Hizzoner actually showed his cards in old emails that recently surfaced. On Thursday, the City finally handed over a massive trove of more than 4,000 electronic correspondences to Spectrum News NY1 and the New York Post. Earlier this month, following prolonged litigation, State Appellate Division Judge Anil Singh upheld a lower court’s ruling that the administration must disclose all emails between City Hall and outside consultants that de Blasio famously dubbed “agents of the City.”

These secret “agents” actually were from the private consulting firm BerlinRosen, led by long-time de Blasio confidant Jonathan Rosen. In its argument against NY1 and the Post’s Freedom of Information Law request, the City claimed that though Rosen and several other private consultants were not public servants, they served as “agents of the City,” exempting them from such FOIL requests.

Let’s stop for a moment and think back to those halcyon days four or five years ago when Mayor de Blasio promised to run the most honest, transparent, and accessible administration this city has ever seen.

How long did that last?

Instead, we see this email from the mayor in August 2015:

“First of all, the news media is pitiful and it’s sad for our city and nation. We can make a conscience decision to surrender…or we can govern. They will never defeat us.”

While we’d never lump together de Blasio and Queens’ own President Donald Trump—they are polar opposites in every sense. However, that quote, to us at least, rings eerily similar to one of many from Mr. Trump in which he gleefully blasts the press.

“The fake news media is the enemy of the American people,” the President tweeted in February 2017.

De Blasio on Friday attempted to expound on the email during his weekly spot on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on WNYC-FM.

“I think there’s a problem with mainstream media. I mean, I’ll get to the specifics but I think the broad point is there’s a problem with mainstream media. I have felt this my whole life,” de Blasio said on Friday during his weekly spot on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on WNYC-FM. “This is not new to my role as mayor. We have a corporate media. It is based on a free-enterprise model. It’s based on selling things. I don’t think that’s healthy. I think that leads to a lot of distortions. I am a big fan of public radio and public TV. I’m a big fan of alternative media and subscription-based media like The Guardian that are trying to take some of the bias out of the equation that is based—that comes from needing clicks and having a mentality that connects to a corporate structure.”

He later added, “Look, I don’t think the coverage has reflected the work we’re doing or the impact it’s having on the people of this city.”

So, because the press doesn’t write that which you’d like it to write about you and your “accomplishments,” it’s “pitiful” and “sad”? Is that even mature?

Wake up, Mr. Mayor. This is New York City. We’ll praise you for honest-to-goodness progress—and we’ll tear you a new one when you, or any other elected leader, deserves it.

If you don’t like it, take your ball and go back to Boston.

We’re people too.

Or what about someone who knew the young man who was behind the wheel—perhaps his parent, a sibling or a girlfriend. They were gripped with overwhelming panic and anxiety.
And how about one of the owners or the management team at Howard Plaza Shopping Center, assigned blame for something they took every conceivable measure to prevent.
Perhaps we should all look toward expanding the traditional inferences of looking both ways — when we cross into the dangerous path of vehicles, and when we cross the harmful lines of disseminating false information.
We hope Sandy Rosenthal continues on the path to a full recovery.
We hope the young man who was driving realizes the error of his ways and in the days ahead can come to terms with what he did in a moment of recklessness that cost both he and the Rosenthal family such pain.
And we hope that when you step off a curb you take a moment to turn your head in every direction to ensure your safety. And that when you step out onto the highway of information, you resist the temptations of dangerous and harmful speculation.
Just look both ways.

The victim, her family, the driver and his family, all of whose lives will be inexorably marked by a few minutes in a neighborhood strip mall. The saddest part of all is that it could easily have been prevented.

