Mayor Bloomberg has called it “pandering” and we are inclined to agree. Although we have used this space to urge the city to settle with the striking bus drivers, we don’t see how any union can demand job security during a period of massiv
City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and John Liu (D-Flushing) defended a city council resolution demanding job protection for the bus drivers. Did they forget that the Council handed pink slips to a number of longtime staffers in January? Where was their job security?
Avella was quoted as saying that the resolution was “the clearest way to show the striking workers that they have the Council’s support on the issue of job security.” In other words, this was a symbolic gesture from a political body that is already largely symbolic.
The mayor, on the other hand, has to deal with the real world. He is the one who has to make certain that the city can honor its contracts. With an enormous deficit and the stock market on life support, there is no job security in New York City, not in the public or private sectors.
The drivers for the private bus companies provide a valuable service. They are missed in every corner of Queens. We hope that they can get back to work soon with a contract that they can live with.
Night Out Against Crime
The city has come a long way in the fight against crime. Once one of the most dangerous big cities in America, New York is now ranked among the safer metropolitan areas.
But our city is not safe enough. Not by a long shot. There are still many neighborhoods in Queens where residents feel compelled to protect first-floor windows with iron bars, where mothers still worry that their teenage boys won’t come home from a night of shooting hoops at the local playground or that someone will try to sell them crack or other hazardous drugs. There are still neighborhoods where the clerk at the corner store hands out change from behind bulletproof glass. And there are still neighborhoods where women are frightened to walk after dark from the subway to their homes.
And the concerns are not limited to violent crime. Whether it’s car thefts in Whitestone or graffiti in Astoria, crime both serious and petty has affected the quality of life in Queens.
Next Tuesday the people of Queens will have an opportunity to do something about crimes. Most precincts will be honoring the national Night Out Against Crime with a broad range of events intended to enlist the public’s support in the war against crime. This is your chance to meet with local law enforcement officials, including precinct commanders, FBI, DEA, prosecutors, neighborhood watch groups and drug-treatment providers.
The Night Out gives the NYPD and other organizations a unique opportunity to get information out to those most active in the community. It also gives residents the chance to meet face-to-face with officials who have the power to address problems, whether it be vandals at the playground, drug dealers or any other threat to public safety.
Although the Night Out is just one night out of an entire year, it can provide residents with the opportunity to make the connections that will lead to positive change. The police and other organizations are eager to work with the community to make New York City a truly safe place. By attending your local Night Out event, you are signaling your support for the work that they do.
For this one night, turn off the TV, and let’s stand together all across Queens to say that the war against crime has just begun.
