Armistice Day Facts To The Editor:

On November 11 our country celebrates Veterans’ Day which honors our armed forces, both active and retired.

This holiday was originally named Armistice Day to commemorate the cease fire on Nov. 11, 1918 by the combatants in World War I. The noun Armistice comes from the Latin armistitium, meaning, stoppage. The war did not officially end until the Treaty of Versailles was signed by the warring factions on Jun. 28, 1919.
Hyman Auslander
Flushing

Hails Yankees

To The Editor:

Yankees win, Yankees win! Yankees have made New York Yankees fans proud. But more than that[,] they have made America proud. You see[,] baseball is America’s past-time [sic] and by winning the [W]orld [S]eries[,] the Yankees symbolizes [sic] everything that is great about America. And that is if you work hard anything is possible.

Now to Phillies pitcher, [“]Pedro Martinez,[“] do you know who's your daddy now? The Yankees, that’s who.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Glen Oaks Village

Immediate Is Omnipotent

To The Editor:

Former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill stated, “All politics are local.” Every election reflects the pocketbook concern of voters and perceived threats to their welfare.

Regardless of the White House spin, the results of Tuesday’s elections offer no comfort for the president. There seems to be a disconnect between the objectives of the administration and the concerns of the electorate. Healthcare reform and climate change legislation have been delegated by the people as secondary to the harsh realities of rising unemployment, foreclosures and deficits.

Consumer spending is down and should remain weak for an extended time. Americans are resolute to pay down credit card balances made worse by credit card companies, which have increased interest rates, raking in unfair profits in time to avoid limitations imposed by Congress.

If households are compelled to pay off debt and live within budgets, voters demand the same of the government. The dread felt across the nation founded upon the threat of unemployment and foreclosures has not received the attention of the president. That places his popularity and the resiliency of his party in question, facing the 2010 mid-term elections.

Obama is right to fight for reforms in health care and climate change. The longterm damage these matters pose to the welfare of the nation is serious. Yet for families confronting unemployment and foreclosures, the immediate is omnipotent. Unless the president and the Democrats find the means to create jobs and keep families in their homes, they will suffer the anger of the voters.

Before people consider the future, their present must be secured.
Edward Horn
Baldwin, New York

What’s This Socialism?

To The Editor:

I am writing in Mr. [Lawrence] Burke’s rant against “Socialized Medicine.” Could somebody please define “socialism” for me? Is Medicare or Medicaid socialized medicine? If so, we need more of it because it has kept the elderly and needy population from total financial collapse. Is Social Security socialism? If so, where would we be without it?—on breadlines, on welfare rolls, dragging our children down to support their elders. Are unemployment benefits considered socialism? Where would our temporarily unemployed be without these funds to tide them over between jobs?

During the current debate over healthcare reform, Republicans have strongly opposed permitting the federal government to negotiate drug prices. Are they afraid the drug companies might have to reduce their profits (right now their profits are at an alltime high)? The Republicans also oppose the “public option” because the health insurers might have to reduce their premiums if they have to compete with the government.

I am an advocate of the single payer sys- tem, but I am willing to agree to a compromise which would permit the government and the private insurance industry to jointly manage the system.
Irving Feiner
Woodside

Join With LI Or Die

To The Editor:

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy must work together to ensure economic success. In today's global economy, electoral political district boundaries, which may end at the city line between New York City and Nassau County, mean very little. We are all neighbors and, thankfully, there has never been a Berlin Wall between us. Residents of neighborhoods in Eastern Queens and adjacent communities in nearby Nassau County may have more in common than those who live in some other boroughs of New York City, due to our much closer physical proximity, [and] similar cultural, ethnic and financial interests.

The United States is in economic competition against other nations of the world. Within the USA, residents of the Northeastern states compete against other coalitions of states based in the geographic South, Rocky Mountains, West and other areas. Our Metropolitan New York area comprising NYC, Long Island, Northeast New Jersey, Hudson Valley and parts of Southwestern Connecticut are in competition against other metropolitan areas around the nation and world. I work in NYC. My wife and I travel around the five boroughs of NYC.

We enjoy shopping, dining, going to the movies, visiting museums and taking advantage of the diversity different neighborhood communities offer.

Each day several hundred thousand Long Island residents travel to jobs in NYC—the economic engine of our metropolitan region. Many others attend sporting events, the theater, museums, restaurants and shopping. A growing number of NYC residents have become reverse commuters to jobs on Long Island. Many other NYC residents attend sporting events, shop, dine and visit other places on Long Island. It is naive to believe that NYC can survive economically in today’s ever changing technology and global economy without Long Island and the rest of Metropolitan New York. The suburbs around NYC are equally dependent on the success of NYC. The actions and legislation of many elected officials impact those of us who reside outside of NYC.