The opioid addiction crisis is worse than most of us imagine. It impacts us all, from Rego Park to Rockaway Park to Redwoods Park. An expert panel, convened by STAT (an investigative medical news branch of the Boston Globe), estimates that opioids could kill nearly half a million Americans over the next decade. The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) recently released a report stating the economic cost of the opioid addiction crisis is six times higher than previous estimates. The CEA says the economic cost of the opioid crisis in 2015 was $504.0 billion, 2.8 percent of GDP (compared to the percent of GDP for Medicare, and Medicaid: 3.5 and 2 respectively).
A key tool to address the opioid addiction crisis is expanding access to safe disposal for unwanted household medications in the form of drug take-back programs. Removing unwanted medications from the home limits illegal diversion and decreases the chances of accidental child poisonings and aquatic contamination from trashing or flushing medications.
While State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and other legislators should be applauded for their interest in addressing the public and environmental health impacts of over-prescribed medications, Gov. Andrew Cuomo should VETO the chain pharmacy take-back bill (S.6750). This chain pharmacy bill does a poor job of providing convenient take-back, and it gives little consideration to consumer convenience or public education.
With this bill, rural areas with no chain pharmacy will likely remain without a safe disposal option.
Where there are chain pharmacies, the $2 fee for a small take-back envelope will discourage consumer participation and will cause prescription drugs to remain in medicine cabinets. A manufacturer-funded drug take-back program would be free to the public and would better encourage safe drug disposal.
Instead, this bill puts the cost of recovering unwanted pharmaceuticals for safe destruction on chain pharmacies and consumers, while allowing drug manufacturers to avoid any financial responsibility for safely managing the disposal of their products. It further guarantees manufacturers a free pass by preempting local existing legislation (Rockland County), proposed legislation (Erie and Westchester counties), and future legislation that requires manufacturers to organize and pay for take-back programs. It is worth noting that in the last five years, pharmaceutical lobbyists contributed more than $1.7 million to NYS political campaigns and S.6750’s sponsor, State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), was one of the top individual beneficiaries, receiving more than $71,000.
This take-back bill does too little, and it puts the cost on consumers and pharmacies rather than on the drug manufacturers who profit most from medication sales.
Governor Cuomo should instead support extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that establishes a drug take-back program fully funded by drug manufacturers, containing strong convenience and public education standards. Using pharmacy-based receptacles, take-back would only cost manufacturers about $0.01 per prescription. Two states, 18 municipalities, and many other countries have such pharmaceutical EPR laws. Now is the time for New York to establish a convenient, comprehensive, and well-promoted take-back program for unwanted pharmaceuticals that is paid for by drug manufacturers.

Gottlieb is :
Chairman, Tompkins County Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal; Board member, New York Product Stewardship Council; Member, National Association of Clean Water Agencies Pretreatment & Pollution Prevention Committee; Member, Product Stewardship Institute Pharmaceuticals’ Policy & Coordination Work Group Member, Tompkins County Water Resources Council (pending legislative approval) Member, New York Water Environment Association, Government Affairs Committee

Good night, and good luck, Anthony.

“I asked could I sit with him and he said, ‘Sure, why not?’” Rudolph told Seminoles.com. “He told me his name was Bo, how much he loves Florida State. And we went from there.”

The picture quickly went viral – as did Bo’s mom Leah Paske’s touching Facebook tribute to Bo, Travis, and the moment.

Here is that post in its entirety:

Several times lately I have tried to remember my time in middle school, did I like all my teachers, do I even remember them? Did I have many friends? Did I sit with anyone at lunch? Just how mean were kids really? I remember one kid on the bus called me “Tammy Fay Baker” bc I started awkwardly wearing eye liner in the sixth grade, I remember being tough and calling him a silly name back, but when he couldn’t see me anymore I cried. I do remember middle school being scary, and hard. Now that I have a child starting middle school, I have feelings of anxiety for him, and they can be overwhelming if I let them. Sometimes I’m grateful for his autism. That may sound like a terrible thing to say, but in some ways I think, I hope, it shields him. He doesn’t seem to notice when people stare at him when he flaps his hands. He doesn’t seem to notice that he doesn’t get invited to birthday parties anymore. And he doesn’t seem to mind if he eats lunch alone. It’s one of my daily questions for him. Was there a time today you felt sad? Who did you eat lunch with today? Sometimes the answer is a classmate, but most days it’s nobody. Those are the days I feel sad for him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He is a super sweet child, who always has a smile and hug for everyone he meets. A friend of mine sent this beautiful picture to me today and when I saw it with the caption “Travis Rudolph is eating lunch with your son” I replied “who is that?” He said “FSU football player”, then I had tears streaming down my face. Travis Rudolph, a wide receiver at Florida State, and several other FSU players visited my sons school today. I’m not sure what exactly made this incredibly kind man share a lunch table with my son, but I’m happy to say that it will not soon be forgotten. This is one day I didn’t have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph thank you so much, you made this momma exceedingly happy, and have made us fans for life! #travisrudolph#gonoles #FSU #autismmom #fansforlife

It has been a formidable, faith-testing fortnight for our beloved borough.

Two weeks that most of us wish we could simply hit an existential Delete button and be done with forever.

Alas, no, we are saddled with these last 336 hours – and the raw, emotional aftermath of the soul-scarring events contained therein.

The Howard Beach community has been wracked by palpable grief, anger, and anxiety since the violent, vicious murder of Karina Vetrano, who was beaten, raped, and strangled while out on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park on Aug. 2.

Two weeks later. No suspects. No person of interest. No durable lead.

Asked if his family has had time to heal, Phil Vetrano replied that he doesn’t believe they’ll ever truly be able to.

Then, on Aug. 13, a sweltering summer Saturday in the city, an admired imam and his assistant are gunned down on Liberty Avenue as they walked home from afternoon prayers at their mosque.

The alleged perpetrator has been caught. But investigators still don’t have a motive.

The question on many minds: Is it hate?

