Staten Islanders deserve to pay their fair fare
Staten Island: For decades, the MTA followed a straightforward practice: keeping the express bus fare at double the cost of a local bus or subway ride. If the local fare was $1.50, the express bus was $3. At $2.25 locally, the express was $4.50. Staten Islanders, who lack subway access but rely on express service into Manhattan, paid more, but not disproportionately so.
That balance has been broken. The MTA is proposing $3 for a local fare and $7.25 for express buses. This isn’t just another fare hike. It’s the widest gap in the system’s history, and it unfairly targets Staten Islanders, whose only land connection to the rest of the city is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. While other parts of the city discuss free bus service, no one is talking about relief for the 40,000 Islanders who depend on express buses. For us, there’s no alternative. Staten Island is a transit desert.
The impact on students is especially severe. Families already make sacrifices so their children can attend specialized schools outside the borough. Today, CUNY students and young people traveling to high schools like Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and LaGuardia, or private schools, must pay full price on express buses and fast ferries. The same holds true for working families. Staten Islanders who commute daily already shoulder some of the highest transportation costs in the city. Many spend thousands of dollars a year just to get to work. Yet, the MTA continues to celebrate “fare capping” on subways and discounts on commuter rail, with no comparable relief for our borough. That is not equity. Restoring fairness is not complicated. The MTA should return to its long-standing practice of tying express bus fares to the local fare. Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks
Stuck in the zone
Brooklyn: Congestion pricing is a scam approved by your incompetent governor. While trying to find a parking spot, I mistakenly ended up in the congestion pricing zone! I am sure that happens daily to many. There is still tons of traffic and no end in sight! Maria Ciarametaro
Unresponsive
Brooklyn: Councilwoman Inna Vernikov should be impeached and removed from office because she is no help to her community, and her employees are unprofessional. Twice I called her office and left messages, and no one got back to me. Plus, when people see her, she runs away as if she’s paranoid or stoned. Victor Malyar
Redistricting math
Briarwood: I do not object to race not being an issue in determining federal voting districts, but I do object to party membership not being part of the redistricting process. For example, if a state has five representations, and 40% of its registered voters are affiliated with Party A, then redistricting should draw lines such that at least two of the districts are dominated by Party A’s voters. Anything less than two districts would mean that Party A is underrepresented in Congress, and that is wrong. In other words, redistricting should reflect the party affiliation of the state’s registered voters. Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Ridiculous reasoning
Montebello, N.Y.: Re “In NYC, Zohran Mamdani makes politics fun again” (Sept. 18): This is why we’re supposed to accept socialist rule over our cities and maybe someday our entire nation? Because the perpetrators of this potential tyranny make politics fun? I remember when the simpleton Ronald Reagan virtually became an emperor from 1981-1989. I remember the unclean things that attached themselves to his godhead, such as corrupt televangelists. In describing her interest in Mamdani’s candidacy, S.E. Cupp echoes the typical Reagan voter who knew that his policies were stupid but couldn’t help themselves as they pulled the lever for him. Wallington M. Simpson
Unequal exchange
Middle Village: It’s interesting to see the different perspectives of the lopsided Israeli-hostage-to-Hamas-prisoner exchange. As Voicer Chana Schwartz pointed out, the inequality is absurd. The ratio is generally 100 prisoners for every hostage. Meanwhile, Mamdani blasted Israel and the U.S. for the war and the “genocide” (“Yeah, deal is great, but… ,” Oct. 14). He noted that the exchange releases 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, glossing over that they were locked up for a reason: guilty of killing or trying to kill Jews. One example is Yahya Sinwar, who was jailed for abducting and killing Israeli soldiers and killing other Palestinians. After his exchange in 2011, he went on to be one of the key planners of the Oct. 7 attack. It’s important to understand that all of the hostages were kidnapped by Hamas, which is against the Geneva Convention’s rules of war. What’s truly amazing is how the UN and the world don’t get it. Lee Rottenberg
Scornful screwface
Jamaica: Re “Hegseth’s First Amendment war” (editorial, Oct. 15): In my 77 years, I have never seen a face that conveyed more clear, pure, unadulterated hate and disdain for any and all of humanity who did not agree with him or think like him than Pete Hegseth. Positively bone-chilling! Terri Gilbert
Rapid degradation
Portsmouth, N.H.: Mr. President, what have you done? Just shy of 10 months in office, and you have completely destroyed what America stands for. Shame on you and all of your unqualified cronies. Elizabeth Smith
Disheartening decline
Bethpage, L.I.: I’m 73 years old. The older I get, the more red, white and blue I become. This country has allowed me, my family and my ancestors the opportunity to chase our dreams. I’m ashamed. Our leader is systematically changing and dismantling our American way of life. He’s not listening to or believing anyone or any organization. Those who kowtow to him should be ashamed. Sorry to rant. Thank you for listening. Jim Seider
Splitting at the seams
Forest Hills: In a recent poll, a majority of our fellow citizens felt that our divide is becoming too great to heal the nation. So I ask those of you who regularly joust here, loving and hating Trump, what is it that you’re expecting? To those who are firmly behind Trump, who openly states that he wants to use the military domestically and cut Democrat agencies, and sees fellow citizens as enemies, do you not see a problem? And to those who think law and order is just a TV show, and that every belief, even when against the greater good’s wellbeing, should be placed ahead of all, is that good for all of us? We work better united. The extremes on the right and left are destroying us, and the result will be the end of the U.S. — a catastrophically violent ending at that. Matthew N. Ross
Spiritual guidance
Hemet, Calif.: Re “Charlie Kirk receives posthumous Medal of Freedom on his birthday” (Oct. 15): Beyond Kirk’s fierce defense of our freedoms and his ability to debate his political beliefs, he was most importantly a committed follower of Jesus Christ who engaged in the defense of the truth (apologetics). Charlie had a high view of Scripture’s authority and was motivated to act and integrate his faith. The Bible records the transcendent source of objective truth. Historic Christianity addresses the universal need for love and significance. It provides the answers to basic philosophical questions and corresponds with reality — a worldview founded on facts, which include overwhelming legal, historical, internal, external, textual, scientific, archaeological, bibliographical and personal evidence. The younger generation that Kirk spoke to crave authentic relationships and community, which the church offers. They need the church for discipleship or mentoring, to be taught sound biblical doctrine and Christian apologetics like Kirk did. Mark A. Peter
Do unto others
Linden, N.J.: To Voicer Michael Schnackenberg: I have no idea whether Kirk was as evil as you claim he was. But even if he was (for the sake of argument), God didn’t want him killed. The Bible says, “As surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live” (Ezekiel, 33:11). The end doesn’t justify the means. Evil must be opposed, but only by nonviolent means. As Ghandi said, “Violent cooperation with evil only multiplies evil.” The reason we should do unto others as we would want them to do unto us is that they will do to us what we do to them. If we resort to violence, they will resort to violence too, out of vengeance. Ron Jackowski
