$10 Toll To Cross The Verrazano Bridge

The MTA are planning to increase the Verrazano bridge toll by $1, and add a quarter to the bus fare next year. Next year drivers would have to cough up $10 just to cross the bridge ( Staten Island bound only). For a one-way bus ride, riders have to pay $2.25 and for the express bus, $5.25.

This is outrages! Barbara Cerdeiros, a Staten Island resident said, "it's getting to the point where poor people can't live in New York. The prices are going up but the salaries stay the same." She is right, someone who is only making minimum rage is paying a good portion of their salary just to cross the bridge, or to take public transportation.

A student who lives in Brooklyn and goes to school in Staten Island, has to pay $50 a week (assuming he/she has to go to school for 5 days a week) or $200 a month. It is hard enough to pay for school and gas, but the $10 toll just makes it a lot harder. Where does the money go? Are they going to use the money to fix up the streets or improve transportation service?

If you look at 2005, when the price went up, did the extra money you pay help? From what I saw it did not. Roads had potholes that can destroy your car, and a long wait just to catch a bus. Once on the bus it takes me 3 hours just to get to my destination, where as if I drive it only takes 10 to 15 minutes. So where is the money really going?

The poor can't keep up with the economy. The prices of gas, food, clothing, electricity, college tuition, and many more items are going through the roof. While the prices are going up, people are not making more money. Soon many people won't be able to send their kids to college or pay their house bills. If you can't pay your bills, you will lose almost everything you got and eventually declare bankruptcy.

An increase in the toll and bus fare can cause series problems. Living in New York City will soon be impossible. In another 3 years, they will just keep increasing the fare more and more, until they have taken every thing out of your pocket and put it in their pockets. Also with the talks of Congesting pricing still looming, living in the city will only be for the rich.
When the prices increase people should protest. The MTA won't stop until people fight back (non-violent). I remember listening to the radio and heard a story about someone protested his electric bill by paying it in pennies. Maybe the next time I cross the Verrazano bridge, I would pay the toll in pennies.

Gun!!

As we watch the events that unfolded on Columbine High School and Virginia Tech, people are thinking, who can do such a terrible thing?

In Columbine, nobody knows why the two students decided to go on a shooting rampage. Some experts say that other students treated the shooters poorly before the shooting, some say they were influence by music or video games, and others say they were mentally unstable.

In Virginia Tech, the signal shooter was mentally unstable. Recently, there was a gunmen in St. John's University, who was also mentally unstable. Luckily he got caught before he could do series damage.

You can't blame the schools for allowing people who are mentally unstable from attending school. Nobody knows who is mentally stable or unstable. The problem is how did these people get the guns?

The students in Columbine had automatic rifles, and carried a whole arsenal with them. They bought there guns in a local Kmart. Getting a gun at Columbine can be so easy that even a high school student is able to buy their weapons there. This means that almost any body can get a gun. It can be criminals, students who are plotting to go in a shooting rampage, or people who buy guns where it is easy to get and sell it illegally in places that bans certain guns.

In order to stop gun violence and school shootings, we should pass strict gun laws, but not get rid of guns all together. Only certain people should be allowed to have a gun. Politicians, farmers, hunters, store owners, and police officers should have the right to own a gun. A regular or average person should not be allowed to have a gun.

Guns have caused many deaths in the U.S. Many deaths are intentionally, and some are unintentional. When it comes to killing people, guns is the primary weapon used to conduct the killing. Guns also make the police jobs harder. A lot of officers died because the suspects are able to get a hold of a gun and shoot the officers, who are trying to make a living to support their family. Finally, there is the "freak accidents". Some people buy a gun for home protection, so they store the gun some place safe in their house. Instead keeping their kids safe from home invaders, one of the kids can get a hold of the gun, and end up accidentally killing others or themselves.

Many people would argue that a gun could be used for home protection. A gun will not stop a someone from breaking into someones home. Many times when someone break into no one is in the house. The robbers are smart enough to wait until it is clear and not take a chance.

Others would say that they have the right to own a gun, the second amendment allows them to. The second amendment was written a long time ago, when the government was just being form. People had the right to own a gun, in case the government got too powerful and the people can revolt. Also back then there is a state militia, and members of the militia has to have a gun. Today the government is stable and the state militia no longer exist. If we don't like what the government is doing, we could always hold rallies, protest or worse case scenario riots.

Finally, the NRA would say "guns don't kill people, people kill people". This statement has some truth in it, but it is not entirely true. People do kill other people ,but what they use to kill other people is a gun. If someone wanted to kill someone else and a gun is not available, killing that person would be a lot harder. The person will have a better chance of defending himself. Also a gun does kill people. A malfunction with the gun can kill someone. For example: if I am cleaning my gun and drop it, the gun can discharge a bullet, and kill either myself or someone else who is standing at the wrong place at the wrong time.

