By The TimesLedger
Despite the fact that $645 million had been set aside to create a rail link between LaGuardia Airport and midtown Manhattan, the MTA says the project is all but dead in the water.
The MTA concedes that it cannot use the $645 million for other purposes unless it passes a special amendment. But for an authority that allegedly kept two sets of books, one with a deficit and the other showing a giant surplus, passing this amendment shouldn’t be a heavy lift.
This is another sad chapter in the history of the city’s airports. First the Port Authority stubbornly insisted on building a rail link to Kennedy Airport that would require travelers to first ride a subway or LIRR train to Jamaica. From the onset, transportation advocates said the rail link would have to offer a one-seat ride and some even said a link with LaGuardia should be included.
It didn’t happen. The Port Authority built its AirTrain, but before that train was even ready to go into operation, plans were announced to create a link with a one-seat ride. Now the MTA wants to back out of a commitment to build a rail link to LaGuardia. Don’t let them get away with this.
LaGuardia is a major airport serving the most important city in the world. A high-speed train connecting this airport to Manhattan is long overdue. New York needs leaders capable of seeing the long-term benefits of this type of capital spending. Like the one-seat ride to Kennedy, the rail link to LaGuardia is a no-brainer.
New York State Attorney General Elliott Spitzer said recently that judges in this state should either be elected in a more open democratic process or by “an appointive process where the governor selects from individuals who are from a list of those who were presented to him or her based upon a merit determination.” He’s half right.
But he must already know that the “democratic process” will not work in selecting judges. It is reasonable to ask voters to make an informed choice in electing a mayor or council member. But it is naïve to think that voters will make the same kind of informed choice in electing a judge. In most cases, the voters know little or nothing about the judges they select. Mostly they just pull levers, becoming a rubber stamp for the party machine.
We much prefer the option of allowing the governor to appoint judges who meet established criteria. The public would then hold the governor accountable for the quality of the judiciary.
Although this may strike some as a blow to the democratic process, in fact, by not asking voters to participate in an electoral sham in which the results have been predetermined, the cause of real democracy is strengthened. Most voters know nothing about judges. And why should they? Even Spitzer would have a difficult time knowing something of importance about each candidate.
The time has come to admit that the election of judges has been a farce that only served the needs of the party bosses.
Where were the seniors from West Hempstead High when the lights went out at Russo’s on the Bay on June 26?
They were all dressed up with nowhere to go on the long-awaited night of their senior prom. That’s where they were. A power failure in the middle of the heat wave forced the catering hall to close its doors for the night. The lockout was devastating for the would-be prom goers. We can only imagine the frustration of the seniors who paid hundreds of dollars for evening gowns, tuxedos and limos only to have the catering hall darkened after about an hour.
The blackout was even more frustrating for the management of Russo’s, which sees its excellent reputation sinking into the waters of Jamaica Bay. Frank Russo, Jr. was less than impressed by the response that he got from Con Ed following the blackout.
“I have worked too many years and too hard to gain the reputation which I have and to just sit back and have Con Ed ruin it,” he wrote in a letter to a Times Ledger reporter.
According to Russo, Con Ed did not share his concern about the blackout. The power company should understand that the power failure did tremendous damage. The kids will never get their prom back. It’s gone forever. Russo is worried that people will be reluctant to book weddings and other affairs if they have to worry about another power failure ruining a once-in-a-lifetime event.
To this day, Con Ed has not explained why the blackout occurred. The city was in the midst of its first heat wave of the season. We all know that the city needs additional power plants. But there was no indication that we were on the verge of a major power failure. Con Ed has a lot of explaining to do.
Like most New Yorkers, we are saddened and a bit angry that once again the FDNY and the NYPD are feuding. In the latest incident, a Fire Department unit searching for a body in the murky waters of Newton Creek claims it was nearly killed when the NYPD Harbor Patrol dropped a heavy cable with two grappling hooks into the water.
Children, behave. Union leaders are already fanning the flames of resentment trying to drive a wedge between the two departments that are such natural allies. They are doing a disservice to the men and women that they purport to represent and they should shut up. If there are operational problems, they should be discussed in private, away from the cameras and reporters. The squabbling is petty and it is becoming a distraction. Worse yet, the fighting will only serve to weaken public confidence.
Back in June Firefighter John Gaine was arrested following a dispute with an Emergency Service Unit police officer at a restaurant in Jackson Heights. The two departments were called to the scene after a Jamaica man got stuck in the chimney of the restaurant while allegedly trying to rob the restaurant, police said.
The commissioners of the two departments should let it be known that the bickering will not be tolerated. We are fortunate to be served by dedicated men and women who risk their lives for us on a daily basis. What’s more, we believe that there exists a mutual respect between firefighters, rescue workers and police officers. It is inevitable that in the heat of a rescue conflicts will arise between the two organizations but this must never stand in the way of saving property and lives.
