By Philip Newman
Borough President Claire Shulman warned that “a most arrogant band of Manhattanites” wants to “use Queens County to stage the 2012 Olympics,” a proposal she said would bring no benefit for Queens.
“They want to close half of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for years,” Shulman told a meeting of the United Community Civic Association in Astoria last Thursday. “Can you imagine?”
“We have been approached by a most arrogant bunch of Manhattanites,” Shulman said on a subject on which she has commented previously. “They want to use Queens County to stage the Olympics and they want some of our best real estate to construct an Olympic Village.”
Referring to Queens West in Long Island City — the proposed site of an Olympic Village to house athletes — Shulman said “we desperately need this area for our own housing.”
“Is Queens getting anything out of this? I see no positives for Queens.”
Shulman also suggested that the federal government, which has the authority to control immigration, should take financial responsibility in the education of children of newcomers to this country.
“I am not against immigration,” Shulman said, “but if the federal government is going to increase the numbers of new people, they should help us in Queens. We are more than 30,000 classroom seats short and, in some cases, we have out of 30 students in a class, half of them not speaking English. The federal government is not taking responsibility in this respect.”
Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the nation.
The borough president also said her administration, along with the city, may appeal the recent U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals dismissal of a lawsuit against further flights at LaGuardia Airport pending an environmental impact study.
Shulman, who had to leave early because her husband was hospitalized for a minor injury, got an ovation from those attending the meeting and hugs from politicians as she left the final meeting of the UCCA of her presidency.
“I am not retiring,” Shulman said in reference to her impending departure from office due to term limits. “I will be here if anyone needs help. The city is in very good shape. Crime is way down, people want to come here and live here. But we do need more affordable housing.”
Shulman spoke at a meeting on the status of government at all levels — national, state, city and Queens. Politicians on each level reported to an audience that filled the hall at Augustana Lutheran Church at 6905 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria Heights.
Rose Marie Poveromo, president of the UCCA, chaired the meeting.
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) discussed Social Security, Medicare, the difficulty in getting legislation to bring reasonable prices for prescription drugs and the law known as AIR-21, which removed limits on new flights at LaGuardia airport.
State Sen. George Onorato told of the struggle between the state Legislature and Gov. George Pataki over the long-delayed budget. Onorato said Democrats were fighting a Pataki budget that they contend would leave New York City financially shortchanged.
“Of my 20 years in the state Senate, this has been the worst,” Onorato said.
State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who was praised for getting passage of a clean air act in Albany, said he was optimistic for ultimate success in his efforts to bring a phasing-out of obsolete and polluting power generators in Queens.
Education and the cost of prescription drugs evoked most of the complaints from the audience.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 136.
