The MTA/LIRR's president must apologize for the outrageous remarks made in the March 2 New York Times article, "Communities Roar Over Track Expansion Plan," concerning the $1.3 billion LIRR third track mega project. The president of the MTA/LIRR told the Times that the MTA/LIRR's third track public forums "became unruly." The MTA/LIRR president even went on to inaccurately and unfairly disrespect every one of the 239 speakers and over 1,500 attendees who participated in the public scoping process.

If the Times had checked with anyone who actually attended the public forums from our community and patiently sat through the MTA/LIRR's slick public relations presentation focusing on reverse commute and then the hours of testimony given by elected representatives, community leaders and concerned citizens about the hearings, the Times could then have reported the truth.

The Gray Lady would have reported that those public hearings rank among the proudest moments in the civic history of our communities, rather than simply regurgitating the LIRR's propaganda.

Let the LIRR disclose whether President Helena Williams was one of the 239 speakers who offered testimony at any of those public forums or even was one of the thousands of concerned citizens who took the time to actually attend one of the public hearings in Hicksville, Mineola or Floral Park. If LIRR President Williams was actually present to see any of her neighbors testify, ranging from the school boy in Bellerose who suggested the LIRR utilize more double-decker trains to the WWII veteran in New Hyde Park who doesn't want the LIRR to seize and bulldoze his home in the twilight of his life, her remarks to The New York Times are even more outrageous.

Will anyone ever forget having to walk the phalanx of MTA/LIRR attack dogs tethered by MTA police in jodhpurs, trying to intimidate all those who dared to attend the LIRR's public forum in Floral Park? We will also remember the day after the LIRR's hearing in Floral Park when the MTA police, in a further attempt to intimidate, were stopping motorists leaving Floral Park at the Covert Avenue grade crossing, issuing dubious motor vehicle violations in a contemptible act of excessive police power.

Did LIRR President Williams attend the public forum in Floral Park in December 2005? We know her predecessor failed to show, or even have the courtesy to send even one of over 6,000 LIRR employees to participate in the only public forum, which was scheduled after the MTA/LIRR quietly reopened the public comment period to the end of 2005. 4VS broadcast that public forum, unedited, on numerous occasions. For anyone at the MTA/LIRR to even suggest to The New York Times that Floral Park or any of our sister communities acted uncivilly or disorderly is simply untrue.

There is no more chilling effect that a government official can place on our citizens' constitutional right to peaceably assemble and free speech than to have a prominent public servant ridiculing and disrespecting such vigorous participation by concerned citizens. The bullying and arrogance of the MTA/LIRR emanating from its leadership on down must change. LIRR President Williams should be ashamed for misrepresenting the third track forums so inaccurately and unfairly. The MTA/LIRR's ongoing public relations scheme of systematically ridiculing citizens and the communities united against the third track is despicable.

The MTA/LIRR must therefore publicly apologize for the disparaging remarks it is making about the neighboring communities that are lawfully objecting to the $1.3 billion third track mega project. The fact is that the LIRR third track public forums should have been celebrated rather than ridiculed. The MTA/LIRR can easily "set the record' straight by immediately providing a full copy of the complete video tapes and transcripts at no cost to our 4VS, and the community access channels in the other communities.

Isn't it ironic that LIRR President Williams, the same week she denigrates the people she is obligated to serve, submitted the following to The Gateway [Feb. 27 issue]: "Going forward, we hope the community and business leaders and elected officials in Floral Park will be willing to engage in constructive dialogue about the third track project and keep the exchange on the merits, based on the facts, not rumor, misinformation or personal attacks."

The MTA/LIRR must practice what it preaches. Acta non Verba.

Trustee Thomas J. Tweedy

Chairman, Third Track Task Force