The pink revolution
To The Editor:
Re “Sea of pink ‘pussyhats’ should really ‘grab’ Trump’s attention” (news article, Jan. 19):
Trump “won” by the slimmest vote (about 2 percent) losing the popular vote big time (by almost 3 million). It may not matter to him since he carries a very high opinion of himself. But this close vote will matter to Republicans who will have to run for re-election in 2020 against a president coming in with the lowest popularity ever.
I’m so proud my daughter was in D.C. on Saturday in her pink hat and I was in New York City with mine!
Jean Grillo
Staying involved
To The Editor:
Re “Moore, de Blasio and celebs call for ‘100 days of resistance” (news article, thevillager.com, Jan. 20):
Where does one check in to see a prompt for where we might exert concerted pressure during the 100 days of resistance? I could easily make up my own, but we might not all have a good idea. Is someone taking the lead here?
Mimi Jennings
Editor’s note: For starters, the Women’s March on Washington’s Web site, www.womensmarch.com/100, is launching a campaign: “10 actions for the first 100 days.”
He’ll be impeached
To The Editor:
Re “Nadler, Velazquez snub Trump inauguration” (news article, Jan. 19):
He won’t be the president for the next four years if he gets impeached and removed! Clinton got impeached for “lying” about a mere sexual peccadillo. For how long can a President Trump not lie about anything?
Morris Cheng
Park needs private funds
To The Editor:
Re “Park for sale” (letter, by Tom Fox, Jan. 19):
Mr. Fox is correct that the Hudson River Park Act requires that the Hudson River Park Trust fund its own maintenance and operations “to the extent practicable.”
From the park’s earliest days, there has been a broad understanding that private funding would be part of the park’s financial model. To that end, Friends of Hudson River Park works to raise annual funding to supplement the Trust’s efforts to generate long-term revenue streams through designated commercial nodes, like Pier 40, Pier 57 and Chelsea Piers, among other means.
At the same time, the park has been successful over the last few years in leveraging private donations to secure capital funding from the city, state and federal governments. Such recent efforts have cleared the way for new planned public parkland at Pier 26 and Pier55, a new playground at Chelsea Waterside Park, and a new esplanade from Bloomfield St. (at Pier 40) to W. 14th St. Furthermore, through private development of the commercial building at Pier 57, a new public rooftop park and esplanade will provide even more amenities for park users. All of these projects will add roughly 10 acres of new public space to Hudson River Park.
In a perfect world, government funding would provide 100 percent of the operating and maintenance needs of the park — but that’s not the reality.
The Trust’s public-private fundraising approach acknowledges the requirements of the Hudson River Park Act and also the obvious limitations of public funding for parks. The focus at Friends is to provide the financial support to help the Trust keep the park looking beautiful, activate it and further the park’s completion to serve the millions of visitors each year.
The community is largely supportive of that approach, and excited to reap the benefits of a Hudson River Park that gets better and better each year.
Scott M. Lawin
Lawin is vice chairperson, Friends of Hudson River Park
Pinkwashing?… And Iran?
To The Editor:
Re “Palestine and anti-Semitism in the Age of Trump” (Global Village, by Bill Weinberg, Jan. 19):
Bill Weinberg informs us that Sarah Schulman “organized the first U.S. tour of Palestinian queer leaders to oppose ‘pinkwashing’ — Israel’s exploitation of its gay-friendly image for public relations.”
If Iran stopped hanging homosexuals, including gay teenagers, would Sarah Schulman condemn it as pinkwashing? If Iran had annual gay pride parades, would that be pinkwashing? If Iran had openly gay men and women serving in its armed forces, would Schulman denounce that as pinkwashing?
I can’t read Schulman’s mind, so I don’t know the answers to these questions. Speaking personally, however, I would be overjoyed if Iran did these things — just as I am overjoyed by the fact that Israel does them.
George Jochnowitz
Verdict: Go, Shollenberger!
To The Editor:
Re “Here comes the judge” (Scoopy’s Notebook, Jan. 5):
Congrats to Ms. Elizabeth Shollenberger! Over many years she has tirelessly served this community and me. I could not imagine a fairer, more intelligent choice for judge. If that’s what makes a machine politico — then let’s get more of those.
Jessica Berk
Bicycle fanatics’ spin
To The Editor:
Re “On 14th St., cycling will save us once again” (talking point, by Yuki Courtland and Paul Steely White, Jan. 19):
The writers state: “A whole generation of residents started riding during the oil crisis of the 1970s.”
Such nonsense! First of all, these two were kids in the 1970s and didn’t live in New York at the time. How would they know?
Second, it is a blatant lie to say a “whole generation” started bike riding due to the oil crisis or other calamities they cite. Carpooling? Yes? Cycling? A lie.
Third, if cycling is so healthy, why are the cycling fanatics at Transportation Alternatives always whining whenever a cyclist is killed or injured? Sorry, kids, you can’t have it both ways. Cycling is either healthy or it’s dangerous to health — especially in New York City.
Finally, neither of these two live anywhere near 14th St. in our Village. Where do these two interlopers, two paid spokespersons for a private agenda, think the traffic on 14th St. will go? Duh-oh! To adjacent, much narrower side streets, wreaking havoc on the residents and businesses. A dumb idea from two hipsters trying to make a living at our expense.
Michelle Jordan
Matching funds will help
To The Editor:
Re “Chin challenger” (Scoopy’s Notebook, Jan. 19):
I’m proud to be a contributor to Chris Marte’s City Council campaign. Matching funds will make the race a far more even playing field than his previous one. In the State Committee race — which did not have public matching funds — I had the pleasure of running against him, and I outraised him 3 to 1. Yet he beat me by about 2 percentage points. He can do a lot with a dollar.
Dodge Landesman
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