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The President of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce FIghts Back

Swain Weiner

Jan. 14, 2014 By Christian Murray

Swain Weiner, the president of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, issued a public letter today in response to the criticism he received from a fellow board member who claimed the organization was in decline.

Weiner, in an interview this morning, said he was taken aback by the manner in which Rigo Cardoso — the Sunnyside Chamber treasurer– criticized him. “It surprised me that he would do something like this,” Weiner said.

Cardoso issued a public letter yesterday that criticized Weiner over the way Luke Adams, the long-serving marketing director, was let go from the organization. Cardoso also claimed that little was being done to recruit new members or raise funds.

Cardoso, who plans to run for Chamber president in April, will be challenging Weiner for that spot.

Weiner said he has no plans to step aside.

“When my term finishes in March, I will run again,” Weiner said.

Swain Weiner responds to Cardoso letter by Queens Post on Scribd

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36 Comments

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Jackie Jr.

This fella does not even live in Sunnyside or Queens or any of the boroughs. His only motivation is $$$$ and not helping the community of Sunnyside prosper.

He will smile in front of your face but his other face will be on your wallet.

Sunnyside: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, again.

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Reality Calling

Dorothy is right, unless we have a very genrous billionaire in our midst who can ATTEMPT (they dont have to sell) to buy everyone out then we sorta have to live with what we have. Markets rule, so things that community want will eventually arise — IANAL but I know enough to see if landowners continue to put artificial barriers in the way (AND if they are members of BID), there is a chance a class action suit could be brought on the BID (i.e. monopoly, conflict of interest, etc etc). Again for the class action suit we need a very generous benefactor of a pro-bono.

Also it IS a fact that if ANYBODY allows insects to multiply those insects will leave home and multiply again. Unfortunately adding a specific race to a derogatory fact makes it, technically, a racist comment. (See how that works?). Likewise if I say “Most city birds are full of disease” — it could be a fact, but if I say “NYC Pigeons are full of diseases” then that would be, in the animal world at least, racist as well. LOL

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Media Owl

Guess hoooooo helped write president’s letter above blaming other people? A person from local B.I.D. who has been trying to get rid of Adams for years. Guess hoooo suggested not sending dues bills so there would be no money to pay Adams? Hint: not the B.I.D. Chairman. Why doesn’t B.I.D. do its own job? Letter says first mail not a press release. Why did all the press get that one and this one ?

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Dorothy Morehead

There is very little that can be done to force a property owner to sell/rent/develop his/her property. Look at the vacant lot on Queens Boulevard on the north side between 46th and 47th Street. It had been an empty lot since a fire more than 10 years ago. The only thing that can be done is to force the owner to put up a secure fence and keep the sidewalk clean. As long as he pays his real estate taxes, it can stay that way forever.

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Pin Oak

So, Sunnyside has a bunch of “wallflower” stores, turning down perfectly good dance partners in the hope of being available when the prince comes along. Whether or not the people who live here can get what they need, can plan a life, can feel integrated into the neighborhood they live in, is actually immaterial.

I’ve been so stupid. Here I thought the “town leadership” was looking out for the town! Goofy me. Nope, they are looking out for their pocketbooks.

Run the parasites out of here, please. If you don’t live in Sunnyside, you don’t know what Sunnyside needs. You only know what you need. Go away.

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South Side Johnny

I think of Rubin like one of those court jesters in Shakespeare’s plays. We laugh at him and make fun of him but he’s so wise!

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Dorothy Morehead

I should add that some properties that look vacant, such as those next to my office on Skillman Avenue, are not, in fact, empty. The owners use them for their own purposes.

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Dorothy Morehead

A prospective tenant told me that he and his partners had looked at a number of commercial properties on Greenpoint Avenue for their proposed restaurant. He said that several of the landlords would give only leases that were cancellable if the property were to be sold. The building owners want to keep their options open should a developer come along with the right price. They are not actively marketing the properties but are keeping them available for sale. Opening a restaurant is a very expensive proposition, especially if a kitchen and vent system must be installed. It is a lot cheaper and faster to open a 99 cent store or smoke shop.

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chris christies right hand man

i find it funny, pronto boy and wiener have different chamber of commerce letterheads and one has 3499 and the other has 4399 as the PO Box.

how can they run a chamber of commerce when they cant the basics right?
no wonder greenpoint ave is dead and 99 cent stores are our claim to fame

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chris christies right hand man

i trust pols with the best head of hair, wieners got the pronto boy beat, not by much tho. good hair = a man i can trust and rely on to get the job done

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It seems to me. . .

