Staten Islanders should pay their truthful fare
Staten Island: For many years, the MTA adopted a simple apply: conserving the categorical bus fare at double the price of a neighborhood bus or subway trip. If the native fare was $1.50, the categorical bus was $3. At $2.25 regionally, the categorical was $4.50. Staten Islanders, who lack subway entry however depend on categorical service into Manhattan, paid extra, however not disproportionately so.
That stability has been damaged. The MTA is proposing $3 for a neighborhood fare and $7.25 for categorical buses. This isn’t simply one other fare hike. It’s the widest hole within the system’s historical past, and it unfairly targets Staten Islanders, whose solely land connection to the remainder of the town is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Whereas different components of the town focus on free bus service, nobody is speaking about reduction for the 40,000 Islanders who depend upon categorical buses. For us, there’s no different. Staten Island is a transit desert.
The affect on college students is particularly extreme. Households already make sacrifices so their youngsters can attend specialised faculties exterior the borough. Right now, CUNY college students and younger individuals touring to excessive faculties like Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and LaGuardia, or personal faculties, should pay full worth on categorical buses and quick ferries. The identical holds true for working households. Staten Islanders who commute day by day already shoulder a few of the highest transportation prices within the metropolis. Many spend hundreds of {dollars} a yr simply to get to work. But, the MTA continues to have a good time “fare capping” on subways and reductions on commuter rail, with no comparable reduction for our borough. That isn’t fairness. Restoring equity shouldn’t be sophisticated. The MTA ought to return to its long-standing apply of tying categorical bus fares to the native fare. Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks
Caught within the zone
Brooklyn: Congestion pricing is a rip-off accredited by your incompetent governor. Whereas looking for a parking spot, I mistakenly ended up within the congestion pricing zone! I’m positive that occurs day by day to many. There may be nonetheless tons of visitors and no finish in sight! Maria Ciarametaro
Unresponsive
Brooklyn: Councilwoman Inna Vernikov ought to be impeached and faraway from workplace as a result of she isn’t any assist to her neighborhood, and her staff are unprofessional. Twice I referred to as her workplace and left messages, and nobody obtained again to me. Plus, when individuals see her, she runs away as if she’s paranoid or stoned. Victor Malyar
Redistricting math
Briarwood: I don’t object to race not being a problem in figuring out federal voting districts, however I do object to celebration membership not being a part of the redistricting course of. For instance, if a state has 5 representations, and 40% of its registered voters are affiliated with Social gathering A, then redistricting ought to draw strains such that no less than two of the districts are dominated by Social gathering A’s voters. Something lower than two districts would imply that Social gathering A is underrepresented in Congress, and that’s incorrect. In different phrases, redistricting ought to mirror the celebration affiliation of the state’s registered voters. Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Ridiculous reasoning
Montebello, N.Y.: Re “In NYC, Zohran Mamdani makes politics enjoyable once more” (Sept. 18): For this reason we’re supposed to just accept socialist rule over our cities and possibly sometime our complete nation? As a result of the perpetrators of this potential tyranny make politics enjoyable? I bear in mind when the simpleton Ronald Reagan just about grew to become an emperor from 1981-1989. I bear in mind the unclean issues that hooked up themselves to his godhead, akin to corrupt televangelists. In describing her curiosity in Mamdani’s candidacy, S.E. Cupp echoes the everyday Reagan voter who knew that his insurance policies had been silly however couldn’t assist themselves as they pulled the lever for him. Wallington M. Simpson
Unequal trade
Center Village: It’s attention-grabbing to see the totally different views of the lopsided Israeli-hostage-to-Hamas-prisoner trade. As Voicer Chana Schwartz identified, the inequality is absurd. The ratio is mostly 100 prisoners for each hostage. In the meantime, Mamdani blasted Israel and the U.S. for the warfare and the “genocide” (“Yeah, deal is nice, however… ,” Oct. 14). He famous that the trade releases 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, glossing over that they had been locked up for a motive: responsible of killing or attempting to kill Jews. One instance is Yahya Sinwar, who was jailed for abducting and killing Israeli troopers and killing different Palestinians. After his trade in 2011, he went on to be one of many key planners of the Oct. 7 assault. It’s necessary to grasp that all the hostages had been kidnapped by Hamas, which is in opposition to the Geneva Conference’s guidelines of warfare. What’s actually superb is how the UN and the world don’t get it. Lee Rottenberg
Scornful screwface
Jamaica: Re “Hegseth’s First Modification warfare” (editorial, Oct. 15): In my 77 years, I’ve by no means seen a face that conveyed extra clear, pure, unadulterated hate and disdain for any and all of humanity who didn’t agree with him or assume like him than Pete Hegseth. Positively bone-chilling! Terri Gilbert
Fast degradation
Portsmouth, N.H.: Mr. President, what have you ever finished? Simply shy of 10 months in workplace, and you’ve got fully destroyed what America stands for. Disgrace on you and your whole unqualified cronies. Elizabeth Smith
Disheartening decline
Bethpage, L.I.: I’m 73 years outdated. The older I get, the extra purple, white and blue I develop into. This nation has allowed me, my household and my ancestors the chance to chase our desires. I’m ashamed. Our chief is systematically altering and dismantling our American lifestyle. He’s not listening to or believing anybody or any group. Those that kowtow to him ought to be ashamed. Sorry to rant. Thanks for listening. Jim Seider
Splitting on the seams
Forest Hills: In a latest ballot, a majority of our fellow residents felt that our divide is turning into too nice to heal the nation. So I ask these of you who recurrently joust right here, loving and hating Trump, what’s it that you just’re anticipating? To those that are firmly behind Trump, who overtly states that he needs to make use of the navy domestically and reduce Democrat businesses, and sees fellow residents as enemies, do you not see an issue? And to those that assume regulation and order is only a TV present, and that each perception, even when in opposition to the better good’s wellbeing, ought to be positioned forward of all, is that good for all of us? We work higher united. The extremes on the precise and left are destroying us, and the outcome would be the finish of the U.S. — a catastrophically violent ending at that. Matthew N. Ross
Non secular steering
Hemet, Calif.: Re “Charlie Kirk receives posthumous Medal of Freedom on his birthday” (Oct. 15): Past Kirk’s fierce protection of our freedoms and his capability to debate his political views, he was most significantly a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ who engaged within the protection of the reality (apologetics). Charlie had a excessive view of Scripture’s authority and was motivated to behave and combine his religion. The Bible information the transcendent supply of goal reality. Historic Christianity addresses the common want for love and significance. It supplies the solutions to fundamental philosophical questions and corresponds with actuality — a worldview based on details, which embody overwhelming authorized, historic, inside, exterior, textual, scientific, archaeological, bibliographical and private proof. The youthful era that Kirk spoke to crave genuine relationships and neighborhood, which the church affords. They want 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 do not know whether or not Kirk was as evil as you declare he was. However even when he was (for the sake of argument), God didn’t need him killed. The Bible says, “As certainly as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the residing God, I don’t take pleasure in seeing sinners die. I might fairly see them cease sinning and dwell” (Ezekiel, 33:11). The tip doesn’t justify the means. Evil should be opposed, however solely by nonviolent means. As Ghandi mentioned, “Violent cooperation with evil solely multiplies evil.” The explanation we must always do unto others as we’d need them to do unto us is that they are going to do to us what we do to them. If we resort to violence, they are going to resort to violence too, out of vengeance. Ron Jackowski
