Aid cuts will let deadly diseases run rampant
Ridgewood, N.J.: I spent a career working for organizations that implement lifesaving programs in Africa, programs in large part made possible by the United States. Recently, I heard from a small community-based organization I know of in Kampala, Uganda. Their email said, “The U.S. embassy has cut short a promised $10,000 grant for their HIV/AIDS programs at the directive of President Donald Trump.” My heart breaks for the children, mothers and fathers who are losing the lifeline upon which they depend.
No one should die from a preventable disease, especially when we have the tools to stop it. It’s appalling that the U.S. is stepping away from our legacy of lifesaving global health support, including support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The Global Fund reflects the best of what U.S. leadership can look like: smart, lifesaving and grounded in partnership. Thanks to partnerships like the Global Fund, we have the tools and resources to end these diseases for good. But U.S. support is vital to making this happen. Backing away from global health partnerships now isn’t just shortsighted, it’s deadly. It’s estimated that 25 million people will die needlessly over the next 15 years because of the U.S. retreating from our global health commitments.
I urge my members of Congress to fight for full U.S. funding for the Global Fund and maintain our smart, high-impact investment by committing $1 for every $2 pledged from other donor countries. By doing this, we can be part of a historic moment to end preventable deaths from these diseases for good. Barbara Charbonnet
Shadow force
Nutley, N.J.: Who are these ICE agents? Why the masks? Why no ID? Why no warrants? Why the secrecy? Even in Nazi Germany, they didn’t wear masks. What could the Trump administration be hiding? Elaine Bucino
Different standards
Forest Hills: Recently, I heard a comment by a senator about another on an issue, saying his behavior was “unconscionable.” I found myself thinking, “By whose standards?” What if that person just didn’t see it that way and felt that what he thought and did was not wrong? These two men saw the world differently, and right and wrong are different. The pain of others really doesn’t matter because certain people are disposable. I remember a recent hearing with our secretary of defense when he was asked, “Don’t you think… ?” and he said no, which totally exasperated the senator. I found myself laughing because the SecDef really believed that what he said and did were not wrong. No evasiveness, just a totally different sense of what is acceptable. There has to be times when the Venn diagram overlaps. What do you do when it doesn’t? Stew Frimer
Voices will be heard
Manhattan: Shutting down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which has been around from the 1960s, places another mark on the already horrific face of this administration. Is it because the supported stations lean toward unfavorable to the current administration’s political and social views. But these stations are more than useful to the communities they serve. So much for those well rounded points of view and helpful bits of information that we all certainly need and some may not get enough of. However, don’t think that this is the end of broadcasting. Allow me to reintroduce “pirate radio.” It would not be the first time voices have been silenced and not the first time for small, community based stations to pop up. You can look on line to get the particulars. You may not get the range, but there are many openings on little-used AM frequencies for local broadcasting. Don Cerrone
No warning?
Staten Island: I am interested to know if anyone saw that the gunman did not hide his weapon while approaching the building (“23 shots fired in lobby, 24 on the 33rd floor of Park Ave. slay building,” Aug. 2). I can’t fathom that not one person saw him carrying his weapon. If maybe one person had seen him and telephoned the police, maybe the carnage would not have happened. Jeffrey Van Pelt
Higher and higher
Middle Village: Hopefully, someone can help me understand this. Six months ago, the MTA began congestion pricing, which is expected to raise $500 million this year, all from drivers not using trains or buses. But that’s not enough. Now the MTA is increasing its fares by 3%. And the tolls, paid by those not using the service, are going up 7.5%, more than twice that amount. How is this fair? Lee Rottenberg
Constant problems
Forest Hills: The MTA displays an unhurried indifference and has utterly failed all of us when it comes to the subway. They will say that Tuesday and Wednesday were extreme, but it’s not. These failures happen daily in various degrees on every line. What’s worse is the bureaucracy and lethargy in innovation or attempting to fix problems. It shows that they don’t give a damn one way or another. What can we do about it? Nothing. It doesn’t matter who heads the system or is governor or mayor. It’s its own little life force fighting to do as little as possible. Complaining on X or whatever is like screaming at the sky. I don’t have a solution other than maybe to begin driving more to avoid the daily slowdowns and stops for no reason, unintelligible announcements and the empty request for patience. I’ve been patient enough. Matthew N. Ross
Sacrilege
Flushing: Thursday’s “The Argyle Sweater” using our Lord and savior Jesus and the Blessed Mother for its joke was offensive. It pushed me to cancel my subscription to the Daily News, and an apology should be written in an upcoming “The Argyle Sweater.” Joe Marino
Albany must act
Whitestone: Reversing 16 years of responsible Clean Air Act regulation would hurt us a lot, plain and simple (“Zeldin’s greenhouse gasbag,” editorial, July 31). If we don’t resist the actions of the Trump regime, we will be sicker from more pollution and hotter summers, at risk from worsening climate disasters and have way less health care and emergency management funding, all at the same time. Gov. Hochul must keep New York’s air and water as clean as is in her power to do. That means she must not bend to Trump and his billionaire buddies to allow a huge new gas pipeline in our state. More filthy methane and carbon dioxide is exactly what we don’t need, especially since digging big pipelines through our waterways would reverse the progress we’ve made in cleaning them up. Hochul must also let loose the Cap-and-Invest program. Daniel Salamon
Brace for impact
Briarwood: Forget about trying to stop global warming. It’s too late. Alternatively, resources should be allocated to preparation for the future that is already here. This includes major changes to our infrastructure to compensate for the increase in the variability in temperature and rising water levels and preparation for human migration that will occur. We have already destroyed our planet as we know it, but humans can and do adjust. Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Execs’ advantage
Smithfield, Pa.: I just wanted to say that I hope the Retired Public Employees Association sticks to its guns and succeeds in not being forced into Medicare Advantage plans, by which insurers take advantage of the insured. The “advantage” is all on the insurers’ side. It’s a publicly funded scam. In exchange for “zero premiums,” the insurers milk the system, redirect the money to huge salaries for their CEOs and other staff and investors, limit medical care and charge copays that seem small when the insured is in good health but are very expensive when they’re in bad health and need frequent visits, like physical therapy. When I retired, my cousin (an investment manager) opened my eyes to the fact that Advantage is not Medicare, and once you opt out of Medicare, you may not be able to opt back in, as you may be subject to restrictions based on prior conditions or other factors. Mary Terry
Suspicious circumstances
Cincinnati: How do we know that Virginia Giuffre committed suicide? She knew a lot about very important people. That needs to be looked into also. Mark Jessee