All public officials, be it NYC Councilmembers, Nassau or Suffolk County Legislat[or]s, State Assembly, State Senate, Congressional, Mayors, County Executives, Comptrollers, etc., play a role in our daily lives via their legislative and budget decisions regarding new rules, regulations, taxation and how our hard-earned tax dollars are spent.

Republican one-party rule of Nassau County government did lead to a financial crisis. Similarly, the same Democratic one-party rule of municipal government placed NYC on the edge of bankruptcy in 1975 under a Democratic Party clubhouse product—the late Mayor Abe Beame. While Nassau County now has a real twoparty system, sadly outside of Staten Island, there is no Republican party loyal opposition to prevent a return to Democratic one-party control of City Hall. Only former Mayor Giuliani and current Mayor Bloomberg have stood in the doorway preventing a return to the past municipal scandals and financial mismanagement so prevalent under previous Democratic party monopoly of City Hall.

Residents of Long Island and NYC in the end have much in common. We should work together as neighbors and not adversaries.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck, New York

She Favors Queens Farm

To The Editor:

The issue of the Gazette, Oct. 28, 2009 was full of many interesting and insightful and thought provoking articles that are worthy of comment.

I really was interested and delighted to learn about the organic farm in Little Neck, Queens where little children and people of all ages learn and are educated about produce, nutrition and have the ability to see animals, pumpkins, pick them and see other vegetables and learn about the environment as well through interactive experiences. This is a truly wonderful way of learning and by taking part and hands on experiences make learning fun and it is important for future generations to learn about food, nutrition and the earth and animals.

I am really confused about the Rumble siren for use by the NYPD. These will literally scare people and make hearts beat and cause anxiety problems. Animals such as dogs will bark as a result of hearing loud strange noises and at night it will cause people to wake up in fright. It is true that drivers who text, use cellphones or are not interested in what is around them need this wake up siren, but it will be a source of fright. The FDNY will also have to have these sirens and the ambulances as well since they are also emergency vehicles. So, this idea is thought about with mixed emotions.

I do believe that texting while driving should be made against the law.

In addition, I was dismayed and appalled to hear that the Northwest Airline pilots were not paying attention to their whereabouts and flew 150 miles out of their direction and could not be reached. The passengers on the plane had their lives in their hands. The higher powers did suspend their pilots’ licenses and that was a wise idea. In general, all public workers, drivers, plane pilots, captains of ships etc. must be aware and focused. To have the federal government waste money to get fighter jets ready and to think that it was a highjacking incident really wasted time and it was poorly handled and black boxes should have one hour at least for recording information. The 30-minute black box was too antiquated and should not be used again.

I am so appalled at the governor’s plan to balance the budget on the backs of college students by cutting funds to SUNY and CUNY, to school aid, To the MTA, and to the Health Department and other programs that effect the quality of life, health and education of New Yorkers. The governor should fix his in house raises in addition to the raises that the New York state senate and Assembly members were going to fix for themselves.

I am concerned that the Access-A-Ride program that transports the disabled and frail elderly will be cut and this group of people are entitled to freedom of movement not only to doctors but to go anywhere where subway and regular bus riders travel. The right to move around and to go places around the city is not only for the non-disabled. The idea of Con Edison planting trees is wonderful, but half of the dollars raised by having payers use ebilling should also be used to fix faulty equipment of Con Edison—manholes, the power grid and other problems that cause blackouts and explosions.

I agree to the rules for the livery cab drivers. All must not talk on cellphones including taxi drivers Yellow Cabs. That is a distraction as well. The car services are important and in Queens there are not many Yellow Cabs. There should be more Yellow Cabs in Queens. So many cars are private and the drivers pocket the money. I am strongly in favor of the taxing of gambling, the sale of cigarettes and other things on the American Indian reservations. All of us are taxed and they are American citizens and must not be segregated. The state can use the money.

I am also glad that there will be training sessions for fair housing and to teach those who lead community centers, centers for seniors etc. to help those in need of SCRIE, DRIE, and other services. These people are disabled, minorities and elderly and need help and to have the people with training to help them is necessary.

Thanks, Gazette, for interesting articles.

I am not in favor of this clock turning. The time should remain all year round. Arizona does not change the clock and parts of Indiana. This is confusing since the dates were changed from the end of October to the first of November and from the end of April to the middle of March.

As for the marathons, street fairs and parades, well they create a traffic nightmare.
Cynthia Groopman
Long Island City