Readers sound off on hospital closures, attacks on universities and climate costs
Manhattan: Re 'Invest in health care to invest in NYC's future' (op-ed, April 30): The loss of Beth Israel Hospital is catastrophic for lower Manhattan. The proposed Lenox Hill Hospital expansion is not the solution.
In this century, approximately 20 New York-area hospitals have closed, mostly in low-income neighborhoods. On Manhattan's East Side, where Lenox Hill is located, there are now more than 10 beds per 1,000 residents. With the Beth Israel closure, a 180-bed Presbyterian Hospital affiliate located on William St. is the only hospital south of 14th St., where 400,000 people live. That is 0.5 beds per 1,000 people. Residents of Chinatown, Tribeca and Battery Park now have no hospital. The Health and Hospitals Corp. fails to regulate the distribution of new beds. More beds in upper Manhattan will not solve this problem in the rest of the city.
Lack of medical insurance with resultant unpaid hospital bills is one major reason for hospital failure in low-income neighborhoods where many people are uninsured, have Medicaid or Medicaid Expansion and are thus in jeopardy of losing their insurance. There is an excellent solution, the New York Health Act, now pending in the state Legislature. If passed, this act would provide appropriate health care for all state residents. Voicer Mia Molano published a passionate plea for this legislation.
Were this bill enacted, virtually all New Yorkers would receive better health care at a lower cost than is currently available. Dr. Marc H. Lavietes, former secretary; Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro chapter
Staten Island: There's a new mom at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital and she's not on the maternity floor. Meet Mother Goose, who gave birth to a clutch of goslings just outside the Lois & Richard Nicotra Heart Institute. In a touching twist of nature and nurture, she's chosen to nest her babies beside the newly installed heart sculpture that expresses 'Good Health is Everything'! We had been anxiously awaiting the goslings' birth for the past month. As our clinical teams care for patients on the inside, this devoted mother is quietly warming hearts just outside. I also just found out Thursday was National Mother Goose Day — talk about a crazy coincidence! Jillian M. O'Hara
Staten Island: Mayor Adams has not made an attempt to hire school safety agents. Why? These are the men and women who protect our children every day. They are true unsung heroes. Their numbers have waned. The reasons are too numerous to mention. The agents are a division of the New York City Police Department. The police commissioner should be in the mayor's office at least twice a week or more to get a reason why the mayor has not hired more agents. Or does the commissioner not care about the safety of students? Agents need to be replaced to protect our students, teachers and all staff. Mayor Adams, find money to hire them. Jeffrey Van Pelt
Brooklyn: Recently, I had to call a car service for an appointment to see a podiatrist. The address was on Sheepshead Bay Rd., and while there are many businesses north of the bay at Emmons Ave., the driver told me it was west of Ocean Parkway in Coney Island. The driver was right and I was wrong. I agree that while it is an inconvenience to change a street or avenue of a geographic location, this can only result in duplication, which results in mass confusion. One street and/or avenue is enough for any borough or city. Any more creates limitless problems for the post office and the general public. Elliott Abosh
Astoria: You're better than this, or at least should be. Regardless of how anyone feels about Thursday night's Knicks game, the Knicks won. That's a fact. I came on your website looking for the game and the only article I could find is an opinion piece from your best Knicks writer about how they're not ready for the Celtics ('Brunson pops the clutch!' May 2). While his opinions may be on point, that's an article for Monday. Where is the article about the game itself, about what happened in the first quarter and beyond? Is the article buried somewhere online? If so, it shouldn't be. C'mon, be better. John Warren
Whitestone: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have you gone mad? A deal with President Trump is a deal with Russia! Why don't you just cut out the middleman? Robin Mazzia
Bronx: Trump lied to us about who started the Ukraine war. It was his pal Vladimir Putin who started it all. Trump has been kissing Putin's butt for a long time. He owes Zelenskyy a big apology, but the liar king will never apologize to anyone. I support Ukraine. I'm glad Zelenskyy stood up to Trump. Doris Festante
Larchmont, N.Y.: I find it hysterical that Trump is now blaming Joe Biden for the drops in both the stock markets and GDP. It was just a year ago that Trump was taking credit for the economic boon during the Biden administration because he said everyone was excited about him winning the election. My understanding is that Trump also blames Biden for the Lincoln assassination. Evidently, Joe, being as old as he is, happened to tell John Wilkes Booth that Abe and Mary changed their minds about going to Ford's Theater that night! Steve Michaud
Wellfleet, Mass.: As the cost of living continues to jet along with the financial markets being hammered, I imagine I'm not the only senior citizen who isn't retired, just tired. Mike Rice
Patchogue, L.I.: I have been watching the news showing all the slashing and cutting of jobs and closing agencies by the Trump administration. Trump says he wants to cut waste, but what he really plans to do with this money is give his billionaire friends a nice, fat tax cut, and any crumbs left over will go to the rest of us to try to placate us. Time to contact your representatives and senators, especially the Republicans, and tell them to step up, do their jobs and actually represent us. Lynda Welsh
Hamilton Square, N.J.: Our universities have always attracted the best and brightest from all parts of the world. Most often, they remain and add their talents in all areas, especially science and medicine. Trump's absurd reaction to anyone not white or born here will ultimately diminish all of us. Eileen Johnson
Waltham, Mass.: Harvard University's internal report confirms that the campus schools most committed to humanistic values —education, divinity, public health and government — are also among the most hostile environments for Jewish students. This moral failure demands urgent reform. As the largest funder of American higher education, the federal government has both the right and responsibility to use its resources to enforce compliance with Title VI and other nondiscrimination laws. But rather than cutting off all university funding, much of which supports essential scientific research, it should apply pressure precisely where violations are most severe. The White House must not act with blunt force but with precision. What's needed is not a wrecking ball, but a scalpel: targeted, principled intervention that addresses antisemitism in the departments where it is most deeply entrenched. Rachel Fish
Manhattan: To Voicer Terry Hansen: Yes, former Senate Budget Committee Chair Sheldon Whitehouse has repeatedly confronted his colleagues with his climate chart that reads, 'Time to Wake Up.' You cited his warning that rising home insurance costs will imperil our housing, and then financial, markets. He's also cited the Potsdam Institute's warning that the world's current level of fossil fuel use, without rising, will cause annual damages of $36 trillion by 2050. This number does not include the cost of individual emergencies, like hurricanes, floods and wildfires, that would be increasing annually in number and severity. Time to wake up, indeed! Every senator should be brandishing that chart. Thomas A. Caffrey
Whitestone: If you can't forgive, you burn the bridge over which you must pass. Sally DeFelice
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