Renaming the Tappan Zee: Cuomo’s ‘Rabid’ Response
I was not in favor of changing the name of the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge to the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (“Cuo rips ‘rabid’ righties for Tap Zee furor,” Nov. 17).
I’m no fan of the Cuomos, but I was against the change, mostly because the original name harkens back to early Dutch settlers. “Tappan” is the name of an Indian tribe that lived in that area and “Zee” is the Dutch word for “sea.”
The area is a natural widening of the Henry Hudson River, three miles across, like a sea. The original name honored our common history. Mary-Cecilia Kelly, Rye
No, Gov. Cuomo: For the most part, the vindictive right and others did not hate your father.
Mario Cuomo was well-liked and I, together with many nonpartisans, thought very highly of him. Cuomo wants his father to be honored. Fine. Just don’t sneak it into legislation in the middle of the night without New York citizens knowing.
This tactic showed he knew changing the name of the Tappan Zee Bridge would be protested. He did what he wanted, and it didn’t matter how others felt. Shame on him. Bunny Abraham Manhattan
The old bridge had a sign declaring the “Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge.” This is how we should honor the new namesake, Mario Cuomo — with similar signs on both sides of the bridge.
This would preserve the centuries-old historical significance of the area of the bridge.
It would also save the significant cost of replacing signs from Buffalo to Montauk, promoting the Mario Cuomo Bridge.
All the original Tappan Zee signs could remain, except for the signs on the bridge itself.
It might also soothe the governor’s ego by still paying homage to his father by naming the bridge after him.
This is not a partisan issue, as the governor thinks, but rather a question of common sense and economics. Frank Ross, Manhattan
Our governor should stop passing the buck.
As much as we “rabid righties” hated his father, we don’t hate Andrew any less. And we still hate bridges named after politicians. Gerry Muir Mamaroneck
The Cuomo tribe was among the earliest to settle along the eastern shore of the Hudson River. They survived by selling snake oil, practicing quackery and collecting taxes.
I, for one, am glad that the new bridge will continue to honor their rich tradition. Stephen Walsh Tarrytown
THE ISSUE: Gov. Cuomo blames “rabid conservatives” for a petition against naming the new bridge after his father.