Letters To The Editor

Email: editor@ gcnews.com

Precision, Accuracy And Acrimony

To the Editor:

In the December 28, 2007 issue of the Garden City News, there was an article titled "Holiday Cheer Missing From Board Meeting." The undersigned were at the same meeting as were approximately 25 other Garden City residents. We viewed the meeting in a much different light than was reported.

Trustee Lamberti, in this meeting as in the past, stated the need for precision and accuracy as well as clearly defined procedures in the administration of the Village Government business. Clear data and accurate facts are his mantra to assure that the best interests of the citizens of the village are served. In demanding precision and accuracy in the use of data, he acknowledged, as stated in this article, that some people take issue with his personal "cut to the chase, irritating but not unreasonable" style and his strong convictions. This style clearly caused acrimony among some of the Trustees. Good government is not a harmonious gathering intended to spread good will and cheer but a struggle to discover what is in the best interests of the people.

Trustee Lamberti addressed the following procedures and facts:

First, Trustees need to receive all materials on which they will vote in ample time before the meeting in order to make informed decisions. This is a point Trustee Lamberti has previously made to Mr. Schoelle. The trustees were asked to vote on a new lease for the parking lot on Cherry Valley Ave. They did not have the lease before them. Village Counsel, Mr. Fishberg said he needed to make three or four changes in the lease and did not have it ready. Therefore, the Trustees were being asked to vote on a lease they had not yet seen. As a result of Trustee Lamberti's persistence some of the changes alluded to by Mr. Fishberg were made. Trustee Lamberti, in good conscience, could not vote and did not vote in favor of an unseen lease. Our village deserves Trustees who are ever vigilant in carrying out their responsibilities.

Second, Trustee Lamberti pointed out that the recent CSEA contract contained an increase of between 3.6 and 3.7 percent. Mr. Lamberti said that in the private sector increases hover around only 3 percent. These percentage points represent taxpayers dollars. This contract extends from June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2010. These percentage points are no small matter. Our Trustees are our "watch dogs" over village purse strings.

Third, Trustee Lamberti said that the recent Village Facts publication regarding the development of St. Paul's did not accurately quote the wording in the original Request for Proposals. Again, precise and accurate information is a hallmark of good government. The Village Facts stated that the primary objectives for any redevelopment are to "... (c) provide for its long term maintenance at minimal or no direct cost to the village taxpayers." Trustee Lamberti pointed out that the RFP stated there would be "no cost to the village taxpayers". This distinction may result in a big difference to the taxpayer. Trustee Mauk, apparently wanting to move the AvalonBay proposal forward, asked Trustee Lamberti if he wanted to be part of the solution or part of the problem. Trustee Lamberti responded that residents cannot make an informed decision if they do not have all of the accurate facts.

The tone of the article is more that of an editorial than a description of what happened. The article stated, "This year the usually congenial meeting held days before Christmas degenerated into a bitter, acrimonious personality clash after several trustees lost patience with fellow trustee, Thomas Lamberti, as he voiced his dissenting opinion on several topics. At one point, Trustees Robert Rothschild and Nicholas Episcopia abruptly left the boardroom during one of Lamberti's speeches." (As a matter of fact, a resident pointed out that although Trustees Rothschild and Episcopia left the room, residents in the audience had the patience to sit through the entire evening's discussion.) The article's opening remark unfairly downgrades the importance of the facts and procedures as pointed out by Trustee Lamberti. To say the meeting was about an "acrimonious personality clash" is missing the point. Also to use the word "speeches" to describe what Trustee Lamberti said is an inappropriate characterization. Indeed, residents would benefit from more public discussion. Good government requires precise and accurate information, and indeed, there will be occa-sional acrimony in the examination of the data. The residents of Garden City deserve good government that is vigilant.

Although Mayor Bee was not present at the December 20 meeting, he was contacted by the Garden City News. He said "It is sometimes difficult to balance rigorous debate with civility, but we will continue to try to reach that goal." We hope the Board of Trustees does just that.

Arnold Finamore

Maureen Traxler

Thomas Whalen

No Place For Bias

The following is a response to the letter written by Jared Schroder in the December 28, 2007 edition of the Garden City News.

Mr. Schroder:

I recently read your response to the letter from Thomas Ryan (which I also read the prior week) regarding the issue of potential bias in the Garden City school system. Your letter was notable in a few respects. What I found most striking, however, was the overall irony and contradictory nature of it. While you proclaim to be an open-minded liberal relishing in the progressive atmosphere of the college you attend, your viewpoints were in all actuality quite the opposite.

At the outset you attempted to respond to Mr. Ryan's letter which, reduced to its essence, called for an elimination of any bias that might exist in our public school system and contained the concerns of a taxpaying resident of the village regarding the equal representa-tion of his religion in our schools. In so doing however, you launched into a written tirade which concluded with a wholesale condemnation of the village of Garden City, its residents and its school system.

