In the article, “MTA officials blasted at fare hike hearing” (November 15), I am quoted: “The state and city legislators are being too quiet in this debate,” he said. “They should campaign more for this cause, because they are certainly not shy when it comes to speaking to the press about what they choose, when they choose to” he said.”
My comments were directed not to state and city legislators who - almost, without exception - have been speaking out and fighting the fare hike and many stepping up to the plate on funding; my comments were directed to the Mayor and the Governor. I regret any confusion.
The written testimony of the Queens Civic Congress makes clear: New Yorkers look to our Governor and Mayor who make the appointments to the MTA board and the MTA board members - to show leadership and a commitment - NOW! - to hold the line of transit fares.
Corey Bearak, Esq.
President, Queens Civic Congress
Bird-less Thanksgiving?
Here are the Top 10 reasons to skip the turkey this Thanksgiving:
10. You will pardon a turkey - just like President Bush, but for the right reasons.
9. You’ll celebrate life and good fortune, rather than death and misfortune.
8. You won’t suffer nightmares about how the turkey lived and died.
7. You won’t have to call the Poultry Hotline to keep your family alive.
6. You won’t have to sweat the saturated fat and cholesterol.
5. Your vegetarian friends will adore you.
4. Your kids will tell their friends about their cool “tofurky.”
3. You won’t fall asleep during the football game.
2. You are what you eat. Who wants to be a “butterball?”
1. Commercial turkeys are too fat to have sex. It could happen to you.
This Thanksgiving, let us give thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a life-affirming, cruelty-free feast of vegetables, fruits, and grains. My family’s Thanksgiving dinner menu will include a “tofurky,” lentil roast, mashed potatoes, corn stuffing, stuffed squash, chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and perhaps even carrot cake. An internet search on Vegetarian Thanksgiving got us more recipes and other useful information than we could use.
Morgan Mosher
Bayside
Sudsy wisdom
My grandmother used to say, “Soap don’t cost nothing,” when telling us about the importance of remembering to wash our hands before eating, when we came in from outside, after using the bathroom, etc.
If she were alive today, she would marvel at the variety of soaps available through modern research and technology. Yet, she would be puzzled by the existence of this superbug. She would probably say, “Soap don’t cost nothing.”
Juanita W. Rier
LIRR horn dilemma
For the past four months, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains have been blasting their horns through the Forest Hills station causing misery for thousands of residents who live nearby (the horns are new extra loud ones that are on the LIRR’s recently purchased M7 trains). When we contacted the LIRR, they said they had to blast the horns because of federal regulations.
When we contacted the feds, they said that was not true (there are no grade crossings here so federal regulations do not apply). Then the railroad said there were workers on the tracks so the trains had to blast their horns. However, most of the time there are no workers and the trains blast their horns anyway.
My wife and I wrote a letter that was published in the City section of The New York Times that explained that the horn-blasting problem could be solved with a simple phone call from the president of the railroad directing her engineers to stop blasting their horns. This has not been done. The LIRR simply ignores the problem because they can and because no one holds them accountable for bad decisions.
State Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi, in response to our complaint, has said he will be introducing legislation to make our area into a quiet zone. Who knows how long that will take? The LIRR needs to be outed for the liars and bullies that they are.
Please investigate the situation and do a story on it. You are our last hope before we move away from what once was a peaceful and quiet neighborhood.
Martin H. Levinson, Ph.D.
One Station Square
Forest Hills
Reading the series
My congratulations to The Queens Courier staff for their work in the first part of the series “Ghost Workers.” The reporting was solid. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Richard Corson
Forest Hills
Compelling story needs video
I wanted to briefly compliment your narrative and research on a great story. I found it very compelling and can visualize it being a low budget documentary someday.
By profession, I put moving images together on the editorial side of postproduction and every word I was reading felt like it should be captured on video.
Whatever it takes to make a living and feed the children. I look forward to the series.
Donna Faiella
Fan of “Ghost Workers” Series
I want you to see that we encouraged our readers to read your series on “Ghost Workers.” Please let the editors know as well. In our newsletter Workforce Weekly, we have placed a link to the series on The Queens Courier’s web site. Workforce Weekly intends to be the source of information about training and employment in New York City.
Kathy Brady
Communications Director NYC Employment and Training
Coalition
Letters To The Editor
Email us your letters to editorial@ queenscourier.com for publication in The Queens Courier or send them to The Queens Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361, attention: Editorial Department. Please include name and contact information.
