownComment@gmail.com
Volume 1, Number 1
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Saturday, November 3, 2018
Flip Your Ballot & Vote “No” x 3
“No” to Campaign Finance, “No” to Civic Engagement & “No” to CB Term Limits The Dyslexic Election: You Connect the Dots
“I’m Right, and You’re An Idiot”
Op Ed
by Berk Koca
The midterm elections are upon us, and the new madhouse known as the American political establishment has degenerated into a never-ending chorus of shouting, blaming, fear-mongering, snow-flaking, virtue signaling, crying, whining, and moaning. It’s a cacophony of noise that has drowned out all rational discourse.
Op Ed
by Martin Scanlon
An Overview of the Interesting Mix of Candidates for the Race for New York’s 14th Congressional District Democrat: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turned more than local politics upside down primary day, winning against popular incumbent and fourth most powerful Democrat in the country. AOC is 29, a former bartender born in the Bronx. She was community organizer for Senator Bernie Sanders and was a former intern for the Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy. AOC was graduated from Boston University in Economics and International relations. Her major platform issues: Abolish ICE, criminal justice reform, tuitionfree college, Medicare for all, and 100% renewable energy, the elimination of all carbon fuels in the U.S. by 2035. In Queens, she has come down in favor of bicycle lanes, which she reports were the “most controversial issue” of her campaign. Her recent statement, “Six days from now, we can defeat the brutal white supremacist forces of anti-Semitism, anti-immigrant nativism, and racism,” makes no secret of her position. (Continued, p. 2)
Whether it’s the Right or the Left, both sides point the finger at one another and communicate, no matter what the actual words, “I’m right, and you’re an idiot!”
EDITORIAL: Mayor DeBlasio rushed the formation of the Charter Review Commission last year. And now without enough public discussion or coverage, except the current TV campaign showing happy people flipping their ballot, the Commission is suddenly poised to change laws seriously affecting our communities. Simply put, the administration is attempting to amass more power. The NYC City Council also created its own Charter Review Commission. The presence on the their commission of those who seem to be aligned to big real estate interests makes the composition suspect. But Lynn Ellsworth of Human Scale New York writes about the Council’s Commission with hope, “the presence of campaign finance reform advocate Sal Albanese on the Council’s commission is a hopeful sign…that in the end we could get better reform ideas out of them that with the bad ideas the Mayor’s team has come up with.” (Continued, p. 4)
Vote Tuesday, November 6
Anyone looking at this circus with a sane mind is probably asking, “where’s the truth?” But that’s the golden ticket, isn’t it? Truth. It’s become a word drained of meaning, as elusive as the Holy Grail itself. People, it seems, will believe whatever they want to believe. Reason does not win after all, and that calls into question the very basis of the democratic political order itself. Liberal democracy seeks to empower the “people” with the firm belief that human beings are wise (Continued, p. 4)
Saturday, November 3, 2018
SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
The Dyslexic Election: You Connect the Dots (Continued from p. 1) Republican: Anthony Pappas is a 72-yearold Professor of Economics, at St. John’s University for 42 years; Ph. D and Masters in Economics from Yale, Economics degree from M.I.T. Professor Pappas is running for office on the issue of judicial reform and accountability. The professor has publically discussed his primary interest in judicial reform due to his 14-year divorce battle which has cost him $2 million in legal fees and settlements and a 20 year restraining order against him by his wife. He is also in favor higher corporate tax rates. Mr. Pappas told a Seattle newspaper in an interview that he is realistic about his chance of winning given the number of registered Democrat vs. Republican voters. The Bronx and Queens Republican Party leaders have withdrawn their support for Pappas, the New York Post reported, due to his admissions of legal problems. Working Family Party and Women’s Equality Party: Joseph Crowley says he is not running. but some report they are voting for him. He is 56, born in Queens, a 10-term U.S. Congressman, and was defeated in the Democratic primary byMs. Ocasio Cortez, a relative novice and ultra Progressive candidate. Crowley was reappointed to the Democratic County leadership position. Ironically, the Working Family’s Party is designed to be the progressive alternative; Crowley, however, is on the ballot as the WFP’s candidate although Ms. Cortez is certainly appears the more left of the two. This past week, despite his avowed support of AOC, a stealth
What Makes Ambition People sometimes see values in me That I never intend at all Like what I see in their reaction when I do wash when raindrops fall They say it shows ambition And to great things I aspire When I do my laundry when it rains Because I can always get a dryer
campaign by avid supporters has emerged, reported in the New York Post, and he has not said he would refuse to serve, although he is not actively campaigning. Reform/Write-In: Jimmy Dillon. As the child of Irish immigrants, my advocacy would be for the the self described “Irish Republican (Green), Red, White and Blue Dog Reform candidate who is known for his “Dillon for Congress: Man Against The Machine” posters all over Sunnyside and Woodside for the past year. Mr. Dillon, retired, is the son of Irish immigrants and enjoyed a storied career as an investigator for several agencies in New York State. He graduated from Queens College and holds a master’s degree from Cornell in Public Administration. He has his own solutions for healthcare; “One Giant Pool” insurance plan” to include all, simultaneously repeal and replace the “Affordable Care Act. He proposes an easing of college debt initiative. Mr. Dillon is an early supporter of the nascent plan floated by the Irish Peace Institute of North America called Project ReAssembly: A Peace Unification and Prosperity Plan to unite Ireland by 2020. Martin Scanlon is the founder and President of 4/2/7 PEC (Political, Educational & Cultural) Consulting. 4/2/7 ‘s target audience is the Reagan Democrat and traditional Irish Catholic Republican, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Editor’s Note: As you have noted, Scanlon is not “for” any of the names mentioned most often, so we asked his opinion on the race, subject to editing.
