Teachers deserve better from NYC

Fresh Meadows: The United Federation of Teachers’ arbitration triumph was also, as usual, a victory for the rule of law. An independent arbitrator ruled last week that the city cannot renege on its legal obligation, negotiated almost a dozen years ago, to pay teachers retroactive money that they are owed. The city had argued that its pandemic-triggered financial straits precluded its ability to make good on this particular debt and this burden should override its commitment to do so.

The teachers union and President Michael Mulgrew were extraordinarily patient, but immediately went to arbitration and won a favorable decision. The merits of the case were clear: They practically screamed off the page on which they were delineated.

Better would have been the city not insulting teachers in the first place. Our public schoolteachers have a history of bailing out the city from its economic woes. To scare the union out of pursuing justice for its members, the DOE threatened to immediately lay off thousands of teachers when they have already acknowledged a worsening teacher shortage. The city blinked by conceding that there are to be no layoffs this school year.

It’s regrettable that the city had to be forced into compliance. Their initial refusal may not have been driven by maliciousness, but certainly it contained an element of disrespect. And it was reckless.

Cranky Yankee

Dear sports columnist Bradford William Davis, here are the Yankees’ problems: One, the worst idiot of a manager in the majors. What kind of moronic move was that in Game 2? He did no better managing his bullpen in Game 5. He loves having a sixth-inning guy, a seventh and so on, never letting circumstances rule who comes in and when. Two, Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge: Where did their stances come from? Judge was always as wide open as it got with his back foot in the absolute rear of the box. Now he is slightly closed. Didn’t hit a lick and lost a metric ton of power. Sanchez went Gangnam style; I’m surprised he didn’t pull both hammies and his back swinging at pitches. Three, the infield has totally pathetic fielding. Go back to Little League and learn. Finally, do away with the homer-or-bust philosophy and go back to playing baseball (hit and run, bunt, etc.).

Howard Solomon

Enough with the “get rid of Trump” letters. The one who really has to go is Adam Gase! Joseph Matarazzo

Heartless over homeless

Dear Voicer Muriel Diamond, re your letter on housing the homeless: I am sorry if those less fortunate than you are infringing on your territory. Such an eyesore and inconvenience to someone as obviously elite as you pretend to be. FYI, there are many facilities in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens currently housing the homeless and those that are struggling. Manhattan has the “most desirable” properties? My guess is that you have never ventured past the Upper East or West Sides of Manhattan and have no clue about the beautiful and desirable properties in the other boroughs. There are a lot of unused properties in Manhattan as well that can be renovated into housing. Susan Cassano

Unacceptable

I am white as a sheet and this behavior of the ultra-Orthodox community is disgusting. If this same behavior were displayed in our Black communities, would it also be tolerated? I think not.

Kim Sawyer

Stereotyping

I am offended by the underlying anti-Semitic tone in Voicer Bob Shwalb’s baseless claim that a large portion of the city’s Orthodox population operates on a cash-only basis to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. As a modern Orthodox Jew living in New York City (and there are many of us), I have always had taxes deducted from my weekly paychecks. The only time I can recall working off the books was as a baby-sitter in a bungalow colony when I was about ten years old. Undoubtedly, within any religious or other identifiable group, there will always be some who shirk their duties and legal obligations. But to paint all of us with the same brush seems a bit of a stretch and is unfair.

Chana Schwartz

Call for maturity

As a high school senior in Georgia, I’m worried about schools reopening.

Students get to choose whether to continue virtual learning or go face-to-face back to school in November. I chose to stay with virtual learning to not risk bringing home COVID-19 to my family and because there will be students who do not follow safety guidelines. Listening to experts, wearing masks and social distancing have become a debate. The CDC, WHO and scientists have been clear that these measures exist to protect us from infecting others. America has recently passed 214,000 COVID-19 deaths along with nearly 8 million cases. These statistics speak for themselves about the lack of unity in working together to ensure that everyone is doing their part.

Ashleigh Ewald

Thinly veiled

In response to your piece “They’re here for Don” (Oct. 11), I find it interesting that the only specific example professor James Coll could come up with when explaining what made him reluctant to vote for Donald Trump in 2016 was Trump’s disrespectful remarks directed at Sen. John McCain. He was also quite vague when he explained why he was planning to vote for him again in 2020, claiming, “…a lot of what he said, he did.” These verbal gymnastics appear common among Trump supporters reluctant to publicly admit what repugnant promises or invectives initially won them over and which of his cruel, corrupt or illegal actions over the last four years were their favorites.

The company you keep

In your article about Trump supporters in New York, Trump supporter James Coll states that the Democratic Party alienated him by treating him as if he is stupid, racist and misogynistic. Since Coll is a professor, it shouldn’t be so difficult for him to understand that when a person enthusiastically supports a leader who is stupid, racist and misogynistic, we will assume that he shares the very same traits.

Libby Gurgis

Scales of justice?

I’m not really a very political person, but I am fairly well-versed in our Constitution and the judicial system. My question is: Am I the only average citizen to wonder why, with all of our government’s checks and balances, is it possible for any president to stack the deck, so to speak, as to a conservative or liberal Supreme Court? Shouldn’t there be guidelines written into the Constitution to prevent left or right imbalance?

Jim Anderson

Cut him some slack

Brooklyn: To Voicer Annamaria Cucuzza-Cardilessi: Not sure where you got your facts about Christopher Columbus but I got mine from a leading Columbus scholar from the University of Notre Dame, Felipe FernándezArmesto. Columbus was not a saint, but why do people let imperfections obscure the good that people accomplish? Those who are without sin, cast the first stone.

Fugazy

Diane Reynolds

Rockaway Park: Your editorial (“Honor Columbus and Indians,” Oct. 12) contains a hilarious comment. You describe Bill de Blasio as a “proud Italian.” Might I remind you that his real name is Warren Wilhelm. That sounds about as Italian as my name. I suggest that you stick to your endless and predictable insults aimed at our president.

Peter Galvin

Odd man out

Mineola, L.I.: Am I the only person in the U.S.A. who does not have a subscription to Netflix?