To The Editor:

If those cry babies in Manhattan want to experience real traffic, they should visit the borough of Queens. I invite them to drive the streets of Bay Terrace on a Sunday afternoon when Fort Totten is in full swing or College Point at any time. Let's not forget Main Street in Flushing, Downtown Jamaica, Astoria, the Rockaway Peninsula, Long Island City, our airports or Queens Boulevard, our very own Boulevard of Death. There are just too many streets to list them all, but any one of those roadways could be used to define "congestion". By comparison, Midtown Manhattan is an open highway.

Think about it: no more free rides for vehicles going past 23rd Avenue, Astoria Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue or Jamaica Avenue. Only residents living in close proximity to a congested intersection would be exempted. Why should we care if that makes some of us into second-class citizens? In a democracy that's the price we pay for improved traffic flow. It's time to let Mayor Bloomberg know that Queens needs Congestion Pricing now. When that's finished, he can work on making the railroads run on time. Warren Schreiber Bayside

Contempt Caused Shootings To The Editor:

As parents of a 17 year-old in the midst of visiting college campuses, including the Queens area, we are saddened and shocked by the horrific occurrence at Virginia Tech. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the thirty-two men and women.

A stunned nation is asking itself: "How can this have occurred?" We are impelled to say that the philosophy Aesthetic Realism founded by the American educator Eli Siegel explained the reason. It showed that contempt is the "false importance or glory" a person gets by making less of another human being. Contempt is the cause of all injustice and human cruelty. We learned it is in every person and can be very ordinary- -for example, appearing to listen to another while thinking "What an idiot!". But it can be taken very far. In his book James and the Children, Eli Siegel wrote:

"…[A]s soon as you have contempt, as soon as you don't want to see another person as having the fullness that you have, you can rob that person, hurt that person, kill that person."

When contempt is studied, understood and criticized--including in oneself- America will be kind and safe. Lauren and Bruce Blaustein Manhattan

Reform Bldgs. Dept., BSA To The Editor:

Civic and other community people have been aware for some time that the Department of Buildings (DOB) and the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) are two city agencies that need to be reformed to more effectively control overdevelopment problems in our neighborhoods.

For years, residents wonder why the DOB regularly fails to ensure that zoning and building rules are consistently adhered to at construction sites and why the BSA has so much control over variances that are granted that affect the quality of life of citizens throughout this city. Both agencies seem to be accountable to no one for their actions.

The good news is that legislation is pending in the City Council dealing with these issues. The bad news is that the legislation is being held up in committees. Why? Many feel that certain developers are big contributors to certain city councilmembers' campaign funds and these officials simply don't want to rock the money boat.

Luckily for us, we have officials like Councilmember Tony Avella who has introduced much needed reform legislation dealing with these problems. Intros 261, 262 and 263 would reform BSA with provisions that include allowing a review of BSA decisions by the City Council and by expanding membership in BSA to nominees by certain elected officials to ensure accountability. Intros 43 and 530 would tighten up the DOB by strengthening the enforcement of stop work orders and ending weekend construction on new homes by builders. This would not affect a property owner from working on his or her home on weekends.

Other legislation proposed by Councilmember Avella dealing with overdevelopment issues include Intros 6 and 322. Also, his Intro 14 would allow property owners to register deed restrictions with the city, who would then enforce them when necessary in the future. Councilmember Michael McMahon's Intro 29 would end self-certification of building plans by developers. Every plan would have to be reviewed and approved by the DOB.

How can we get this important legislation out of committee and on the way to being enacted? Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg and City [Council] Speaker Christine Quinn need to hear from you as well as your local councilmember. These people respond to constituent pressure. Many city officials will be term limited out in 2009 and will be looking for other political positions. That means they need your vote! Also, work with your civic association and other community groups. There is strength in numbers!

Contextual rezoning would never have come about, had it not been for public outrage of how neighborhoods were being destroyed by out of context development. Landmarking of appropriate buildings and neighborhoods will prevent destruction of our past and preserve our history for the future. Legislation that will reform building practices and regulations in our city will be a stabilizing influence as well. Those of us who care about our neighborhoods must continue to speak up and fight to protect the places we call home. Henry Euler Bayside

Hails Green Winners To The Editor:

I applaud the winners of the Green Awards. This is in commemoration of Earth Day. I also agree with our mayor to have one million trees planted throughout the five boroughs of our city.

Trees can reduce the temperature of our city by 5 degrees during the hottest days of summer. They can also create an oasis and cause smiles, happiness and peace of mind as we walk on the city streets during these stressful times.

