To the editor,
In last week’s letter’s column (“Reader already missing Muessig,” Nov. 6), reader Thomas Hilton said that Rep. Mike McMahon’s health care forum was “not a ‘Town Hall meeting’ — in fact, it was secret and by invitation only. People did not know about it except those informed by McMahon.”
Hey, I knew about it, and I’m no VIP, am not on any special-invite lists, and don’t live in or near the Shore Hill Community Center (where it was held).
My first thought was that the meeting would be full of opponents of the plan, since it was held late in the morning on a weekday in a senior-housing venue.
I didn’t bother to go because I’d seen the GOP/Conservatives’ earlier street demonstration in front of McMahon’s Bay Ridge office. There were a disproportionate number of slick political types in suits, leading a small number of mostly-senior “civilians” in rather creepy-oppressive chanting. (Seriously, the civilians just looked like props.)
I figured that the Shore Hill meeting would become something similar, and I didn’t want to waste my time.
Name withheld, Bay Ridge
Oh, baby
To the editor,
A few days ago, I stood on the island waiting to cross to the Central Library side of Flatbush Avenue, at Grand Army Plaza, not considering the possibility of making it to the other side since the little red hand was flashing at me.
I watched a woman wheeling a baby in a stroller begin to cross after the red hand had already begun pumping its warning. I knew the driver near me, furthest from the woman with the child in the stroller leading the way, was in no way prepared to stop once that light turned green, which it did before the woman and stroller had quite cleared the middle of those three lanes.
Their lives flashed before my eyes. Standing on the island, close to the driver, my energetic motion caught the eye of the driver as I put my hand up in that same universal warning to stop. Together, this limo driver and I watched as the woman crossed safely with her baby to the island.
Since the lights were right for her to walk across the other three lanes of traffic to the Park side, I had no chance to tell her how close she came to ending their world. The eyes of the driver met mine, and we knew.
I replayed this scene in my mind all day and night, as though I witnessed the traumatic accident rather than the possible prevention of a collision. I envision the horror of the scene if the car had raced forward as drivers do in their New York minute as they race down those wide streets around Grand Army Plaza.
My imagination does not match my husband’s actual trauma the day he happened to be crossing at that very island just a split second after a man had collided with a car. The man lay motionless on the ground except for a trembling hand. The car he had collided with, now stopped, had a hole in its windshield the size of a man’s head. Prevention is rarely provable.
The real prevention lies in the hands of the Department of Transportation.
Hilary Salk, Prospect Heights
‘Direct’ rage
To the editor,
I appreciate the beauty, diversity, peace, and spirit that Park Slope offers. Morning, day, and night, I notice the distinctive Fresh Direct food delivery trucks in my neighborhood. Fresh Direct’s trucks interfere with my quality of life and those of my neighbors.
The noise produced by idling trucks, not to mention the vehicles in motion, closely resembles jackhammer noise. Please imagine living with jackhammers sounding from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm, everyday on every street.
The constant truck noise, which must impair the hearing of Fresh Direct’s drivers, appears to come from motors situated on the vehicles roofs, above the driver’s compartment. I assume that these motors are used for refrigeration or diesel power.
New York is a noisy and densely populated city in which commercial interests and public interests clash. Some noise can not be controlled and other noise just needs to be tolerated.
However, isn’t it good public policy for New Yorkers — and smart marketing for Fresh Direct — to reduce the volume of idling equipment and the environmental footprint of its vehicles?
I refuse to reward Fresh Direct for its tone deaf decision to procure and operate 100 noisy vehicles in our neighborhoods.
Stephen Lippman, Park Slope
Grateful Nardiello
To the editor,
As an old New York University journalism student myself, I wanted to thank you for many thoughtful articles including one in which your columnist joined me for a shift at the Park Slope Food Co-op in September (“There’s a Republican in the Food Co-op!” Politicrasher, Oct. 13).
Understanding that my candidacy presented an easy foil, with that branding of being a Republican in the post George W. Bush years, let me please remind you that 30 years ago, I was a 17 year old watching Americans taken captive and held for the next 444 days. If that happened today, they would not get out until 2011.
That’s why a young Joe Nardiello, upon reflection of his RFK, TR, Lincoln, and LaGuardia study as a teen, went down a path that made me the Republican candidate trying to break through partisanship. Maybe I was premature for what Democrats are ready for here and now.
I greatly appreciate your focus on the issues and the great importance of elevating the thoughts of candidates that may have had something to add, other than the oddity of their candidacy vs. the Machine.
We sought to overthrow the status quo against overwhelming odds, and fell short of that goal. But it was not for lack of trying. At least people know that I’m a fighter and will stay up late and walk the entire district end to end to reach them. Lessons learned.
Joe Nardiello, Carroll Gardens
The writer was a candidate for the City Council. He lost to Democrat Brad Lander on Election Day.
Election PS
To the editor,
It was more than Mayor Bloomberg spending millions and overcoming a five-to-one Democratic Party registration advantage that resulted in the defeat of Bill Thompson (“B’klyn Doesn’t Buy Bloomy,” Nov. 6).
After the September primary, Democrats usually rally around their own. In this case, numerous Democrats were missing in action: President Obama, former President Clinton, Vice President Biden, former Vice President Gore, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Attorney General Cuomo, state Sen. Majority Leader Smith, Assembly Speaker Silver, Council Speaker Quinn (along with many other members of Congress, Senators, assemblymembers and councilmembers) just sat on their hands or nominally campaigned for Thompson.
Even the infamous Al Sharpton — never shy around a camera or microphone — was strangely silent.
Many, such as Quinn and Cuomo, provided last-minute endorsements in the closing days of the campaign for ulterior motives. Quinn wanted to win re-election as Speaker and Cuomo was campaigning for Governor.
All of these politicians failed to assist in any meaningful fundraising and did not share their own campaign apparatus with Thompson. This was their wink and nod to help Bloomberg win a third term. With friends like these, no wonder Thompson lost.
Larry Penner, Great Neck, L.I.
To the editor,
Let me get this straight. You cite a racial and/or income split in voting, and tell Mayor Bloomberg to “Fix this now” (editorial, Nov. 6).
Crime is down, and the economy will likely be bleak until spending madness ends in Washington. What has Mayor Bloomberg done wrong here?
It doesn’t make for a good headline, but perhaps you should consider the possibility that tribalism still reigns, and that a black political candidate simply got most of the black vote.
Steven Rosenberg, Park Slope