Comey’s sideshow in D.C. circus

Dumont, N.J.: Fired FBI Director James Comey’s several hours of testimony was typical Washington nonsense. The Democrats did their all to make Donald Trump look bad with one “gotcha” question after another, while the Republicans searched for the fastest way to the truth. After several hours there were really only two questions that mattered and Comey answered both honestly. The first was “Director Comey, do you think that any votes were influenced by Russian hacks?” Comey: no. And “Director Comey, did President Trump ask you to stop your investigation of Gen. Flynn?” Comey: no. Those were the only two answers that mattered during the several hours of nonsense. Everything else was political BS. According to Comey, Russia did not influence the election and Trump did not ask Comey to stop any investigation. Period! Everything else is opinion or hearsay. Now can we please go back to our politicians actually trying to govern instead of going on ridiculous political witch hunts, because Democrats can’t get over their precious Crooked Hillary losing the election? John Scott

Good thing he’s out

Brooklyn: The person most damaged by Jim Comey’s remarks is Comey. They show an extremely naive, unworldly man who has been inside government too long. He’s been living in a bubble. He never should have told the President he was not under investigation. He should have continued a neutral stand. He should have been fired long ago.

Shelley Mitchell

Trump’s turn to tell the truth

Staten Island: James Comey testified under oath. Put the pathological liar of a President under oath. Michele Corelli

Getting pictures for the public

Manhattan: It’s no accident that press freedoms are in the First Amendment; our Founding Fathers recognized that the public’s need to have the truth was essential. Parking at or near stories, therefore, is essential to serve the public’s need to know. Voicer Eric Karl’s assertion that there is abuse of the New York press, or “NYP” plate, shows his lack of understanding of the job we do. The members of the New York Press Photographers Association, of which I am the vice president, pay to park at meters, and as a matter of policy do not condone leaving cars at hydrants or bus stops, and always try to find legal parking. The NYP plate is vetted by both the NYPD and the state DMV, and is supposed to allow the press freedom of access to news events. We are not out eating lunch at Le Cirque. The city has been chipping away at our designated NYP parking, both by removing those zones or parking its own vehicles there. Nobody has been policing them, and the police will not police themselves. Therefore, we have asked the city to pass Intro No. 779 allowing us to park in commercial zones while on assignment, a simple right afforded to any other business, to which the DOT replied “there is not enough commercial parking to go around.” Meanwhile, NYP zones, and hydrants and bus stops are routinely occupied by city vehicles. Most journalists are using their own vehicles, and the financial burden of a single summons, boot or tow can put us out of business. While flagrant violators should certainly be punished, it is not right that a working journalist, covering a breaking story in the public interest, has fewer rights to park than, say, a plumber serving one client. It is unfair and uninformed to say we are abusing our plates when doing a vital public service. We must be close to our assignments as our vehicles are our mobile offices and contain computer and communications gear, not to mention our cameras. The mayor doesn’t seem to understand this, and City Hall has refused to come to the negotiating table with our organization. They only know to give out placards with no incentive to their employees to use mass transit.

Todd Maisel

Locked out based on income

Brooklyn: On Jan. 21, 2017, my son Aiden, who is now 5 years old, took the NYC DOE gifted and talented exam, scoring a 99%, qualifying him for a citywide G&T program. There is a citywide G&T school (Brooklyn School of Inquiry) directly across the street from my home, where I’ve lived for more than 40 years. Aiden was waitlisted for that school, No. 23 on the list, with little chance to get in since there are only 52 kindergarten seats. He was locked out because the school is offering 40% of its seats to children who received free or reduced-price lunch. Aiden does not qualify because my husband and I both work full time. My son is being penalized for having two working parents. How is this fair? This is his only chance at getting into that school. Is this not discrimination against working-class families? Since when is a NYC public school entry based on family income and not merit? He cannot attend the school, not because he doesn’t qualify, but because his parents work full time trying to keep their heads above water and try to provide a better life for their family. Why do working-class families always get the short end of the stick? Had I lied on his application, perhaps Aiden would have had a chance to get in. Is that what I should be teaching my child, to be dishonest?

Dina Gramegna-Dixon

No public $ for private bikes

Manhattan: To Gersh Kuntzman, who wants to know why public money isn’t going into the failing Citi Bike system (“Citi Yikes!” June 8): Because Motivate, which operates Citi Bike, is a private — not a public — company with $163 membership fees paid by a mere 100,000 users. As such, 8.5 million New Yorkers and the 6.5 million daily mass transit commuters absolutely do not have to ante up their dollars to support a private firm whose members choose to ride a bike. Jay Walder, the CEO of Motivate and former MTA chair, does not have to reveal his salary and financials. No books, no money, period.

Susan P. Forman

Chicken cruelty isn’t kosher

Brooklyn: Re “Court OKs Jewish twirl-&-butcher rite” (June 7): I grew up in an Orthodox household. This custom is not based in Judaism, and when it was first mentioned in the original Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, published by Rabbi Yosef Karo in 1550, he called it a “foolish custom.” Not only is this ritual breaking 15 city and state laws, but it is violating several Torah mandates and Talmudic imperatives, not the least of which is tsa’ar ba’alei chaim, the Torah mandate not to cause harm to animals. The birds’ wings often break when they are swung, not only causing them unimaginable pain, but also making their flesh “traife” (unkosher). Organizers of these events say the chicken’s bodies are donated to “the poor.” This is a lie. Most of the dead chickens are thrown into trash bags. This ritual can be done with a sack of money, instead of a chicken, and the money can be donated to a soup kitchen. There is no excuse to torture any animal for this or any other custom. Most Jews do not even know this is still going on, and when they find out, they are horrified. This ritual is a stain on Judaism. For shame that the court ruled in favor of allowing it to continue. Rina Deych

Street free-for-all is a mess

South Richmond Hill: Many people in my neighborhood along Liberty Ave. believe they don’t have to obey the law. They tell me it’s a free country. They park at corner crosswalks and block bus stops. Drivers cruise up and down all day with loud music and booming speakers that hamper their ability to hear sirens and horns. They also blast music AP while parked outside private homes disturbing the peace and disrupting people’s lives. Merchants put display tables and clothes racks at curbside, which make it difficult for people with disabilities and children to enter and exit their parked cars. Merchants also have speakers outside their stores playing loud music. Public garbage receptacles on some corners are overflowing with household garbage, furniture and electronics. I have seen mattresses and TVs dumped there. Litter is all over the streets. It’s disgusting. Fireworks are illegal yet I hear them frequently in the evening. All this gets worse every day because there is nothing to discourage it. If people had to pay a fine, maybe they would stop. Joanne Wagner

MTA must lift up neighborhood

Richmond Hill: The MTA is in breach of their public commitment and obligation to complete the elevator in the Richmond Hill/Ozone Park community at the busy Lefferts Blvd. and Liberty Ave. subway stop. This $29 million project, commenced since 2014, was scheduled to be finished since the end of 2016, but unpalatable excuses abound about the constantly deferred completion date. Seniors, pregnant mothers, kids and the physically challenged would benefit greatly from this elevator. As a matter of customer obligation and due compliance with our laws, this project is long overdue, and must be completed now!

Albert Baldeo