Dear Editor:
I found Moshe Hill’s recent columns somewhat confusing. In one column, he suggests that California imposing a COVID vaccine mandate on students was unnecessary.
According to the VRBAC (Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee) meeting, which met today to review and make a recommendation on Pfizer’s EUA application for a vaccine designed for children, ages 5-11, to date, 1.9 million children in that age group have tested positive for COVID-19, with 8,300 confirmed hospitalizations in the same group. (Source: FDA – fda.gov/media/153508/download). Around 2,700 required ICU, and unfortunately there were 94 deaths.
To say that vaccine mandates are unnecessary, think of the 2,700 children who could have avoided hospital stays, or the 1.9 million children who did not have to get sick.
Perhaps states should move to “strongly suggested” rather than “mandated” at this time? I think that is an excellent question to pose to the CDC.
As for his other column, regarding possible future shutdowns or business closures, I would point out to Moshe that most New York businesses have been operating at nearly pre-pandemic levels for the past 12 months, and that aside from restaurants being required to have specific capacity restrictions, and schools requiring masking, COVID is and has been essentially over as far as commerce is concerned since last fall. Most public health measures still in effect are on the individual (i.e., wear a mask on the train) rather than the public.
Yedidya Hirschhorn
The Vision Of Our Borough Forward 2021
Dear Editor:
This column will wrap up most of what we are looking to achieve after the election.
There are many public works projects on the board, such as public housing, drainage systems, traffic control initiatives, and of course the future of our pandemic resources. Allocation of funds, either Federal or State, are needed to replenish our stockpiles of equipment and PPE in case another viral attack “takes us by surprise again.” The previous disgraced governor and the outgoing mayor who auctioned off all our stockpiles to close budget gaps has taught us to never allow politicians to dictate science by turning a world crisis into a political spearhead to gain control over our population.
The local small businesses require investment and freedom to recover from the latest debacle. I will be calling on our State and Federal officials to cut the red tape in SBA/FEMA agencies to expedite funding to the private owners to restore our economy. I believe the less government regulation, rules, and licensing required, the better, not expanding and creating more and more oversite or regulations which stun the growth of private enterprise.
Right now, some elected officials have taken this control to another level, by shaming and “doxxing” private industry and publicly chastising companies who do not fit the green narrative all for the gain of a minority block of votes for the next election. We the people have had enough of this special interest and lobbyist cartel that has overtaken the true meaning of governance and serving the public interest. Case in point, our energy suppliers have been inundated by protests not to refurbish unless it is clean energy. Well, they say follow the science, right? New technology and previously discovered advances need to be put in place, outdated tech, and a “just because we have to” attitude green new deal theology is running amuck with these electeds. It has to stop.
Our diversity and culture have made Queens the center of the world, which most agree we are at that center. With the two major airports providing the only world access to all of New York City, everyone “comes through Queens.” This, along with our restaurants, hospitality, and cultural centers, gives us the edge over most other whole cities. Public safety, police funding, community-based groups, tax-payer associations, religious organizations, all non-government and privately-run entities will be brought to join in a borough-wide enhancement project the likes of which have not been seen since the last Republican Borough President, 57 years ago, which created the environment to bring the World’s Fair here to Flushing in 1964, in turn putting Queens forever under the global spotlight.
Join me in making this happen for the prosperity of all, not just the few. Jobs and industrial manufacturing with private investment thrives when government control is not hindering our future. Vote responsibly this election, and remember: “Funding” means your tax dollars, not free money.
May G-d help us all.
Thomas J. Zmich
Republican and Conservative Candidate, Queens Borough President
Dear Editor:
Thank you very much to Moshe Hill for showing real character in his last few columns, where he takes on the non-stop lies that are constantly being reported by the immoral mainstream media, specifically on the topic of COVID mandates.
Also, in a Letter to the Editor last week, Charles Tal expressed displeasure with my own letter after I quoted a prominent rabbi with scores of shiurim on TorahAnytime.com who specifically called Dr. Anthony Fauci “America’s all-time most evil bureaucrat” in a recent TorahAnytime shiur. And Mr. Tal actually questions whether or not Joe Biden is a rasha!
Then he ends his letter with threatening to “stick to gentile newspapers.” But that’s clearly what his problem is to begin with.
