Canada is not the U.S. and doesn’t want to be
Bellevue, Wash.: While Canadians don’t always know what they want, they definitely know they are unanimously opposed to any semblance of a political union with the United States, and most certainly not in the next four years! It is hard to imagine two political systems being more different. Canada’s constitutional monarchy is governed by a prime minister and parliament and has no executive branch. The U.S. republic system has a president (the executive branch) and Congress. If it is fair to summarize the U.S. Constitution as “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the Canadian equivalent could be summarized as “peace, order and good government.”
Canadians are not socially integrated with their U.S. neighbors and have very different aspirations for themselves, their families and their country. As of 1988, Canada’s constitution legalized abortion as a matter strictly between the woman and her doctor. Canada ended practicing the death penalty in 1963 and made it illegal in 1999. It enforces strict gun laws, requiring licensing with background checks and safety training while heavily restricting or prohibiting certain firearms, like handguns and assault-style weapons. In October 2018, Canada became the second country to formally legalize the cultivation, possession, acquisition and consumption of cannabis and its byproducts. While far from perfect, all Canadian residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services without paying out of pocket. They just instituted a national dental care program for those not covered by a private or employer’s plan.
Canada and the U.S. have been great economic partners producing tremendous benefits for both countries. It is only with economic matters where greater cooperation could enhance these benefits. Ken Erickson
Slick name
Manhattan: With all the oil spills and hurricanes coming through the Gulf of Mexico (America), maybe President Trump should reconsider and compromise on the name by calling it the “Gulf of Texaco.” Leonard Smoke
Opposed to law
Fairfield, Conn.: Trump’s quote “He who saves his country does not violate any laws” should be attributed to Napoleon. I think a better wording for the convicted felon would be, “He who does not violate any laws saves his country.” Drill, baby, drill. Oh, here’s $400 million for armored Teslas. Corruption, corruption, corruption. I hope Democrats take control of the House and Senate to stop this clown show. Bob Bodo
Transparency talk
Massapequa Park, L.I.: To all the Voicers who commented on my letter about Trump’s efforts to cut government waste with the help of Elon Musk: Please Google or YouTube President Barack Obama’s speeches from Nov. 9, 2011 and Feb. 12, 2013. Listen to him talk about the wasted taxpayer money that needs to be cut. Also check then-Vice President Joe Biden talk about how transparent the government must be with Americans on how their tax dollars are spent. Then have a large cup of shut up. Raymond P. Moran
Overlooked oversight
Brooklyn: While not expecting a response from her, I sent an email to Rep. Nicole Malliotakis recently hoping that she finds some courage versus the Musk government takeover. She and the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee on which she serves ought to hire a U-Haul truck immediately to send Musk and his crew packing out of Washington. if they won’t submit to proper, normal vetting, scrutiny and oversight. It would be great if some Voicers, especially from her Brooklyn and Staten Island district, also put some pressure on her to either get some spine to preserve our democracy or get out of office. Ed Jaworski
Begged his pardon
Manhattan: What we see with Mayor “The Cowardly Lying” Adams is a modern day buck-breaking by Bozo the Unconditionally Discharged Felon. This method, utilized throughout history, put Adams on full display so the rest of you unruly ones fighting for justice get in line with injustice. Adams cried innocence weekly as we’ve watched some of his staff get charged just like you know who, and just like you know who, he looked for the back door of injustice to actually break the law again, seeking a pardon for crimes he claimed he didn’t commit and would fight to disprove. Where’s the fight? If innocent, why go to the head clown of the circus to get a wrench thrown into the justice system? Adams dances for the cult of the masses. Edward Scott
Sole purpose
Manhattan: The article recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Schomburg Center for Black Culture cites unnamed supporters as not letting recent executive actions “targeting diversity programs spoil their celebration.” Their concern is illogical and counterintuitive. If this worthy organization celebrating Black culture were forced to implement diversity, equity and inclusion, they would need to add, at a minimum, experts and exhibits on European and Asian (and perhaps Central and South American) culture. Obviously, this would be ridiculous, undermining the entire purpose of the center, which is why DEI was a bad idea that has come and hopefully gone. Paul Weiss
Free to go
Staten Island: As of Feb. 1, criminals can now go ahead with committing a crime like driving a stolen car or traffic violations because the NYPD will only pursue when a felony or a violent misdemeanor is committed (“The chase is off at the NYPD — at least for cars fleeing traffic stops,” Jan. 16). Have fun, criminals. You’ve got a free pass to do so. Fran Bocignone
Upgrades afoot
Manhattan: The op-ed “NYC should revitalize the Rockaway Beach Branch” (Feb. 17) is a cartoonish flashback to a bygone MTA when construction costs ballooned. Anyone who has watched the MTA recently knows we have been delivering projects on time and under budget, like the L train rehab and the LIRR main line expansion. Subway station accessibility upgrades are being delivered five times faster. The MTA undertook a 20-year needs assessment that evaluated conditions of 6 million assets and compared proposed expansion projects. The IBX got top marks. It will benefit southeast Queens along with the Queens bus network redesign’s improvements to bus speeds and reliability. The evaluation didn’t rule out train service on the Rockaway Beach Branch. We know that the city, which owns the line, has taken this into account as it determines the property’s future, prioritizing open space while not precluding adding a transit component. Jamie Torres-Springer, president, MTA Construction and Development
Call it in
Bronx: To Voicer Jeffrey Meyerson: You say you and your wife see cars blocking hydrants in Brooklyn, but you did not say that you did something. You could have called 311 to report it. Give the type of car, plate number, time and address; 311 will send the info to the local precinct and police will respond and give a $150 ticket to the car owner. If all who see this happening report it to 311, three things could happen: the fine will go into city funds; just maybe, people will stop blocking the “Johnny pump,” as we used to call it growing up on 187th St. in the Bronx; and you may have saved a life because when fighting a fire, every second counts. Jimmy Durda
Service search
Linden, N.J.: Does any Voicer know of a telephone company in the New Jersey area that provides landline phone service? My current provider, Verizon, is switching from copper cables to fiber optic and my teletypewriter machine can no longer be used for it. Ron Jackowski
Biblical retribution
Brooklyn: On Oct. 7, barbarians invaded the Holy Land / They killed and kidnapped as meticulously planned / Their populace celebrated their murderous spree / Many Ivy League scholars shouted with glee / Little did they know what was in store / Mighty Bibi ripped Hamas right to the core / Those Hezbollah terrorists were forced to retreat / Israel dealt them a stunning defeat. Lawrence Freedland
Lethal imperfection
Manhattan: To Voicer Paul L. Newman: You are absolutely right, we need to eliminate the death penalty because too many innocent people are executed. Even if it were one not-guilty person put to death, it’s too many. One wrong ID in a lineup and it could be you! R.B. Brandel
