The recent superstorm, Sandy, has devastated large parts of our city, and while we must continue to help those neighborhoods still in need, we also must begin to figure out how we move forward to avoid this large-scale suffering again. First of all, our power grid is extremely fragile and in need of serious upgrade. [...]
BY SENATOR JOSE PERALTA I introduced a bill last year, which Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law, prohibiting the distribution of obscene, business-card-sized ads for prostitutes. These so-called “chica” cards, which have been handed out along Roosevelt Avenue and adjacent streets for many years, feature promises of “free delivery.” After a press conference at which I [...]
In the aftermath of the terrifying events in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, the American Sikh community is grieving the loss of six lives. They are also awaiting answers. Why would such a heinous act be perpetrated, committed within their own house of worship? Although the investigations concerning the motives of the killer are ongoing from local, [...]
By Francis Mechner, Ph.D. Director, Queens Paideia School “Paideia” – Plato’s ancient term for the ideal education of Athenian citizens — is an apt name for the widely-accepted educational philosophy that John Dewey expounded in the early 1900s. Children must learn not only the three Rs, Dewey said, but also the skills and knowledge they [...]
BY ANDREW BAUMANN Since I can remember, the state’s Department of Education has always talked about “LRE,” or Least Restrictive Environment. The days of special education students being secluded into one building are just about gone. With more and more opportunities for each child to reach his fullest potential, doesn’t it make sense that we [...]
By Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed the results of a fascinating study. People who work under high pressure conditions will often take time off to get away from it all, relax and “decompress.” This, common wisdom assumes, is the way to alleviate the accumulative effects of stress. Alas, the study’s [...]
President Barack Obama recently proposed the American Jobs Act as a remedy to end the most devastating unemployment our nation has experienced since the Great Depression. I have an idea on how to help. In consultation with our financial advisors, union pension funds are routinely invested in various projects and bonds that will protect those [...]
