Letters

Signal Approved

A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette.

Dear [State] Senator [George] Onorato:

The Department recently completed its study regarding the need for additional traffic controls at the intersection of 20th Avenue and 43rd Street.

We are pleased to inform you that a traffic signal has been approved at this location. Installation will be performed by contract and the work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2003.

Thank you for your interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

Joseph Cannisi

Queens Borough Commissioner

New York City Department of

Transportation

Unfair Parking

To The Editor:

I am a resident of 14th Street and 31st Avenue in Long Island City. Across the street from where I live is the New York Health Department. Over the past few years, the Health Department has managed to obtain at least one full block worth of parking, and they have also acquired parking behind their building. The hours of parking are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This area in the past years has become quite congested with cars, which causes the local residents to scramble for spots. Meanwhile, the workers in that building just park and put up authorization cards and keep on going.

I do know that this is a Health Department, and I could understand having spots allocated for the medical doctors on staff, but to my understanding, there are no longer medical doctors there. Why should the workers there have the convenience of parking [while] the residents [are] constantly looking for a spot? Also, the center is only open until 4, yet the sign [states] until 6.

Can you please point me in the direction I need to try [to] get some kind of assistance in this matter?

Thank you,

Arleen Manthorne

Long Island City

Editor’s Note: We recommend contacting Community Board 1 and City Councilmember Peter Vallone for advice.

Put Pols $ In City Pot

To The Editor:

Now that Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg has proposed his budget cuts and revenue enhancements, it is up to [City Council Speaker] Gifford Miller and the city council to make some tough decisions. But before they start to look at service cuts and tax increases, they must take some of the mayor’s advice; we all must pay the cost.

Recently Councilmember Dennis Gallagher proposed Intro. 291, a bill to change the city’s campaign finance funding. Currently any candidate for city office willing to participate in the Campaign Finance Board’s program can receive four taxpayer dollars for every one dollar they raise (up to $250 per individual contribution). Mr. Gallagher’s bill would only allow $2 for every dollar raised. According to Gallagher’s office, during a non-mayoral election cycle the city would save an estimated $7 million and $20 million during a mayoral cycle.

I am willing to share in the burden, pay a little more for a bus ride and have some of my city services cut for a while. But before they shut down 30 senior centers (saving $14.9 million), eliminate 14,000 daycare slots for abused children plus an additional 2,500 ($61.1 million) or cut staff and close eight fire houses $22.7 million), the politicians (the ones voting on this all make $90,000+) should share our burden before asking us for money to run their campaigns.

I applaud Councilmember Gallagher, and the other 14 members who support this bill, for doing the right thing. Now it’s time for Speaker Miller and others to do what’s right for our town and fully support this bill.

Michael Andrews

Hollis