ELIMINATE THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE

to the editor: anyone silly enough to challenge manhattan borough president scott stringer deserves to lose big time! ("stringer's gop challenger," april 2.) stringer has demonstrated what the job of borough president can accomplish in the competent hands of an excellent communicator and forward-looking leader. he has challenged self-interest and conflict of interest and has made solid appointments to the city's many community boards. he has shown the public an office that is open, effective and efficient-and that his job is very much needed, not one to consider eliminating. the city office that begs elimination is that of public advocate! in stringer, we already have a strong public advocate who has reached out to connect with diverse manhattan. the work of other borough leaders, too, dismisses the rationale for an additional and unnecessary huge appropriation. the millions budgeted for public advocate could better be allocated to hire more police and more firefighters, or to provide better healthcare or needed supplies for schools and senior centers, or to increase services for homeless and/or the disabled, or to assure more affordable housing, or to improve public transportation and crumbling infrastructure. any of these public services is a better use of funds than continuing an office that could be eliminated, if not permanently then at least until we begin to realize some true economic recovery.

betty cooper wallerstein new york city