Feed

Strongly Worded Letters

By Colin Campbell 11/05/12 2:35pm

Strongly Worded Letters

Rabbi Leiter. (Photo: VosIznNeias.com)

Governor Cuomo Reprimands Rabbi Who Suggested Gay Marriage Caused Hurricane Sandy

A few days ago, Rabbi Noson Leiter of Torah Jews for Decency said Hurricane Sandy brought a “divine justice” upon New York State as retribution for legalizing same sex marriage. To prove his point Rabbi Leiter pointed to the storm damage in Lower Manhattan, which he referred to as “one of the national centers for homosexuality,” to make his point. In a statement released this afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the push for New York’s gay marriage legislation last year, took issue with the remark.

“The comments made by Rabbi Noson Leiter that sought to link the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy to our state’s embrace of marriage equality are as offensive as they are ignorant,” Mr. Cuomo said. “This catastrophic storm claimed the lives of more than forty New Yorkers. This kind of hateful rhetoric has no place in our public discourse, and is particularly distasteful in times of tragedy.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/02/12 8:32am

Strongly Worded Letters

Charles Barron (Photo: Getty)

Charles Barron Does Not Have Lew Fidler’s Vote

Tell us how you really feel, Councilman Lew Fidler.

Mr. Fidler, a known critic of his fellow councilman, Charles Barron, is definitely not on board with his colleague’s potential plan to campaign for the Public Advocate’s Office in 2013.

“I have a number of thoughts on the item about CM Barron seeking the office of Public Advocate, yet another office for which he is unfit to serve,” Mr. Fidler explained in an unsolicited email about the topic sent to Politicker last night. “You have to wonder what kind of smoke there is in that smoked filled room that he calls his inner circle.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 11:09pm

Strongly Worded Letters

"Joe The Plumber" with his shotgun in his web video. (Photo: YouTube)

National Jewish Democratic Council Wants ‘Joe The Plumber’ To Apologize For His Holocaust Video

The National Jewish Democratic Council wants an apology from Ohio congressional candidate and 2008 election supporting actor Samuel “Joe The Plumber” Wurzelbacher for his campaign video blaming the Holocaust on gun control. This evening, David A. Harris, president and CEO of the NJDC released a statement demanding Mr. Wurzelbacher apologize and remove the clip.

“Using the memories of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust to make a political point is never appropriate, under any circumstances. For Ohio Republican House candidate Samuel Wurzelbacher to imply that these innocent lives were taken because of gun control laws is simply beyond the pale,” Mr. Harris said. Read More

By Hunter Walker 5/13/12 5:39pm

Strongly Worded Letters

Bill Thompson (Photo: NY1)

Bill Thompson Asks Obama to Keep Immigrant Fingerprinting Program Out of New York

Former Comptroller and current mayoral candidate Bill Thompson wrote a letter to President Barack Obama today asking him not to implement the controversial Secure Communities fingerprinting program in New York. The  program involves checking fingerprints of people arrested by local or state police in a Department of Homeland Security database that contains immigration records. If an offender is found to be an illegal immigrant police contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which can request for the person to be detained up to 48 hours and taken by federal agents.

“I am writing to ask you to respect the objections of New York State leaders and reverse the position taken by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to fully implement the Secure Communities program in New York,” Mr. Thompson wrote. “Studies show that this program does little to protect our neighborhoods. Instead, it drives many hard-working immigrants into the shadows of our society, thus actually compromising public safety.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 3/02/12 8:44am

Strongly Worded Letters

Congressman Towns (Photo: Getty)

Ed Towns To Rush Limbaugh: ‘I Will Pray For You’

After Rush Limbaugh went on his radio show yesterday and implied Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was a “prostitute” and “slut” for testifying on Capitol Hill in favor of President Barack Obama’s contraception coverage rule, he sparked a media firestorm and had a suspicious package delivered to his home, but worst of all, he incurred the wrath of Brooklyn Congressman Ed Towns. Mr. Towns sent Mr. Limbaugh a letter yesterday asking the conservative commentator to apologize for his “vile” remarks.

“I will pray for you, Mr. Limbaugh. I will pray that you watch Ms. Fluke’s eloquent testimony, and that you apologize for stepping so far out of line – even for you,” Mr. Towns wrote. Read More

By Hunter Walker 12/20/11 6:09pm

Strongly Worded Letters

Michael Mulgrew (UFT)

UFT Urges City Council to Back Living Wage Bill

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew sent a letter to all 51 members of the City Council asking them to support the “Fair Wages For New Yorkers Act,” better known as the “Living Wage Bill.” “Millions of New Yorkers are struggling just to make ends meet, and our members–their teachers and other educators–are seeing the effects of that harsh reality in our classrooms everyday. Children who are not being fed, clothed or housed properly cannot hope to concentrate,” Mr. Mulgrew wrote. ”The passage of the ‘Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act’ would be a step towards improving the lives of millions of New Yorkers, and consequently, their children,” wrote Mr. Mulgrew. Read More

By Hunter Walker 12/16/11 5:08pm

Strongly Worded Letters

Governor Andrew Cuomo (Getty)

Health Care Workers Caution Cuomo On Hydrofracking

In a letter sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo and ten Albany legislators Monday, Communications Workers Union of America District 1 Health Care Coordinating Council Chair John Klein urged the lawmakers to prohibit the controversial natural gas drilling procedure known as hydrofracking in New York. In addition to communications workers, the CWA represents roughly 15,000 people working in the health care industry. “I am writing regarding concerns we have about the hydrofracking process and its potential impacts on human health and the environment,” Mr. Klein wrote. “As health care workers, we would be on the front line of any public health problems that result from hydrofracking.” Read More