Choni Herschel Kantor
Kew Gardens, New York
Dear Editor:
While the loss of the West Hempstead pizza shop is traumatic, there are some inaccuracies in the article. The first pizza shop in West Hempstead was called Noshtime and was founded by Irving and Adele Levine, of blessed memory, around 1976. They knew all their customers personally and took great interest in everything that was going on with us teenagers. It was a real mom-and-pop atmosphere, and they sent at least one of their kids to HANC [Hebrew Academy of Nassau County].
Later, after Irving’s passing, Adele ran the lunch program at HANC High School. The business was sold to Jack (can’t remember his last name at the moment) sometime in the 1980s, who called it Kosher Cottage. Then, he went to work for Rabbi Schulem Rubin, the official kosher inspector of New York State, and sold the business to Richie, who called it Hunki’s. The shop has remained continuously at the same address from the very beginning, for at least 45 years.
Thank you very much.
Barry Jacobson
Dear Editor:
The Democrats are getting ready to pass a $2-trillion, 2,400-page sweeping reconciliation bill that will bankrupt our economy. This bill is a blueprint to turn America into a failed socialist state. The Dems are saying that we should pass this bill and find out what it says later. The package contains the following: subsidies and tax breaks for wealthy environmentalists, billions for free housing and medical care for illegal immigrants, $79 billion for IRS tax enforcement, $200 million for a park in Pelosi’s district, $128 billion for government electric cars, $25 million for bias training, $4 billion for distance training, and $100 billion for an amnesty program for illegal immigrants. This bill will also include a provision to include green cards for more foreign workers to take away jobs from Americans.
In addition, Biden wants banks to report to the IRS all bank activity from accounts with annual cash flows in excess of $10,000. That means a person has total annual deposits and withdrawals over $10,000, the IRS will have access to his bank account. This will hit almost everyone. This would be a terrible invasion of privacy. There is a petition on the ACLU website opposing this bank monitoring by the IRS. I advise everyone to sign this.
In addition, the Democrats want to add a new tax on non-realized capital gains. This means that if someone buys a stock and it goes up, he will be taxed even if he did not sell it. This will have many unintended side effects that could prove disastrous.
Eric Rubin
Dear Editor:
As usual, I was confused by Warren’s article last week (“Ping Pong”). He claims there was no media attention last year when Estee Ackerman passed on performing in the Olympics. In fact, I recall it being a large story on social media (not just Jewish platforms) and even in the mainstream media. There’s at least one example from last February in the New York Post.
Ralph Ehrenpreiss
Dear Editor:
On October 27, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) company opened the first subway line. It ran nine miles from City Hall, uptown on the eastside across 42nd Street (today’s 42nd Street Shuttle) to Times Square and proceeded uptown to 145th Street and included 28 stations. Over 150,000 riders paid a five-cent fare. The original BMT (Brooklyn Manhattan Rapid Transit – today’s B, D, J, M, N, Q, R, and Z lines) and IRT (1,2,3,4,5,6,7, Franklin Ave and Times Square shuttles) subway systems were constructed and managed by the private sector with no government operating subsidies.
Financial viability was 100 percent dependent upon farebox revenues. They supported both development and economic growth of numerous neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens. As part of the franchise agreement the owners had to sign, City Hall had direct control over the fare structure. For a time, owners actually made a profit with a five-cent fare.
After two decades passed, the costs of salaries, maintenance, power, supplies, and equipment would pressure owners to ask City Hall for permission to raise the fares. This additional revenue was needed to maintain a good state of repair, increase the frequency of service, purchase new subway cars, pay employee salary increases and support planned system expansion.
Politicians more interested in the next reelection refused this request each year, for well over two decades. To survive, owners of both systems looked elsewhere to reduce costs and stay in business. They started curtailing basic maintenance, delayed purchases of new subway cars, postponed salary increases for employees, canceled any plans for system expansion, and cut corners to survive.
In the 1930s, New York City began construction of the new IND (Independent Subway – today’s A,C,E,F, and G lines). This new municipal system subsidized by taxpayers’ dollars would provide direct competition to both the IRT and BMT. Municipal government forced them into economic ruin by denying them fare increases that would have provided access to additional revenues. Big Brother, just like the Godfather, eventually made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. The owners folded and sold out to City Hall.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner