Why is RIOC failing at protecting residents as the Delta variant spikes infections and Roosevelt Island lags in vaccinations? Incompetence? Indifference? A lack of leadership? All of that and more?
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
A report from a furious mom lit up emails, today, and it shows how RIOC still fails at taking even the simplest steps in fighting coronavirus conditions.
“We boarded a northbound Red Bus at 1:10 p.m. at the Senior Center stop. We noticed a woman not wearing her mask,” she wrote.
“My minor daughters and I asked her to cover herself. I advised the driver, but he didn’t care. He never said anything
“We had to get off immediately, after one stop, due to this.
“I informed a PSD officer writing tickets outside Westview. He didn’t care either.”
But her concern was not just for herself and her unvaccinated children.
“There was a toddler too young to wear a facemask and a person in a wheelchair who can’t wear a mask.”
Indifference from RIOC personal, after weeks of reporting violations endangering residents, fueled her outrage.
Update:
Yesterday,a post in the Roosevelt Islander blog reports that RIOC, also, is not following the city vaccine mandate in Sportspark. This adds to overwhelming evidence of either casual indifference to COVID-19 threats or swollen incompetence flooding the state agency over the past year.
RIOC Failing Now, But It Wasn’t Always Like This
Not that long ago, in the spring of 2020, RIOC president/CEO Susan Rosenthal followed Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lead, setting an example in mask wearing. And weekly updates from public relations director Terrence McCauley detailed the latest on precautions for fighting COVID.
Fast forward to 2021 and, as the Delta variation spikes infections, we see RIOC failing at leading the charge for protecting residents against the surge.
In firing Rosenthal on flimsy, unsubstantiated charges, with cooperation inside RIOC, Cuomo not only overstepped bounds of common decency, he deprived us of badly needed community leadership.
Now, we deal with either the hapless of the hopeless, leadership so weak it hardly exists at all.
Ever seen Shelton Haynes with a face mask? I haven’t. In recent public events, the openings of the Graduate Hotel and the Hope Memorial, he’s mask free. Also when hustling from Blackwell House to his huge gas guzzler across the street.
In the meantime, Roosevelt Island’s coronavirus positive rate jumped past 3%, exceeding most other Manhattan neighborhoods, including all of those closest.
Roosevelt Island also lags nearby neighborhoods in Queens and Manhattan in vaccinations. We’re at 71% first doses while nearby Queens and Manhattan neighborhoods are in the mid to high 80s and some as high as 90%.
But we hear absolutely nothing from RIOC. No rallying, no coaxing, no example setting.
Hell, we can’t even get their drivers or the public safety department to help with mask mandates.
RIOC failing to lead is a hallmark of this administration.
We join the outraged mom in being at a loss for knowing what can be done to wake up this sorry bunch.
And where the hell are our elected officials, anyway? Only a year ago, they promised to fight for us, but that was election season, wasn’t it?
Now?
More from the Roosevelt Island Daily News
- Queens Subway and Far Rockaway Stabbings Spur Police InvestigationsQueens subway and Far Rockaway stabbings on September 30 prompted separate police investigations and community response after two fatal incidents disrupted daily routines.
- Fatal Stabbing on J Train at Woodhaven Boulevard Spurs Subway Safety Concerns in QueensA fatal stabbing on J train at Woodhaven Boulevard raises fresh subway safety concerns in Queens, as NYPD investigates and riders reflect on recent incidents.
- J and M Train Weekend Service Changes: What Riders Need to KnowJ and M train weekend service changes will impact riders for five weekends as crews replace elevated track switches. Here’s what to expect and how to prepare for modified schedules across Brooklyn and Queens.
- Coastal Flooding Disrupts Southeast Queens Streets and TransitCoastal flooding disrupted streets and transit across Southeast Queens as a fall nor’easter brought heavy rain and renewed calls for resilience and improved drainage.
- Nor’easter Brings Slow Streets and Transit Delays Across Queens and NYCAfter the nor’easter, slow streets and transit delays across Queens and NYC greeted commuters. Utility crews continued repairs as normal routines resumed Monday.
Susan Rosenthal, a Sacrificial Lamb?*
After Susan Rosenthal was fired, David Kraut would talk about almost anything except Susan. This was unusual because David could discuss a subject long after everyone else had exhausted both the subject and the available oxygen. When her name entered the conversation, however, he became careful. At first I mistook that restraint for discretion; later, I began to recognize guilt.
