Too much rides on this election for a newcomer
Manhattan: As New Yorkers look ahead to November, the future of our city depends on an informed electorate. It is not enough to be swayed by slogans or wishful thinking. We must demand realistic, deliverable solutions from those who seek to lead us. That is why I am deeply concerned about the campaign of Zohran Mamdani. His rhetoric may sound inspiring to some, but in reality, it is unrealistic and potentially harmful. At a time when New York faces crises — food insecurity, skyrocketing housing costs, a strained health care system and above all, concerns about safety — we can’t afford ideas that divide, distract or overpromise.
Do we really believe that Mamdani’s socialist positions will bring jobs and growth? I believe the opposite is true. His policies would discourage investment, drive away opportunity and put at risk the very jobs working families rely upon. That is not progress, it is regression.
Equally troubling is his support for decriminalizing prostitution. Is he aware of the human trafficking industry that fuels it? Decriminalizing does not erase exploitation, it risks expanding it.
New York is not just any city. With a budget larger than that of most states, the next mayor must manage public safety, education, housing, transportation and health care with experience and proven leadership. This is no place for untested ambition. His ambition without qualification will not serve New York City well. We can’t gamble our city’s future on rhetoric that can’t deliver. This November, we must choose leadership grounded in experience, pragmatism and the ability to govern. Our city’s future depends on it. Angelo Vivolo
What’s so scary?
Staten Island: I find it curious how people across the country — on all sides — seem rattled by Mamdani. What’s so threatening about policies that would only apply to New Yorkers, just 2.5% of the U.S. population? Maybe the anxiety comes from the fact that nearly half of NYC residents are working, yet are still unable to cover basic needs in one of the most expensive cities in the nation. In that light, proposals like free child care or free bus service don’t sound radical, they sound like survival. When it comes to the idea of government-funded grocery stores in “food deserts,” I struggle to see the outrage. The city already supports dozens of food pantries funded by taxpayer dollars, where food is given free of charge. If we already accept that public dollars should keep people from going hungry, why is it suddenly scandalous to do so in a more structured, reliable way? Gina Ottrando
Ill-informed allies
Whitestone: This clown Mamdani is surrounding himself with nothing but a bunch of idiots. First, he’s getting backed by former Mayor Bill de Bozo aka de Blasio. Now he’s joining forces with Bernie Sanders, who has absolutely nothing to do with New York City and who is a total left-wing idiot. Like I said before, birds of a feather flock together. Gene O’Brien
Tried that
Brooklyn: In an interview, if I understood correctly, Mamdani said his plan for responding to mental health issues will cost approximately $1 billion. He should contact Chirlane McCray. She may have just about enough to help him out. L. Veneroni
Completely corrupt
Effort, Pa.: The rumor that President Trump is offering an ambassadorship to Mayor Adams is such a joke! What is he gonna be? Ambassador to Turkey? Kathleen Slattery
The right enemy
Manhattan: I always knew Jerry Nadler was a good guy whose main goal was his constituents’ best interests. But when that mango monstrosity called him a bum, that just made me admire Nadler even more. Joie Anderson
Sick strategy
Hicksville, L.I.: To Voicer Barbara Haynes: With all due respect, you are comparing apples and oranges. The issue in 2023 between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney World had to do with DeSantis’ effort to dismantle Disney’s self-governing special district, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. It was a punitive move by DeSantis due to Disney’s opposition to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education Act.” Therefore, this brouhaha was business/political in nature. My letter urged that the tourism businesses in Florida push back against the junk-science decision to do away with vaccine mandates. I, for one, would never take my children to a theme park knowing that there might be thousands of unvaccinated patrons in attendance. Steven Malinofsky
Nepo babies
Middle Village: Trump and RFK Jr. have so much in common — particularly that if it were not for their respective last names, they wouldn’t even be able to get a job. John Puglisi
Death by ‘aid’
Hallandale Beach, Fla.: However Americans regard Trump’s dizzying array of half-baked executive orders and other initiatives, one of the more odious and egregious was the establishment of the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) in collaboration with Israel. It’s proven to be the antithesis of humanitarian, with proof being the utter and continued starvation of the Gaza populace. On top of that, the U.S.’ unrestricted flow of money and arms to Israel is only adding to the death and destruction in Gaza. Do not be surprised if countries comprising a population of 2 billion Muslims can no longer tolerate the genocide and attack Israel — all because our government refused to take a moral stand. Sid Kurdis
Evergreen insight
Olivebridge, N.Y.: The wisdom of the past helps us adjust the future, and I always liked Teddy Roosevelt, 26th president, a Republican who served two terms (1901-1908) and spoke his mind directly and clearly. No political mumbo-jumbo, no subjunctive-tense roundabouts. Google summarized his eight years as president as follows: “Roosevelt expanded the Navy and sent the Great White Fleet on a world tour to project naval power. His successful efforts to end the Russo-Japanese War won him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, the first American to win a Nobel Prize.” Here’s the wisdom from Teddy: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand with the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Like I said, I always liked Teddy. Are books about him allowed in military base libraries? Warren Davis
Stripped of meaning
Bronx: Re “Trump wants control of 9/11 Memorial, but Hochul balks, slams president’s fund cuts” (Sept. 7): I’ve got some news for Gov. Hochul: The 9/11 memorial has never belonged to New Yorkers. In fact, an elite handful, ignoring all that the people did in commemorating the attacks and what they said in public forums they wanted in the memorial, imposed a billion-dollar, eight-acre design chosen specifically to wipe out all evidence and memory of the attacks so visitors do not judge the non-Western, non-Judeo-Christian terrorists who attacked America as “guilty.” So they find no call for resolve or honor of the values of plurality and individual autonomy that were attacked. Trump wants the National Park Service to take over the 9/11 Memorial? Maybe they’ll restore the 9/11 to it. Michael Burke
No time to waste
Manhattan: Guest columnist Raj Goyle correctly argues that New Yorkers can get a new congressional map for the 2026 elections if there’s a court challenge looking to reject and redraw the current map (“How N.Y. can blunt Texas redistricting,” op-ed, Sept. 6). But the clock is ticking quickly. A successful lawsuit would have to wend its way through three levels of state court review before the 2026 election cycle gets underway with petitioning in late February 2026. A successful lawsuit would have to identify the constitutional flaws in the current map and seek a new map right away for this effort to succeed. Jeffrey M. Wice
The Bronx is still sacred
Bronx: Despite the headlines and numbers of murders, gangs, guns and mayhem, I need to affirm that the Bronx is a sacred place. I participated this past Saturday in a “Pilgrimage of Hope” on the grounds of the University of Mount Saint Vincent, which is also the mother house for the Sisters of Charity of New York. In its quiet and peacefulness, I was reminded that the Bronx is home to many faiths, families, parks and attractions. We who hold and know this as true must stand together in counterpoint to the media hype and politics of this time. Claire Regan
