Dangerous and lifesaving work deserves fair pay
Whitestone: Our FDNY EMS personnel work in harsh, dangerous conditions — often at shootings, stabbings, overdoses, cardiac events or communicable disease scares — to protect New Yorkers, yet City Hall shamefully refuses its medical first responders respect and fair pay.
Your story (“Eric’s fail on EMT pay,” Sept. 7) spotlights Adams administration leaders openly denigrating our work and lifesaving impact on Gotham. Our 4,000-plus EMTs and paramedics are not just ambulance drivers. We are specially trained medical professionals providing on-the-spot medical triage as New York City’s street doctors.
All we’ve asked and the mayor actually committed to was a wage commensurate with our peer first responders at the NYPD, FDNY firefighters or Nassau County EMS. We are tired of the mayor lying to the press, the public and us, saying the administration looks forward to settling on a fair contract, as they have not yet negotiated in good faith.
The result is frightening for public safety — a 70% attrition rate — since the mayor and his cronies think that all we’re worth is $18 an hour. Ask the 1.63 million patients we provided care for in 2024 if they think that is reasonable.
The members of the EMS think New Yorkers’ lives and our lifesaving medical work is worth so much more. Oren Barzilay, president, FDNY EMS Local 2507
Mean-spirited
Hamden, Conn.: The murder of Charlie Kirk was a shocking, terrible act conducted by a coward from 200 yards. Then in the Sunday Daily News, the paper prints a disgraceful letter from Voicer Michael Schnackenberg, a person seemingly devoid of any compassion. Have a nice day, if that’s possible. Chris Lyons
Moral reasoning
Forest Hills: To Voicer Michael Schnackenberg: Thank you for a beautifully worded, impartial letter. Unlike so many people who are falling over themselves praising Kirk, you spelled out why he was not the saint they paint him to be. Dori Strassman
Previous degradation
North Haven, Conn.: Voicer Bob Ory decries there being no value left in the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I agree. President Barack Obama gave the medal to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. Kennedy left a young lady to die a horrifying death while he ran and hid behind the nearest rock to protect his pathetic self. Mary Jo Kopechne died a week before her 29th birthday and I’m sure that when Kennedy received the award her parents did not applaud. Wayne S. Nuhn
Spot-on commentary
Portsmouth, N.H.: Hats off to Leonard Greene for his Sunday column (“Kirk’s death is tragic, but he did say some awful things,” Sept. 14). Every word was well-spoken. He said it exactly how it is. Shame on the Trump administration. Elizabeth Smith
Capital crime
Kew Gardens Hills: In his remarks after the assassination of Kirk, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pointed out that his state is a death penalty state. That means Tyler Robinson, the lowlife who killed Kirk, could eventually have his lights turned out permanently by the state of Utah. Too bad the same can’t be said for Jamel McGriff, the lowlife who tortured and killed Frank and Maureen Olton in their Queens home last week. We, the taxpayers of the state of New York, will have to foot the bill to house and feed this animal upon his eventual conviction. Is there any way the Queens DA can send McGriff to Utah, where he will receive the punishment he so richly deserves? Barry Koppel
Orange tide
Sayville, L.I.: Democratic states are ” blue,” Republican states are “red.” The Republican Party used to be guided by a set of principles. Now they have none whatsoever and blindly support a man who has had no principles his entire life. “What’s in it for me?” isn’t a guiding principle. The dumber he gets, the more damage he does, the more support he gets. Trump recently said that if you commit a crime in the D.C. Capitol district, it’s a capital crime. His stupidity is only exceeded by those who support him. It’s time to start calling the red states what they really are now: orange states. Who ever thought we would miss Richard Nixon? Michael Hooker
Appropriate input
Greenburgh, N.Y.: Unlike everyone else who writes in to Voice of the People, I appreciate Mike Lupica’s “non-sports” comments, especially this Sunday’s reflection on how far our country has fallen since Sept. 11, 2001 (“Don’t let chaos ruin the Ryder Cup, judge continues to carry the Yanks & nothing new at QB for Big Blue…,” Sept. 14). We are the most divided we’ve ever been, and that’s sad. Eleanor Salerno
Measures not taken
Manhattan: Voicer Josh Greenberger claims I distorted and misrepresented what he wrote. I think I got it pretty much right. He wants to arm teachers and others — suggesting that all citizens should be armed, as they are in Israel. No, Mr. Greenberger, it’s not the best we can do. We can ban military-grade weapons and buy back those already in circulation. We can confiscate those not turned in and prosecute anyone who continues to own banned weapons, strengthen gun control laws with an enhanced national registry, demand that lawful gun owners carry insurance and meet standardized training regimens and invest more in mental health services. I don’t have children, but it’s not a stretch to understand how unsettling it must be to send your children to an armed camp five days a week. Hoping that a teacher shoots the shooter before he gets to your child is weak and ineffectual. Steven Fromewick
Illegitimate critiques
Pleasantville, N.Y.: Being an Israeli-born Jew, I’ve found some Voice of the People letters on what has been going on lately to be appalling and sometimes even condescending. Israel is the only country in the world that gets criticized heavily just for fighting back against those who want to kill its citizens. Had this been any country doing something similar, I doubt there would have been the same amount of protests in opposition to what is being done. What so many critics don’t seem to understand is that Hamas has a long history of placing its own people in harm’s way by either using them as human shields or by having its bases in densely populated areas without caring about them being caught in the crossfire. If Israel was committing genocide, the numbers would have been a lot higher, plus they wouldn’t be giving evacuation notices before launching attacks. Tal Barzilai
Ordinary people
Bayville, L.I.: Re “Seinfeld gets serious on Israel and gets it right” (op-ed, Sept 13). I am a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld and agree with him. However, in my opinion, Hamas supporters are extremists who are just fighting for the land and control over the Palestinian people. The majority of Palestinians do not support Hamas and their wrongdoings against any group of people. They want to live in peace and in unity, whatever is necessary to achieve that. They do not support the violence and killing on either side. There are some villages where they live together with Jewish families, and their lives on both sides are fulfilling and happy. It would be stereotyping to say that all Palestinian people are Hamas supporters. Just like most Americans, we believe in unity and justice for all, not extremism. Dina S. Abdelkader
Tax help
Manhattan: Millions of taxpayers 65 and older get a break for tax years 2025 through 2028. Here’s what you need to know about the new deduction. You must be at least 65 by the end of the year and have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of less than $175,000. If you’re married and filing a joint return, your spouse can also claim the deduction if they’re 65 or older and your combined MAGI is less than $250,000. Each eligible taxpayer gets $6,000 for married couples filing jointly. It’s $12,000 if both spouses are 65 or older. The deduction is cut by 6% for MAGI over $75,000 ($150,000 for a couple) and can’t be claimed at all if it’s more than $175,000 ($250,000 for a couple). This new deduction does not replace the extra standard deduction for people 65 and over, the addition to the existing break. Alan Lehrer
