By Bob Harris
In Elmhurst three children and an elderly man died in a basement fire in a one-family house where it was estimated 21 people lived. In Oakwood Beach, Staten Island, two children died when a fire swept the bungalow they lived in with their parents. It seems that a room had been added above the kitchen. Overloaded wiring behind the kitchen had caused the fire.The basement rooms in Elmhurst and the second floor room in Staten Island were probably illegally built. The construction probably did not follow the building codes. The buildings were probably not certified as legal by any certified architect or inspector. Several firefighters received sprains and other injuries fighting the fires.Teaching fire prevention and actions to take when a fire occurs to prevent further deaths and injuries is ongoing, but the sad thing is that many of these illegal rooms are built by landlords who either just want to make money or as a way to pay for mortgages so they can have a house.There is a market for these cheap illegal apartments because illegal immigrants want inexpensive places to live. As long as we have illegal aliens who will pay for illegal substandard rooms then we will have people who want to make money from them and have these fires which kill and injure people who are then cared for by the city. These people don't take care of the houses and it shows.Some business people want illegal aliens because they will work for low wages and produce cheap goods and services, but we are still paying for the schooling of their children and medical care and long term care if they are injured. We end up paying either way, so why not regulate immigrants, pay higher wages and not have to pay in other ways?The possible money benefits by landlords who have illegal conversions outweigh the possible puny fines they may receive. If the D.A. brings charges against these landlords they are probably only for reckless endangerment. The lawyer then bargains the charges down because the landlord may not have any earlier charges against him or her. Heavy fines and jail time is what is needed to prevent disasters.Statistics from the Department of Buildings show that concerned residents of Queens have more complaints about illegally overcrowded homes than any other borough. Seventy percent of all building complaints since 1999 have come from Queens. The number of Queens complaints has risen to 15,794 as of November. The city has only 31 inspectors in Queens. It is amazing that there are so few because owners who have built rooms legally, or have someone say they have, must pay a fee. The DOB makes huge amounts of money for the city. It should be able to hire more inspectors and judges to fine violators, which will mean more money for the city and a better quality of life for the residents of neighborhoods.The signs of illegal apartments are: many satellite dishes on the roof, a number of bicycles and shopping carts chained in front, additional buzzers and mail boxes, extra electrical boxes, large amounts of garbage and the lack of grass and flowers but just worn down dirt with trash strewn all over the property. Landlords often tell their renters not to open the door to building inspectors. They don't want to anyway because they are illegal themselves. The city then has to get a neighbor or the manager of the community board to sign a complaint. Then the city has to get a court order to enter the building. The courts have to really fine and give jail time to stop this illegal activity. Sometimes there is punishment but not often enough.People buy homes in a neighborhood for a certain way of life and it is not fair that the city doesn't do enough to maintain our quality of life. Well, there are many civic leaders who keep fighting for their communities. Good for them and good for us.Good news of the weekNortheast Queens is unhappy with the large number of circulars being thrown on our front lawns and driveways. A large number of circulars indicates that no one is home and so burglars can break into the house. A bill by state Sen. Frank Padavan and Serphin Maltese passed the Senate last February but the Assembly version sponsored by Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin is stalled. The bill would require permission by homeowners to have fliers placed in front of their houses. Businesses would have to have their names on the circulars and could be fined if these are put out against the wishes of the homeowner. People are waiting.Bad news of the weekThe Chinese government stresses economic growth over the environment so there is much pollution in the air and on the land in China. The amount of pollution could triple in the next 15 years. Seventy percent of China's rivers are polluted. The air is so bad some days that people can't go outside. People have rioted over these conditions. Winds could blow this pollution to the United States. The problem is that, like some of our government leaders, Chinese leaders want to keep the economic boom going to create jobs and consumer goods. However, if there is too much pollution, then too many people will develop asthma and other lung diseases and the medical costs will become too great. This applies to China and the United States. This applies to our airplanes which dump fuel prior to landing. Think about it!
