Letters to the Editor

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun
NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

‘Neighbors Rally to Save Pei Buildings’


In Julie Satow’s article about the “landmarking” of the I.M. Pei super-block in Greenwich Village, a 40-year resident unashamedly demanded the stability that comes from the landmark status [“Neighbors Rally to Save Pei Buildings,” New York, October 4, 2004].


He wants to wake up every day and know his residence will always look the same. What he’s really saying is that he wants a caste society that locks in his current lifestyle by holding back others including New York University faculty who want to live or work in the area. This hypocritical, 40-year aristocrat wants to live in a Greenwich Village high-rise but won’t let anyone else do the same.


The head of the local co-op board remarked that he’s seen NYU change the neighborhood for the worse. Of course, this won’t be the opinion of the students and faculty who can now live and work in the area due to NYU’s developments.


For every development, there are winners and losers. Some people gain apartments with views, while others lose their views. It’s the natural process of development and everyone wants to be on the winning side.


It’s hard to believe that people who have great apartment views in Manhattan think that their views will always be there. That’s like going early to a popular beach and expecting to have it all to yourself for the entire day.


So-called landmarking is a despicable means to hold back one’s neighbors. There are few laws that are more un-American or, for that matter, un-New York.


In a country that promises freedom for all and in a city that used to boast about its man-made towers, we now have a rogue group of regulators who can tie us down to keep the status quo for the politically connected.


It’s time to repeal the “landmark” law and resurrect each New Yorker’s freedom to buy land and build an apartment building higher than the adjacent one.


DAVID DOCTOR
Manhattan



Reassuring Taxpayers


Throughout the 2003 election cycle Phil Ragusa – a Republican, Conservative, and Independent candidate for City Council – consistently spoke about the need for city government to curtail spending and lower taxes [“Bloomberg Bonds,” Editorial, October 12, 2004].


As a certified public accountant with a lifetime of experience serving small businesses, not-for-profits, and community organizations and as president of a local homeowners group, Mr. Ragusa spoke with a certain authority about the subjects of taxes, budgets, and economics.


Despite these credentials, many of the voters we encountered did not believe that any tax reduction or rebate was in the cards. Many voters we encountered said “Phil, I’ll vote for you because your heart is in the right place but you don’t honestly believe you lower our taxes?”


New Yorkers are sometimes an incredulous bunch and perhaps rightly so given the track record of the tax and spend liberal City Council. Even so, as Mr. Ragusa’s campaign manager, I saw firsthand how his call for greater fiscal restraint and the need to return more money to taxpayers really resonated with thousands of folks throughout the neighborhoods of northeastern Queens.


Seniors on fixed incomes, homeowners, and small business owners, working families, all were feeling the crunch and most folks recognized that New Yorkers were overtaxed and that raising taxes in the midst of a recession was counterintuitive and even harmful.


Heck, even Mr. Ragusa’s opponent’s campaign consultants saw the handwriting on the wall and strategically emphasized the one tax increase Tony Avella voted against to help obscure all the other taxes and spending increases Mr. Avella voted for.


Despite encountering some skepticism, Mr. Ragusa never wavered and kept pushing for tax relief and fiscal restraint at editorial boards, at candidate nights, on New York 1, on the steps of City Hall – indeed, at every available opportunity. Mr. Ragusa even carried our concerns to Mayor Bloomberg, and the mayor to his credit at every meeting appeared open-minded, willing to listen, and expressed concern about the adverse impact that the increased tax burden might be having on real people. The mayor properly noted how many unfunded mandates and consent decrees the city had to contend with but appeared fair-minded enough to listen and share ideas.


Well, now virtually every homeowner, co-op and condo owner has received some much needed tax relief. You’ve probably read about how folks plan on investing or spending their $400 rebate checks, which can only have a positive impact on our economy. A very good start, indeed.


The long and the short of it is that the mayor has shown that he listens and understands his constituents, and Mr. Ragusa has shown that unwavering and principled advocacy can actually make a difference. Thanks, Mr. Bloomberg, and thanks, Mr. Ragusa, for your leadership.


VINCENT TABONE
Bayside, N.Y.
Mr. Tabone served as vice president of economic development in the Giuliani administration and on The Queens County Republican Party’s executive committee.



‘Bill O’Reilly’s Odd Moment’


Joseph Kellard criticizes my analysis of ideology and press and broadcast industry bias in my October 4 letter about Laura Ingraham’s September 17 column by asserting that I believe that there is “…no proper standard or method by which to know what is right or wrong….” [“Bill O’Reilly’s Odd Moment,” October 6, 2004].


But I am right, since the only reason one set of facts becomes “evil” rather than “unimportant” or “good” is because human beings choose to feel that way about them.


We all hope that most of humanity sees or will eventually see the Holocaust as evil, but we should not forget that immediately after World War II, some Germans spit on Oskar Schindler when they found out he helped Jews escape the death camps.


But by pointing this out, I am not saying that all ideologies and beliefs are equally valid or worthy of support, simply because they are different.


One has to choose his ideology and values and then struggle against those who hold different views, hoping that the struggles will lead to insights into the validity of your beliefs.


As a fiercely pro-Israeli partisan, I have been fighting the anti-Israeli New York Times for over 20 years. And the recrudescence of anti-Semitism in Europe is a grim reminder that the struggle goes on.


However – and this was my main point – ideologies have a downside. They can impair somewhat the performance of activities such as journalism and research in the social sciences that would be better performed without any ideology.


However, we are all only human, and can never keep our ideologies from creeping into our journalism or research. So, for this reason, we can all gain a little from reading the “other guy’s” paper, watching his television channel and reading his research.


DAVID M. O’NEILL
Adjunct professor of economics
Hunter College
The City University of New York



Please address letters intended for publication to the Editor of The New York Sun. Letters may be sent by e-mail to editor@nysun.com, facsimile to 212-608-7348, or post to 105 Chambers Street, New York City 10007. Please include a return address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited.

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use