While the answer at the moment is uncertain, we definitely witnessed simple acts of unmitigated love this week that give us hope for the next fortnight and forever.

As a result of the assassination of the cleric and his assistant in Ozone Park, Muslims across the country have expressed anxiety over walking to and from their houses of worship. No worries, said so many on social media.

I’ll walk with you.

And a movement of hope was born out of a dire need for humanity and humility.

“I’m big and tall and scary looking, and I love you and I want you to feel safe #IllWalkWithYou” Willem Smith tweeted to any Muslim having second thoughts about going outside alone.

This simple, gargantuan gesture made me think of a line of dialog I cribbed from a recent film.

“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane.”

These last two weeks have been the ultimate sh*t-storm for our southern Queens communities. But I see so many unbreakable kites on the horizon…and hope is not far behind.

This December, when the world drags Howard Beach back 30 years, back to a time when this community was branded with the scarlet “R,” and characterized the world over as the Ground Zero of racism – think about the past nine days.

Think about Karina Vetrano—not as she met her demise in our backyard—as the vibrant, expressive, creative soul who was proud of her hometown.

Think about that hometown, that proverbial tight-knit community, and how it has grown even closer in the oft-divisive wake of tragedy. Think about how Howard Beach, since that awful Aug. 2 evening, has sought to shelter the Vetranos from that singular, unimaginable sorrow in a communal embrace.

And think about how many times – in recent years, even – Howard Beach has emerged stronger than ever in the face of soul-crushing adversity.

Think back four years to October 2012. Superstorm Sandy. Everybody has their own silver-screen ready tale of unmitigated calamity, of helping neighbors escape sure death, and of the struggle to bounce back in the days, months, and years since Mother Nature reminded south Queens and Rockaway who runs what.

But Howard Beach has bounced back. Together. Stronger than ever.

Think back 15 months ago, on that May day, when we learned of the death of little Valentina Allen, the tenacious 2-year-old who succumbed to the heart disease that had cast a pall over her brief life since she was in the womb.

Howard Beach mourned with Danielle and Ryan, but the community didn’t stop there.

The many fundraisers organized in Valentina’s name have helped to raise awareness of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“I love that people still want to support her and come to her events,” Danielle Allen told The Forum earlier this year. “I feel it’s easy to get behind a little girl who’s still fighting, but the fact that people are behind her and supporting her hospital even though she’s gone, is just amazing. We are so thankful!”

#HowardBeachStrong.

And so now the community again finds its resolve, its sense of self, its familial identity tested. Karina, a native daughter of Howard Beach, torn violently from her communal embrace – and almost immediately, members of this large family unit spring into action, thoughts laser-focused on the Vetranos, true justice…and feeding the folks who are sworn to do everything humanly possible to track down the cold-hearted culprit. Neighbors and Cross Bay cornerstones like Lenny’s Clam Bar and Rag Time sent myriad trays of food to the investigators tasked with dragging such vermin in front of Cathy and Philip for some measure of closure.

So, four months from now, remember these days. Remember the power in our numbers.

Remember #HowardBeachStrong.

The following op-ed piece was submitted to The Forum by Alex Blenkinsopp of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

Transportation in southern Queens must be improved. The question is whether the Select Bus Service plan for Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards is the right approach. The answer is clear: This plan is foolish, expensive, dangerous, and absolutely wrong for the Boulevard.

That’s why multiple local organizations are hosting a rally this Saturday, Aug. 6, to fight the plan. The rally will be held at noon at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, at the southeast corner (outside the bank), rain or shine. We hope to see you there.

It’s also why there’s a petition against this plan, which you can sign online at WWW.SAVEOURSTREETS.NYC or by calling (718) 296-3735.

Consider what the SBS plan will do:

First, it will eliminate two lanes of traffic 24/7, allowing only buses to use them. This means the same amount of traffic, squeezed into fewer lanes. It also means tickets for drivers who enter the bus lanes. It promises more congestion.

Second, this plan will move major bus stops off of sidewalks and onto medians. Bus riders will wait on islands with traffic passing by on both sides. Someone running to catch a bus at a median stop will now need to cross traffic, which is dangerous. In the winter, the snow is not currently cleared for pedestrians who rely on these islands for safety, so why should we expect them to be clear when bus riders are waiting there?

Third, this plan will prohibit left turns onto cross streets like Union Turnpike, Rockaway Boulevard, Penelope Avenue, and 101st Avenue. This will hurt nearby businesses. It will also divert drivers down side streets, increasing traffic on residential roads. This will be dangerous to families and detrimental to quality of life, especially because many vehicles diverted down residential streets will be delivery trucks.

Fourth, this will likely reduce parking. The Department of Transportation and MTA, which are guiding this plan, have been evasive about the parking impact. But consider Hoffman Drive by the Queens Center Mall, where the design plans erase more than a dozen parking spots.

