The Dems’ secret strategy to the shutdown deal
Pasadena, Calif.: The ostensible reasons the eight Democratic senators gave for ending the shutdown was the pain suffered by the public and the likelihood that the Republicans would never agree to restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies. However, there was a hidden strategy in the deal that set a trap for Republicans. And despite their public objections, many Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, likely understood how it could benefit them both in the health care battle and in the 2026 midterms.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune promised to put restoring the subsidies to a vote. This presents an immediate dilemma for him and Republican senators. Either he breaks his promise and refuses to put it to a vote, or he puts his Republican colleagues into the impossible position between supporting President Trump and the House and suffering the wrath of voters, or voting to restore the subsidies and risking the wrath of Trump. Republican senators lose no matter how they vote.
Either way, the Democrats win. If Thune breaks his promise and refuses to put up the vote, it clearly demonstrates that Trump and the Republicans don’t give a damn about health care for millions of Americans, or the larger issue of affordability in general. If the vote goes through and Republicans refuse to restore the subsidies, it sends the same message. And if the Republicans cave and restore the subsidies, it’s a clear victory for Democrats and a vindication of their shutdown strategy. It’s a win-win-win for Democrats. Perhaps more importantly, by laying this trap, the Democrats may have significantly improved their chances of flipping the Senate in 2026, which seemed impossible even a few weeks ago. Hoyt Hilsman
Honest effort
Locust Valley, L.I. The News’ recent cover story “Like it never happened” (Nov. 11) suggests that Trump’s pardoning of Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and an array of other Trump allies who dared to go against conventional wisdom in scrutinizing the results of the 2020 election somehow amounts to “glossing over” events leading up to that historic day on Jan. 6. Quite the contrary: Trump’s action is a legitimate redress of the overly punitive efforts by Joe Biden’s Department of Justice lawyers to permanently stigmatize and bankrupt any and all who dared to challenge, to show up on that cold January morning, deeply concerned about our nation’s election integrity. Jeff Converse
Henchwoman
Portsmouth, N.H.: If Attorney General Pam Bondi has any conscience, integrity, or is even worried about her legacy, she will resign now. Or is she so fearful of her boss that she has swallowed any type of self-worth and is obeying what the devil has assigned to her? Her self-esteem must be lower than whale poopoo. Elizabeth Smith
Tyrannical tear-down
San Mateo, Calif.: Interior decorator or inferior desecrator? I mean, what’s with all this demolition at the White House? My understanding is that about a third of the structure is now gone. Well, maybe we need to look at the bright side. We have two-thirds of the building still standing. All is not lost — or is it? Perhaps “The Donald” will leave us two-thirds of our Constitution intact as well? He might get rid of our first few “inalienable rights,” such as freedom of speech, association, assembly and religion, and then have some of his friendly corporate donors replace them with something more to their liking? Free of charge to the nation, of course. Let’s not forget about that part. What could go wrong? Mike Caggiano
Stay ready
Manhattan: Voicer John Di Milia opines that we need a “Department of Peace” instead of war. He doesn’t seem to realize that peace is exactly the purpose of the Department of War. As was written in ancient Rome more than 1,500 years ago, and is even more true today, “Igitur qui desiditat pacem praeparet bellum”: “Therefore, he who desires peace, let him prepare war.” In other words, peace through strength. Paul Weiss
For the public good
Manhattan: Thunderous applause for Mayor Adams for dealing a likely fatal blow to Zohran Mamdami’s plans to destroy the Elizabeth Street Garden by declaring the sumptuous space “parkland.” Perhaps this on-again/off-again land grab by the city’s powers that be — based on the false notion that destroying the revered retreat is essential to build affordable housing — will finally end. On his way out the door, Adams has done the right thing. Maybe he should have remained in the race for mayor. Susan M. Silver
Worth preserving
Manhattan: I want the Elizabeth Street Garden to continue. Why? It’s a beloved small respite in our noisy, overcrowded, concrete high-rise city — a city where developers rule. If developers look, they will find many other lucrative locations in a New York minute. Frankie Turchiano
Lagging leadership
Glen Oaks: NYC is ahead of the game. We already have an All-Electric Buildings Act. Starting in January, all new buildings seven stories and under, with exceptions for restaurants, hospitals and others, will be powered by electricity, with electric appliances. This is a boon for affordable housing and affordability. Electric buildings are cheaper to build and to live in, their energy efficiency makes them easy on the grid and they don’t emit pollution. Statewide, however, Gov. Hochul is not learning by example. She’s stalling the law she signed at the behest of gas companies, spinning it as affordability for New Yorkers. Along with green-lighting the gas pipeline we don’t need and leaving the “100-foot rule” repeal on her desk without a signature, this marks Hochul as a governor who’s eager to go backwards on clean, cheap renewable energy. She’s a governor New York can do without. Kanwaldeep K. Sekhon
Absent bargaining
Middle Village: The op-ed by UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa is absolutely right regarding salaries for paraprofessionals being way too low (“We must help NYC’s paraprofessionals,” Nov. 13). However, the solution they propose stinks. A $10,000 annual “RESPECT Check” doesn’t meet the cost of living. Worse, when people retire, the $10,000 isn’t counted toward their pension, which will still be low. City job salaries are supposed to be negotiated between their union and the Office of Labor Relations. Sadly, Mulgrew is unwilling to do that and is looking for the easy way out. He has a history of not wanting to bargain with the city. In 2014, when he needed money to pay for teachers’ raises, he stole $2.1 billion out of the Health Stabilization Fund instead of arbitration, then made a backroom deal to repay it by switching retirees to a cheaper health insurance plan. Lee Rottenberg
That’s on him
Yonkers: Unions and the Office of Labor Relations, not the City Council, negotiate union contracts. While Mulgrew is now lamenting the lack of pay for paraprofessionals, he negotiated the contract. When the paraprofessional chapter and the retirees chapter were taken over in elections by his opponents, he began to see his iron fist weakening. First, he decided against Medicare Advantage after sponsoring it, and now wants the City Council to improve paraprofessionals’ pay when he neglected them in the last contract. It’s not the job of the City Council to negotiate contracts. It falls within the purview of the OLR. Thomas Schechter
Hear us out
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.: Both Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Councilwoman De La Rosa have not allowed our bill, Intro 1096, to have a hearing in two years. This has put elderly and disabled municipal worker retirees in medical debt, causing affordability crises and stripping them of dignity. Many retirees have been working tirelessly to have the bill put up for a hearing. Why do these women who have a lot of power refuse to do this? I hope the Daily News can investigate and expose this story. I ask that you take a look. Karen Scheer
Slow and steady
Bronx: A follow-up to Voicer Shlomo Klein’s exercise advice: When on a treadmill, Stairmaster or any elliptical device, never hold onto the rails or handles. Slow down or reduce your incline. Balance is so important. Your heart rate and workout will improve dramatically. I’m 67 and my heart rate is under 40, and I’m no marathoner or gym rat. You enter and leave this world holding on. Don’t use crutches in the interim. John Cirolia
