1 week Ago By Voice of the People
Upper Nyack, N.Y.: Now that the City of Yes rezoning plan of “tuck a home here, there and almost everywhere” has been approved, New York must coordinate safety, cost, appearance and infrastructure concerns if the move to add needed housing is to succeed.
The City Council’s vote to rezone backyards, green space, basements, garages, etc. in hopes of providing not only more housing but some “affordable” homes — probably few — is an attempt to shake the almost obscene high-rental-greed market. Good, let’s have houses so that the young, the blue-collar, the aspiring middle class can invigorate this great Gotham.
Yet, beware — the devil is surely in the details. Will the expected 80,000 homes be built quickly given the usual red tape of permitting, etc.? Will infrastructure upgrade really advance with construction (most city/MTA projects take years, with cost hikes)? Will there be enough parking? Will enough neighborhood parks remain to contribute toward quality of life? Will the city and developers work with neighborhood leaders and residents who will give up space to help New York and new dwellers? Will the NYPD, the FDNY and the Sanitation Department see additional hires to service more residents? Will there be enforced property appearance codes so that the added density will not deteriorate? Will there be strong inspection oversight — on structure, electrical, plumbing — as these new units are built in spaces not usually inhabited, such as garages? Will the designs stress harmony with the neighborhood? Will firefighters have access to garages, etc.
? There are so many questions, and though New York City requires more housing, it must prove safe, affordable, pleasing in style per neighborhood and well-maintained. Do it right. Art Gunther Manhattan: Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon accuses Bibi Netanyahu and his government of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.
This American wholeheartedly agrees. Starving people to death is as barbaric as destroying 95% of their homes, schools and hospitals and killing women and children as they sleep. It is incredible that such a mighty country as Israel still feels threatened by the people they destroyed a year ago.
You think maybe they are lying to us? Steven Davies Staten Island: I agree with the recent editorial about voting local (“ Getting more N.Y.ers to vote ,” Dec.
7). I often tell young people that your local politicians affect your day-to-day life more than the president. I highlight to them that politicians get millions of our city tax dollars — your money — to use at their discretion.
This spending is typically given to nonprofits and other organizations meant to improve our quality of life within the community they represent. The report is available to the public, which is close to 500 pages and shows how each of our respective district City Council members spend our money. Make sure your elected official shares your values and directs funds accordingly.
Maybe the Daily News can do an article on where the money goes, since educating the voting public is probably easier than changing the election process. Gina Ottrando Western Springs, Ill.: In his first public remarks since the election, former President Barack Obama said he “believes deeply in the promise of democracy — not only to recognize the dignity and the worth of every individual but to produce free and fair and more just societies.
” In the last election, Elon Musk contributed more than $200 million to help Donald Trump win and to quickly propel himself to the top of Trump World as an influencer. When one billionaire can buy more political speech than tens of millions of ordinary citizens combined, it is time to change the rules away from plutocracy and toward democracy. A vigorous democracy would have public funding of election campaigns with strong limits on contributions so citizens can participate in politics as genuine equals.
Public funding of election campaigns is not just theoretical. It has been working well for years at state, county and city levels. Richard Barsanti Howard Beach: The CEO of UnitedHealthcare didn’t deserve to die.
Neither do subscribers of UHC. But when UHC made $20 billion net last year, its CEO got a $10 million bonus, and UHC leads the industry in claim denials. That’s a diagnosis for subscriber stress.
Stress kills — not always who we’d expect. Ernest Kienzle Middle Village: Just a question: If Mable from Brownsville or Susan from Mastic Beach were killed like Brian Thompson of UHC was, would they receive all this attention from law enforcement? I guess it all relates back to the same thing: In the U.S.
A., all (wo)men are created equal, but some are more equal than others. John Puglisi East Meadow, L.
I.: What’s fair about paying Social Security benefits to workers who didn’t contribute? All I ever hear is that Social Security will be insolvent by 2035, yet it’s a good idea to pay Social Security to workers who didn’t contribute? Am I going to be refunded all the Social Security taxes I paid? Gregory Hecht Cincinnati: Juan Soto has a historic, monumental opportunity to address greed in our society at his press conference. Will he do it? Of course not.
Whether you believed he was God or man, Jesus knew way back when that we were all born greedy bastards. We have to make an effort in our lives not to be greedy and selfish. The sports team owners are billionaires.
They can afford to pay Soto. A billion is a thousand million, thank you. Juan, at least mention teachers, policemen and firefighters at your press conference.
They need higher wages. Maybe you can mention homeless and animal shelters that need help. Maybe you can mention that hot dogs should be a dollar at a ball game.
Please don’t blow this opportunity. Mark Jessee Lyndeborough, N.H.
: Please ask Bob Raissman to stop using really stupid nicknames for people in his column. “Rappin’ Roberto”? What does that even mean? That Bob Costas talked? It was his job. He didn’t talk on meter nor in rhyme? And even the applicable “Guitar Jimmy” for James Dolan can stop a reader.
Useless “look how clever I am” nonsense. Michael Cleveland Brooklyn: So, justice wasn’t served in the Jordan Neely case. How can Daniel Penny sleep at night knowing what he did? Sylvia Johnson Hoboken: I have been in NYC subway cars where there was no visible police officer and a mentally ill person — male or female, Black or white — enters and acts out.
I can still feel how I would tense up, hoping the person would get off at the next stop or move to another car. I also noticed how many people looked scared. I sometimes think about what I would do if the person attacked someone or me.
I know I could not do what Penny did, but I would try to intervene. It is regrettable that Neely died, yet I do not think Penny thought he was going to. In the rush of the moment, he simply wanted to prevent Neely from hurting others and was not counting minutes.
I am not a far-right person trying to make Penny a hero. I simply think his altruism kicked in to protect others. Alexander M.
Santora Bronx: So sad, as a native New Yorker who has ridden public transportation for more than 50 years, that we as a society have become so afraid of unarmed mentally ill people that one who may have caused a disturbance in one environment should lose his life because of our fear. Darlene Taylor Wilmington, S.C.
: To Leonard Greene: I am so glad you were ready to jump in when a crazy man got on your train car (“ He may skate on slay ,” column, Dec. 8). The man was only able to harass that poor female rider.
I’m sure she was in absolute terror as you sat by and watched. I hope you didn’t sprain your fingers when you crossed them hoping the man would not do anything. Jim Vroman.
