‘Bloomberg’s Soul’

The New York Sun’s April 15 editorial, “Bloomberg’s Soul,” was right to condemn Dr. Lenora Fulani’s anti-Semitic remarks from 1995 and during her appearance last week on NY1’s Road to City Hall. However, your suggestion that my office had not yet been “forthright” was plain wrong. Indeed, that day I issued a statement in which I said her remarks were “offensive and anti-Semitic.”

EVA S. MOSKOWITZ
Council Member, 4th District
Manhattan

‘Self-Loathing?’

Re: “Self-Loathing?” Editorial, April 13, 2005. On the face of it, William Clinton’s response to gay Republican Arthur Finkelstein’s campaign to derail Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential ambitions would be easily dismissed as some knee-jerk sound bite, were it not for his unrelenting talent for putting his foot in his mouth. Positing that Mr. Finkelstein was either self-loathing or cynically motivated betrays Mr. Clinton’s contempt for the individual. Mr. Finkelstein’s aligning himself with the Republican Party shows that being “gay” does not instantly equate to being liberal, nor does it smack of Machiavellian intent. It might occur to Mr. Clinton that many individuals observe the political world in terms of a balancing scale and that choosing sides based on a single issue often proves shortsighted and reckless. Mr. Finkelstein’s decision to oppose Hillary’s ambition … and record, speaks well for him. It shows that he knows what the word Machiavellian really means.

WILLIAM INJEIAN
Manhattan

Lonely Ognibene

I thought that the headline “Loneliness, Thy Name Is Ognibene” did not do justice to Alicia Colon’s positive column on the Republican candidate [“Loneliness, Thy Name Is Ognibene,” New York, April 1, 2005]. Then I learned that Mr. Ognibene is the only candidate who opposes gay marriage so this indeed would make him lonely here in New York City. It also makes him very attractive to this Democrat who is also fed up with the clubhouse City Council that believes New Yorkers will accept any tax hike they pass.

RENEE DIAZ
Staten Island

‘Pardon Her French’

I was amused by your non-French-speaking reviewer’s chutzpah when writing about Dee Dee Bridgewater’s singing in French [“Pardon Her French,” Will Friedwald, Arts & Letters, April 8, 2005]. Can one appreciate a song without understanding the lyrics, be it in French or English? Can he really appreciate French singers?

DAN ROTH
Manhattan

‘Weiner’s Tax Plan’

Rep. Weiner’s plan to soak the rich will help some middle-class families but only those that get invited along when their boss moves the company to a lower-tax state [“Weiner’s Tax Plan,” Editorial, April 14, 2005]. For instance, when they trade their local homes for cheaper ones in their new location, they should have enough money left over to send their kids to Harvard or Yale.

CHRIS WIGERT
Manhattan

‘The Alarmists Never Stop’

Re: “The Alarmists Never Stop,” John Stossel, April 14, 2005. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan entity dedicated to providing sound science and reasonable approaches to dealing with the very real issue of climate change. As part of our approach to dealing with the issue in a reasoned and constructive manner, we work with the business community through our Business Environmental Leadership Council. The 38 corporations (primarily Fortune 500 companies) that comprise our BELC together employ more than 1.7 million people and generate revenues in excess of $600 billion a year. All of these corporations acknowledge that enough is known about the science of climate change to take action. They are also actively working to reduce their own emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The Pew Center strives to bring the most credible science to bear on this complicated issue, and we have issued more than 50 reports since 1998. Our reports – authored by leading scientists, economists, and other experts reflect mainstream published literature. All of our research is subjected to a rigorous peer review process.

The scientific consensus – reflected in the National Academy of Science report requested by President Bush – is captured by these three points: 1) the earth is warming; 2) the primary cause of this warming is fossil fuel consumption; and 3) if we don’t act now to reduce emissions, this problem will only get worse.

KATIE MANDES
Director of Communications
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Arlington, Va.

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