LET US HEAR FROM YOU
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M 12 ARCH 15-21, 2019 BTR
Founded in 1981 by
Michael Benedetto and
John Collazzi
PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER
Victoria Schneps-Yunis
CEO AND CO-PUBLISHER
Joshua Schneps
BRONX TIMES PUBLISHER
Laura Guerriero
EDITOR
John Collazzi
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Patrick Rocchio
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Lucca’s will
be missed 45TH PRECINCT’S COP OF THE MONTH
The 45th Precinct and the 45th Precinct Community Council saluted
police offi cer Ryan Zelman as the precinct’s Cop of the Month
on Thursday, March 7 at Santa Maria Church.
(Above) Police offi cer Zelman (3rd from r) was honored by community
and law enforcement leaders.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Mark Gjonaj’s Offi ce
Dear editor,
I was so in shock and saddened
to here of the closing
of Lucca’s on Westchester Avenue.
Luccia I will miss you so
much. A great restaurant with
great atmosphere and excellent
food, and of course Luccia
doing her very best to make
sure everything was perfect
for her customers. Luccia I
loved coming there, seeing
you and enjoying great food.
You will be sorely missed and
you’ll always be my “You got
it!” girl. Much love.
Guido Susi
The devil
has landed
Dear editor,
What a disgrace that our
government passed a bill that
allows the killing of a newborn
at birth. This tells us
that the devil has landed. This
is a disgrace.
Governor Cuomo and other
politicians just discarded the
Fifth Commandment, ‘Thou
Shall Not Kill.’ Our governor
should have ben excommunicated
by Cardinal Dolan. Also,
I’m surprised that our Pope
never mentioned this matter.
I guess they both choose politics
before God.
A woman giving birth is
a gift from God, and now you
want to destroy your newborn
by having the head squashed
or by drowning. And, at the
signing of this law, these politicians
cheered and celebrated
as New York’s landmarks
were aglow in pink. What a
disgrace.
Richard Silvestri.
The MTA
escape clause
Dear editor,
NYC Council Speaker and
2021 Mayoral candidate Corey
Johnson is correct that City
Hall can actually regain control
of the both the NYC Transit
subway and bus systems
and create his proposed ‘Big
Apple Transit.’ All have long
forgotten that buried within
the 1953 master agreement
between the City of New York
and NYC Transit is an escape
clause. NYC has the legal right
to take back at any time control
of its assets. This includes
the subway and bus systems.
In 1953, the old NYC Board of
Transportation passed on control
of the municipal subway
system, including all its assets
under a master lease and operating
agreement to the newly
created NYC Transit Authority.
Regaining total control
comes with a number of fi nancial
liabilities. City Hall will
have to negotiate with both the
governor and state legislature
over how much of the MTA’s
$40 billion long term debt and
billions more in employee
pension, health insurance,
other benefi ts and liabilities
come with the package. NYC
would also inherit a series of
union contracts and work rule
agreements. You also have
to develop a plan for turning
over management for billions
in hundreds of ongoing capital
improvement projects that
are already under way. Don’t
forget current purchases for
several thousand new subway
cars and buses.
NYC Transit bus and subway
are the largest transit operators
in the nation with a
fl eet of 6.400 subway and 4,400
buses. MTA Bus with a fl eet of
1,300 buses is one of the top ten
bus operators in the nation. It
is the equivalent of attempting
to manage a fortune fi ve hundred
corporation. Does NYC
have the technical capacity to
take on such an undertaking
to support creation of the new
‘Big Apple Transit’?
Neither NYCDOT or any
other city agency has any experience
in management of either
subways or buses.
Larry Penner
.......AS STATED
As Stated offers an array
of news breaking commentary
from our elected political leaders
every week. Feel free to
share your thoughts about their
views offered in this week’s installment.
Assemblyman Victor M.
Pichardo on the passing of former
Assembly Speaker Melvin
Miller.....“I am saddened to hear
about the passing of someone
who was important both for
New York State and our body
in the New York State Assembly.
Not only do I want to thank
former Assembly Speaker Melvin
Miller for his accomplishments
in improving the lives
of all New Yorkers during his
time in the Assembly, but I
want to thank him for the support
he showed me during my
time as a newly elected Assemblyman
many years ago. I will
always be eternally grateful for
his assistance and generosity
throughout those years. From
the bottom of my heart, thank
you Mr. Speaker and may you
Rest In Peace.”
Assembly Speaker Carl
Heastie’s statement on the passing
of former Assembly Speaker
Mel Miller.....”It is with great
sadness that I join my colleagues
in mourning the death
of former Assembly Speaker
Mel Miller.”
“Mel represented the 44th
Assembly District in Brooklyn
for 21 years, fi ve of those years
he served as Speaker. During
his time in the Assembly, he
fought so every person in our
state would be counted – both
by exercising their right to
vote, and being counted by the
census. “
“He created the Minority
and Women Owned Business
Enterprise to promote equality
of economic opportunities.
Mel fought to get New York’s
students a quality education,
including major increases in
state aid to education and community
colleges, and helped
modernize the New York City
school system. “
“He championed toxic tort
legislation to allow victims of
diseases caused by exposure
to chemicals the ability to seek
damages. Under Mel’s leadership,
the Assembly was the
fi rst legislative body in the nation
to debate an assault weapons
ban.”
“On behalf of all the members
of the Assembly, I offer
to his loved ones our deepest
condolences. May he rest in
peace.”
Letters to the editor are welcome from all readers. They should
be addressed care of this newspaper to Laura Guerriero, Publisher,
the Bronx Times Reporter, 3604 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx,
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