Rhetoric aside, the mayor’s off to a good start
Manhattan: I certainly didn’t vote for the experience-deprived Mayor Mamdani, and I’m definitely no democratic socialist. That said, I have to give credit to our new mayor for a good first few weeks in office.
He decided to retain our city’s super-effective and independent-thinking police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. You could’ve heard my exhale a mile away. I appreciate and admire the way he’s dealt with our clown of a president thus far. The priority of the job of mayor must be to act in the best interests of his/her constituents, not as its official mouthpiece on every national or international issue. As opposed to the new New Jersey governor, Mikie Sherrill, who last week stated on CNN, “There isn’t any point in having a working relationship with Donald Trump because Trump is not somebody you can work with,” Mamdani has made an effort to establish a mutually cordial relationship with the president. He has taken a “Look, we likely won’t agree on too many social issues, but we’re both New Yorkers and we both have something to gain from keeping the city a safe and economically viable place to live and work” approach.
The Department of Sanitation did an excellent job of plowing and clearing roads in every corner of the city during what was a historic snow storm. I have never seen more snowplow activity on Second Ave. than I did on Sunday! I’m sure I’ll have more than my share of issues with Mamdani as his term progresses, but based on this short sampling of his time in office, I admit to feeling a bit more secure than I did a few months back. Gary Stein
Unconstitutional killing
Flushing: To Rep. Grace Meng: My wife and I were outraged at the senseless killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday. They deprived him of his First Amendment (the right to peaceful assembly), his Second Amendment (to lawfully carry a firearm) and his Fourth Amendment (not to be unlawfully searched or seized). Republican Sens. Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) have asked for a thorough and impartial investigation, adding that anything less would be a disservice to the nation. We demand a thorough, unbiased investigation into this matter as well. Al Musaffi
Twisted reasoning
Jacksonville, Fla.: Watching and listening to Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino on Sunday on CNN being questioned over and over: What evidence do you have against this 37-year-old American citizen who was actually a nurse in the Department of Veterans Affairs? As with all people who can’t defend their actions, Bovino deflected! His response: He had no business standing in the middle of a street obstructing a law enforcement operation. Actually, this man was only holding a cell phone and blowing a whistle! Wow, that would really obstruct those untrained federal hoodlums from dragging people from their cars, stores, churches and sidewalks! Next time I go shopping in Walmart, I’ll look for a bag of Bovino Pretzels, as the CNN reporter twisted Bovino into! Carl J.C. Hafner
Auto-accountability
Bronx: Given all the lack of truth coming out of Washington in general and the White House in particular, they should be forced to wear lie detectors visible to the public while speaking publicly. The BS has to stop. Stephen Markbreit
Threat from the top
Bronx: I never would have believed that the greatest threat to our national security would one day be the government itself. The blood of the innocents being killed in Minnesota by an American secret police force is on the hands of the mendacious perpetrators and enablers. Those stains will not easily fade. Protest and vote this “leadership” out. The United States has ceased to be a haven for foreigners and citizens alike. Maria Bonsanti
System reset
Newtown, Pa.: Rep. Ritchie Torres suggested putting QR codes on ICE agents to identify them. That’ll work as well as “That’s fine dude, I’m not mad at you.” Let’s treat ICE like Woody Johnson would treat the Jets going 0-17. Fire the general manager and coaches, meaning Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem and Bovino. Evaluate each player based on ability and psychological profile. Release any agent who views American citizens, especially Brown and Black people, as the enemy. Change recruiting and hiring tactics, like wartime marketing, white nationalist imagery, insufficient background checks and recruiting gun rights advocates and military enthusiasts. Increase training time and train personnel in the new system so they don’t think that stepping in front of a vehicle and shooting an innocent woman in the head three times is the proper response to First Amendment protests. Gary Goldman
Privileged minority
Elmhurst: Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey seem to have the impression that Minnesota is Somalia. Somalis are not a majority in Minnesota. They’re a small minority. The governor is bending over backwards to treat the Somalis as if they are an endangered species. Walz’s obsession could be better understood when it’s connected with the massive amount of money attached to the fraud in his state, which is largely, if not entirely, perpetrated by Somalis. It explains his actions better than his contention of concern for the welfare of the illegal influx of undocumented Somalis. Love of money sounds more believable. James League
Different struggle
Manhattan: Please stop trying to compare the riots in Minneapolis over ICE enforcing immigration laws to the American Negro Civil Rights Movement. It’s insulting, incorrect, offensive and racist. The American Negro fought our government for rights they denied us as citizens. We are not illegal immigrants or immigrants at all; we were created here. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did say that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, but he also understood that we must obey the laws, no matter how unjust they were, and he and others were jailed repeatedly. Stop comparing the fight of citizens to undocumented folks. We are not the same. Heyward Johnson Jr.
Expect the worst
Hicksville, L.I.: To anyone who still believes there’s going to be a “blue tsunami” in the November midterm elections, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. And if you think these traitorous fascists will allow you to simply vote them out of office, you need to get out of the way and sit down somewhere. Wake up, people, and understand that the Trump administration is endeavoring to create the Civil War Part II. Steven Malinofsky
Still buried
Brooklyn: There is a lot of snow out there, and with these frigid temps, it won’t be melting anytime soon. The plows only pushed the snow away from the middle of the street up against the cars, leaving people to dig out the cars. Where to put all the snow? Many years ago, in big storms like this, the city would have plows pile the snow at one end of the street, or even better, they’d load it onto trucks and haul it away. Seems like a smarter solution. And heaven help us if we get another storm before the snow from this one is gone. L. Veneroni
Crossing the picket line
Manhattan: By sending in New York State Department of Health nurses into the hospitals on strike, Gov. Hochul is strikebreaking. Hospital management uses Hochul’s maneuver to hide the deteriorating conditions in the hospital. Instead of supporting management and their lies, Hochul must pressure them to address the real issues of the strike: increased staffing and safety on the job. Union members have a long memory when it comes to strikebreaking. I certainly will not vote for her. Lee Levin
Simple thievery
Brooklyn: By calling me a bigot, Voicer Andrew Ross engages in projection. He would do well to take a hard look at the history of Zionism. When it comes to land ownership, Zionists take an approach analogous to that of shoplifters: Any land they see is “holy.” Therefore, it is theirs, so they grab it. The words of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echo this sentiment. Nick Smith