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There are so many things we see In life as we go through That we have no way of knowing If what we hear of them is true See I know that people don’t rush in Without regard to fear And this causes me to question So many good things that I hear When people say nice things of me They cause feelings I resent Because I often know the truth they see Is not what I represent I’ve no ambition that I see And it’s not I’m climbing higher I just do my laundry when it rains Because I can always get a dryer
-Chris Robin
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Saturday, November 3, 2018
SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
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SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
Saturday, November 3, 2018
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Flip the Ballot... (Continued from p. 1) ed with public money. The panel seems to entitle co-opting of duties of elected officials and Community Boards. We have tried to civically engage the Mayor here multiple times to voice concerns, and never Proposal One: Vote “No.” received an answer. Having mayoral Campaign Finance sounds great, lowering the “maximum” contribu- proxies here instead with so much tion from $4000 to $2000. But how authority is a scary substitute. many of us have personally donated Proposal Three: Vote “No.” $2000 to a candidate? Big donors While term limits for Community will still be able to donate $4000 through their stand-ins. So it is pre- Boards sounds like a no-brainer, and some Community Boards tense that a giant problem is being repaired, when in reality not much might be filled with “dead wood” has changed. We need real reform, and special interest members, Community Board 2 has been renot window dressing. flecting community views both on Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Proposal Two: Vote “No.” (“unaffordable” affordable housCivic Engagement also sounds aping), and the recent DOT plan, pealing but seems ill-advised with against the positions of our Counthe majority of members appointed cilman and Mayor. Our so-called by the Mayor, with resources fund“dead wood” stood up for us, as But for now, we only have the Mayor’s three proposals on the ballot. Here is why we suggest three “no” votes:
well as many newer members. Our Commiunity Board and Councilman stood together on 50-25 Barnett amid considerable pressure citywide. The “dead wood” in regard to Mandatory Inclusionary Housing voted “no” citywide in 51 out of 59 Community Boards against strong pressure from both the Mayor and City Council. They were ignored, but they stood with the people. Better to vote no and come up with real Community Board reform which does not throw the baby out with the bath water. We need the institutional knowledge and courage to say no that comes with longer service. Yes, reforms are needed. Community Board members should be elected by us, not
appointed. And there should be a strong “no conflict of interest” bar for those allowed to run. Those who are professional lobbyists for any industry, real estate or otherwise are ill-suited. As for diversity, that is already in motion and the Councilman and Borough President have done well. Transportation Alternatives has endorsed term limits due to resistance from Community Boards. Board members are are unpaid, and although “advisory” should not be under fire because are not as cooperative as desired by Mayor, Councilperson, or lobbyists. (Lynn Ellsworth of HumanScale.nyc, who organized “Rally to Save Our Neighborhoods Oct. 13 at City Hall, supports term limits because in Manhattan where she is based, she notes, “Community Boards have become sclerotic.”)
“I’m Right, and You’re An Idiot!” (Continued from p.1)
Tower of Babel in a responsible fashion. How’s that working out? Some commentators feel that the great American experiment, in less than 250 years, is already in the midst of unraveling. And in the large span of things, 250 years ain’t a long time. Why is this so? Attempting to answer that question will perhaps force us to confront our most cherished beliefs about the world we live in, pushing us into uncomfortable territory. But that’s just the problem plaguing America’s politics and society. Both the Left and the Right have dogmatized their beliefs, turning them into virtual religious doctrines which reflect self-evident truths without understanding that others may question their beliefs.
Many Democrats act under the assumption that equality is a given, a college education, housing and health care are human rights and those who are born with certain advantages possess unearned privileges which government is morally justified in taking away. Meanwhile, a considerable number of Republicans consider any social program a sign of Socialist subversion and think tax cuts will solve everything, meanwhile using government power to advance their own agenda. Some see the government showing care for those in need is dangerous for them For both factions, big government is only bad when the other side is in charge. And what’s worse is that any deviance from their beliefs
is portrayed as undermining the very fabric of America. All the while, it becomes lost on them that their perpetual infighting is destroying the very thing they profess to cherish. When any society loses an objective standard of truth, everything goes. And we’re seeing the fruits of this phenomenon manifest right before our very eyes. Two rival religions are essentially competing for dominance, and it’s not pretty. What good is liberal democracy if ideologically motivated bureaucrats behave under the delusion that they are aristocratic overlords who seek to mold the “people” in their own image? In democracy, it now seems, those who yield power will use it to benefit their beliefs and those who adhere to
them. Doesn’t matter what side of the spectrum they’re on, the behavior is the same. One solution that was the key in the past was a submission to a greater power, a truth beyond partisan politics. If an individual was areligious, they still did not see themselves beyond forces which conveyed a common understanding of right and wrong. Now, unfortunately, we find ourselves in a society with two political factions who speak the same literal language yet are completely incomprehensible to each other, babbling at one another like the denizens of the Tower of Babel.
SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
Saturday, November 3, 2018
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Faster, Heavier Vehicles in the Bike Lanes Op Ed by Chris Wattenberg
Throughout the lead up to the protected bicycle lanes, we were told that we would begin to appreciate them once they were installed and in use.
for a ride they had done many times. So the neighborhood was seen as an experiment by those who would have normally been riding elsewhere.
Now, as I sit here writing, the bike lanes imposed on our neighborhood have been in use for a few weeks. This gives us time to reflect on who benefits, and who does not.
One of the goals of the project was to create a safe space for families and people learning to bike New York City streets. In the first few days, the appearance of these type of riders also occurred. We saw adults with children in back safety seats, and slower riders that seemed to feel that this might be a place to try to bike safely.
This essay is not a complaint about the situation in the car lanes, which has been getting attention, but rather, a different problem relating to the lanes and the new strategy to protect unprotected cyclists from faster, larger vehicles as they travel at the same time. There were some interesting trends developing with bike lane users. There had been in this area, at first, new people largely riding well-used equipment. These riders appeared to be those who were trying new routes
They heard about the route on computer apps, as one woman told me, and wanted to try it. But I suspect there is a drop off because they are apparently finding the situation to not as appealing as advertised. After a few weeks, they have largely disappeared. So it might have seemed that we are, after the first few weeks, returning to the same sort of bike population as
before these changes were imposed. If this were the case, this discussion would be different. We might be discussing how much money was wasted and how much all of us are being inconvenienced for the sake of a handful of people who have chosen to pass through our neighborhood. But instead, I need to discuss the influx of electric bikes and scooters that have begun to turn our area into a dangerous expressway. For those unfamiliar with these “bikes” let me mention the features. E-bikes and scooters are firstly, heavier than bicycles. While I can lift the average bicycle easily I cannot lift an e-bike. With the battery, e-bikes often weigh in at over 100 pounds. Add a typical rider and it forms a 275 pound projectile. I use the term projectile because ebikes often have a top speed of 35 to 40 miles per hour, or over twice the speed of an average bike rider. We are seeing this speed on display in our new bike lanes. It is not uncommon to see these e-bikes moving in the new bike lanes going faster than any
car that is on the street. They seem to be often ridden by people who seem to have no respect for traffic laws. I have seen them running red lights and shouting at pedestrians who walk near the protected lane. Of course, there were some of these e-bikes before the change. But we were more protected from them. The parked cars formed a natural barrier keeping the e-bikes off the sidewalks, keeping these projectiles away from our seniors, our children and our friends with disabilities. The protected bike lanes have removed the previous protections we had from these e-bike riders who might best be termed “bike lane terrorists.” To Mayor DeBlasio, Commissioner Trottenberg, and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, you have by your actions taken away the protections that pedestrians should have from unregulated and dangerous vehicles. We are calling on you to step up and prevent e-bikers which have terrorized some of us. Ban all vehicles with motorized power from our now bike lane speedway that you have created next to our sidewalks. Whose safety needs protecting? Ours.
At one of the Halloween hubs in Sunnyside Gardens Wednesday: Dan Maskara of 45th Street welcomes guest to exorcism tableau complete with spinning head.
SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Is a Rich Guy Knocking at the Door?
Nick Velkov Ashley Jamison Margaret Rodgers Yvette Kemp, Co-Chair
Sylvia White. Co-chair
Many in Western Queens hear the knocking and we are making figuring out how to keep the roof over ourheads or what our options are.
Mary McClary
NYCHA is successful affordable housing. If elections come down to numbers, NYCHA houses approximately 600,000 people. Each passing day, JFAC becomes a force to reckon with, as other groups find common cause.
