Killing by cop in broad daylight
Astoria: With the shooting of Walter Scott, the “black lives matter” crowd finally has what it’s been demonstrating about since the days of Trayvonmania — an actual murder of a black man by a white cop. And thanks to a cell phone video camera, this one has everything: The victim being shot in the back while he flees and the planting of evidence. No amount of Rodney King lawyering is going to get this cop out of it: It was cold-blooded murder. However, contrary to inner-city myth, there is no conspiracy to murder black men. The system worked: We all saw the video, and the cop is locked up without bail facing a murder charge in a death penalty state. Brad Morris Manhattan: As an African-American, I am stunned by the video of the Walter Scott murder. We all know there are problems between police and black Americans, but I didn’t know that they had grown so blatant and ugly. I keep hearing that all cops are not bad; if that’s the case, then where are the good ones? Ralph V. Robinson
Simple rule
Brooklyn: Stop resisting the police, and you won’t get shot. It’s that simple. Don’t grab their guns or Tasers, try to punch them, run, resist — anything. Peter Doyle
BdB, M.D.
Manhattan: Since taking office, Mayor de Blasio has increased financial support to the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. by over $1.6 billion (“Paging Doctor de Blasio,” April 8). These resources are not always obvious on HHC’s balance sheet, but assistance includes over $1 billion to operational support, capital construction and other programs. It also includes the local portion of a $1.7 billion disaster relief and preparedness grant from FEMA, for which the city is paying $172 million. The mayor is strongly committed to improving the health of all New Yorkers and knows that HHC is critical to accomplishing this. He supports the recently detailed strategic goals to bring financial stability to HHC, and has championed HHC as a leader in the ongoing reorganization of health care delivery in the city, to reduce disparities, connect more New Yorkers with care and make the health care system more effective and efficient.
Ram Raju, M.D., president NYC Health & Hospitals Corp.
The unkindest cuts
Albany: Gov. Cuomo’s redesign of the state’s Medicaid system may be cutting costs (“Cuomo’s quiet Medicaid miracle,” column, April 8), but it has also placed many health care providers in jeopardy. It is far too early for Bill Hammond to tout the success of this massive overhaul. The transition to managed care has been particularly challenging for home-care providers who take care of elderly, chronically ill and disabled New Yorkers. The use of home and community-based care is key to reducing Medicaid costs. But unless home-care providers are adequately and promptly reimbursed, they will not be able to continue providing these critically needed services. The state must ensure that health care providers across the spectrum will be there to provide care to the state’s most vulnerable individuals. Claudia J. Hammar, interim pres. NYS Association of Health
Care Providers
Train in vain
Manhattan: To Voicer Myron Shulman: Seniors do not have to pay full fare while awaiting replacement half-fare cards. When riding the subway, pay full-fare one way, show your Medicare card, and you will be issued a MetroCard that is good for one round trip including the transfer from subway to bus. When using the bus, show your Medicare card and deposit the exact half-fare in the box. A transfer will be given if one is requested. If a card is damaged, a temporary half-fare card will be given in exchange for the useless card at the 3 Stone St. offices of the half-fare program.
Valerie L. Levy
Welfare doesn’t work
Brooklyn: There is no doubt that the reforms James Parrott talks about in his Op-Ed (“De Blasio’s welfare reform correction,” March 28) will be an improvement over Bloomberg-era welfare. But the new reform has a big flaw, which is to continue to assume that people who are on welfare need to work. Welfare work requirements benefit companies and keep the middle class in line. They don’t help children .
Diane Pagen
Sea horses out of water
Portsmouth, Va.: I’ve been saying it all along, and now a cortisol study proves it. The horses in NYC are not stressed or anxious! Those who live in a city their entire life are acclimated to that environment. Same goes for those who lives in the country their entire life. Dr. Joseph Bertone’s study proves the horses are more relaxed in the environment they know, which happens to be Manhattan. His study also proves that the horses feel slight anxiety when they are away from their known environment, as during their five-week mandated furloughs in the country.
Libby Colón
Trojan horse research
Manhattan: Liam Neeson says the recent study claiming NYC carriage horses have very low stress levels should end the debate over banning the industry. Does he think standing for many hours in one position wearing blinders as cars pass by makes horses joyful? That working nine hours per day to pull carriages and people that weigh in excess of 1,200 pounds makes them vigorous? Is living well below life expectancy in unnatural urban conditions healthy for horses?
Manny Martin
Hold the criticism
Glendale: To Voicer Fred Shepherd: You mean to tell me that with people in this world like the Koch brothers, you’re really worried about a “lack of accountability” and a “take care of me” attitude among advocates for hamburger flippers at McDonald’s? You’ve got supersized bats in your belfry, buddy.
Peter Richards
De-ranged I
Brooklyn: The Rangers beat the Devils Tuesday night, have the best record in the NHL — and all they get on the back page is a little banner! Oh, wait, there was some confusion in a Yankee pitcher interview! Kathy Thompson
De-ranged II
Oceanside, L.I.: What more do the Rangers have to do to warrant the full back page of the Daily News? The President’s Trophy is not enough? Bobby Beranato
Blame where blame is due
Patchogue, L.I.: Not to sound unsympathetic, as I could not imagine anything worse than losing a child, but why should the city pay anyone when 911 does not save the day (“Have a heart, Bill,” editorial, April 10)? We should all be happy to have emergency responders, and the idea that the city should pay when they are not on time or don’t save someone is ridiculous. The blame on this one falls on the driver who killed Ariel, not the city.
Ron Voegele
Bad morning
Floral Park: Yes, Voicer Lillian Zimmerman, Kelly Ripa should be ashamed of herself for ignoring Regis since his departure from “his” show. But she has always been a hypocrite — hugging and kissing her “big daddy,” then dismissing him like a piece of chewed gum. Every person who comes on the show is her favorite actor, actress, singer, health guru, floor washer, etc. When the show finally comes to an end, hopefully Kelly will eat a few good meals to put weight on her scrawny body, then fade into obscurity.
Margaret Stein
Schooling the principal
Bronx: Someone should tell middle-school Principal and Voicer Jamaal Bowman that the folks who administer state tests were not responsible for the transatlantic slave trade. And that all folks are “persons of color” — otherwise you couldn’t see them. In-house assessments are often watered down. That doesn’t mean that 50% of teachers’ evaluations should be based on state tests. Or that Eva Moskowitz should be making hundreds of thousands of dollars on the public dime.
Dana Elzenbeck
Like father
Brentwood, L.I.: Your editorial comment about RFK Jr. — “Unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for irresponsible stupidity” — was right on the money (“RFK Jr.’s bad medicine,” April 9). We all know the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. W.J. Van Sickle
Render unto Caesar
Manhattan: Now that April 15 is almost here, can someone please explain why the Rev. Al Sharpton is still walking around owing $3.7 million in back taxes? One can only wonder if his close relationship with the White House bought him a free pass.
Joseph Criscuolo