Editorial
Raw Meals Deal
Seven months ago the city debuted Senior Options, the Orwellian name for a program that we now know gives seniors the “option” of eating inedible food or not eating at all. In pushing Senior Options, which drastically transformed the universally popular Meals on Wheels program, the city said seniors would have the choice of getting one weekly shipment of frozen meals that they could reheat themselves or getting daily delivery of hot meals. But when the food is this bad — we tried it ourselves — it doesn’t matter whether the food is frozen or reheated.

Program supporters, including Borough President Adolfo Carrión, who originally opposed the program, assert that the program must be working because complaints are minimal. But, as Council Member Oliver Koppell said, “How often can you complain?”

The perpetuation of this program is an example of politics at its worst — of local politicians offering their support for a program they know is wrong. We don’t fault the officials for accepting campaign contributions from one of the program’s main beneficiaries. For better or worse, that’s simply how our political system works. We do condemn them, however, for doing the bidding of political supporters when a policy is not in the best interest of their constituents.

Mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer’s close supporters in the Bronx should follow his lead. The Ferrer campaign has received $2,000 from Louis Vazquez, the executive director of RAIN, the agency that got most of the Senior Options contracts. But the former borough president has called the changes to the program “shameful” and “just this side of immoral.”

We suggest Bronx elected officials take the same taste-test we took (see cover story). Would they be able to honestly say that they would allow an elderly relative to eat these “meals” on a daily basis?

We doubt it, and if they can’t, then they should withdraw their support for the program and urge the Bloomberg administration to change course.

Trees, Not Trash Cans
The Department of Environmental Protection, which has been doing a better-than-expected job working with the community around the filtration plant, thought it was doing local residents a good turn by providing them with hundreds of garbage cans like the one pictured on the left.

We aren’t going to lambaste the agency for this. At least they’re trying to win some points with the community. But they seem to have a tin ear when it comes to really understanding what residents want.

First of all, the garbage cans have nothing to do with the filtration project. The DEP has other more substantial means of disposing of the tons and tons of bedrock it will be blasting out of the park over the next two years. We’ll be reminded of that as we watch giant trucks filled with the stuff enter and leave the park at two-minute intervals every day.

The DEP would do better to address actual local concerns that are well established, particularly worries about the exacerbation of asthma among community residents.

We urge the agency strongly consider Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’ suggestion to plant hundreds of trees in the communities surrounding the filtration plant, particularly in Norwood. That would be a much more genuine expression of concern for the community.

The city should also take it a step further and closely monitor area residents, especially children, who suffer from asthma. Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión has requested that the city Health Department take such action, but he’s still waiting for an answer.
 

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