Fifth, the proposal will cut half a dozen bus stops from the Q52/Q53 routes. DOT has been unclear about the proposal’s pricetag. DOT initially said a whopping $200 million. Then DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg reportedly testified that it was $400 million. Amid uproar, DOT backpedaled. We taxpayers can’t know how high the cost will climb.

DOT and the de Blasio administration are shoving this plan down our throats. They claim to want community feedback, but they ignored input from residents and local organizations; “feedback sessions” were really just attempts to sell their proposal. DOT fails to provide requested data or to reply to correspondence.

DOT also refuses to examine alternatives to the SBS plan, like running bus service along the inactive Rockaway Branch train tracks. And it won’t try easier solutions first—like extra-long “articulated” buses, off-board fare payment, synchronizing traffic lights, running more buses, a high-occupancy vehicle lane, or better enforcement of traffic laws.

DOT’s track record in our community is dreadful. They’ve taken four years to install a speed bump in Woodhaven. DOT causes traffic jams outside a local school by denying parking to school buses transporting special-needs children. DOT persistently failed to fix its broken lights in Forest Park, even when there was a serial rapist prowling the park. I can go on and on.

We don’t trust DOT, and we doubt their competence. It’s time to scrap this foolish plan and go back to the drawing board, this time with true community input. Until then, we’ll continue to fight.

Blenkinsopp is the director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

As the publisher of this newspaper, I have, on multiple occasions, written or assigned stories on the City’s eatery grading procedures and the Health Department’s actions regarding the regulation of restaurants.

In February, I opened Nana’s Breakfast Nook with my partner, Mr. Joseph DeCandia, who also owns Lenny’s Clam Bar, a virtual institution on Cross Bay Boulevard. Since embarking on this business venture, I see things from an entirely different perspective–– that of a restaurant owner.

When I received a letter this week from Bruno Rinaldi, owner of Bruno Ristorante, I was reminded of the unique challenges that owning a restaurant presents – especially those that arise from the regular Health Department inspections.

Mr. Rinaldi’s letter, which can be seen in its entirety on Page 8 as a Letter to the Editor, is addressed to Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, M.D., and calls on her to drastically change her agency’s restaurant control procedures.

We stand in support of many of the issues that Mr. Rinaldi raises and join him in calling for these reforms. Not only for the obvious reasons, but because changes such as those suggested would really reinforce the true benefits that the letter-grading system could have if the grades represented what the public presumes they do.

Every restaurant owner goes to sleep at night either trying to figure how to get or to keep the elusive A in their window, but the bottom line is the achievement shouldn’t require anything more than following rules which mandate operating at the highest possible level. But the fact of the matter is that a restaurant can fail an inspection for things that have absolutely nothing to do with public safety and health.

A radical change to department procedures and personnel is required if the public is ever to see the true benefits of this type of regulation.

Mr. Rinaldi points to the fact that many inspectors simply aren’t qualified to perform inspections of restaurants where the cuisine requires intimate food knowledge. A perfect example is cheese: All cheese is not created equal. Why should a restaurant owner who pays upwards of $29 per pound for imported Parmigiano-Reggiano be forced to pack it in ice in front of an inspector just to avoid a violation,only to then be forced to throw it away because the last thing that should ever go near this precious wheel is ice. Inspectors need to be trained properly and should not be permitted to come crashing into someone’s business at the height of busy and make arbitrary, subjective decisions. One of the greatest plagues on the food-service industry, any restaurant owner will tell you, is the disparity among individual inspectors. Finding two in agreement is less likely than locating the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Mr. Rinaldi’s suggestions are a testament to more than 50 years’ of experience in the business and merit the attention of all restaurant owners. Now is the time for this powerful industry to band together and call for necessary, common-sense reforms.

Perhaps it’s time for owners to refuse to allow inspectors on premises until we are sure that the person who walks through the door toting that clipboard knows what they’re doing.

As far as appearances go – seems simple. No? Three letters capped off by a question mark. Four characters. Total.

And yet, especially at times such as these, you’d be hard pressed to find a more maddening word.

Because those four characters – three letters, unwavering; punctuation now more taunting, at times such as these, than the international symbol of curiosity – add up to zero answers.

Why?

Why does it seem as though shaky cell-phone videos were hatched exclusively just to document the final, fleeting moments of mankind as we hurtle toward oblivion?

At some sad point we went from clips of Angry Cat and dads getting their clocks cleaned by errant wiffle balls, to the Rodney King beating in surround sound – EVERY DAY.

Why?

Why does it seem like a frightening majority truly believe that there’s only one answer to violence:

More violence.

Alton Sterling – shot dead by cops. Philando Castile – shot dead by a cop.

Why?

