June 30, 2008

New York City Policing

New York City Policing

[This letter was published in the New York Post on July 3, 2008.]

Community activist Aaron Biller laments that his neighborhood is down from 400 police officers to 100, and that "We're on our own." (Julia Vitullo-Martin, "1981 What went right could go wrong," NYPost, June 29, 2008, page 28) He says he needs the government to pay attention to the streetscape and to "give us back our cops." If police are needed the neighborhood is not safe. The people who live and work in the neighborhood make it safe or not. People make their streets safe by paying attention. When they leave safety to the police the streets cannot be safe. City guru Jane Jacobs wrote that in 1961 in "The Death and Life of Great American Cities." The needs of city streets have not changed since then. Safe neighborhoods require work and concern by ordinary people who use the neighborhood.

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Julia Vitullo-Martin
1981 What went right could go wrong
New York Post
June 29, 2008
page 28

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06282008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/revenge_of_the_bad_old_days_117615.htm?page=0

June 19, 2008

‘Good news’ for this world-class city

Letter: ‘Good news’ for this world-class city

[This letter was published in the June 19, 2008 edition of the Cambridge Chronicle. Online on June 16, 2008.]

Mon Jun 16, 2008, 03:38 PM EDT
Cambridge -

This is good news for the supporters of Cambridge as a world-class city where there is a lot of street crime. (Erin Smith, “Police warn residents about Central Square wallet snatchers,” Cambridge Chronicle, Jun 11).

Festive streets of world-class cities make for fun cities. Bold rodents biting 7-year-olds, a Triple A bond rating, and a $6 million award for discrimination are exciting events.

Teens raise funds on the streets without a lawyer or any written proposals. Yes, this sounds like the world-class city manager is taking care of business.

ROY BERCAW, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

June 16, 2008

Misguided Wrath

Misguided Wrath

[This letter was published in the June 21, 2008 edition of the New York Post. It was edited.]

The new New York Governor directs his wrath at the wrong target.
(FREDRIC U. DICKER, "GOV BLASTS 'NASTY' MIKE," New York Post, June 16,
2008) The issue is a gambling operation that loses money, not a nasty
Mayor. Meyer Lansky recognized that if you run the house you cannot
lose. No need to cheat. That the NY OTB operation was costing the
city money shows that the skim was larger than it should have been to
keep nosy eyes away.

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

GOV BLASTS 'NASTY' MIKE
SHOCKING BROADSIDES BY MILD-MANNERED DAVE
New York Post
By FREDRIC U. DICKER

June 7, 2008

New Business

New Business

[This letter was published in the Cambridge Chronicle on Thursday June 12, 2008, and
in their online edition on June 10, 2008]

Cambridge City Councilors promote the idea that Harvard and MIT's
host city is always on the cutting edge. In this case they are many
years behind the times. (Erin Smith, "Cambridge man connected to
brutal kidnap scheme," Cambridge Chronicle, Jun 6, 2008) Kidnapping is
a major business in Italy, Russia, Colombia and Mexico. It has arrived
in Boston with an assist from Cambridge as a fund-raising mechanism
for those with no lobbyists in Washington or on Beacon Hill. It is
also a convenient way to control dissidents.
Claiming to be on the cutting edge is a clever public relations
device used by politicians to make the citizens proud of their city,
state country. In 1984 the device was used to make all groups no
matter how low they were on the economic and social ladder to think
that they were the best. The same can be said about Cambridge as a
world class, award winning, Triple A bond rated city where rodents
bite 7-year olds.

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Cambridge man connected to brutal kidnap scheme
By Erin Smith
Fri Jun 06, 2008, 02:06 PM EDT
Cambridge Chronicle staff

June 1, 2008

Racism as Enabler

Racism as Enabler

Obama sounds like his campaign slogan partner Mass Governor Deval
Patrick. (Editorial, "DO AS HE SAYS, KIDS," New York Post, May 30,
2008) A state police trooper drives Patrick around in a Cadillac
Escalade on the taxpayer dime to and from his two mansions in
Massachusetts. Once a Harvard lawyer always a Harvard lawyer. Racism
was a real barrier to these two elitists.

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

http://tinyurl.com/6efqat
Publish Post

DO AS HE SAYS, KIDS
Editorial
New York Post
May 30, 2008

Physician Abuse

Physician Abuse

[This letter was published in the June 18, 2008 edition of the Weekly Dig. It was edited.]

When medical professionals abuse persons accused of mental illness
they violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabiltation
Act and state law. Few medical professionals know the laws and if they
know the laws they ignore them with vulnerable persons unlikely to
bring a lawsuit. (ELLEN PRZEPASNIAK, "Tell me where it hurts,"
WeeklyDig.com, May 29, 2008, Page 5)
Susan Stefan, who knows about discrimination laws says, "Hospitals
and the DPH [. . .] are so busy and they have so many obligations
[they will only respond] to the legislature's direction." If they
ignore existing state and US laws why would they obey new laws?
The DPH spokesman is correct saying, "Our position is that
further legislation is not needed right now," What is needed is
enforcement.

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Tell me where it hurts
ER Rights bill tells discriminating doctors where to stick it
By ELLEN PRZEPASNIAK
WeeklyDig.com
May 29, 2008
Page 5

http://tinyurl.com/6h77t2