QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, May 21, 2020 Page 8
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P Everyone gets a day at the beach, except NYC EDITORIAL
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n the age of the coronavirus, there often are no easy answers. Everything is a trade-off, especially when it comes to the most pressing questions facing policy makers and the public right now: How much can we reopen society without causing an overwhelming spike in cases and therefore deaths, and how much can we keep it closed despite the massive societal, psychological, financial and other costs? The big question for Memorial Day weekend was whether to open beaches. Gov. Cuomo decided to do so, with strict limitations starting with keeping them at 50 percent capacity. His rules apply to state beaches, and he is allowing county and municipal governments to open the ones they run if they adhere to the same protocols. Many just outside Queens, such as Nassau County and the City of Long Beach, opted to do so. But Mayor de Blasio did not, insisting that New York City beaches must remain closed, except for very limited purposes, and vowing to fence them off if needed. We believe Cuomo made the right call and de Blasio the wrong one. If Long Beach, Jones Beach, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow and countless other shoreline parks on Long Island, not to mention the Jersey Shore, can open up, why can’t Rockaway Beach and Coney Island?
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Because, de Blasio said, they would get crowded, and as he told Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, “We’re not going to allow it ... we’re not opening on Memorial Day as we normally do. For folks in the local community who walk on the beach, walk on the boardwalk, they could still do that. But no swimming, no lifeguards, no congregating.” No fun, he may as well have said in that haughty manner of his. As is often the case, it appears his stubbornness is driving him. All the mayor had to do was ensure the governor’s rules were followed, among them reduced capacity enforced at the entrances, no concession stands, no games such as football and volleyball, social distancing and the wearing of masks by both visitors and employees when keeping far enough apart is not possible. But no, he found it easier to just say no. One excuse is that the subway to Rockaway would get too crowded. But that could be managed by running more trains and buses. Those could be secured through Gov. Cuomo, who oversees the MTA and, with the exception of the nursing home tragedy, has managed the virus crisis well. It’s too bad de Blasio has such a bad relationship with the governor. Now we have a situation where Nassau County and Long Beach officials are vowing to keep city residents off their
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Congrats, grads! Dear Editor: With graduation ceremonies, proms and other end-of-the-school-year activities all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year certainly is not what our graduates ever expected. So, it is very befitting to extend to all graduates at all levels of education our sincerest and warmest wishes on the occasion of graduating. Remember that you all have the rest of your lives ahead of you, and your goals and aspirations will always be what you want them to be. Remember also that you should never take anything in life for granted, because life is so very precious, and how you live your life will make all the difference in the world. As a line from a famous song says, “And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” As you journey down the yellow brick road of life, remember that there will be some bumps and detours along the way, but also remember that you have goals to achieve, and you can and will achieve those goals with perseverance and determination. God bless all graduates across our country, and may you all achieve your goals in your lives. God bless America, the greatest country in the world! John Amato Fresh Meadows © Copyright 2020 by MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part thereof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, recording or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the publishers. This copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. Reproduction of said advertisement or any part thereof without the express written permission of MARK I PUBLICATIONS, INC. is strictly prohibited. This publication will not be responsiblefor errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not necessarily in accordance with the views of the QUEENS CHRONICLE. This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objectionable. The Queens Chronicle is published weekly by Mark I Publications, Inc.at a subscription rate of $19 per year and out of state, $25 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid (USPS0013-572) at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mark I Publications, Inc., 71-19 80th St., Suite 8-201, Glendale, NY 11385.
beaches. You can’t blame them; they have limited space. Queens residents will just have to go to Jones Beach, or one of the beaches even farther away if they’re willing and able. COVID-19 is an absolute horror and has taken far too many lives. It continues to do so and will continue to do so until there’s a vaccine, if there ever is one. And we have taken incredibly drastic measures to slow its spread, to keep it from overwhelming our health system. But in so doing, we also have done incredible damage to our society, the effects of which will be impacting us for years to come. It was one thing to stay indoors for the dreary March and April that we had, but people cannot do that forever. We save lives not just by slowing the contagion but by letting people socialize, to help keep them from breaking down and developing other illnesses. We need a society we can recognize when all this is over. The least we all deserve now is a day at the beach. It’s the 11th hour, but it’s not too late just yet. De Blasio could still change his mind. He could call Cuomo and coordinate things, could redeploy the police, could send his social distancing counselors where they need to go. He could still relax the tight grip he seems to like having over what people can and cannot do and not be such a killjoy for once.
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Reserve MTA seats? Huh? Dear Editor: If there’s an Olympic event for dumb ideas, MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye deserves a gold medal. His proposal for a subway and bus seat reservation plan using Ticketmaster technology (New York Post, May 15) shows a total disconnect from reality. When full MTA service resumes, nearly five million riders will use the system as a daily necessity, not a distraction like attending a Taylor Swift concert. If the MTA implements a seat-booking program, its angry customers will shout the lyrics of a Rolling Stones hit song: “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Richard Reif Kew Gardens Hills
A better way to Brooklyn Dear Editor: “BQX supporters not deterred by economy” (by Michael Gannon, May 14) shows wishful thinking.
I disagree with Queens County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tom Grech, who said the project “will not need funding from the state and won’t be competing with the MTA.” Grant applications to the Federal Transit Administration require a local share. Both the MTA and NYC Department of Transportation usually ask Albany to help with the local share. The MTA and NYC DOT transit systems depend on annual State Transportation Operating Assistance. The FTA New Starts program is the logical federal funding source. Both the NYC DOT and Economic Development Corp. lack experience in design, construction and operations of streetcar systems. Mayor de Blasio will have to ask the MTA to serve as a project sponsor and system operator. The MTA, not wanting to use its own funding, would serve as sponsor under the FTA New Starts program. The MTA, NYC DOT, Port Authority, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak are all attempting to qualify many other projects for the same federal funding. Who can guarantee “this project would cre-