Page 252 - Demo

EditorialsBenign Neglect or Deliberate Plan?Is it beniqn neqlect or a deliberate plan to deny serious input fromcommunity residents into the anti-poverty program in New York City?That is the obvious question after the eleventh hour cancellation thisweek of more local elections for members of the new Area PolicyBoards %u2014 the replacement organizations for the old. dissolvedCommunity Anti-Poverty Corporations.It is almost a year since the bloated, ineffectual corporations weredismanteled by Mayor Koch following extensive public hearingsseeking new ways to insure that more of the pot of 25 million federalanti-poverty dollars went to actual programs rather than to pay thesalaries of \were stopped, more money seemed to flow to pay the salaries of thosesupervisors than went to the programs they supervised. Mostresponsible observers agreed with the Koch dismantling, providedthere was still to be local neighborhood input on anti-poverty policy.The solution to the policy question became the creation of localArea Policy Boards by the Mayor's Community Development Agency(CDA). The plan, which was announced in June, called for local inputto come through these boards, largely representing areas onceincluded in the old anti-poverty corporation boundaries. The plan,which required approval of the Federal government hadn't beenapproved yet, but the city went ahead with arrangements for electionsfrom local neighborhood districts and it was down hill from there.There was confusion over what the district lines were; over how tobecome a candidate; over who finally qualified as candidates(apetition process was required to get on the ballot); and over when theelections were to be %u2014 not to mention where the voting was to takeplace. In Brooklyn, with only three days left before voting was to takeplace for local representatives for these boards, the location of pollingplaces was still unknown to most of the candidates, not to mention tothe voters. At the last minute on Friday, after a disasterous %u2018%u2018electionday%u201d in the Bronx, voting in Brooklyn and Queens, set for Tuesday,was cancelled.The whole process has been labeled a disaster by both candidatesand community workers involved in attempting to build a responsiblelocal input policy body to speak up for how Federal anti-poverty fundsare to be spent in local areas. We agree. If Mayor Koch is serious aboutputting responsible local neighborhood people to work to helpimprove the deteriorated communities of New York City, his staff andthose they supervise have done the worst possible job of showing itandmaybe that%u2019s no accident.Sound O ff Readers Talk BackForced FluoridationWith an ever-growing concern for environmental quality and pollution-induced problems, it is very objectionable that some politicians within the Federal Government arc still pushing for a forced nation-wide fluoridation of all public water resources. It is NOT to purify the water, but to add medicine to your drinking water on a historically unprecedented scale.Claims arc made that it is good for childrens' teeth. Documented negative evidence is conveniently disregarded, possibly for reasons of large scale profits, among others. Your own needs and preferences, and your doctors' recommendations are totally disregarded with this forced mass-medication. Most communities, whenever they had a choice, voted against water-fluoridation. So increasingly, that choice is not given to them (and you) anymore.The very latest effort is to sneak the water-fluoridation through the federal buduci appropriations, with most people not being aware what is being done with their freedom of choice and their money. To stop this misuse of power, call your N.Y. Senators Jacob K. Javits at (212) 867-7777. and Daniel K. Moynihan at (212) 661-5150. Ask them to delete the mandatory Fluoridation Section of Labor/HEW Appropriations Bill Number 4389. Your elected representatives want to hear from you. Today the choice is still yours. Do we remember that vigilance is the eternal price of liberty? Act NOW!%u2014Hugo Krueger, Seventh Street.Out O f PatienceCan your paper do anything right? My card about cosmetic surgery (Life and Limb. Phoenix. Sept. 20) was marked FYIO in large letters%u2014For Your Information Only%u2014. in other words, not for publication.1 have run out of patience with your bumbling paper since I haven%u2019t yet received any copies from my subscription dated Mav 26. 1 must ask you to return my cheek%u2014or rather since you deposited it months ago, a refund for $8.50. Sincerely, M. M. Graff, 524 45th St., Brooklyn, 11200Eliminating OdorWith reference to your reporter's story (Farragut lenants Protest Proposed Sewer Plan, Phoenix, Sept. 13) on the public hearing held hv Communitv Planning Board p2 and ourselves on the proposed Bed Hook sewage treatment plant, there is a point which I believe needs to be clarified both tor the public at large as well as your reporter.At no point during the hearing, nor in the ..ritten report which was discussed atthe hearing, is there a statement to theeffect that the odors produced on an average of 153 days will represent \malingering, background odor%u201d . What was spelled out at the hearing and what a full reading of that section of the report would make immediately clear is that those odors would not be discernable as emanating from the plant in that they would mingle with, be overwhelmed and/or absorbed by the existing ambient or background odors in that area. There is no such thing as Mr. Rezini's expectation that a %u2018%u2018community should not be subjected to any kind of odor, obnoxious or otherwise.%u201d Apurely scientific measurement of air in any community%u2014 mountain, rural, pastoral or urban%u2014will establish what the ambient odor factors arc. It is in this context that the effect of plant operations was discussed in the report.In other words, for the 153 days mentioned while the plant would be producing a supply of odor, the community would be totally unaware that this was occuring because the ambient odor levels (background odors) would remain the same during the balance of the year.Finally, we take exception to the comment that this agency %u2018%u2018seemed unimpressed by the protests and gave no sign of changing plans.