Someone using the pen name “Truman Harris” has been submitting letters to the editors of local Queens newspapers comparing JPCA President Robert Holden with mass murderers and dictators. The problem is that Truman Harris does not exist.

Tony Nunziato had a hunch that Truman Harris was actually a play on the name “Harry S. Truman.” Mr. Holden called Roz Liston, Managing Editor of the Times Ledger and asked her to verify that Truman Harris was in fact a real person, as is dictated by their letters policy.

Ms. Liston informed Mr. Holden yesterday that Truman Harris was not traceable and that his letter should never have been printed in the paper. She also revealed that she had received a new letter from the mysterious Truman Harris this past week.

It is noted that the Queens Ledger also printed an unedited version of the Truman Harris letter without verifying authorship. They broke their policy, clearly printed in every edition of their paper, of not publishing letters that are personal attacks, which this clearly was.

It has become common practice for Councilman Dennis Gallagher to have his supporters submit derogatory letters to the editor about JPCA and President Holden in particular. When he can't find a sucker-of-the-week to defend him, he uses fake names or asks for the letter to be published as “name withheld.” It is a sad state of affairs when someone uses his taxpayer-funded time to attack neighborhood volunteers and does so by co-opting the name of a respected American historical figure. It is safe to assume that Harry would not approve of this.

We hope after our local tabloids remove the egg from their faces they exercise better discretion when choosing to print future letters, especially when they receive libelous attacks on JPCA leaders.

And thank you wise citizens of the City of New York for voting twice in favor of term limits!