Toward building a better subway
Manhattan: If there is one issue on which New Yorkers can agree, it is that our subway system needs fixing. I agree with Scott Rechler’s Nov. 30 Op-Ed assessment of the MTA’s failings: The organization has become too large with too many responsibilities to deal effectively with its problems. For solutions, we should look to 30 years ago, when the Board of Education was failing its students. After it took seven years to build a new school, Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor Ed Koch were prepared to finance hundreds of millions, but not without major reforms. As a result, I chaired an industry-led group that determined it would be more efficient to create a new authority altogether than to mend the failing construction policies of the Board of Ed. Thus, the School Construction Authority (SCA) was created, and we have built more new classrooms than would have ever been possible without it.
Critical to the success of SCA was procurement reform. For a new Subway Development Corp. to avoid the MTA’s current problems, it must have the ability to design/build, prequalify its contractors, and speed up its change order and payment practices. So, yes — we need a new Subway Development Corp., but for it to thrive, it must come with procurement reforms.
Louis J. Coletti, president/CEO, Building Trades Employers’ Assoc.
Old Yellowstain
Edison, N.J.: I just watched “The Caine Mutiny.” Déjà vu? Captain Queeg? POTUS? Scary.
Carole Canace
Trumping the truth
Staten Island: The Trump Doctrine: 1) Real news is “fake news” and “fake news” is real. 2) Support politicians accused of sexual misconduct for the “good” of the party while calling out news anchors for doing the same. 3) Lie about everything that you once confirmed, such as the “Access Hollywood” tape and why Mike Flynn was “really” fired. Americans are not that ignorant, Mr. President! Christian Del Re
Same-sex shenanigans?
Saugerties, N.Y.: I wonder if Roy Moore would stand a chance in the Alabama election (and America in general) if those accusing him of sexual misconduct were underage boys instead of girls.
Therese Donna Schmidt
Getting a pass on passes
New Hyde Park, L.I.: Why is it that every day we hear another guy getting accused, then fired, for inappropriate behavior with women, yet the folks in Alabama are all set to elect a huge offender to the Senate, and the biggest offender of all still sits in the White House? Bob Wiecezak
No kissing
Yorktown Heights, N.Y.: Probably not a good idea to hang mistletoe in the office this year.
Anthony Vegliante
Fake family values
Farmingdale, N.J.: I always thought those “Today” show hosts were phony. Meredith, Katie, Savannah . . . what a joke. Now it is confirmed. All the wholesome crap they tried to sell the public with those goofy commercials. Now it comes out that they were all enablers and the culture there was one of crude and disgusting behavior, language and skits, apparently. I saw the Friars Club roast of Matt Lauer online and was disgusted, especially by the women. How do we expect to get respect and decent treatment if you play along with this kind of inappropriate behavior especially in the workplace? Disgraceful!
Lisa DeLorenzo
Trump is right on Jerusalem
Manhattan: Why the international uproar over President Trump’s recognition, after 70 years of Israel’s existence, that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel? Why is the only nation on Earth where we’ve located our embassy in a city other than its capital, the Jewish state? Why are the left-wingers in our country, the Vatican, the sanctimonious liberal press and the European countries, among other know-it-all pundits, so concerned over derailing a “peace process” that has been moribund for years as a result of the refusal of Fatah and Hamas to recognize the existence of an independent Jewish state? It’s long overdue. And to think that it took Trump to (finally) do the right thing. Kudos to the Daily News for taking the principled stance. Ephraim Savitt
Sanders Berns Israel
Orlando: I appreciate Jack Rosen’s Op-Ed condemning Bernie Sanders for his repeated anti-Israel messages and constantly aligning himself with anti-Semitic people (“Democratic Party leaders must take on Bernie Sanders on Israel,” Nov. 14). That is the reason I withdrew my support for him. I used to be a Bernie supporter until making the shocking realization that even though he was Jewish, he seemed to hate Israel. That is also the reason I have found myself as an independent losing interest in the Democratic Party. Rosen hit the nail on the head for me. I still care about the environment and health care, but I have become disheartened by the Democrats embracing people like Linda Sarsour and Keith Ellison so much that I have actually become a fan of Donald Trump. I felt, as a Jew, I had to choose between caring about the environment and supporting Israel. I chose Israel. It will take a lot to bring me back. I have also become disheartened to see anti-Israel feelings spreading through college campuses. Glad somebody else realized the damage Bernie is causing. Lisa Tishler
Keep the parks affordable
Washington: As the deputy secretary of the interior from 2009 to 2013, I’m encouraged to see a bipartisan group of 11 state attorneys general fighting Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s reckless and misguided proposal to double or triple entrance fees at our most popular national parks. For the past 100 years, our leaders have insisted that all Americans have affordable access to our extraordinary national parks. Yet as the attorneys general lay out in comments filed in court, Zinke’s proposal does not follow the letter, or the spirit, of our national parks laws. Instead, Zinke’s proposal looks like it was written up on a napkin. Most importantly, it fails to evaluate the legal criteria applicable for rate hikes, including the negative impacts on American families’ ability to visit the national parks, and on the resulting the economic harm to gateway communities. This bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, including New York AG Eric Schneiderman, should be commended for defending access to our awe-inspiring parks. David J. Hayes, executive director
State Energy & Environmental Impact Center/NYU Law School
Certifiably wrong
Lindenhurst, L.I.: In November 2016, I applied for a correction of my son’s birth certificate with the New York City Department of Health and I finally got a response after seven months. How disappointed I was when I found out that they sent me some other person’s birth certificate. I went back to the correction unit department and spoke with the supervisor, returning the wrong birth certificate. About two weeks later I finally got an envelope. But, once again, it was someone’s else birth certificate. This is unacceptable! Why are they sending out personal information to the people they shouldn’t?
Anna Zieba
Stealing the lunch money
Middletown, Del.: This year, New York City schools began providing meals to all students gratis. I am a grandfather who was paying for his granddaughter’s meals. The company that holds the ANTHONY DELMUNDO/DAILY NEWS outstanding funds still has $94.50 of my money for her meals. I am sure that I am not the only guardian whose monies they still have. The company points to the Department of Education through their help desk at (718) 349-5783. It claims that there is no plan to return the money. Said company, My School Bucks, through Heartland School Solutions Support Team at (855) 832-5226, shows on its website that it still has my granddaughter’s funds. Who is responsible? Richard A. Pileggi
No free parking
Ossining, N.Y.: As a 25-year veteran bus operator at NYC Transit, I am uniquely qualified to say that UPS, Fedex and the U.S. Postal Service are public enemy No. 1 when it comes to delayed buses. At the head of every logjam on crosstown or avenue routes you will find one or more of these vehicles blocking a lane with flashers on. Don’t believe me? Just sit in the front seat of a bus and look. They have immunity from tickets and are never towed. Make the fine $1,000 for them and tow them immediately! Gee, those buses are running pretty smooth after that. Steve Jenney
Thanks, Daily News
Staten Island: Thank you so much, Daily News! I was one of the lucky prize winners of your contest. I went to Naples, Fla., and I had a wonderful time. I scheduled the trip to coincide with my 87th birthday and it was the best birthday ever!
Eva Canney