NYC needs a mayor with backbone

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Manhattan: Mayor de Blasio isn’t responsible for all of the city’s woes, but he bears responsibility for the jumbled, inadequate response to them. He’s been prone to inaction, reluctant to make tough decisions, and more interested in cultivating his national profile than managing the minutiae of day-to-day life in NYC. He has overseen a decline in street conditions, a rise in homelessness, and a spike in crime — reversing decades of hardearned, even if, imperfect, progress. That de Blasio has failed New York City is unrelated to party politics, and totally related to his singular incompetence; we need to see more leadership from the next mayor — and more interest in the daily machinations of city life. Daniel Dolgicer

Elizabeth, N.J.: Since it doesn’t appear that Gov. Cuomo is going to remove de Blasio, it’s too bad the citizens of NYC can’t demand a recall. How many more people, especially children, are going to be murdered by gun violence on a daily basis?

P. Foster

Plainview, L.I.: Too bad we can’t impeach this idiot Communist mayor and any elected official who supports his platform. The purpose of government is to ensure a safe and stable environment for the populace. Instead of defund, let us defend the police, stand behind them, and give them back the authority to do their job! John Cilento

Simple question

Bronx: The next time Mayor de Blasio has a news conference, I want to see if there is one reporter with enough backbone to ask this question: “Mr. Mayor, with all the shootings and killings going on, and the city out of control, don’t you think it may be time for you to step down?”

Jimmy Durda

Inspiring

Manhattan: Mayor de Blasio is a role model for graffiti artists. Sean O’Toole

All of ’em

Floral Park, L.I.: From local seats up to the presidency, our leaders like to point fingers at one another. But not one that I know of has risen to this occasion. Not one has had the courage to say, “Let’s have a truce and figure out how we can best serve the American people.” We are sick of namecalling, bickering and empty arguments. We need representatives from different sides to take responsibility, and start the process of coming together. Otherwise, the election in November will be a farce. Robert Damato

Election prediction

Manalapan, N.J.: Our idiotic president has lots of company. New on the list: Gov. Kristi

Noem of South Dakota. So many of you are being brainless. You will be voted out. If not, the virus takes us all down. Marion Gargano

Face it

Ledyard, Conn.: President Trump chose Mount Rushmore for his party because he is an appallingly insensitive narcissist who pictures his face alongside the other presidents. Lisa Allen

Inaccurate insults

Bronx: The Nazis hated socialism. So, why is Trump lying, and trying to link Black Lives Matter to Hitler and Nazis? Does Trump not know that the countries that rose to global power after WWII were the ones that included socialist programs? This is similar to Trump stating that Revolutionary War troops “took over the airports” when airplanes would not be for another 127 years.

Juanita M. Johnson

Welfare state

Manhattan: Donald J. Trump has the heart of a lion. What is wrong with the rest of the Republican Party? Where is the backbone, the courage to push back against the Democrats and their lawless cabals? All they’re good for is asking for money. Week after week, all I receive is requests for money. I’m done writing checks. Frank Giffone

Divide and conquer

Rochester: Donald Trump focuses on lifestyle, social, “identity politics,” and “cultural-wars” issues while focusing much less on the economic, financial, breadand-butter and kitchen-table issues, because research clearly shows that when the Democrats focus on those issues, they win, and when they focus on “his” issues, they lose. He knows exactly what he is doing and why.

Stewart B. Epstein

Ray of hope

Schenectady, N.Y.: The only silver lining of this terrible pandemic is that it will rid us of the lying crook now occupying the Oval Office. An impeached loser for life.

Ron Goodman

No respect

Bronx: To Voicer Carol Viola: Young Trumpsters and Bideners are refusing to wear masks and keep their distance, because they don’t respect life. Old Lives Matter — something Gov. Cuomo forgot in March.

Robert Negluia

Cop talk

Staten Island: Memo to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams: You must have worn a blindfold as a cop. As a former NYPD anti-crime officer, I found it invaluable working in plainclothes and in nondescript autos as a tool to get guns off the street. The reasons shootings are up is twofold: No anti-crime patrol, and no fear of the police because of bail reform. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Thomas Fraumeni Jr.

Idle hands

Howard Beach: Voicer Stephen Minter blames the increased crime spree and shootings on the people who lost their jobs and have too much time on their hands inducing poverty and frustration. Mr. Minter, I’ve been broke and frustrated plenty of times in my life. I never went around shooting people.

Eddie Taibi

First wives club

Ashburn, Va.: I enjoyed your story “Somerville, Mass. becomes first U.S. city to legally recognize polyamorous relationships” (July 3), however, I think your lede may be incorrect, and that Nauvoo, Ill., deserves that dubious distinction. It legally authorized polygamy in 1841, under the leadership of Mayor Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church. In the words of the church: ”After receiving a revelation commanding him to practice plural marriage, Joseph Smith married multiple

LUIZ C. RIBEIRO FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS wives and introduced the practice to close associates.” Sorry, Massachusetts. At least you still have Tom Brady. Oh, wait. Mike Barrett

Testify!

Middleboro, Mass.: I am glad to hear that Jeffrey Epstein’s “madame” Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested. She will offer any information she can to get less jail time. To all of Epstein’s high-profile friends: if you’ve done nothing wrong, relax. If you have, then it will come out, and you should be nervous! Joe Mendes

Music history

Neptune, N.J.: To Voicer J.T. Barbarese: Elvis Presley did not marry a 14-year-old girl. His only wife was 22 when they married. If the purpose of your letter was to defend Thomas Jefferson, why would you impugn Elvis, a talented entertainer and an extraordinarily generous man? Next time you are looking for a scapegoat, make sure you check your facts.

Jean Marie Howard

Goodness gracious

Huntington Station, L.I.: Far be it for me to correct a professor from Rutgers University, but it was not Elvis who married a 14-year-old. It was Jerry Lee Lewis, and she was a 13, not 14. And she was his cousin, to boot!

Nancy Macri Kennedy