Are our elected leaders listening to us at all?
Bronx: The government in the U.S. is not in tune with the taxpaying public. The wealthy do not pay their fair tax share, but they have bought the ears of Congress members. The government supports and sends arms to Israel in spite of the fact that we are appalled over Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese lives lost since 1948.
We, especially the elderly, need the post office, but their services have been curtailed since Donald Trump. The presidential candidates with the fewest popular votes become president, like Trump. We want affordably priced drugs and medicines, but Big Pharma, with the help of Republicans, sets the prices and aggressively resists making them affordable. We want public lands respected and undeveloped, but fracking, polluting and the cutting down of our very old sequoias for commercial profit in protected lands are shoved down our throats. We need immigrants to do our most menial tasks, like roofing and landscaping in super-hot weather, but their role in our economy and their future citizenship is a political football.
We want students to be prepared upon graduation for integration into the workforce, but Republicans want education money to be diverted to policing and arms manufacture — for what, I ask? We want some gun control measures but can’t manage it, unlike most of the developed world.
And this is just a partial list, not too learnedly written, but it is why we feel frustrated and angry. Our arrogant industrial complex, our corrupt government officials and conservatives, and our vengeful Supreme Court should listen to us concerned citizens while improvements are still possible. Rose Mary Lancaster
Inconsistent
Newark: Those same people who are demanding that the mayor of NYC resign without a conviction are encouraging a convicted felon to run for the U.S. presidency. Go figure. David Figueroa
System failure
Manhattan: The crisis surrounding the federal corruption indictment of Mayor Adams underscores that the city was not well-served by the use of ranked-choice voting in the 2021 mayoral primary that propelled Adams to office. RCV has its proper uses, but a closed primary with a single victor in a city dominated by a single party is not one of them. Adams emerged from a crowded field of candidates with most of the focus on Andrew Yang. Although there was already a strong whiff of corruption around Adams then, he avoided substantive scrutiny since there was no second round of primaries, and the November general election was largely a formality. Whatever happens to Adams now, NYC should revisit its system of mayoral elections. An open top-four common primary would be far preferable. RCV could then be utilized in the general election to decide between the four finalists. Ilya Kapovich
It’s on Dem
Bronx: Regarding Voicer Susannah Bianchi’s reaction to the conditions in our city: Well, Mayor Adams has now been thrown under the bus by the big guys in D.C. When he was supposed to meet with senior White House officials to speak about the migrant situation and homelessness, he got an urgent call that the feds were raiding the home of his top campaign fundraiser. He had to scurry back to NYC to deal with that, never getting to meet with the president’s aides. But remember, he also welcomed the migrants with open arms as they were dropped off here. The drugs, homelessness, no-bail laws and sanctuary city fiasco are all the fruits of Democratic policies. So, now you live with it. Deal with it. Ross de Marco
Worse off
Manhattan: Voicer Paul L. Newman’s call to “bring back Rudy” claims that Giuliani is “between jobs.” Actually, he’s between indictments. Mark Portnoy
On your own
Metuchen, N.J.: I watched the press conference related to Mayor Adams’ corruption probe. I watched the NYC Department of Investigation stand up there and request that the public come forward with information related to public corruption. I have reported public corruption to the attorney general’s office, and since then, I have received excessive tax bills from the New York and federal governments, I have been followed by law enforcement, surveilled, my husband is now losing his job after 10 years and our civil rights are being violated. I want to stress that reporting public corruption has serious consequences, and there is no protection for whistleblowers or anyone who reports wrongdoing. Assisting law enforcement or agencies that investigate wrongdoing should come with a disclaimer acknowledging the serious consequences to one’s family, professional and personal life. Our society is not equipped to protect whistleblowers. Amanda Lea Perez
Hegemonic
Ormond Beach, Fla.: Mayor Adams is the first NYC mayor to be criminally indicted while in office. The Democratic Party powers-to-be are clearly attacking one of their own to make an example of him for daring to embarrass them by bringing attention to their failed border policies. The Democrats have turned our government into a fascist/communist-style dictatorship where no contentious disagreements or unacceptable political opinions are allowed to exist. It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican — if you step out of line, they are targeting their weaponized justice system on you, putting you in a bullseye, as Joe Biden said about Trump. If we allow this kind of cancer to spread any further by giving them four more years in office, we may never be able to take back our freedoms again. This is the most crucial election. Charles Michael Sitero
Bigoted blame
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Why is no one addressing the racist comment made by Donald Trump: If I lose, it’s because of the Jews? How can anyone in good conscience vote for this antisemite? His daughter converted to the Jewish faith, married a Jewish man (Jared Kushner) and has three children who are Jewish! It’s mind-boggling. Renee Keane
You and who?
Bronx: To Voicer Anne Slamka: Please stop drinking the Kool-Aid. I assume you are one of five who are better off today than four years ago. Mary Caggiano
Look clearly
Brooklyn: Now that I have seen what went on with the last presidential debate, I feel it was orchestrated to favor one person. I thought that a debate was supposed to be on policies, not personal feelings. When I vote, I will do so based on what I know, not on how someone else feels. Former President Trump is right, we must make America great again! So, vote in this election. I will not tell you who to vote for. Look back at what was and then at what is. Take off those shades and face reality. Here’s to a positive outcome and a return to what should really be. Sharon Cesario
Don the con
Sidney, Maine: Donald Trump is at it again. Not the usual doom and gloom, insults, nonstop lies, threats and exaggerations, but his hawking of overpriced items like the Bible, sneakers, other paraphernalia and now, $100,000 gold watches. Really? I’m surprised he hasn’t tried selling the Brooklyn Bridge. As a former New Yorker, I am reminded of Trump’s reputation for stiffing contractors and other workers, the fraudulent Trump University, multiple bankruptcies and numerous sexual escapades while married. If these behaviors don’t bother you, so be it. But to reward this man with the highest office in the land would be a terrible mistake. George Hite
Be bolder
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.: The electric power line that’s digging up the bed of the Hudson River and releasing buried industrial chemicals was never part of the plan to meet New York’s climate goals (“An electric power line to make New York greener,” op-ed, Sept. 25). The Climate Action Council developed a specific roadmap to use offshore wind, solar power and energy efficiency to reach a 70% clean electric grid by 2030 and a 40% carbon-free one by 2040. Gov. Hochul is failing to achieve these legally mandated targets. The Public Service Commission has many tools it’s not using that would speed and improve procurement and interconnection, prevent last-minute cancellations of projects, manage electrical demand and lower the cost for ratepayers. Despite the pandemic’s supply-chain foul-ups and related inflation, now both smoothed, the state’s climate goals can still be reached. Hochul just needs some gumption. Norman J. Sissman