By John Felder
Columnist

After listening to the various opinions on the building of a new Yankee Stadium, I have been asked to submit my twist on the issue. The city is supposed to operate in accordance with certain legislation designed to consider the voting public. Today the law is written to be enforced in certain communities. At the same time people of wealth and power continue to do as they wish in minority African American and Hispanic communities.

It is evident that there is going to be a new stadium built. Initially, Randy Levine stated that the Yankees organization was going to foot the bill and that there would be no moneys taken from working and tax-paying New Yorkers. Now that all the arguments have been heard, the rich Mayor Michael Bloomberg and certain Council people are almost set to endorse a 950 Mega-Million dollar loan to George Steinbrenner, Yankee owner/ ship builder/ convicted felon. Corruption at its best. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Many Americans are waiting for this great nation to practice being the democracy the president talks about.

Black and Hispanic Americans know from experience that the law does not go by the letter for every tax-paying American. Yankee Stadium backers hired union representatives to infiltrate the community meetings held at the School for Law and Justice. And to add insult to injury one Yankees representative stated at a public meeting that no matter "what" the community had to say in opposition the construction would take place, with or without community support.

Borough President Adolfo Carrion's conscience was put to test when he attempted to meet with community board representatives. Yankee Stadium officials refused to put in writing to date an amount of money they would be willing to donate to schools and community projects to help improve the community. They had no real concern about the asthma epidemic that faces thousands of community residents.

Parking garages in the neighborhood will still be closed to the public for use when there is no baseball game. Jobs offered to the community are dead-end jobs offering no retirement pensions or benefits. George Steinbrenner should take some time out of his quest to seek personal gains and come out to visit the real people in the Bronx community so that we can get this one right.