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Lefferts Boulevard Bridge

Dear Editor:

Kew Gardens community organizations are partnering with the Mutual Housing Association of New York (MHANY), a not-for-profit housing and commercial property development organization, to submit a unique response to an MTA request for proposal (RFP). The RFP calls for managing the 14 stores that are at the heart of this community’s main shopping area and are situated on the Lefferts Boulevard bridge over the LIRR mainline tracks. This is the first time that a not-for-profit housing and property development organization has pitched to manage MT owned properties, and they have done this in conjunction with the community and the storeowner representatives with the intent of maintaining the existing character of the buildings.

The Lefferts Boulevard Bridge has suffered from years of MTA mismanagement. Because of this

neglect, approximately $11 million in capital improvements will be required for the buildings, and an additional $5.5 million will be necessary to repair structural work on the bridge. The MTA expects the master lessee to bear the considerable cost burden of these repairs even after the City has given money to the MTA in the past to make repairs to this structure. The RFP also specifically states that the stores will be delivered empty. Existing small mom and pop stores who have served the community for over 20 years and are already hit hard by the pandemic—will be forced to close under these conditions.

In response to concerns about the lack of community input (there is no requirement for community involvement in the MTA RFP) and the forced closure of the stores, Kew Gardens’ four state representatives Senators Comrie and Addabbo, Assemblymen Rosenthal and Hevesi, and City Councilwoman Koslowitz sent a letter to the MTA requesting that the RFP be pulled and reformatted to reflect community input and to protect the existing store owners ability to continue to operate. To date, their plea went unanswered.

MHANY’s proposal to operate this property is an inclusive one, allowing for community representation while giving long-time storeowners a chance to thrive at affordable rents—rents that for-profit organizations could not provide. A vital commercial strip would be an asset to the neighborhood, providing needed jobs, and sales tax revenues to the State of New York.

Sincerely
James S. McClelland
District Manager
Community Board 9 – Queens

 

Condemns Trump’s “Assault on Democracy”

Dear Editor:

President Trump continued his assault on democracy with a phone call this weekend where he tried to pressure Georgia election officials to overturn the rightful results of the election.

Trump’s thuggish and likely law-breaking call once again shows the depths he and every Republican who supports him are willing to sink to in a desperate attempt to cling to power after they were soundly rejected by the American people.

Gov. Phil Murphy made it clear — New Jersey will not stand for pathetic Republican attempts to overturn the Presidential election and we will stand up for our democracy.

By refusing to call out Trump’s reprehensible conduct Jack Ciattarelli, Doug Steinhardt, Jeff Van Drew, Tom Kean, Jr. and their fellow Republican leaders show how out of touch they are with New Jersey’s values as they pander to the extreme right to attract the support of Trump’s radical conservative base in the gubernatorial primary.

Their refusal to address the situation is tantamount to endorsing Trump’s attacks on the rule of law and the principles of democracy that America was built on. New Jersey has overwhelmingly rejected Trumpism and this sick embrace of undemocratic conduct by Ciattarelli and Steinhardt will never be forgiven or forgotten.

Sincerely
New Jersey Democratic State Committee

 

Remembering the 1966 Transit Strike

Dear Editor:

January 1, 2021 represents the 55th anniversary for the 1966 transit strike which shut down NYC for days. It was the first of many municipal crises to face incoming Mayor John Lindsay who ran on the Liberal and Republican Party lines winning 1,149,116 (45%) votes defeating Democrat/Civil Service Abe Beame with 1,046,599 (41%) and Conservative Party National Review editor William F. Buckley garnering 341,226 (14%).

Rush hour began at 4 AM with many arriving home as last as midnight. The LIRR added extra Queens service. Both Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal were mobbed with thousands of new customers. Transit Workers Union President Michael Quill went to jail, suffered a heart attack and subsequently died. He did not live to see his successor winning a record 15% wage hike. The subway fare was raised 33% fifteen to twenty cents.

Sincerely,

  Larry Penner

(Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads, MTA Bus, NYC Department of Transportation along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ).

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