For one very disturbed, highly trained individual, he had the answer. He’s always had The Answer. He had plenty of answers that came screaming out of a muzzle perched on a roof top. Those answers were punctuated by the cold, deafening silence of a Dallas morgue.

Why?

Why did we let hate dictate our lives?

Why has a constant source of pride and symbol of neighborhood nobility become the Enemy – the Blue Devil – to so many?

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said that the Dallas massacre forced his mind back to that terrible December day when two of his officers – Detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu – were gunned down in cold blood on a Brooklyn Street.

Speaking directly to his bewildered, tense troops on July 8, 2016, Bratton said:

“So keep moving forward, as we did after the double blow two winters ago, as Dallas will after this terrible loss. Keep moving forward with the people you serve, because public safety is a shared responsibility. You are making a difference, every day, whether you’re in a steady sector, or a PDU, or narcotics. You’re making a difference in the subways and the Housing Developments and the precincts. What you’re doing matters, what you’re doing counts, and I am proud to move forward with you.

Be safe.”

That goes for all of us.

Resorts World Casino New York City wants to expand.

And for two very important, yet simple reasons, we say: Let ‘em.

We can hear your cynical sneers now: You’re blindly giving this ginormous (yes, that’s a real word) expansion project the green light because the casino has been a loyal advertiser in The Forum for years.

It’s true – RW NYC has rented a half-page in this trusted newspaper for many weeks. What’s not even remotely accurate is the assumption that said business relationship has anything to do with our decision to support their growth.

We all know what assuming does…

Our preliminary stamp of approval is based on two cornerstones:

1. All signs point to this expansion being a very good thing for Queens – and if it’s good for our home, then we’re all for it. Ostensibly it will create thousands of crucial temporary and permanent job opportunities, put billions back into education, and make the borough a destination.
2. Resorts World, for the most part, has been a solid south Queens neighbor since the racino opened in 2011. Yes, there have been some incidents – but they are few and far between. We have no reason to expect any sort of dramatic change in demeanor or decorum from this establishment and its leaders.

“Our experience during the last five years with casino officials is that our concerns do factor into their decision making. We’re certain that will be the case as this new project moves ahead,” Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said, in part, on Wednesday.

And we agree. Because RW NYC, and its parent company, Genting Americas, haven’t shown us anything but respect, responsibility, and accessibility since they broke ground at Aqueduct.

“This new expansion, and its corresponding increase in visitation to our facility, will result in a boost in revenue for both New York’s education fund and the state’s horse racing industry – while also acting as a catalyst for additional economic development in our local Queens community,” said Michael Levoff, senior vice president of Public Affairs for Genting Americas. “Beyond providing additional revenue, this expansion will also add approximately 1,500 good-paying careers for New Yorkers and thousands of construction jobs.”

Uh oh – queue the ominous music. Mr. Evil Corporate Person has spoken.

Nope. Our neighbor with a durable track record has reassured us.

We’re going to take them at their word. Because they’ve never given us a reason not to.

The animated film “The Secret Life of Pets” is slated for worldwide release on Friday, July 8. According to Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, it’s “a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.”

“The Secret Life…” is light-hearted, PG fare. So you undoubtedly will not hear about the secret life of Zaza.

She’s a gorgeous, 2-year-old pit bull mix. What a difference four months make.

Zaza was one of two dogs rescued by officers from Brooklyn’s 63^rd Precinct in April. She was bone-thin when police discovered her living in filthy conditions with another underweight, female pit bull mix. Zaza was suffering from an infection in both ears that caused severe swelling and a skin infection between her toes.

Zaza’s secret life of misery.

But thanks to the work of the NYPD and the ASPCA, and volunteer organizations across the city, innocent animals like Zaza are given a fighter’s chance to survive and eventually make a full recovery – and escort Police Commissioner Bill Bratton around 1 Police Plaza.

Bratton joined the ASPCA last Friday in highlighting the importance of pet adoption by inviting Zaza to join him on the job at NYPD Headquarters for Take Your Dog to Work Day.

“Today’s visit from Zaza highlights the success of the NYPD’s partnership with the ASPCA that has been proven by the countless animals saved throughout New York City,” Bratton said. “The Department’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad was created in 2014 to have NYPD detectives lead investigations into animal cruelty cases that has resulted in an increase in arrests and rescues. With the use of the Crime Stoppers program, one of our newest tools to fight animal cruelty, the public can now easily and anonymously provide information about animal abuse.”

Since the partnership launched citywide in January 2014, there have been triple-digit increases in arrests and animals treated.

“The NYPD/ASPCA partnership has saved hundreds of animal victims from suffering in silence,” said Howard Lawrence, vice president, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement. “It is incredibly important that New Yorkers continue to report animal cruelty and open their hearts and homes to dog and cat cruelty survivors, like Zaza, who deserve a second chance for a loving, stable home.”

