The Voice of the West Village WestView News VOLUME 16, NUMBER 7 JULY 2020 $1.00 Cops That Hear Are Cheaper By George Capsis an article on this subject, “The N.Y.P.D. Spends $6 Billion a Year. Proposals to De- I read with a flick of surprise that Cory fund It Want to Cut $1 Billion,” and of- Johnson—now city council speaker and a fered that 90 percent of funding was for pretty good bet as our next mayor—had salaries, including overtime and benefits, joined with seven other council members so at least part of the $1 billion cut would in support of a bill to cut $1 billion from come out of salaries. the police budget. A day or two later I If you Google me you will discover that got an email from somebody who wanted I have slapped state senators and cops. Let to write an article about it for the paper. me tell you about the cop. Hmm, I thought, who is this guy—does he have a side in all this? And what is the total I was biking down Bleecker Street on police budget, so we can judge what kind my brand new bike and just after crossing of impact a $1 billion cut might produce? Sixth Avenue a shabby police van cut me Sure, people are mad at the police, par- off and parked—bang—right in the bike ticularly that cop who sat on the neck of lane, forcing me out into the traffic just as George Floyd. But will cutting $1 billion a young police officer emerged from the from the New York City police budget pre- LISTENING, THE BEST POLICE WEAPON—for weeks a mixed group of protesters from passenger side. When I suggested that the vent an NYPD officer from making errors sympathizers to vandals marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to Washington Square police should obey the law, a short, plump in judgment? joined by collective anger at the horror of indifference a policeman offered his choking police officer and the driver came around On June 20th the New York Times had victim—how should the police answer? Photo by Bob Cooley. continued on page 5 out against injustice, but it’s also a place Q’S MESSAGE. to learn about different perspectives on So what’s going on? Why are you here today? “Why We Occupy City Hall” the same systemic issues. I spoke with Q, “A lot of reasons. You could say repara- a bright-eyed 20-year-old black man with tions, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, all Calls for a Billion Dollar Between June 23rd and 24th, City Hall something to say. continued on page 5 Reallocation of NYPD Funding Park transformed from a quiet green space By Drew Davis into an occupation for racial justice. I headed in to learn why New Yorkers were The City Hall Occupation as of Friday, flocking in, and their goal was clear; spur June 26, at the Brooklyn Bridge City Hall the NYC city council and someone whose 456 subway stop. The vast majority of pro- name rhymes with Pill le Clasio to defund testors were masked and socially distanced. the NYPD by 1 billion dollars (16% of their 2021 budget) and reinvest this money in re- sources like education and housing to elimi- nate socioeconomic determinants of crime. Some background: the NYPD leads the na- tion in police officers per 10,000 residents, and headcount increased by 3,000 in the last 6 years despite historically low crime rates, according to StreetBlog. This demonstration was a microcosm VOTER REGISTRATION BOOTH at Occupy of the protests occurring over the last 6 OVER 250 SOCIALLY DISTANCED PEOPLE listen to a talk on the community value in funding City Hall. weeks. A protest is an opportunity to speak CUNY programs. Photos by Drew Davis. Mask Couture Outdoor Dining Subscriber Raffle Stylish masks are all the Caroline Benveniste rage, and Village designers explores the evolving Winners of SJP shoes and are making it easy to wear outdoor dining scene in many other exciting prizes them with panache. the West Village. are announced. SEE PAGE 26 SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 4 2 WestView News July 2020 www.westviewnews.org WestView WestViews Published by WestView, Inc. by and for the residents of the West Village. Correspondence, Commentary, Corrections Publisher Executive Editor in accepting patients stricken with AIDS get anywhere else! Thank you so much. I George Capsis Delivery Delay WestView News continues to excel with the at a time when other hospitals would not. am especially interested in the "Mayday" Managing Editor and Art Director writing of its contributors. Brian Pape's My only disagreement is with his statement article on page 3 and 10; how can the funds Kim Plosia piece in the May issue on Michael Sor- that St. Vincent’s finally