Editorial Watching The Money OF SOUTHEAST QUEENS 150-50 14th Road Whitestone, NY 11357 (voice) (718) 357-7400 fax (718) 357-9417 email news@queenspress.com The PRESS of Southeast Queens Associate Publisher
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As we begin the countdown to next month’s soft opening of the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct, we already hear the buzz on true legalized gambling in New York State. We are not taking an immediate position on either side, but are certainly intrigued by the possibility – if only for the promise of jobs and return to fiscal solvency. But we also believe that we have not tried all other resources. We believe that frugality, spending that is in the interests of the people – not the electeds, the elimination of waste and redundancy, and the investment in industries that create opportunity – not just a paycheck – is where New York State must head. Surely, we’re going to be among the first to lay down a dollar at Resorts World; we all have big dreams. But we’re also going to watch to see what the State does with that new-found 69 cents going into its pocket from every dollar we spend, and to see if, given this new revenue stream, the state can figure out a way to make that money grow, rather than new ways to just spend it. If the state wants real legalized gambling, they’re going to have to earn that right by showing us what they do with this new money that will be streaming up from Queens.
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Letters
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Misspent Money To The Editor: The amount of money that was spent on the special election for Anthony Weiner’s seat is obscene. After the Democratic National Committee pumped $600,000 into the campaign, I started to get three phone calls a day, loads of campaign mail and almost daily visits asking me how I wanted to vote. I had an absentee ballot and I had already voted, but if I had not decided
who to support, I would have voted Republican as a protest against being constantly annoyed. Just think how $600,000 would have helped finding a cure for cancer or other diseases. Sidney J. Rubin, Forest Hills
What A Joke To The Editor: The divided result of the special elections in the 23rd A.D.
Letters and the 9th C.D is really a defeat for the Democratic leadership. In past years, Chuck Schumer was elected to Congress after a contested primary against incumbent Congressman Steve Solarz. When Schumer ran for the Senate, Anthony Weiner came in first in a very competitive race against three experienced Democratic legislators. This year, Democratic leaders, with the apparent cooperation of the Governor, timed a special election to avoid giving registered Democrats an opportunity to meet, question and educate the candidates on local issues. The primary process is a strength, not a weakness. However well intentioned, David Weprin has diff iculty transmitting the urgency of maintaining and improving federal programs on health care, the environment, progressive taxation and consumer protection to the majority of voters. We recall that David Weprin f inished last among four candidates in the Democratic primary for Comptroller in 2009. Philip Goldfeder has been an intelligent and diligent candidate who tried hard to connect with all segments of our varied community. He received strong support from local elected Democrats and unions which traditionally support Democrats. However, among Phil’s core group of supporters there are many
who show little interest in achieving Democratic goals of full employment, national health care, protection of the environment or taxation based on the ability to pay. There was so little interest in the campaign of David Weprin for Congress that Goldfeder volunteer poll watchers were not asked to collect results of the race for Congress when the polls closed. Democratic Party policies going back as far as the New Deal of the 1930s are under attack as never before. Local Democrats will be unable to advocate for better health care or even continuing inadequate payments to local community hospitals under the budget almost all Republicans are supporting. We will not get better transportation when funds for mass transit are frozen. Local politicians will be unable to protect our shores from liquefied natural gas facilities if environmental laws are ignored. Those who have joined the political process need to consider which side are we on. Norman Silverman, Queens
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Love Him Or Hate Him, Ed Koch Is Hot Again A Personal Perspective
BY MARCIA MOXAM COMRIE
Ya gotta love him! Ed Koch has been out of office since Dec. 31, 1991, and yet he continues to make himself relevant as a political figure in our city. Boosted by his role as a NY1 “Wise Guy,” he has a ready platform for the issues of the day in his exchanges with his friend and former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, retired State Comptroller Carl McCall and a revolving list of guest “wise guys/gals.” When Senator Barack Obama won the Presidential Primary in 2008, Koch took to the senior centers of South Florida to stump for Obama to help him defeat Senator John McCain. By this summer, he was so disenchanted with President Obama’s supposedly negative position on Israel, Koch supported the Republican candidate over his party nominee for Anthony Weiner’s vacated 9th District seat. He termed it “sending a message to President Obama.” It helped turn the tide against Assemblyman David Weprin,
who was trounced by the Kochbacked Republican Bob Turner, a political novice. Such is the power of Ed Koch 20 years after leaving office. My son enjoys him so much on NY1, he calls him, “a funny old man.” Although Koch is actually old enough to be considered “old” (he’s 86), his political savvy and outspoken nature makes you forget that he is indeed well into his golden years. Through his newlyformed organization, NY Uprising, he has pressured Albany legislators to not have those with special interests, i.e. legislators, draw the new district lines in a self-serving manner. To add to the pressure, he has labeled any legislator who does not support independent redistricting an “enemy of reform.” The fear is that he will use his stillstrong influence to get those who don’t go along with his wishes voted out of office. Earlier this year, he also lobbied for the passage of the gay marriage bill. As the messed up actor Charlie Sheen would say, Koch is “winning!” Like it or not, Koch is on a
winning streak. Two decades after David Dinkins defeated him for the Mayor’s office, Ed Koch is a relevant and strong politico again. He is more influential now than he was when he first left office. Funny old man indeed! Koch is laughing all the way to the bank and to everywhere else. He was always outspoken and not always appreciated for it. People have cursed his name for stirring up trouble and many times it was probably well deserved. He was always a rabble rouser. When he was mayor, I was often appalled at some of the things he’d say. When poor Donald Manes was arrested for suspected wrong doings as Borough President, Koch came right out and called him a crook. There was no waffling. He just flat out called his old friend a crook to the TV cameras. This was 1986. Koch was mayor and within days Manes was dead, ostensibly at his own hands – a knife to the chest. I couldn’t help wondering if Koch’s kicking him while he was down didn’t help drive Manes
deeper into depression over his plight. But that has always been the former Mayor’s style. He used to fight with Mark Green all the time when Mark was a fellowWise Guy on NY1. But Koch is the quintessential New Yorker. His style is brash and just plain aggressive. Koch has not gone gently into retirement and he will not go “gentle into that good night,” to borrow from Dylan Thomas. He is one of those people who will go to the grave absolutely spent. There are times when we agree with him and times when we may yell at him through the TV screen. But always, he is fascinating and he’s on fire again. I’d bet there’s at least one person right now who really doesn’t love him – David Weprin. Koch used his considerable influence to turn the Jewish vote in the Ninth Congressional District away from the Jewish candidate with the name recognition to the Catholic guy who’s brand new to the game. Love him? Nah, ya gotta fear him!