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                                    E d it o r ia lsVote Yes - TwiceNext Tuesday, November 6 voters will make their way to the polls to vote for their choices for Civil and Supreme Court Judges but they will also be asked to vote yes or no on one bond issue and three constitutional amendments.On Proposition One, the %u201c Energy Conservation Through Improved Transportation Bond Act%u2019 %u2019 we urge you to vote yes because it appears to accomplish what it set out to do. If the State%u2019s voters approve the proposition it would authorize the issuance of $500 million in bonds%u2014 $400 million of which would be made available to improve urban, commuter and intercity rail and rapid transit systems and rail freight facilities; $100 million would go to rehabilitate local streets, highways and bridges. In addition the Act would give the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority power to issue up to $300 million in bonds to finance the purchase and rehabilitation of subway cars and to purchase land for a railway storage yard on Manhattan%u2019s Westside the bonds to be paid off by TBTA%u2019s toll revenues.After much wrangling on how much money would be spent in New York City, in the suburbs and in upstate counties Covernor Hugh Carey, the Assembly and Senate leaders have come up with a workable and, we believe, equitable compromise.Approval of the $300 million in bonding authority to the TBTA will be the part of the Act benefitting the City the most. Though the City has about 40hak AAni ni Ihn Qfolo W W I I I W l e State%u2019s residents, some two-thirds of the $300 million w*H tv> spent on buying new subway cars and the purchase of the Manhattan railroad storage yard.Of the $400 million in State bonds for rail improvements on the other hand, the City will get 31 per cent and its part of the $100 million for the rehabilitation of local roads is only 14.2 per cent.The total of $800 million in State bonds, will generate an additional $180 million in federal funds to make for a total of $980 million that will be spent on transportation. In the end, all this will accomplish much in needed energy conservation.We also urge our readers to vote yes on Amendment One to amend the State%u2019s Constitution to increase the loan capacity of the %u201c Job Development Authority.%u201d It would increase this agency%u2019s capacity to give low interest loans from the present $150 million to $300 million. Since 1961, the JDA has given loans to renovate or expand industries in high unemployment areas several of them in Brooklyn. JDAwas created to give much needed loans that more conservative lending facilities consider %u201c too risky,%u201d yet very few of its lenders have not been able to repay. The JDA estimates that 50,000 people are now employed in companies helped by loans while costing tax payers nothing since the JDA is self-sustaining.S o u n d O f f Readers Talk BackThe Budget ProcessReporter Linus Gclber accurately described the shock of Community Board Six over the resignation of our District Manager, Joan White. (Phoenix, Oct. 18) However, he was not as accurate in quoting me on the Capital Budget and Community Development Committee%u2019s Report to the Board. Although no specific budget proposals were presented by individuals or community groups at the Committee%u2019s four neighborhood strategy meetings, problems were brought forth which may be resolved through capital or community developmentprojects. It is now up to the Committee to conceptualize those projects and to formulate budget requests to fund those projects.Mayor Koch has stated %u201c This administration is fully committed to increasing the role of Community Boards as the most important forum for citizen participation in City Government. There is no single place where this role is more necessary than in the budget process.%u2019 %u2019 Community Board Six hopes that the dialogue begun at our neighborhood strategy meetings will continue and that this dialogue will assist us in our efforts to focus limited municipalresources on the most important needs in our community.In conclusion I would like to add that the Budget Committee has secured the personal guarantee from Ms. Joan White that she will continue to work with this committee after her resignation takes affect. Her knowledge and expertise have been invaluable to this committee in the past and will be available at least for the 1981 fiscal budget process.%u2014Richard R. Valcich, Chairman, Capital Budget andCommunity Development Committee,Board Six, 250 Baltic St.The Correct NameWe were pleased to sec our beautiful landmark building featured in the Phoenix. (Wav Back When, Oct. 18) However, the name of our school was incorrectly stated. Occupying the building at 49-50 Prospect Park West is the Woodward Park School, a merger of the Ethical Culture School, later the West Park Scnool and the Woodward School. Both schools have a history of over 50 years of fine education for children from nursery through grade 8. We would app ;ciate the correction o f this mis-statemei .%u2014Gertrude H. Goldstein, DirectorF o r T h e R e c o r dFive members of the New York City Council have introduced a resolution calling for an end to abortions in municipal hospitals. The Councilmembers introducing the bill include Brooklyn Council member at Large VincentRiccio and Bay Ridge Councilmember Angelo Arcuelo. The resolution was requested by the New York State Coalition for Life.State Senator Christoper J. Mega (Park Slope-Bay Ridge) legislation to provide for loans and loan guarantees to help homeowners and tenants budget their winter heating bills over a twelve month period.State Senator Martin Connor (West Brooklyn) announced that funds will soon be available for the purchase of vehicles for transporting senior citizens. A session giving information on how non-profit groups can apply for the federal funds, being channeled through the State Dept, of Transportation, will be held on Oct. 16. Call PETER King, 488-4373, for information.The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Westway after a survey showing that 90 percent of Chamber members support the new highway. The Chamber%u2019s Board of Directors voted unanimously to favor the highway %u201c as a much meeded project that will have a positive impact upon the economic development of the Borough of Brooklyn.%u201dChamber President Albert E. Spruck said that members surveyed had said that Westway should not be delayed and that the FDR Drive is beset by %u201c congestion and decaying conditions.