closed because it be "out of money" when this shutdown of Advertising Manager and Designer kin, an outstanding exponent of sound city ran out of money. There are indications businesses is barely three months old!? I Stephanie Phelan planning, was exemplary on two counts. It that the corruption of both politicians and love James Drougas's bookstore on Car- Traffic Manager Liza Whiting celebrated the contributions of a talented hospital administrators, plus the greed and mine Street and would hate to see it go. mind, and also showed the deep and in- power of the developer Bill Rudin, brought It's full of life and ideas! Photo Editor formed knowledge of Brian who has a about the downfall of this great, irreplace- The rest of this letter is for Gail Evans, Darielle Smolian wealth of facts at his fingertips to share able hospital. Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and her article on aging on page 15. Dear Photographers with us. investigated it briefly and told theNew Ms. Evans: I was so interested in your article Maggie Berkvist I would have responded sooner, but un- York Post the hospital administrators ran on aging; "inadequate and ill-prepared staff- Chris Manis like the apartment dwellers who receive the hospital into the ground (I’ve heard ing" hardly does it justice. My husband had Associate Editors their free hand-delivered copies on the they brought in a whole raft of do-nothing a stroke in 2011, and was sent to recuperate Justin Matthews, Anne Olshansky first of the month, I, being a mere paid consultants drawing million-dollar salaries, to a nursing home in the Ditmars section of Comptroller subscriber, receive mine at the end of the for instance) because they wanted out, and Brooklyn. On his second day there, a single Jolanta Meckauskaite month and I do not read them right away. nobody stopped them. After this he fell aide working alone woke him up and sat Architecture Editor —Barry Benepe silent. Nothing more was said. Somebody him up in his very high bed, then remem- Brian Pape Thank you Barry for your kind words about needs to blow the lid off the whole rotten bered she had something to do by the sink Fashion Editor WestView but let me explain why you, a pay- deal, and let no guilty person escape. and left him there on the side of the bed, Karen Rempel ing subscriber, get your paper after your neigh- —Carol F. Yost with no one watching him. While she was Film and Media Editor bors get their free copy delivered by Tim and at the sink, he fell asleep again and fell over Jim Fouratt Steve right to your lobby. Bad Advice? and down, hitting his eye and head on the Food Editor The Post Office will only give us First Class floor. What a thing to do to a stroke victim!! David Porat status if fifty percent of our distribution is a George, thank you for yet another great is- They called me, and I had to go to Meth- Music and Eldercare Editor paid subscription so we ask our loyal "free" sue of WVN. odist Hospital, where they had sent him. Hannah Reimann readers to subscribe so everyone can get over- I am concerned about a health article (This was after my husband had already Science and LGBTQ Editor night delivery. To subscribe right now go to that I think if anything should be consid- spent weeks in Beth Israel.) We never went Kambiz Shekdar, PhD westviewnews.org and click "subscribe" ered an ad—Find Your Sparkle and Super- near that awful nursing home again, and Regular Contributors —George Capsis charge Your Immunity, written by Timothy he spent the rest of his recuperation at the J. Taylor Basker, Barry Benepe, Stahl. He tells vulnerable people, an audi- Hopkins Center in downtow Brooklyn. Caroline Benveniste, Charles Caruso, ence who is now afraid of a deadly virus, So you are correct: there are awful nurs- Jim Fouratt, John Gilman, Notable Articles in Mark. M. Green, Robert Heide, WestView News how he can help people boost their immu- ing homes that don't train their staff, and Thomas Lamia, Keith Michael, nity, and gives his contact information to that send one aide to do a two-person job. Michael D. Minichiello, Penny Mintz, To the Editor: set up an appointment. Stay away from them if you can!!! Brian J. Pape, Joy Pape, Bruce Poli, "If you are coachable, Alec Pruchnicki, Christina Raccuia, This is about two well-written articles by let us set up a free twenty minute immunity — Jane Heil Usyk Hannah Reimann, Karen Rempel, Catherine Messrs. Stanley Wlodyka Jimenez (“A No- consultation by phone or computer and discuss Revland, Martica Sawin, Donna Schaper, bel Laureate Crying Out in the Wilder- Arthur Z.