First, you chose to lecture Mr. Ryan on what the proper religious symbols are for a religion you admittedly don't practice and about which you know little. Second, while describing the great shame you feel for living in Garden City you concurrently noted your complete lack of involvement in the community and your lack of any personal experience with its school system, which you so proudly profess to have never attended.

By way of a background, I was born in Brooklyn, grew up in New Jersey and moved into Garden City two years ago. My experience with the village has been great. I have met a number of nice people and it is a tremendous place to raise a family. I look forward to sending my son to the Garden City schools because I know he will receive a quality education. The village offers unparalleled services such as the community pool, numerous parades and fairs as well as its own excellent police force and fire department. Any embarrassment you may feel is completely un-founded and the result of your own lack of involvement and preconceived notions.

You should try to apply all the "accepting, smart and liberal" policies you are exposed to at your college to your hometown. Your assertion that you are not proud to be "surrounded by the whitest, most conservative people on Long Island" does not sound very "accepting, smart and liberal" to me. In fact, it sounds like someone who is liberal and open-minded in theory until it comes to a person who has different beliefs, opinions or political views. Part of the problem today is that people vilify each other rather than engaging in a spirited debate like Mr. Ryan attempted to do. These people use buzzwords such as "racist", "narrow-minded", "egotistical" or "ignorant", like you did in your letter. I wonder if you make similar generalizations about other communities on Long Island which have predominant populations of other religions or races.

In sum, I hope you learn to develop an analytical process that will allow you to separate issues from emotions and preconceived stereotypes during the remainder of your education. While you may have encountered some people in Garden City that have led to your jaded view of it, blanket broad-brush generalizations about the village are unnecessary. There are people all over the world who may rub you the wrong way. This doesn't mean however, that you can lump them all into a single category.

Dan Gibbons

Clarification

To the Editor:

I would like to clarify some of the points I made in my open letter of December 27, 2007. Some of the comments made were harsh and were not pertinent to the issue at hand. I did not mean for the letter to convey my personal feelings about this village, and I apologize for any conflict that it may have caused.

The issue of religious bias is very personal to me, and I tend to react with a very quick and heavy hand. However, I feel that the strong fervor with which I approached the subject also included a statement of my opinions of issues not relevant to the argument.

This issue requires heated debate in a public forum, but I appeal to the parties involved not to bring irrelevant personal politics to the table as I have.

Jared Schroder

Christian Symbols Absent

To The Editor:

Referring to the article "Couple finds Winter Festival Offensive," Garden City News December 21, 2007.

Firstly may I state I no longer have children in the school system. However, I am still paying school taxes and I remain interested in the quality of education provided. and, I note from the item that Christian symbols were conspicuous by their absence. It seems to me in recent years this is often the case. Everything is celebrated except Christmas. It's "Happy Holidays" no carols and in general no mention of the word "Christmas." While Frosty the Snowman, poinsettias and snowflakes are enjoyed by many they are not the symbol of Christmas. For Christians the world over the créche is the symbol. And while I have absolutely no objection to the menorah being displayed, but to suggest it is secular rather than religious because "there are not many Jewish symbols," is a bit much! The menorah symbolizes for the Jews not only a historical event but also a miraculous one, just as a créch does for Christians. and, in this country above all others both should be appropriately displayed and respected. The créch is the symbol the world over of the birth of Christ. The holy day created not for the merchants but for mankind. You may accept or reject it. However, please do not suggest to this writer "programs are done for an educational purpose." Do Kindergartners know how Christmas is celebrated in various parts of the world? How do they celebrate in Buenos Aires, or Manila or for that matter, Addis Abba? Is that not "a learning experience."

I do not think people are jamming the airports around the world to arrive home for a winter festival! My own family returns from parts of the world where it isn't cold and where there are not any winter festivals but they do celebrate Christmas. I can assure you the hassle of a 15-hour flight, which can only be made more tiresome and tedious by winter weather, would not be worth the effort. But Christmas is.

Dolores Costello

Thank You

Mr. Ryan

To the Editor:

I just wanted to commend Thomas Ryan for sticking up for his beliefs. I too am often in shock of how Jesus Christ is taken out of Christmas and Santa is replaced. I love the story of Santa and the excitement he brings Christmas morning. Truly the reason for Christmas is the birth of Christ and it seems even people who believe in Christ are afraid of offending others. When in the end we only end up hurting ourselves. So thank you Mr. Ryan for taking a stand.

Sincerely, Jen Winter

Thank You

To the Editor:

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for printing the artcle about my Girl Scout Gold Award. Many people responded to the article and because of that I was able to collect many items for Career Gear. I would appreciate it if a thank you can be placed in the newspaper thanking the community for helping me to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Their generosity is greatly appreciated by both me and the recipients at Career Gear.

Katie Mavrovits