Our councilwoman got the demotion she deserved
Whitestone: I would like to congratulate Julie Menin on her election as City Council speaker, and also to say thank you for neutralizing the absolutely worst excuse and laziest example of a Council member, Vickie Paladino (“Menin puts foot on Council right-winger Paladino,” Jan. 16). Paladino is nothing more than another right-wing fanatic like her leader, Donny Skump.
As one of Paladino’s constituents, I can say that she’s useless and totally ineffective in resolving our issues in Whitestone. For example, there’s a house occupied by squatters for many years literally around the corner from her district office on 19th Ave. She has repeatedly been asked for help to intervene and has done nothing to address constituents’ concerns. These squatters leave illegal, unlicensed scooters all over the area while the house looks like it’s ready to fall down. I can only assume the landlord has thrown up his hands in disgust and abandoned the property. It is disgusting and a major eyesore. Paladino’s response to our complaints is to call 311 and speak to a Building Department specialist, which has been done, with no action taken on her part or the city’s.
She’s a useless entity whose greatest accomplishment was passing out free bags that we could put sand in when the area was threatened with flooding. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with her representing us because of all the idiots who voted for her. Again, thank you, Speaker Menin, for finally putting Paladino in check. I and many of her other constituents who didn’t vote for her are hopeful that your actions, as well as the Council’s Committee on Standards and Ethics, will force her out or lead to her resignation. Pat DeMarco
Pricey proposal
Brooklyn: There was a shady Community Board meeting Tuesday night trying to green-light a project to build a 56-story luxury high-rise on designated public parkland at Bushwick Inlet Park at 40 Quay St. in Greenpoint. I don’t know if it’s the MTA that currently owns the land or if the city has circumvented rules by leasing the land to developers for 99 years. The “affordable” housing they are offering is not affordable, per usual, and there is no space or infrastructure for more rich kids here. The neighborhood has long since gone to hell and this is just another kick in the nuts. Jerry Mraz
Simple search
Carle Place, L.I.: Giants team president John Mara lauded general manager Joe Schoen, who “presented us an outstanding group of candidates.” I could have done the same from my couch using the internet. As coach John Harbaugh has final say on player transactions, Schoen is, frankly, Harbaugh’s personal hand puppet (apologies to Jerry Seinfeld). Rudy Rosenberg
Gateway violence
Bedford, N.Y.: David Mosley has been rightly charged with animal cruelty (“Animal lovers forced me to flee,” Jan. 15). But lawyer Paul London doesn’t get why this case has more attention than the sex cases or homicides he handles. Well, Mr. London, it’d help if you did a bit of research on the link between animal cruelty and torture and serial killings. Animal abuse, particularly intentional torture and repeated acts like Mosley’s, is a known early indicator of serious conduct disorders and future aggression, particularly serial killing. The FBI uses a history of animal abuse when profiling serial killers. London finds it “disturbing” that his client is subjected to harassment and seems to ignore that he not only posted videos of the horrific killing of an innocent, defenseless animal, but boasted he’d do it again for Halloween! Mosley needs serious therapeutic intervention before he moves on to killing children and women. Céline Secada
Anti-Israel only
Brooklyn: Voicer Nick Smith and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions attack Zionism not out of a concern for Palestinian rights but because they hate that a country exists with a Jewish majority. Smith and BDS have never complained about the brutal suppression of the rights of Gazans by Hamas, the use of international humanitarian aid funds by Hamas to construct terror tunnels under hospitals and schools, the failure of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to hold elections for the past 20 years and the denial of an independent state for Palestinians by the refusal of the leaders to accept international and Israeli offers for such a state. Wendy Jackson
Outside the law
Astoria: To Voicer Fred Portoff: The point of your letter was to cynically and dishonestly conflate federal law enforcement with history’s most prolific dictatorships. Peaceful protest involves getting a permit and protesting in a designated area. Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively. The anti-ICE rioters are creating volatile situations. If they’re shot, tear-gassed, tased or arrested, they did it to themselves. Bradley Morris
Daily dread
Manhattan: Every morning, I wake up with a feeling of dread. What atrocities will President Trump’s brutal secret police have perpetrated on civilians today? And every day, I’m more horrified to see masked ICE agents injuring and killing peaceful protesters, arresting people without cause and using tear gas and flashbangs in previously peaceful neighborhoods and schools. This administration says that not only does ICE have no constraints, but they have so-called absolute immunity. If we accept this, we’ll be giving up our Constitution. Goodbye, democracy. Homeland Security is a severely broken and corrupt agency and should not be funded. It isn’t good enough for our democratic leaders to make strong statements against ICE. They must squeeze off their funding, forcing ICE to stop this lawless behavior. Because appropriations bills require 60 votes in the Senate, they need Democratic support. Democrats can and must curb this insanity now! Enid Graham
Now’s the time
Utica, N.Y.: In recent weeks, Trump has again revealed himself to be a stain on basic decency and humanity, demonstrating a depraved indifference to suffering and a laser-like focus on gold and glory. Reading his most recent rants would also lead anyone to conclude that he’s experiencing the onset of dementia! Are Republicans really that pathetic, cowardly and morally bankrupt that they still want to hide behind this malignantly narcissistic hot mess and present him as their stalwart? Yes, we suppose they are. Instead of imploring their “friends across the aisle” to come to their senses, Democrats need to dig deeper to stop America’s blinding descent into fascism. We don’t have the luxury of waiting for the midterms for possible relief. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries have 62 years of political know-how between them. How about using that experience to fight back now? Jeff and Joan Ganeles
Antithesis of peace
Manhattan: Since he was sworn into his current term in office, Trump has renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War. He has sent National Guard troops into at least 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Memphis, Chicago, Portland, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis. He has threatened to make Canada the 51st state and to seize the Panama Canal. He sent Delta Force troops into Venezuela to capture its president, and now he wants to take over Greenland, threatening Denmark and other NATO allies with force, if necessary, reportedly because he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Does he know what “peace” means? Because it seems to me that what he’s doing is the opposite of peace. Ilene Shifrin
Disqualifying
Staten Island: If you’re going to threaten war because you didn’t receive the Nobel Peace Prize, then you probably don’t deserve a Nobel Peace Prize. Michael Rosenkrantz
Destabilizing strategy
Bergenfield, N.J.: Trump’s excessive tariffs are designed for economic collapse in America and possibly worldwide. People will eventually revolt nationwide due to the collapse and empty shelves, etc., thus giving Trump the excuse he needs to declare martial law nationwide and stop the midterm elections. Don’t fall for it, good people of America. Be good! Jack DeLucia
Fear of future
Point Pleasant, N.J.: Re “One year done, three to go” (op-ed, Jan. 20): We know what we’ve got for the next three years. What scares me is what we can get after that. Gene Speroni
