Court officers deserve more for what they risk
Bronx: A recent video of a deranged maniac attacking court officers at Manhattan Criminal Court with an edged weapon revealed the spontaneous and chaotic violence that occurs all too often at New York courthouses.
Staffing shortages have exacerbated the situation, as shorthanded court officers must ensure the safety of judges, lawyers, jurors, witnesses, litigants, incarcerated defendants, employees and the general public, often in tense and emotional situations while maintaining the integrity of trials and other court proceedings.
To make matters worse, court officers, who are the only professional uniformed law enforcement force employed outside of the executive branch of government, don’t enjoy the same pension and line-of-duty injury benefits provided to other law enforcement agencies. That’s making it difficult to recruit and retain qualified personnel. As judicial branch employees, they’re often looked down upon by the leftist lawyers and woke political hacks at the state’s Office of Court Administration, who disdain law enforcement and have turned the courts into a social services agency.
If the state can find the funds to provide myriad welfare benefits for thousands of illegal immigrants, it can afford to provide the men and women who put themselves at risk every day to protect and serve the state’s courts with the benefits they deserve. Clearing out hundreds of useless bureaucrats from the bloated and wasteful OCA could offset the cost without any added public expense. As the video shows, they’ve certainly earned it. Charles T. Compton
Regrettable endorsement
Brooklyn: Re “Cuomo tops for primary” (editorial, June 20): Serial sexual predation, Buffalo billion waste and corruption, unnecessary COVID nursing home deaths and data manipulation, a $5 million book deal using state employees, defunding the MTA and psychiatric beds, cost overruns on the poorly constructed, misnamed Tappan Zee Bridge, etc. When sleazy Andy screws the city like he did the state, will the Daily News apologize? David C. Bloomfield
Best for L.I.
Baldwin, L.I.: Andrew Cuomo is not only good for New York City, he’s good for Long Island. More than half a million individuals commute from Long Island to NYC daily. They want to ride the subways and feel safe. Others make frequent visits to friends in NYC and to see the sights. Safety is paramount. Cuomo has pledged to clean up the subway system and improve quality of life for residents and visitors. He is the best candidate because he has navigated these waters as governor. The mayor of NYC has no time for a learning curve. They need to understand from day one the complexities of budget allocations, with more than 70 city agencies, some dealing with the most vulnerable populations. The westernmost tip of Long Island contains Brooklyn and Queens. We on Long Island are not a separate entity. What affects NYC affects Long Island. Patricia Maher
Rent-freeze risk
Manhattan: Zohran Mamdani promises no increase on rent-stabilized apartments for four years. It is worth noting that Mamdani wasn’t yet born when the Bronx was burned down (1970s) by landlords whose rents could no longer support their properties and tried for insurance payouts. His lack of historical knowledge represents an apocalyptic vision for NYC. Remember, history often repeats itself. Paul Weissman
Suggested speculation
Scarsdale, N.Y.: If we don’t know with certainty the motivations of the murderer in Minnesota, we can speculate that it was related to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s vote to repeal taxpayer-funded health care coverage for adult illegal immigrants. Peter McCarthy
His words are fuel
Forest Hills: This letter is written in outrage over the increasing political violence stoked by the current president. I’m writing partially in response to Mark Green’s op-ed “Donald Trump’s violence lit the Minnesota fuse” (June 18). Green accurately stated, “Trump has long deployed militant language to look like a strongman.” Trump has constantly used incendiary language at his rallies and painted immigrants as thugs, scum and animals. Not surprising, then, to expect that someone unhinged would be emboldened to take it a step further by engaging in physical violence, as in Minnesota. This unacceptable violence was carried out by a Trump-loving supporter, as the media has accurately reported, even though there were attempts on the far right to portray this deranged gunman as a Democrat. The president refused to denounce it or even call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to express his sorrow. How can this be viewed as acceptable? Ron Gersh
Activate opposition
Bronx: The first objective in Project 2026 is to make New York all blue. Trump has declared war on this state and we can not depend on Republican Congress members to fight for our state. We have to vote them out. The Democratic Party has to be more proactive, not just trying to counter each Trump move. It must encourage voters in blue states to fight like hell to make Trump a lame-duck president in the coming midterm elections. Our party has to develop a platform that speaks to all Americans. Democrats have got to stop fighting amongst themselves and have the same unity that you see in MAGA. Let’s get tough. Remember: In politics, nice guys often finish last. Gilbert M. Lane
Right to deterrence
Bronx: To Voicer Joseph V. Comperchio: There was an agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program, which Iran was complying with until your boy, the orange turd, tore it up. The fact remains that Israel has nuclear weapons that it could use against Iran, so why shouldn’t Iran also be allowed to have them? Richie Nagan
No-kill meat
Granby, Conn.: Any politician who cares one iota about animal welfare should support increased public funding for cultivated-meat research. For those who don’t know, the revolutionary protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I believe development of this technology is the most promising means of reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. While the private sector has made notable progress in advancing the field of cellular agriculture, significant hurdles remain. Perhaps the most important of these is reaching price parity with slaughtered options. Our elected leaders can help advance this compassionate technology by backing further government investment in cultivated-meat research. Jon Hochschartner
Musical immortality
New Windsor, N.Y.: Over the past two weeks, the music world lost four icons that symbolized the 1960s and 1970s. First, Rick Derringer of the McCoys and the Edgar Winter Group. Last week, we lost Sly Stone and Beach Boys maestro Brian Wilson. And now Lou Christie. The former Lugee Giovanni Alfredo Sacco had several hits, including “The Gypsy Cried,” “Two Faces Have I” and his #1 hit “Lightning Strikes.” The music of our lives is passing us by. They will all be missed, but the music lives on forever. Rest in peace, gentlemen. You are now in rock ‘n’ roll heaven, where you know they got a hell of a band. Todd Schuster
Stationary
Las Vegas: It looks like the Yankees still have the same statue in the dugout they have had for the past couple of years. Oh, sorry, my bad — it’s just the manager. You can move around a bit from your perch at the top step. Sometimes it helps to change the mindset. As for the rest of the team, take a page out of Paul O’Neill’s book and get mad sometimes when you make out. It is OK to throw a water cooler and get mad. Don’t just go back in the dugout and joke around with teammates. Dennis Buckley
Surfing surveillance
Bronx: Amazon sells outdoor cameras for $30 a pop in bulk. By my calculations, you could put one on top of every running subway car for $75,000 total. What am I missing here? Maybe I should run for comptroller?! John Cirolia
No such option
White Plains, N.Y.: To Voicer Phil Rosenberg: Not all deliveries are Uber Eats. Do you live in the suburbs? I do. Nothing I buy asks me, “Do you want the driver to ring your doorbell?” I get vitamins and many other items delivered, and there is nowhere to tell the driver to ring the doorbell. Don’t call us lazy. Maybe think beyond your narrow mind. Eleanor Salerno