By making stricter gun laws can really help reduce gun related deaths. Incidents such as Columbine or Virgina Tech could have been prevented if guns were harder to get. In order for this to work, strict gun laws should be passed, not just for one local city, but for every city in every state.

Ahmadinejad trip to World Trade: Denied

As world leaders are getting prepared for the annual meetings at the United Nations in New York, Iranian President Ahmadinejad planned to pay a visit to the World Trade Center site. He wants to lay a wreath at the site. Why is his trip to the site so controversial? Why won't the NYPD provide Ahmadinejad protection that is necessary for his own safety?

The answer is that many Americans, especially New Yorkers, consider him to be an enemy of this country. He supports terrorist groups by providing them with weapons to kill innocent people and Americans. By supporting terrorist groups, American troops are being killed in Iraq everyday. Also the attack on the World Trade was conducted by terrorist. So this makes him one of the most hated person in the US.

There is noway in this world that the NYPD will provide him with protection. Instead they would probably kill him. On 9/11, many police officers died on that day. There is a possibility that a police officer want revenge, and that one officer might assassinate Ahmadinejad instead of protecting him.

If he goes to the site, there is no guarantees that he will make it out alive. A lot of people wants to see him dead. If he gets assassinated in New York it would be bad news.The United States would probably be blamed for his death. Terrorist groups would vow revenge and plot more terrorist attacks in the U.S. War between Iran and the United States would probably break.

The World Trade Center site is a sacred land for Americans. It is a place where many people died. Ahmadinajed does not belong there. He should not set one foot at the site.For him being there is like an insult to the American people. It is like Ahmadinejad is adding insult to an injury.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20877717/

Espionage In Sports?

Cheaters, Cheaters, Cheaters.... people will do anything to win. Cheating in a game with your friends can result in losing your friends and being called a "sore loser". But when the competition gets intense, cheating is one solution that will give you an unfair advantage over your opponent.

In 1951, the New York Giants have been accused of stealing the Brooklyn Dodgers signs, giving the Giants an unfair advantage. As a result, Bobby Thompson hit his famous homerun, allowing the Giants to win the game.

Also in the Little League World Series, Danny Almonte (14), who was over-aged, led the New York team to third place, with his great pitching performance.

Today, we reached a new era of cheating. With the help of technology, spying on other teams has become a new form of cheating.

In the World Cup in China, two men were caught video taping (behind a two way mirror) the Denmark women's soccer team during a strategy meeting.

The Patriots were caught video taping the Jets coach, so that they will know what play is coming.

Finally there is the spying in Racing. This time no technology was used. A Formula One team McLaren, used leaked information from their rival Ferrari. They plan to use the information to win races.

As a result of these cases the Patriots coach was fined $500,000, the team fined $250,000,and lost their 1st round draft pick.
McLaren was fined $100,000,000 and lost their constructor points.
The Denmark case was closed.

I believe that the Patriots got off easy. They should of forfeited that game, the coach should of get suspended, along with the fines and the lost draft pick as punishment. In McLaren's case the punishment is too harsh. Maybe less money in the fine. On the Denmark case something should be done, an investigation followed with some kind of punishment could be a step forward.

The only way to prevent cheating is by making the punishment fit the crime.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=3601469

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=3598167

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article.jsp?content=20070913_121705_5132

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

On September 11, 2001 two planes crashed into the world trade center. More than two thousand people lost their lives on that horrific day. Today when we talk about 9/11, people tend to ask, where were you on September 11, 2001?

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was in the seventh grade when suddenly, the principal told all the students to report in the auditorium over the speaker. As I got there the principal came in with an expression on her face, like she just saw a ghost. Then she told us what was happening in the city. My mom came and picked me up early from school. In the car ride home, I realized that my dad work's near the World Trade. I was relieved when my mom told me that my dad was home. Luckily he works in the graveyard shift. After a week passed, I attended a couple of funerals. What I remember most was when I attended a funeral for a firefighter who helped me throughout my life.

Our memories of what happened on September 11, 2001 will always be with us forever.

Why I Write

I write for many different reasons. I write because I like writing. I write because I have to. I write because it helps me think clearly. I write my ideas. I write to express how I feel. I write to remember. I write to inform. I write to make stories. I write letters. I write to share my belief. I write to argue. I write to fight. I write to make peace. I write to create music. I write cards. I write to make money. I write to educate.
For me writing is very important because words can be so powerful that it can have an impact on someones life. By writing a card to congratulate someone can mean a lot to the person. It shows that someone cares for him or her. I write because words can turn someones life around