You can’t fool all of the people all of the time
To the Editor,
We can learn about State Senator and Attorney General candidate Eric Schniederman’s moral character from recent individual actions and the company he keeps.
He claimed his past Monday night traffic accident was just a minor fender bender, but responsible motorists always remain at the scene rather than drive away. Several thousand dollars in damages, as reported by NY1, to the vehicle hit by his car isn’t a “minor” fender bender. Interesting to note is that his driver was Ms. Rachel Kagan, the 22-year-old niece of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. I doubt that she got her job in response to a classified ad in the West Side Spirit or The Times looking for a driver.
You have to wonder if elected Attorney General, will Mr. Schneiderman practice the age-old tradition of “to the victory belongs the spoils?” Will Attorney General Schneiderman’s office be staffed with sons and daughters of people “politically” connected, colleagues of public officials who endorsed him in the primary or friends of campaign contributors? Perhaps there are superior candidates for State Attorney General, who have better ethics and judgment than Senator Schneiderman.
Larry Penner
Anti-mosque is anti-community
To the Editor,
I’m writing in response to Aline Reynolds’ story last week entitled “Landmarks hearing on Cordoba House site takes angry turn.”
Mosque opponents at this hearing seem to have overlooked a basic fact — landmarking will not eliminate a mosque; it would only prevent construction of public facilities this community needs. The prayer space will likely remain there regardless of the building’s landmark status.
If not landmarked, a proposed 13-story community center could rise at 45 Park Place with a public library, theater of performing arts, gym, swimming pool, art studios, restaurants and a child care center, in addition to the existing prayer space.
If landmarked, the current 4-story building will remain in place — still with the existing prayer space, but likely without most of the new community facilities proposed by the Cordoba Initiative.
In short, the landmarking decision would only determine how many of the community’s needs are met.
Personally, I’d prefer a new building with both a prayer space and a public swimming pool, rather than an old one with prayer space but no pool, no library and no child care center.
But landmark decisions must be based on the merits of the building, not on social and political issues, so I defer to the C.B. 1 Landmarks Committee recommendation, as you do in your editorial published in the same edition. Nice building, but not worthy of landmark status.
Ro Sheffe
Chair, Community Board 1 Financial District Committee