Zaza is up for adoption. She’s ready for a light-hearted, PG life.

For more info on pet adoption, visit aspca.org/adopt-pet

The Forum this week has given this valuable space to State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate Education Committee and father of two young daughters in the public school system, for his perspective on the push to maintain mayoral control of city schools.

At a recent Manhattan public hearing on mayoral control of New York City schools, Sen. Addabbo reiterated his strong belief that the decision on whether to extend existing government policy, which holds the mayor accountable for the performance of the City educational system, should be discussed by focusing on the children’s education, and not the mayor.

“While recent discussions about the future of mayoral control in New York City have been tinged with political overtones, the fact of the matter is that an extension of the law would represent a vote of confidence in the structure and policy of mayoral control itself, regardless of who is at the helm. With mayoral control, one person is ultimately accountable for how our school system operates and how our students are prepared for the future. Under the old system, which was convoluted and highly decentralized, trying to hold education officials responsible for the performance of City schools was like playing an endless and fruitless game of whack-a-mole.

“As former Chancellor and Deputy Mayor Walcott pointed out, I don’t think we want to return to the pre-2002 ‘bad old days’ when mayoral control didn’t exist and when a sprawling, inefficient, and highly non-transparent schools bureaucracy was in place. While I believe our students and our entire educational system are better off under mayoral control than under the old Board of Education structure, I would like to see improvements made for the sake of our children.

“Whenever a policy needs to be renewed before its expiration, there is an opportunity to make changes and improve it. No system is perfect, and we can always make reforms to our educational structure to address deficiencies. As a start, I would also like to see our school principals be vested with more authority over their schools, and that the City provide more public notice and input in school siting procedures. Additionally, I believe parents and teachers should have a stronger voice and opportunity in influencing educational policy for our children.

“Coming to a consensus on mayoral control will probably be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome as the State Legislature moves towards the official end of the regular 2016 legislative session on June 16th. I hope that we can all come together on this issue, forge a reasonable compromise, and put our kids first – which should always be our priority and our guiding light in assessing our education laws and policy.”

Sen. Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial District

These days it seems there’s always another cause to champion or an anniversary to commemorate.  Some months are named for so many such causes, we’re not sure how best to do them all justice.  Did you know that, in addition to being Autism Awareness Month, National Poetry Month, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, April is Distracted Driving Month?

With better weather now fully upon us and the promise of at least a few months more of it ahead, beach and other road trips mean we’ll be out there in our deadly vehicles, driving alongside people using deadly technology while driving, more often.

We’ve written here before about the dangers of distracted driving, about being more careful in general, and also about how our community, in particular, has seen more than its fair share of car accidents.  Just in Old Howard alone, a quick jaunt to New Park is a risk – not because we are tempted to text and drive, but because we know so many others do it all the time.  It’s not enough to obey the laws and be vigilant; in fact, you must be hypervigilant and assume that everyone else on the road is less cautious (or intelligent) than you. How can we compensate for others’ failings?  For one, having observed drivers coast through intersections without a single glance up from their phones, we often stop at them (if there’s no one tailgating that might hit us), even if there is no stop sign or light on our section.  We’ve seen too many near-misses to assume the other car will stop, even if the right of way is ours alone.

Reckless and distracted driving is the number one killer of teens. Kids don’t just text and drive – they make videos, take photos, and use various social media apps while driving.  If horrific public service videos on the “Take back your drive” campaign on the National Safety Council’s website or those from “U Drive. U Text. U Pay” at distraction.gov aren’t enough to convince you, perhaps the cold, hard statistics on either site will. In 2014 alone, 3,129 were killed in distracted driving crashes, and an AT&T study recently revealed that 4 in 10 drivers use social media while driving. Fully 9 percent of drivers are talking on phones while driving at any given moment.

Utilizing any sort of device or technology while driving is taking your life – and, of course, other lives as well – in your hands. Even built-in “infotainment” systems have not been thoroughly safety-tested, and while drivers might assume that they are the better option (being inherently hands-free), that assumption is a dangerous one.  Studies repeatedly show that drivers aren’t just distracted by the text or call itself, but in fact remain distracted for 30 seconds or longer after the technology is finished being accessed.

Some drivers claim that their work is so demanding that it requires them to be reachable at all times, including while they’re behind the wheel.  As it turns out, distracted driving is the No. 1 cause of “workplace” death, and employers are being held responsible up to $25 million for employee crashes, even when hands-free devices were used.

The future seems to point to more, not fewer, ways and opportunities to become distracted.  It’s time to rage against the storm and to deny – and defy – social media and deadly technology while driving.

Hizzoner is throwing “caution” to the wind.

In a skit performed (badly) at a black-tie dinner last weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he’d been “on CP time” in initially hesitating to endorse Hillary Clinton, his former boss, in her run for President. Clinton responded (as part of the act she says de Blasio wrote) and said he must mean “Cautious Politician time.” Alrighty then.