I also would appreciate seeing the planting of more gardens, flowers and vegetables.

In addition, I applaud our lawmakers on the city, state and federal levels for enhancing the quality of our lives through the enactment and passage of important legislation that has a positive influence upon the lives of everyone in our borough, city, state and nation.

Thank you, Gazette, for presenting optimistic articles this week.

Let us enjoy the springtime season together, in good news, good health and above all, happiness. Cynthia Groopman Long Island City

Sue Imus To The Editor:

For the past two decades, I have been a regular listener to the Imus-In-The- Morning program, and enjoyed his interviews with leaders such as John McCain, Tim Russert, Joe Lieberman, and Maureen Dowd, etc., in what was like a college radio course in American politics and culture. Of particular interest were his "deflating" of assorted fools and phonies, including George Bush, Dick Cheney, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and Al Sharpton, etc., (the latter with no credibility in "throwing the first stone", considering the Tawana Brawley hoax and Sharpton's attempt to destroy the careers of the innocent policemen).

Other portions of the Imus-In-The- Morning show, however, (such as sports and country music, etc.,) I usually pay no attention to, as I have no interest in these, although I have questioned the gross parodies of Cardinal Egan, (who is portrayed as an obscene buffoon, reading lottery numbers winners. These are offensive to millions of churchgoers, Roman Catholics, and others.

I didn't hear Don Imus' and Bernard McGuirk's rant about the Rutgers women's basketball team-as I have never paid much attention to sports - but since it became a debacle that overshadows even Iraq War coverage now (does anyone remember how many Americans or Iraqis were killed this past week?) I think a major focus has been overlooked in all the widespread Imus/Rutgers coverage! There is a big difference in what you can say/write about someone who is or was a public figure, (such as Bush, Clinton, or the deceased Richard Nixon - another of Imus' favorite targets), and someone -such as the Rutgers team members - who are not public figures, but ordinary college students, (including some who are still minors), and are entitled not to be slandered to millions of people!

Since - apart from the obvious racism, regarding most of the team - Imus defamed the moral character of these young women, as "hos", and since Don Imus has been making a reported $10,000,000.00 a year from his radio show, I think every member of the team, and their coach, should immediately sue Imus and his media outlets for slander/defamation, and the pain caused to them! Perhaps if they each collect a million dollars or more, the other talk show hosts will be more careful about what they utter about private citizens who've done no wrong! Frank Skala Bayside

Get Out Of U.N. To The Editor:

The United Nations (U.N.) means global government. Global government means Big Brother. The haunting specter of George Orwell's 1984 is given flesh and bones through the strengthening of the U.N. global government.

Our military has been put under U.N. command, our foreign policy supports U.N. objectives and our national policies are in compliance with U.N. treaties. The outcome is that our elected officials are less responsive to the people they are supposed to represent and more like bureaucrats disseminating U.N. policy.

Involvement in the U.N. destroys our nation by undermining our Constitution; the only guarantee of civil rights and freedom under the law. The U.N. "International Bill of Rights" limits rights, doling them out only upon its discretion. Our Declaration of Independence states that our rights come from God.

The United Nations has gotten us into more losing and no-win wars than can be counted, including Korea and Viet Nam.

The World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have always had new and ingenious ways of making U.S. taxpayer money the property of corrupt foreign bureaucrats (who hate the U.S.) while [we] have trouble making ends meet.

The International Criminal Court promises that foreign judges can indict and arrest U.S. citizens while in the U.S. on unknown charges without a trial by jury.

UNICEF has for years funded terrorist guerrilla front organizations.

The advent of the U.N. means death to the U.S. and for all which she stands. It means the enslavement of your children and loss of your property. The future is not happy and bright unless we get out of the U.N. The U.N. is a dictatorship.

Representative Ron Paul has sponsored H.R. 1147. Tell your congressman to vote to get us out! For more information go to the www.getusout.org Web site. V. Vileniskis Fresh Meadows

Backs Convention Cops To The Editor:

In regard to undercover detectives collecting data on political activists who planned to protest the 2004 Republican Convention, I think was necessary and proper. I believe the #1 priority of our government is to protect the public. We now live in a terrorist age where there are those out there who are more than capable of blowing up trains and national landmarks, not to mention killing thousands of law abiding citizens. We need to know to what degree and [how] far these protesters will go to achieve their aims. Some of them could have terrorist leanings.

We live in dangerous times and unfortunately this affects our personal liberties. In the end I believe NYPD did what was right to protect human life and for that I applaud the NYPD for a job well done. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Bellerose