If memory serve, Mr. Weiner lives in a wealthy enclave in northern Nassau County. Check the SP archives if you want to. I recall a long piece by him introducing himself to the community.

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JaneGrissom

Good question: where does he live? Again, we should have a thriving neighborhood but we do not. Also: the area under the 7 train on Roosevelt is an eye sore. Can’t it be improved?

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Craic Dealer

@JaneGrissom:

Weiner and his company does not care if Sunnyside fails or prospers. He’s there to make commission from the sales. The more businesses come in and fail the better. He’ll just get another business in.

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JaneGrissom

Weiner has done nothing to improve the neighborhood. Lots of stores closing and going out of business. This neighborhood should thrive – north and south sides- but it does not.

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Sunnysideposthatesme14

How is saying what some indian living conditions are ANY different than the dozens of comments against latinos on the South Side. How about that moron that figured that all the crime on the North side was coming from South Side residents?

did I see Sunnyside Native jump on that? nope, hypocrite.

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Craic Dealer

Swain Weiner owns a corporation that reaps massive profits off of properties in Sunnyside.
You’ve all been warned.

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sunnysideSux

Indians believe in Reincarnation. They don’t kill bugs. The bugs then multiply and spread on to neighbors.

not racist if its true. He has a point.

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chris christies right hand man

yawn, rubin this stuffs gettin real old man, get a life. or some pills or something. Dont you have a kid? Are you raising him to be as racist and hateful and down on life as yourself?

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chris christies right hand man

i say weiner should close off the lanes in front of pronto car service, just for a few days until he squirms.

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no more damn weiners, please

i think weiner should stand firm!!

oh yeah and ban the twirp rubin and his 15 racist personalities.

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sunnysideposthatesme14

excuse me, how is that racist you dumbass? Another clear example of overly sensitive d-baggery.

did I say all of them? nope..the ones that crunch up all the families together. I’d say latinos but whenever we refer to Sunnyside we mean NORTH side right? nobody cares about the South Side.

North side has a lot of Indian Families, these indian families crunch together in very dirty environments, neighbors suffer from roaches and bed bugs because of it. Why? Because they don’t believe in killing the insects because of their religion.

am I still racist dumbass? or stating FACTS. most people who have moved out of my building have done so BECAUSE of these conditions.

so eff off hippie.

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adevlupes

Surprise! Racist generalizations by Ruben on a public forum!

so edgy
wow

very closed mined

much disrespect

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sunnysideposthatesme14

Truthfully, the bigger problem than hipsters are Indian families. Not all of them, just the ones that stuff 5 families into a 1 bedroom. The ones that don’t believe in killing their roaches and bed bugs. The ones that have their kids running around and when you go to react they act like they don’t speak English…but you know they speak English.

Most people move out because of them.

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Peanut Gallery

P.S. No one is anti-hipster. But many, many people are exhausted unto death by smug, self-important, ignoramuses who don’t know enough to learn from the kind, smart, experienced people around them. In fact, I count myself among them.

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Peanut Gallery

Ageism doesn’t work well here, Grimster. Neither does a name like “Grimster.” You sound like the tiny little cousin of Oscar the Grouch.

Astoria and Sunnyside developed along such vastly different paths it is difficult if not impossible to compare them. For one thing, Astoria is enormous. For another, if a much, much smaller Astoria were cut in half by a ground level multi-lane highway full of people commuting back and forth between much more expensive places, it would look a lot like Sunnyside. Astoria’s a nice place. You like it better than here? Easy answer. Go live there! I know a moving man for you. He’ll give you a good price.

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The Grimster

The old timers are anti hipster and anti anyone who is not 70 years old! we first moved here to Sunnyside Gardens in 2000 and Sunnyside was a dump truthfully Sunnyside is moving in the right direction with new hip restaurants like Venturo which are much needed in the area. Astioria has benefitted from the influx of young people Sunnyside needs to move in this direction no going back.

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Peanut Gallery

It’s another round of blows in the war between the Natives and the Invaders!

Will everyone who doesn’t live here, is involved in gargantuan real estate deals and has contempt for the people who like this town small please go play in your own backyard?

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JOR

Too bad the Sunnyside Arena is no longer around, this battle would be decided quickly and decisively.

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Darth Sunnyside

Next article will be “Cardoso Writes a Second Letter in Response to Weiner’s Letter, Which Was a Response to Cardoso’s First Letter”

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Sunnysider4Life

What a freakin’ mess!

BTW, does anyone know how many of these members actually live in Sunnyside?

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