oped BTR letters & comments
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR AY 17-23, 2019 13
Benedetto, Gjonaj
oppose drug site
Accept the will
of the people
(The following letter was
sent to the commissioner of
NYS Offi ce of Alcoholism, and
Substance Abuse Services re:
Miracle City’s plan to open
a drug treatment facility in
Throggs Neck.)
Dear Commissioner
Gonzalez-Sanchez
We are writing you to express
our strong opposition
to Miracle City’s intention to
make an application to the
New York State Offi ce of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse
Services to acquire an 822 license
to operate a counseling
center for individuals with
behavioral disorders, including
those affl icted with eating,
smoking and drug abuse
addictions.
Miracle City made public
its plan to convert 25% of its
fl oor area in a 2-story building
it owns at 2800 Bruckner
Boulevard, situated along a
major highway. It is the only
offi ce-type structure that exists
in a neighborhood made
up entirely of 1-, 2- and 3-family
homes, churches and
schools. The applicant’s property
is on a one-way street
that is also poorly serviced by
mass transit.
Elementary grade students
that attend the two public elementary
schools located less
than three blocks away pass
this site daily and a program
called These Our Treasures,
a neighbor of the proposed
clinic that works with special
needs children ages 3 to
5, could be in jeopardy if the
application is approved.
It is important that a program
intended to predominantly
treat the Bronx opioidaddicted
population at-large
should be easily accessible
by various means of public
transportation and should
be contextual with the occupancy
and uses of the surrounding
properties. We believe
these key factors should
weigh heavily in the agency’s
determination of a site’s suitability
and impact. The remoteness
of a facility at this
location would present an
immediate hardship and additional
stress to any client
seeking treatment at this site,
as well.
Another factor, that also
concerns us, is the community’s
limited police resources.
The proposed counseling center
is within the boundaries of
the 45th Precinct, a precinct
that contains the largest geographical
patrol area in the
city, as well as the smallest
police force in the Bronx. Despite
the fact that the station
house is physically located
four blocks away from the
proposed clinic, its proximity
will have no effect on the
precinct’s ability to respond
to 2800 Bruckner Boulevard
expected increase in 911-related
calls. Whenever a squad
car is dispatched to this location,
other sectors will be left
in peril by the thinned police
coverage. According to the
applicant, Miracle City intends
to operate its program
in the evenings, as well as on
Saturdays, further straining
the precinct’s resources.
The community is already
saturated with this type of
program. The Montefi ore
Wellness Center on Waters
Place, for instance, one of
many neighborhood clinics,
dispenses medication and
counseling to hundreds of
opioid-addicted clients daily.
On any given day, the clientele
mills around the site for
hours, creating an unpleasant
sidewalk crowding condition
which is largely overlooked
because the remote site does
not impact on a residential
neighborhood.
We acknowledge the severity
of the ongoing opioid crisis
that is tearing Bronx families
apart and stand united in assisting
your agency in the future
to identify a suitable alternative
location.
Michael R. Benedetto,
Member of Assembly
Mark Gjonaj,
Member of NYC Council
Dear editor,
I was heartened by the
words of a recent letter writer
that the election of Ms. Ocasio
Cortez was a result of the
democratic process.
Although I totally disagree
with her on almost
every issue, she was duly
elected.
My hope is that the gentleman’s
words will sink into
the heads of the crazed Democrat
party which has spent,
to date, some $25.2 million of
taxpayers’ money, and created
crises that have no legal
basis, while ignoring real
ones.
They need to accept a duly
elected President. That’s also
democracy.
Carmela Albano
Present both
sides of debate
Dear editor,
In last week’s paper,
Pasquale Pelosi wrote, “...by
publishing the unsupported
opinions of an extreme right
wing ideologue week after
week your paper is losing its
credibility.”
Of course, he does not
mention that this paper publishes
his left wing views
week after week.
At a time when much of
the media does not present
the views of both sides, this
paper tries to do just that.By
hearing both sides it gives
us all a chance to make educated
decisions.
We can learn from each
other if we choose to listen
instead of attacking the opposing
side.
Mr. Pelosi, when you read
an opposing view, instead of
being offended, you should
thank God that we live in
a place where we still have
the First Amendment, which
protects our right to free
speech.
Mary Jane Musano
Misguided legislation has
unintended consequences
BY RICHARD MARTINEZ
It feels like Albany is on a
fast track to reverse two decades
of rent regulation policies
in the name of protecting
tenants. But their action
will have unintended consequences
for New Yorkers like
I am the owner of a small
business in the Bronx. For 15
years, my team and I have installed
home security systems
into apartments across the
fi ve boroughs.
Our business has thrived
in large part due to our work
with building owners and
property managers who rely
on us to provide the necessary
equipment to keep buildings
safe for New Yorkers.
Today, however, the safety
of my business and job security
of my employees is at
If unfair housing regulations
are approved in Albany,
it will make it economically
unfeasible for property owners
to perform important upgrades
and renovations to
their buildings, which would
impact countless small businesses
in New York.
It’s very simple: if building
owners don’t have money
to spend on improvements, my
business is in trouble. The demand
for my services would
certainly decrease, and as a
result, I would be forced to
downsize my team.
This will not only impact
me and my business but also
hundreds of other small businesses
across the fi ve boroughs
that work every day
with property managers and
building owners to create safe,
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
me.
risk.
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,
NY 10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@cnglocal.
com.
All letters, including those submitted via email,
MUST be signed and with a verifi able address
and telephone number included.
Note that the address and telephone number
will NOT be published and the name will be
published or withheld upon request.
No unsigned letters can be accepted for publication.
The editor reserves the right to edit all
submissions.
sustainable New York communities.
The housing industry employs
a diverse workforce,
from electricians, plumbers
and construction workers to
on-site building caretakers,
supers and porters. These
good, local jobs that support
families across the city are
now at risk.
In 2014 alone, 104,000 fulltime
jobs were supported by
the housing industry, amounting
to annual labor income of
$10.4 billion. Annual worker
earnings for direct labor in
rent stabilized building operations
and capital improvement
averaged $64,200.
When building owners
make investments and improvements
to our buildings,
they are investing in our
community. They are providing
quality jobs to folks who
need them, allowing us to provide
for our families. If these
rental regulations are passed,
the quality of our community
will diminish. Passing these
new unfair housing laws will
have real-life consequences.
People will lose their jobs, and
the community we worked so
hard to build up will be torn
down with sign of a pen.
All New Yorkers should
have access to safe, affordable,
quality homes. I want to continue
to work to make this happen.
I urge Albany to consider
the unintended consequences
these new proposed housing
regulations will have on small
businesses like mine.
(Richard Martinez is the
president of Homeland Protective
Surveillance Group based
in the Bronx)
THE BRONX TIMES REPORTER
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
IS CURRENTLY HIRING COLLEGE
INTERNS, WHO WILL RECEIVE
SCHOOL
CREDIT AS COMPENSATION.
IF INTERESTED,
CALL (718) 260-4593
link