The Albanese alternative
To The Editor:
Re “De Blasio, Chin come under fire at town hall” (news article, June 29):
Glad to see that de Blasio and Chin are being shown how much they are doing wrong for our communities. Does anyone think that they are really listening? I don’t. The appearance of Sal Albanese at the event makes me interested in his candidacy for mayor.
Sylvia Rackow
Key issue for voters
To The Editor:
Re “Where do candidates stand on small business?” (news article, June 22):
As always, Sharon shines a spotlight on a crucial issue effecting our city’s future and authenticity, but is too often overlooked. In a crowded election season, opinions on the Small Business Jobs Survival Act and unrestricted, un-investigated landlords say a lot about a candidate and will inform my vote.
Some of the candidates didn’t mince words in their responses and proved that they are unabashedly on the side of small business. Thanks for the helpful read.
Dodge Landesman
Some landlords do care
To The Editor:
Re “Why it doesn’t have to be bleaker on Bleecker” (talking point, by Brad Hoylman, June 15):
Hard as it may be to believe, some landlords are honorable people who support small businesses and are dedicated to preserving in our West Village all the best “Jane Jacobs” characteristics.
I, a Jane St. native, am such a one. Owner of a small mixed-used building in the West Village, the commercial tenants I seek are only small businesses, of a nature that I think will enhance the block and neighborhood. In support of this, I offer leases that are well below market value, while still providing prompt attention and service to my tenants.
A few years ago, my then-commercial tenant ran into extreme financial difficulties and notified me she’d have to close her business by the end of that month. I allowed her to break her lease and requested from her no financial contribution — to which I was legally entitled — to the costly (to me) legal lease-break document. We parted on good terms.
Seven tenant-less months of terrible financial hardship for me ensued, during which I refused countless applications from nail salons, pizza joints and fume-spewing dry cleaners.
Imagine how it felt, one day, to find myself passing by my vacant store, walking behind some people who commented to one another that here was yet another example of a landlord whose rent-raising had forced out the beloved shop. C’est la vie. It’s unfortunate — and to me, personally dispiriting — that all landlords are assumed to be self-serving and exploitative. Some of us truly are not.
Lee Stoliar
No peace with Pier55
To The Editor:
Re “Pier55 project still afloat as Corps modifies permit” (news article, June 22):
I agree with Elaine Young. People who live near Pier55 were never invited to testify early on about this latest attempt to grab a chunk of the Hudson River to aggrandize themselves. In addition to being an eyesore, the sound of music that will emanate from Diller’s proposed entertainment center will float up and over the West Village — another horror. Let the river be a river.
Susan Brownmiller
Trump pit and pendulum
To The Editor:
Trump’s tweeting almost every day, venting his immediate dissatisfactions in a highly volatile way, is a serious indication of how emotionally disturbed — and, thus, disturbing — he is, even while living his fantasy of being the most powerful person on the planet.
Since he is the Republicans’ unimagined “golden goose,” representing the G.O.P.’s innate greed and lust for absolute control, they do nothing but support him, removing the “balance of power” constitutional safety net. They can then proceed to unwind protections and people-support programs, leaving the U.S. and the world in a pit, with an unpredictable pendulum at the top.
Sy Schleimer
F’works and stress
To The Editor:
Re “Wild fireworks hurt wildlife” (letter, by Elizabeth Forel, June 29):
I agree with Elizabeth Forel’s letter about the fireworks. I have been in Central Park when the fireworks go off, and my dog has totally freaked out. I, who am the child of a Holocaust survivor, never attended fireworks as a child because the mere idea of them were so awfully painful for my mother. They are known to cause problems for veterans with P.T.S.D. We should find good alternatives as a compromise for those who want to see these displays.
Eva-Lynn Podietz
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