%u201d Westway would improve access from Brooklyn to the rest of the country, others said. According in Spruck, %u201c Almost all agreed that Westway would cut travel time and result in tremendous savings in operational costs for those Brooklyn firms that ship products to or receive goods from Northern New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut.%u201dCongressman Fred Richmond (West Brooklyn) has announced that a $6,575,873. Housing ana Urban Development Department grant has received preliminary approval for the building of housing for the elderly in Crown Heights. The project is to be carried out by the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights Housing Development Fund Corporation with Rev. Clarence Norman as the pastor of the church.State Senator Martin Connor (West Brooklyn) has announced that his attendance record in the State Legislature showed that he was present for votes on 1694 bills, excused on Senate business for seventeen votes, and officially absent for only one vote.State Senator Christopher Mega [Park Slope-Bay Ridge]announced his support for a strict measure to fine building owners and store managers for litter on sidewalks in front of%u2666 Vioir nrpmicpc wmilH iilrp to QPP tho Citv Council- r * %u2014--------- - - -o -require a $100 fine, and he says that stiff fines and enforcement have %u201c worked wonders%u201d in other cities.The City Council has passed legislation to require landlords under rent stabilization to attach an explanation in plain language of tenant and landlord rights and obligations to the standard lease when it it renewed. West Brooklyn Councilmember Abe Gerges (West Brooklyn) co-sponsored the bill.Assembly member Rhoda Jacobs (Flatbush) has announced that hearings are being held by the State Assembly%u2019s Labor Committee concerning sexual harassment of women in the workplace. Jacobs has joined four other assemblymembers in introducing a bill providing that an employee who has left a job on account of sexual harassment may be eligible for unemployment insurance.The Brooklyn Heights Association has written to Mayor Koch stating that implementation of coterminality in the 84th Police Precinct is adding sectors to the 84th without transferring additional officers. In addition, BHA opposes shifting the Precinct to the Brooklyn North command, where %u201c the attitude of many officers toward civilians is not as positive as the general attitude of officers in Brooklyn South.%u201dSenator Jacob Javits has stated his support for the 1979 Transportation Bond Issue on the ballot in New York State on Election Day, Nov. 6.Congresswoman Elizabeth Hoitzmann (Flatbush) has joined with Congressman Robert Garcia of the Bronx in introducing legislation intended to encourage participation in the 1980 census by illegal aliens. The bill would prohibit deportation of an alien on the basis of information obtained from the Census.Congressman Fred Richmond (West Brooklyn) has announced an award of $191,795 to Polytechnic Institute to develop minority student participation in science and engineering curricula, in cooperation with New York City Community College.The Executive Committee of the Central BrooklynIndependent Democrats has voted unanimously to urge the candidacy of Senator Edward Kennedy for President. Also urging Kennedy to run is Assemblyman Joseph Ferris (Park Slope-Sunset Park), who wrote a letter to the Senator calling on him to enter the Democratic Primaries for President.Tie Friends of Liz Hoitzman Committee has filed its second quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission showing that it has raised $164,280.95 for %u201c testing the w aters\Congresswoman for the U.S. Senate in 1980.The fight to keep Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in Crown Heights open has received determined support from Congressman Fred Richmond. The hospital, which is seeking federal support to stay open, is located in Richmond%u2019s Congressional district.In developing a Lst of legislative priorities for the New York City Council, a committee of twelve councilmembers has found that the Council could be taking a more important role in local government. The City Council Legislative Study Group, o f which Brooklyn%u2019 s Councilmember-at-Large Robert Steingut, a Park Slope resident, is a member, reported that the Council needs more staff, regular days for committee meetings with published agendas, and in general, %u201c a more professional standard.%u201dThe Group%u2019s Action Program contains over a hundred proposals, including recommendations for legislation and for increased oversight of City Agencies. Revision of J51 tax abatement program, a review of the hospital closing plan, and returnable beverage container legislation, were on the list of proposed actions.The Committee had one other Brooklyn member, Councilmember Susan Alter, of Flatbush. City Council President Carol Bellamy also joined the committeeCongressman Leo Zeferetti, (Park Slope-Bay Ridge) has called for the return of the death penalty as well as stricter sentencing and no possibility of parole for anyone convicted of a crime of violence or in possession of a deadly weapon. He pointed to the killing of a NYC police officer by an escapee of a minimum security halway house as the %u201c culmination%u201d of the %u201c failure%u201d of the criminal justice system.Congresswoman Liz Hoitzman [Flatbush] has announced that the New York, New Jersey Port Authority will study the possibility of a rail freight tunnel across the Hudson River, which she says, would revitalize the waterfronts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.Assemblyman Charles Schnmer (Midwood-Sheepshead Bay) has charged that the Police Department knowingly spent nearly $1 million more than necessary in purchasing portable radios for precincts in Brooklyn. Schumcr said that competitive bidding was by-passed in what he called a %u201c great walkie-talkie rip-off.%u201dState Senator Martin Connor (Sest Brooklyn) stated that the Red Hook Wastewater Treatment Plant which is planned for the Brooklyn Navy Yard should not be built unless it is \not have a %u201c a detrimental impact on the surrounding communities.%u201d Connor suggested a telephone %u201c Hot Line%u201d for quick reporting of odor problems if the plant is built.Congressman Leo C. Zeferetti [Park Slope-Bay Ridge] isco-sponsoring a bill to amend the Copyright Act with aSound Rccordino Perform a dtp Riohtc nrnuicinn H ip Kill would require royalties to be paid by commercial users of sound recordings, such as broadcasters and discos.November 1,1979, The PHOENIX, Page 7
                                
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