Letters to the Editor

On Food Waste and Food Insecurity

I recently stumbled upon Chelsea News NY’s article on food waste and insecurity in New York City (“Technology Meets Food Waste and Food Insecurity,” September 21, 2022). As someone from the city, I have noticed a multitude of communities experiencing food insecurity while grocery stores and restaurants are throwing away perfectly good food. The amount of food wasted each year is unacceptable because some communities are throwing away food while others are starving.

Replate sounds like an incredible organization in hopes of combating food waste by delivering it to areas experiencing severe food poverty. Through Replate, these vendors can provide food for starving communities without the burden of delivering it themselves. Advocating for food waste prevention is vastly important regarding environmental justice. We need to go above and beyond the standards set by each and every food distributor that thinks it is acceptable to trash edible food.

There is more that can be done. Homeless individuals in all five boroughs flood the streets with signs asking for food, money, “anything helps.” Replate is already bringing food to communities in need, but the homeless community is in need more than ever due to the recent pandemic. So why can’t Replate help provide for those living on the streets as well? Providing for the entire homeless population is an insurmountable challenge. However, any action taken in these communities is more beneficial because of their condition. Not only does food waste affect people, but the cost of production of food is a driving factor of environmental damage.

Please consider further utilizing your platform to advocate for the prevention of food waste, and help us make a valuable change to a valuable community.

Rachel Silverman

Skidmore College Class of 2026

A Chelsea Perspective

I am an avid reader of your publication “Chelsea News.” Certainly, you cover our local and general problems in Manhattan.

I am 87 years old and I have lived here all of my life and I am taking the opportunity to send my thoughts for your perusal.

Bike Lanes: Bikers must be subject to fines if they do not adhere to traffic rules, i.e.: ignoring red lights .... going on a one way street in the wrong direction ... beating out the buses when the buses are curbside. Buses pull up , passenger disembarks, biker rides along the curb and when they exit passenger gets knocked down and cyclist rides away.

Buses: Hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in electronic signs telling passengers when bus will arrive. NONE OF THEM WORK. Police hardly check on ticket purchased. So many people evade the fare.

Subways: Emergency doors on platform entrance are pushed into opening to avoid fares.

Gun Laws: Why did our Mayor determine “No guns in Times Square”? Quite a stupid decision. I believe that it gives all of our five boroughs an allowance to carry guns as long as they are not on 42nd Street. Lots of shootings daily, more than ever, bad message.

These are only some observations as a native New Yorker.

Joan A. Rose

Chelsea

Install a National Debt Clock

Our national debt has now reached $31.130 trillion and is on a path to grow by trillions more for years to come. Today’s tab averages $93,423 per citizen or $247,325 per taxpayer. (Source: October 8, 2022 National Debt Clock) It is time to install a national debt clock with daily updates in both Congress and the White House. They can see how much they are adding to long term debt every time they pass spending bills dependent upon borrowing to pay the tab.

Who is going to bail out Uncle Sam to pay for this? Government, the private sector and citizens must make difficult financial decisions on how to use existing resources. Americans prioritize their own family budgets. They make the hard choices in how existing household financial resources will be spent. The President and Congress should do likewise.

The world’s favored currency is our dollar. This could end if Washington will not control annual increases in spending and debt. If things continue the way they are, China may surpass us, and the yuan becomes the world’s favored currency. Our reign as the #1 superpower will come to an end like all empires.

Larry Penner,

Great Neck, NY