In using the phrase to begin with, and subsequently, in defending it as a joke, de Blasio has offended a lot of people. With good reason.

“CP time” apparently stands for “colored people time,” and if you say “he’s on CP time,” it’s supposed to mean (we now know) that someone is late (or perpetually late), because in this stereotype, African-Americans are said to be late often. As even writing those words feels horrific and foreign to us, we are incredibly thankful that, prior to this controversy, we had no idea what they meant or even why it would be an actual thing people say. It’s not that we’re trying to be PC (politically correct). We just don’t think that way.

And, for that reason, we don’t find the mayor’s “joke” remotely funny. Remember when Jerry Seinfeld tells the priest he’s not offended as a Jew but, instead, as a comedian when someone he knows converts to Judaism in order to justify making Jewish jokes? We’re offended at de Blasio’s idea of humor, not because we think he’s a racist, but because he shouldn’t be kidding around about being a “cautious politician.” Isn’t this like the perpetually late pot calling the kettle “black?”

People aren’t upset because they think de Blasio doesn’t like people “of color.” How could he not? His family is black. Let’s get something straight here. What’s upsetting, for starters, is that his aforementioned “cautiousness” – or what we’d prefer to call out as his disloyalty to Clinton – is remarkably unfunny, as is his frequent tardiness. Lastly, and most importantly, joking about stereotypes might work for some seasoned comedians (though, arguably in this case, we doubt even the great Chris Rock could pull this off), but as a political leader and someone who has decried, numerous times, racist behaviors and statements, de Blasio simply doesn’t have the right. Maybe he thinks he does because his family is multiracial. But need we remind him that racists, bigots, and homophobes get creative when it comes to finding excuses for their hatred, and when they hear others (particularly those in the public eye) use racial stereotypes and epithets, they think that it justifies when they do? Come on, DBlaz. Haven’t you heard of leading by example?

And we don’t like his response to criticism about the joke, either. If you’re going to have the chutzpah to reference such an absurd stereotype in the name of humor, at least then have the gravitas to apologize for it plainly afterward. In an election year as important as this one, everyone is just plain tired of the many games politicians play trying to pussyfoot their way out of mistakes. The ones that don’t beat around the bush are the ones doing well right now, regardless of party or platform.

On the heels of World Autism Awareness Day, we at The Forum were thrilled to learn that Borough President Katz had managed to allocate $1 million of her office’s discretionary capital funds for the construction of the new gym at New York Families for Autistic Children, which will cost double that to complete.  Bravo, Prez! Money well spent.

Autism and other disorders in the autism spectrum, according to the latest research, affects approximately 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls).  Data collected 15 years ago indicated a much lesser prevalence of 1 in 150 children.  Mindful that those children are now adults, NYFAC and other agencies must offer a wider range of services to insure that those who need it have the right kind of support throughout their lives.

Many of us know people with autism spectrum disorders, parents of autistic children who need help or a listening ear, or families struggling to get the right diagnosis for a child whose behavior might seem to fall into the spectrum.  Any parent knows there is no moment, from birth until adulthood, that we don’t wish for our kids to be happy, healthy, and secure and not a time when most of us will ever stop worrying about our children’s wellbeing.  Parents also know that there is no set manual on how to care for a child on a regular day, let alone in a world where that child has to handle the extra challenge of autism.  That’s why we have organizations like NYFAC.

NYFAC already is a distinguished organization in Howard Beach, making great strides in the effort to keep people informed about autism and to provide services that will help those diagnosed with an ASD and their families to cope better.  Studies have shown that early diagnosis and intervention increase exponentially the chances that children with an ASD will become functioning and happy adults, and NYFAC has been right at the forefront of that work since 1998.  The fact that so much of it is being done at the headquarters in our own backyard is a source of great pride for us at the paper, and the capacity have its services expanded can only make us prouder.

The construction project, which will begin later this year and will be completed some time next, will allow autistic people of all ages to “work on their bodies and minds,” as CEO/Founder Andrew Baumann said. With an array of recreational programs being developed to host at the new Center for Physical Achievement – from Wiffle ball to yoga – and modified exercise equipment designed specifically for people with particular limitations, there’s little doubt the new gym will live up to its name.

