Hungry students need to eat too

Email to or post your letter to or send fax to Please include full name, address and daytime phone number. The Daily News reserves the right to edit letters.

Brooklyn: As a CUNY student, I have learned about ways to be a better public health advocate and see the need to rally for Resolution 1024 in the New York City Council, which asks for expansion of SNAP eligibility by determining community college as comparable to a SNAP Employment and Training program. Res. No. 1024-2019 calls for the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to open up access to SNAP benefits for community college students at places like CUNY and SUNY by recognizing these two-year institutions as analogous to other apprentice and job initiatives.

To eat or to study? That is the question for many public college students. Barriers to achieving academic success should not include hunger. Providing access to fresh and affordable food is achievable through SNAP benefits. Public college students are most likely to come from low-income homes and be the first person in their household to attend college. SNAP can provide financial assistance to students who meet eligibility criteria of income and or involvement in an Employment and Training program. There is limited access to food on most CUNY campuses. However, having SNAP benefits to purchase food off-campus would be valuable to students in need.

While it sounds ideal that people in the Empire State shouldn’t have any issues related to accessing food, the fact remains that they do. No matter how rich a state or country may be, resources are limited. Tamara McDonald

Innovation

Whitestone: The Republicans in Congress often say that President Trump did not commit high crimes and misdemeanors; it’s just that Trump has a different way of saying and doing things. Saying Trump just does things differently is like saying Bernie Madoff was an investment professional who just invested people’s money differently. Or that Willie Sutton and John Dillinger were bank clients who just made bank withdrawals differently.

Michael J. Gorman

The Bible says

Pleasantville, N.Y.: To Voicer Bob Pascarella (again): Your delusion seems to have no bounds. You struck a nerve because you made ridiculous assertions about Trump restoring a “Judeo-Christian ethos” to America. The backlash clearly rattled your cage and displayed your abject delusion. Far from feeling inferior, I believe the people who rebuked you and your insane philosophy felt quite superior in their righteous protest. Since you are so fond of quotes, I have one (again from the Bible) seemingly crafted for you: “Go from the

presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” I take great satisfaction in knowing that since you live in New York, your vote will be meaningless in the next presidential election. Have a Merry Christmas knowing your vote and your views are both ludicrous and pointless.

Joe Stella

From the inferiors

Howard Beach: Voicer Bob Pascarella does not deserve to have the last say to Voicers who responded to his original letter. He should know that we don’t have to strain our brains to know that he supports a man who is a pathological liar, corrupt, indecent, unethical and immoral. We don’t have to strain our brains to know that Trump demeaned John McCain, a true war hero. This blowhard makes this statement knowing that his father got him a doctor’s note for fake “bone spurs.” We don’t have to strain our brains to know that Trump takes his marching orders from Putin and only respects murderous dictators. No, Mr. Pascarella, our minds are not hate-filled and you can be very sure that the last thing we feel is any kind of inferiority. History will judge

Trump as the worst president in our lifetime and you, Mr. Pascarella, will never accept the truth. Barbara Berg

A vet speaks

Ridgewood, N.J.: Re “A tale of two impeachments” (editorial, Dec. 18): Well said. Truth be, I could care less about Bill Clinton and sex, oral or otherwise, in the White House. But violating our Constitution, mine and yours, is most definitely wrong. Trump took an oath to defend, not violate, our Constitution. I first took that oath in 1966, went to Vietnam, and served America faithfully for over 23 years. “Bone Spurs” did not. I call him a coward and support his impeachment.

Peter J. Peirano

Traffic control

Middle Village: Councilman Robert Holden (“Where the rubber meets the road,” oped, Dec. 16) on congestion around PS/IS 49 doesn’t mention parents illegally parking and blocking crosswalks at dismissal time. This also affects local traffic, the local bus, and potentially any needed emergency vehicles. His support of a four-way stop sign is foolish. An intersection with one street controlled by a stop sign is absolute and it is very clear who is responsible if something happens. Four-way stop signs are likely the most ignored and abused traffic signals we have. Everyone thinks the “other guy” is going to stop.

Al Trojanowicz

The truth hurts

Hartland, Mich.: I’m wondering if anyone else has cancelled their subscription due to the horrendous stories every day about dead children. I just cannot try to read online and avoid those stories; they sadden and disgust me and make your publication seem desperate. I just cancelled. Thank you for your hard work, but your content is disturbing.

Candace Campbell

Save our snowflakes

Manhattan: Where are the beautiful snowflake lights that usually line Fifth Ave. overhead at this time of year? On my daily walk down the Avenue, I decided to ask a friendly police officer this question. He smiled and then I thought I saw a slight smirk. I said, “Oh, you don’t know?” “No, I DO know,” he replied. Then he nodded his head in the direction of Trump

NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT Tower. “That guy,” he said. “What? Why?” I exclaimed. “Hazard,” he said, still smiling. I will refrain from including the unprintable response that filled my brain. But is this really true? I called the “Brian Lehrer Show” during their “Ask the Mayor” segment but never got through. Can someone help me here?!

Hester Simpson

Bad deal

Manhattan: Re “Squalor pays in big city bucks,” (Dec. 17): So, just as in the Podolsky case, when the city paid a huge deal to a horrible landlord in order to get his rundown buildings and convert them to affordable apartments, we the taxpayers are expected to pay millions to the do-nothing landlord Mark Irgang for his 14 ramshackle neglected buildings so that they, too, can be converted to affordable housing. Why doesn’t the city just find a way to confiscate the buildings? Why reward this bum so that he can retire in luxury? Take the buildings off his lazy, irresponsible hands and don’t pay him a cent. Landlords like him are running a new version of “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.” Carol F. Yost