Cardinal, please stick to religion

Clark, N.J.: Not unexpectedly, considering the insular nature of Timothy Cardinal Dolan’s office, “Bless Dreamers, not deporters” (column, Sept. 7) requires nothing of criminal aliens while espousing a socialistic, open-borders policy and immigrant entitlement that has only encouraged criminal entry into the United States. This attitude has resulted in anarchy within the immigration system that is completely contrary to some throwaway line about obeisance to “secure borders and a sensible immigration policy.”

In denying the concept of national sovereignty and the ignoring the requirement of the juvenile or adult “stranger” to observe the law of the land, Vatican leadership has increasingly stood in opposition to the biblical exhortation to “render therefore unto Caesar,” and placed itself above the law of the land.

And, as usual, the church’s demand for the governmental imposition of charitable acts is bereft of any of the spiritual value that actually falls within the doctrine of the church. Indeed, how can an imposed obligation even be considered to be a charitable act?

William T. Fidurski

Once more, a breach

Elmwood Park, N.J.: Do you think it is only a coincidence that Equifax only came clean about its serious data breach while coverage of Hurricane Irene dominates the news stories? This is horrible. Will impact people forever. There should be consequences.

Karen Kochanowski

Diaz, the disease

Manhattan: The Daily News’ endorsement of Ruben Diaz for City Council District 18 is appalling (“Council picks: Bronx,” Sept. 4). Diaz does not stand up for the values and views of his district. He has a 100% anti-reproductive health record in the state Senate. Every single time he had an opportunity to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care, he voted against it. Diaz has called for a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortion and supports medically inaccurate “counseling” of patients seeking abortion to deter them. He has called abortion providers “murderers, assassins and criminals.” Diaz also opposes marriage equality and sex education. When reproductive health and rights and the LGBTQ community are under assault in Washington, Diaz is the last person we need in office representing New Yorkers. What we need are people like Amanda Farias, also running for the District 18 seat, who will fight for our communities and their access to the resources they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Christina Chang VP of Public Affairs Planned Parenthood NYC Votes

Flagging patriotism

Whitestone: The best way to handle these overrated, self-serving players who feel the need to draw attention to themselves is to just ignore them (“Chiefs CB Marcus Peters sits during national anthem vs. Patriots,” Sept. 7). Every time they do this and the Daily News reports it, you are egging them on, which is not surprising, considering how you have become the most leftist gossip paper of New York!

Antonia Dipreta

Respect the Sandman

New Orleans: I think your Sept. 8 headline, “Bernie Sanders wants Hillary Clinton to stop ‘arguing about 2016,’ ” is incredibly misleading and ridiculous. I didn’t even bother to read the article that followed. Whether a person believes in Bernie’s viewpoints or not, the man deserves respect.

Boyana Balta

One hand clapping

Hoboken: Re “Eric Clapton shows slower hand at lackluster MSG show,” (Sept. 7): Maybe us “old folks” should just hurry up and die or at least not go to concerts. And maybe aging rock stars shouldn’t perform anymore. Would that please you?

Susie Green

Debts no honest man can pay

Brooklyn: I would like to extend my thanks to Bruce Springsteen for always looking out for the working man. It only cost me two weeks’ salary for me and my wife to purchase cheap seats to see him on Broadway. Once again, thanks on behalf of the 99%.

Leonard A. Bille

An education on teaching

Brooklyn: In “Let charter schools certify teachers” (Sept. 8), Nina Rees claims that allowing charter schools to certify their own teachers would help meet a critical need for low-income students. Her plan, however, would saddle our most vulnerable students with teachers who are not properly trained. Rees believes that serving an apprenticeship in a charter school is more valuable than earning a master’s degree. In fact, she claims that the subject matter in graduate school is mere “pedagogy” — abstract principles that have no connection to what teachers actually do in the classroom. The graduate work she derides is precisely what allows teachers to succeed in the classroom. Craig Fishbane

Worst in the bus-iness

Manhattan: Why is it so difficult for the city to run the Office of Pupil Transportation? How are they routing mini-wagons with 20 students? They hold 24 kids legally, if they are pre-kindergarten age. My son is 14 and almost 6 feet tall; he has autism. I had to fight to get him his own seat. My bigger concern is safety for all children. They are trying to save money by jamming these kids on a bus like sardines but that creates bigger problems. How do they have one driver going to four boroughs with 17 kids on one bus? Some kids have medical codes like my son that require them to be home within an hour and 15 minutes max. It took him 2.5 hours to get home. Some kids were on the bus for 3.5 hours!

Tamara Molina

Smoke’s bandit

North Las Vegas, Nev.: Three cheers for New York and Mayor de Blasio! Though a year away, a new law will take effect in June 2018 raising the price of cigarettes (cancer sticks!) to $13 a pack. And restricting businesses that can sell them. This is long overdue. The law will combat tobacco addiction, reduce cancer deaths and help curtail teenage smoking. I say good! And to his credit, the war on death causing cigarettes was started by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Clyde Dinkins Phoenix: Your “The flood next time” editorial (Sept. 1) missed the main and most damning point of the inadequate federal flood insurance program. Namely, that properties deliberately built in dangerous locations are continually rebuilt instead of being paid off and demolished, with no further building or re-building without infrastructure adjustments that fully ameliorate the risk. Ron Sokota

Taxes are the problem

East Windsor, N.J.: Now is the time for a big tax cut. The floods in Texas and Louisiana and the resulting economic damage could significantly slow the economy. During normal times, a large personal and corporate tax cut will vastly improve the situation. The situation in Texas and Louisiana makes the need for a substantial tax cut even more critical.

Arthur Horn

Healthy, wealthy and wise

Great Neck, L.I.: Instead of paying high-priced medical staff, trainers and conditioning coaches and still having multi-million dollar players miss large parts of each season, perhaps the Mets and all of Major League Baseball should just ask Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and other players from the 50s, 60s and 70s how they stayed in shape, and had long careers with few injuries. Bob Rutan

On a tear

Clark, N.J.: The only thing tearing down monuments will accomplish is rejuvenating the dark forces that were thankfully dormant until recently and turn a once-innocuous and even inspirational heritage of reconciliation into a flashpoint for the worst elements on all sides of the political and social spectrum.

Mark Grabowski

The place is a pigsty

ROBERT SABO Carmel, N.Y.: As children in the 1950s, we rode the city’s bus and subway system. Riders did not usually bring food and drinks to consume on the vehicles. My mother would put every candy wrapper into her pocket and save the wrapper from every piece of gum we were allowed. We were to taught not to litter anywhere. Too bad so many slobs exist today and create the disgusting situation in our subways and streets. There should be litter officers with smartphones to take photos of these violators and fine them if possible, or post their pictures online. And for safety’s sake, sanitation workers should be wearing masks as they suck up the messes. Sue McCormack