Former U.S. Representative from Boston and longtime Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill became popular for this phrase, which he liked to use in explaining the first and only campaign loss of his early political career.  Still a college student, he went for the Cambridge City Council and was defeated, only to come back and win his very next run for the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

You can’t win the big elections without winning a few small ones first.  And you usually lose a few of those before you win any at all. That’s what most veteran politicians will tell you.  Bill Clinton lost his first campaign for Congress, and then years later, he lost his second gubernatorial campaign, only to come back after his successor’s two-year term and hold the office for the next ten years. When he was elected President in 1992, his “Friends of Bill,” and Arkansas Travelers came right along with him, demonstrating once again that local political support, if built from the ground up, can bring success to the highest levels of leadership.  It’s important to get grassroots support for the purposes of garnering more votes, but also, there is no way to understand – as a Senator, Member of Congress, or President – the broader political issues facing this country and our world before comprehending the fundamental local challenges that are almost always microcosms of greater society.

We at The Forum find it amusing how quickly people seem to forget these points.  Just this week, we saw hordes of Howard Beachers crawl out of the woodwork to attend a semi-spontaneous town hall meeting at St. Helen.  They came to see Ohio Gov. John Kasich, one of three remaining Republican presidential candidates, answer questions on everything from Trump to…Trump – a theme that has dominated this campaign at both Democratic and Republican events. If those members of our community who attended were there to support their favorite candidate, or because they legitimately agree with his political platform – ok, fine.  (In fact, he does seem to us to be a reasonable and well-intentioned candidate, and we’re certainly honored he chose to come and have pizza with us.)  But if they are hitching their wagons to a star, we hate to say it, but we think that star is descending.

Some of us here didn’t see the point of the visit at all, as New York typically goes to the Democratic nominee.  For a candidacy that is likely not long for this world, it seems odd to “waste” precious funds to come here, even if the town hall was televised on MSNBC.  According to Kasich himself, he specifically hopes to take Trump’s delegates away so there is no clear-cut primary winner.  Hey, GOP: ever hear of cutting off your nose to spite your face?

What we really want to say is that, now more than ever, it seems particularly important (especially as inhabitants of a “blue” state), that if we’re going to affect meaningful change in our world, we must become more involved at the local level.  Attend PTAs and Community Boards, get to know our Assemblymembers and our superintendents, vote in those smaller elections and not just make it to the polls for the big-league elections.  We would never say that our votes don’t count – because for the campaigns that really matter, they most certainly do.

We appreciate the visit, Gov. Kasich, don’t get us wrong.  But we don’t need to wait in line for an hour to catch a glamor shot of you in order to feel like we’re making a political contribution to our community.  That time would be better spent reading up on the issues at hand – or sitting down once again with our old weathered copy of Tip O’Neill’s “Man of the House.”

But maybe you should be able to. And it’s not just because Belgium has joined the International Club of Victims of Terrorism (an invented club, but one with growing numbers of members, we must unfortunately report) with the tragic attacks this week which took place at Maelbeek metro station and Brussels airport. The suicide bombs killed at least 31 people – an official number isn’t known yet, because the body parts are too numerous and tiny – and injured 271, included several Americans. To bring it further into perspective, NBA star Dikembe Mutombo was at the airport at the time of the explosions, and even that formidable man was sent running for cover, afraid for his life.

Tragedy does tend to align people and nations, as does uniting against a common enemy, in this case ISIL and the hate-mongers who’d rather kill than convert. What a role the Islamic State is playing in our current presidential election process! We doubt it’s what they’re truly after, but the more innocent victims they claim, the more “us vs. them” some of our political platforms may become. The fear (and the danger) just grows and grows, spreading like a deadly disease that could actually eradicate civilized society.

As the world reached out to New York following September 11, so has the world come together as a human people over Paris, and Brussels, and all of the other sites of horrific attacks. Simply put, we are standing together and saying that we will not tolerate senseless acts of violence and murder. And some of us might even go so far as to close borders and literally build walls in an effort to keep out any who might not share those beliefs. But is there actually a way to keep the evil out? Can safety and common, “good” values be fostered when they are contained?

We don’t know the answers to these questions, but we do know that people on their way to work or embarking on a trip or just living their normal everyday lives, innocently, don’t deserve to be blown to smithereens. It shouldn’t happen anywhere, but the fact that it happened in Belgium does make us want to share with you a few things you might not already know about that amazing country.

If you like mussels and fries (better known as moules-frites to some), you have Belgians to thank for that delicious dish. Chocolate, waffles, and, lest we forget, beer have all been perfected in Belgian hands. We know you’ve seen the surrealist art of René Magritte, whose iconic painting of an invisible man in a suit (his hat floats) will surely spark recollection if you look it up. And guess what? We wouldn’t have the saxophone, asphalt, or JPEGs without Belgians. Pralines. Roller skates. We wouldn’t have Tintin or the Smurfs.

We also wouldn’t have the person writing this editorial, or her precious five-year-old son, who might (for all we know) be the future, destined to save lives or do other incredible good. So the attacks in Belgium really did hit home for us at The Forum. In the spirit of all that Belgians have given us and the world, we hope that you will use this opportunity to learn more about this and other “strange” cultures, so that we can break down global barriers, rather than build and fortify them.