Malcolm & Shadaje Morse
If richer children had been ingesting lead paint chips, would something have been revealed sooner?
Senator Gianaris vowed to accept no more real estate donations; a pledge echoed this week by Councilman Van Bramer, whose representative attended. Candidate Alexandria OcasioCortez said that housing was a human right, which was seconded by Assemblywoman Simotas. Most popular was an earlier call by Assemblywoman Nolan’s for a moratorium on new LIC construction.
Kristen Hackett
Tenant presidents in office for thirty years had delivered for the residents and were respected, but JFAC worried that electeds’ promises made to NYCHA residents are fragile. LIC rezoning, BQX, and Sunnyside Yards decking are discussed by the city as though a plus for NYCHA. But JFAC saw that boom was not resulting in a brighter future for their children, jobs, or respect; just a growing turf war.
The “Enough is Enough” Rally JFAC held last Saturday at Variety Boys & Boy Club featured speakers of the left who were blunt about the dangers, and electeds’ and candidates received applause for formerly radical ideas.
of Kicking Down Walls
The group expressed a feeling early shared by many all over NYC the growing perception that the exploding luxury skyscraperville raised costs of living, drove out small businesses, and might knock at their door. Housing was built there when land value was low. Now land value is stratospheric. There is no place to move. Queensites live on a gold mine others will want unless the real estate boom, now the longest in history, stops booming.
Some saw that the city’s friendly relationship to big real estate was a danger. Would the enormous cost of repairs be used as a pretext to privatize more? Luxury built on NYCHA parking lots is said to be necessary to raise funds, but is a land grab. Residents sensed that after election wooing ended, a rich stranger was perhaps planning to visit and take over the sofa.
Jenny Dubnau
Justice for All Coalition ( JFAC) is a Queens activist group unlike any other, begun by religious leaders in the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) houses in 2016. They do not endorse candidates. Meetings begin and end with a prayer. Its steering committee includes clergy, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, Catholics, Socialists, old “lefties,” younger academic and political idealists, and residents in surrounding areas. NYCHA residents pay 30% of monthly income in rent.
Nine of the 26 JFAC Steering Committee members (for the group of over 500) plus a brother and sister duo who performed at Saturday’s event.
Stanley Morse
Op Ed by Patricia Dorfman
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Saturday, November 3, 2018
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What? Yellow markings and a speed bump were newly added to a pedestrian Island by the DOT to the intersection of Skillman Avenue and 49th St. in Sunnyside. Cyclists, motorists and pedestrians need education on what these lines/colors signify. Realtor Dorothy Morehead said, “A bicyclist hit the bump and went flying. The markings are confusing.” (Photo: Eric Barthels)
Sleuth needed! Demolition marks now adorn the formef Dime Bank and Center Cinema building location. History buff John Sisc noticed men in suits walking in and out last month as though long-empty property was changing hands. He suggested we try and save a theater seat for the museum we all hope for some day soon. And the amazing news is that local leader Maureen Lynch of Lynch Funeral Home, family owned firm here since 1931, graciously agreed to store the seat (and we hope smaller sign until that time)! John Ciafone purchased the building in 2013 for $6.65 million, and we later lost Center Cinema, Dr. Arthur Kubikian, and P.J. Horgans. The empty storefronts were a sad sight. The buiding was often rented out for film shoots – sometimes exciting, but locals chafed as parking spots were taken and local eateries rarely hired to cater. But construction may be in the works. Anyone who knows new owner, please ask for permission for a seat and the sign and call us at 718-909-4606!
Hundreds of union builders, plumbers, and electricians and other trades attended the “The First Public Meeting for the Sunnyside Yards Master Plan” October 24 at LaGuardia Community College’s Atrium held by the Economic Development Corporation (EDC), an agency whose head is appointed by the Mayor. Workers were apparently trying to make a statement that if big money is going to be made by developers, union workers should be part of equation, not as occurred elsewhere where in the city, including LIC. The meeting was unabled to be overwhelmed by their action however, because they were allowed in only one by one, and the standing and mingling event did not allow for a powerful demonstration. Other guests did seem interested in the festive workshop aspect of the night, writing suggestions on stickers and chatting with officials. But some believe that Queens needs continuous parkland, transit, and no luxury or MIH units, suggestions unlikely to be popular with those seeking to renumerative development. Other develop news this week revealed Governor Cuomo offered to rename Newtown Creek the Amazon River to lure Amazon to Queens, and that Amazon was taking over the old Bulova Building. Like the union members, we should all be paying attention. No room in this issue for the historic Small Business Jobs Act Act (SBJSA) hearing at City Hall but coverage to come.
Saturday, November 3, 2018
SMALL TOWN CONFIDENTIAL
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