%u201d As your reporter must have noted, we were asked not to respond immediately to each of the comments and suggestions made by various community speakers. Instead we were asked to prepare written responses. We will be doing so, and I expect some of the valid suggestions will be incorporated in the final facilities plan. In addition, it must also be noted that both the State and Federal governments will be reviewing, not only the plan, but the transcript of the hearing and our responses to evaluate any community input in this plan. Our failure to consider valid community concerns will result in a rejection of the plan at those levels of jurisdiction, and the witholding of the funds necessary to complete the project.I hope this serves to clarify some of the misleading statements contained in the story which appeared on Page 3 of vour Sept ember 13 edit ion.%u2014Rudy Garcia, Director, Public Affairs, N.Y.C Department ofEnvironmental Protection.Principal IssueI have just seen a copy of your July 26 article (Board Officials Say John Jay Principal Not Up For Tenure) on John Jay High School (written by Linus Gclbcr)%u2014 and vour accompanying editorial. I applaud the investigative work of your reporter and vour demand for accountability from our educat ional leaders.Some may say you are %u2018%u2018scapegoating%u2019' by concent rating on the principal of the v liool. 01 course there are other problems, but that does not absolve the school's !< adt i ship of its share <>f the responsibilityCommunity groups and your newspaper have correctly focussed on Robert Weinberger%u2019s tenure because it is an important issue that the public should be aware of. It is the public, and especially the students and parents, who should have the major say as to the effectiveness of the principal, since they have to live with the results of his efforts. It is begging the issue to call it %u2018%u2018Scapegoating%u201d when people ask for competent leadership.%u2014Jack Uhrich, ParkSlopeYoung Congregations1 would like to take exception to your article describing the local temples of brownstone Brooklyn. (Local Temples Serve Neighborhoods, Phoenix, Sept. 20) You said %u201c Although Kane Street is the only synagogue in which a young group predominates, all four temples have rabbis in their 30%u2019s.%u201dYou are absolutely wrong in this statement because Beth Elohim (Garfield Temple) has had an influx of over two hundred new young families and single members. Our Congregation has renewed itself thorough the influx of these dedicated and committed new people at our Temple. The proof of this is in the multitude of programs we now offer our members and the vital and vibrant outlook of our Temple life.I hope this will set the record straight in noting that our Congregation has now become the most responsive and active in downtown Brooklyn%u2014Rabbi Gerald I. Weider, Congregation Beth Elohim, 8th Ave.& Garfield Place.No AppealsAfter reading the Phoenix Sept. 13 column on the Area Policy Board elections I was surprised to find my name, and many other names not listed as nominees in my district, Community Board Six, subunit two. I had verified my nomination three weeks ago through the Community Development Agency election office.Yesterday I contacted my sponsoring agency Puerto Rican Waterfront and LaCasa and soon found out many problems have confronted them since their participation in the C.D.A. elections. Neither agency has been told officially why many of their nominees were taken off the ballot nor have they received as of this date electioneering information pertaining to the location ot the polls, election slate etc. 1 have not as of this dale been contacted bv mail or otherwise by C.D.A., yet this afternoon after many phone calls and bureaucratic transfers, yesterday and today, 1 finally reached someone who looked up my election file in the C.D.A. election offiei. The gentlemen informedme that 1 %u201c should have%u201d received a letter telling me that a %u201c handwriting specialist%u201d had disqualified my petitions. I asked why I was not informed, who was the hand-writing specialist, and whether I could appeal (at this late date) the %u201c specialists%u201d findings? None of my questions were answered, all I was told was that he was doing me a favor to even look up my file for me.The booklet given out by C.D.A. cites the pre-election appealsdue August 31, 1979, yet if no one is advised of his candidacy or if the decision on status is switched in September what chance is there of an appeal? The manner in which C.D.A. is handling this election gives credence to the belief that the Democratic process is being subverted by political hacks so as to eliminate lawful candidates and deny fair representation in the management of poverty monies in the community.I am sure I speak for all the nominees, expccially the many participants from LaCasa and Puerto Rican Waterfront who were virtually eliminated with no chance for appeal, given the time element involved.-Katherine G. Weber, 46 2ndPlace.Naming The Towers1 wish to commend you and your staff on the Phoenix edition, September 13th, wherein %u2018A Promenade-Watchers Guide%u2019 was included. It will be very helpful indeed to all Promenade visitors.However, I%u2019d appreciate advice on how I may learn the names of the buildings where addresses ajc indicated. Thank you for any information that you may afford me.%u2014Connie Congemi, 40 Clinton St.EDITOR%u2019S NOTE: The only way we can think of is to do the same thing Linus Gclbcr did...go block by block on the street on the other side of the river and look. Unfortunately, no one anywhere had ever previously done this kind of comprehensive run-down.Skyline Prints1 wish to commend those responsible for the printing of %u2018%u2018A Promenade-Watchers Guide,\ber 13th issue. Since we have the same view from our living room, a nicely printed copy on a better grade of paper or bristol would be useful both to our guests ana tor personal use. If others would express an interest, possibly a special printing could be arranged through the Phoenix. The cost per copy would depend on the number of people interested. At any rate, thank you for a great idea.%u2014Norman H. Weiss, ClarkStreet.Page 8. The PHOENIX September 2? 1979