Editorial

Ban Car Alarms Now!
It's one of those things that makes you wonder if our elected officials are really living in the same city we are. 

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller postponed indefinitely a long-awaited Dec. 11 City Council hearing on legislation to ban car alarms. And Mayor Bloomberg is reported to be not on board yet with this win-win legislation.

It's hard to imagine that car alarms are not the same blight on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Bloomberg and Miller live, that they are in neighborhoods all over the city. 

This page has stated its opposition to car alarms before. They do not deter criminals, the only purpose they were intended for. Instead they disrupt the sleep, thoughts and work habits of city residents and infringe on our quality of life. 

It is simply incomprehensible that any city official could not be aware of this. And it's a political no-brainer. Who in this city supports car alarms? Maybe a few industry lobbyists, but is their influence really so great that it has lawmakers quaking in their penny loafers? 

Council Members John Liu of Queens and Eva Moskowitz of Manhattan crafted the legislation. We urge all Bronx members of the Council to get behind it now.

You can do your part, too. Visit the Web site of Transportation Alternatives (www.transalt.org), a nonprofit cycling and pedestrian advocacy group, where you can fill out a form urging Speaker Miller to schedule a hearing on the legislation. Or write your own Council member. If you don't know who represents you on the City Council, go to www.nypirg.org  and click on the "Who Represents Me?" map on the left side of the screen. 

We can't think of another blight on urban life that could be eradicated so easily. But clearly some elected officials need a little more encouragement to do the right thing. Let's give it to them. 

Shop Locally
We say it every year because it's that important. When shopping for the holidays, do at least some of your buying locally.

This is not some kind of hair shirt we're asking you to put on for the season, as if local shopping is somehow more painful than braving the mall crowds. In fact, if you spend a little more time on our local commercial strips you'll discover that you can get more of your holiday shopping done within walking distance then you ever imagined. 

Many of our local merchants have also been doing their part in making local commercial districts more attractive and inviting. In addition to the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District (which is managed by the same nonprofit that publishes this newspaper), there is a newly active merchants association on Bainbridge Avenue/East 204th Street, where holiday lights made a comeback last year, and an ongoing effort to create a business improvement district on Fordham Road.

And if that's not enough, shopping locally also helps your favorite community newspaper! Without advertising, the paper you hold in your hands would simply cease to exist. By supporting the merchants who advertise in this paper you are supporting the paper itself, especially if you tell the storeowner where you heard about their store, sale, or special product. 

Healthy business districts contribute to healthy communities and healthy community newspapers. Let's all do our part this holiday season.

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