Readers sound off on officials' cooperation, ICE agents and the Knicks' coach
While I agree in principle with democratic-socialist ideas such as taxing the rich to provide services like free child care, I just don't see Albany getting behind them (and I don't know how any New Yorker can think that a NYC household earning $1 million a year qualifies as 'rich' given the cost of living!)
At this time, when social services, environmental protections and immigrant rights are under attack by the federal government, we need a mayor who will band together with the governor to fight back as a united front.
That said, this concern applies to frontrunner Andrew Cuomo even more than Zohran Mamdani (photo). Cuomo had a frosty relationship with Gov. Hochul when she was his lieutenant governor, and he clearly resents that he was forced to resign and she got his job. Given his reputation as an alpha-male bully, a Cuomo mayoralty could well be plagued by power struggles between NYC and Albany, distracting our state and city from the real issues we face on the President Trump front and elsewhere.
Perhaps we should start taking a closer look at the mayoral candidates still stuck in low-polling 'who?' limbo, as they may have a better shot at cultivating a constructive relationship with Hochul. Katherine Raymond
Staten Island: I find myself in agreement with most of the issues Whitney Tilson is raising in the Democratic mayoral primary. However, I have never seen one commercial or received any mailing advertisements about him. The only article I read was in your paper. I think that he needs to let more people know what he stands for. When I mentioned his name to others, they all responded the same way: 'Who is she'? Phyllis O'Callaghan
Manhattan: No thanks to Voicer Gene O'Brien, who knocked the Democratic candidates for mayor without offering any solution about who deserves our vote. Your advice, sir, is about as worthless as giving medicine to the dead. Thanks for nothing. Richard Simon
Jersey City: Father's Day is a day dedicated to acknowledging, appreciating and celebrating the multifaceted role of fathers in our lives and in society. It is a time to reflect on the impact fathers have made to their families. This might mean remembering his sagacious guidance, unwavering support or the sacrifices he made to provide for his family. Indeed, the word 'father' has real meaning. Unfortunately, there are far too many men who fail to comprehend the enormous responsibilities that come with fatherhood. To them, I strongly recommend they use a contraceptive. There are far too many neglected and unwanted children in the world, and we don't need these men who are not mature enough to accept the role of father adding to those numbers. Kamala Jasmine Patel
Effort, Pa.: Every day, ICE is locking up undocumented people, even when they show up for court. When will we see the owners of the businesses that profit from hiring undocumented labor paraded through cities in handcuffs? Kathleen Slattery
Staten Island: I pledge to interfere with ICE stormtroopers persecuting helpless people. I do not recognize their authority over me or over anyone. I know that I may get killed doing this, but I will be satisfied to be one of the first people killed in our second American Civil War to reestablish our free U.S.A. constitutional democratic republic, which has been attacked and occupied by MAGA maggot domestic enemies. Gary Perl
Bayside: I wonder if ICE agents hide their faces behind masks because they are ashamed of what they do. Alex S. Avitabile
White Plains, N.Y.: When the economy looks good, President Trump says it's his economy. When the economy takes a downturn, Trump says it's Joe Biden's economy. Now Trump claims it's Biden's fault that the Boulder, Colo., attacker was in the country and not deported. The fact is that he was in the country on a legal work permit that expired on March 28, under Trump's tenure. It is Trump's fault that he was still in the country after his permit expired and not deported by his stormtroopers, also known as ICE. Steve Howe
Brooklyn: A few weeks ago, Trump called Elon Musk a 'great patriot.' Now he claims Musk is angry because Tesla and electric vehicles have taken a hit. Musk was never a great patriot. He was always in it for himself — for money, for power and for his brand. The guy voted for Barack Obama twice, and then he's Trump's right-hand man?! Zero integrity. Peter Magnotta
Manhattan: If we put Sean 'Diddy' Combs, R. Kelly, Trump and Musk in a cage match, the pay-per-view proceeds would more than eliminate the U.S. national debt. Susan Kain
Ashburn, Va.: Republicans are having second thoughts about their prospects in the 2026 midterm elections, and they're watching closely to see what happens this November in Virginia. Nov. 4 of this year will be the day millions of Virginians will decide who will be their next governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as General Assembly delegates. Republicans are viewing the election as the proverbial canary in the coal mine, possibly presaging the results in the major congressional races in 2026 if enough red-state voters realize that Trump's policies are failing. Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw encouraged us to reevaluate our positions when necessary: 'Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.' Mike Barrett
Forest Hills: A Voicer recently asked if Trump keeps dumping on Harvard University because they didn't accept him. No! It's because they didn't accept his son Barron. He's such a petty tyrant! Dori Strassman
Raleigh, N.C.: If all Christians knew about what Jesus taught his followers, could they not condemn abortion or not be true Christians? Jews and Muslims believe that Jesus is a holy person but do not believe all that he taught, yet believe many of his teachings. The Catholic Church may have been the one group that turned the election because they became more vocal. Joseph J. Rothengast
Bronx: After nearly two decades of misery and losses, the Knicks finally found the road to success under the stable and consistent guidance of Tom Thibodeau. To most Knick fans, it appeared that the team at last had found its own version of the Warriors' Steve Kerr or the Spurs' Greg Popovich. But no — as always, Knicks ownership found a way to mess things up! I guess winning 50 games or more for two seasons in a row, making the playoffs four out of the past five seasons and competing in the NBA Eastern Conference finals wasn't enough to satisfy team owner Jim Dolan. This guy is perhaps the worst team owner, not only in the NBA, but in all of professional sports. What this team needs is not a new coach, but a new owner. Carlos B. Martinez
Bronx: I am a substitute teacher with the NYC Department of Education. I had the opportunity recently to spend time outside with the students. I told some of them that when I was a kid, we played neighborhood-wide tag on our bikes. One fourth-grader told me that that was good because we were helping the environment and getting exercise. I told him we were just playing and having fun. When did play become a lesson? Kathleen Hughes
St. Albans: To Voicer Richard Warren: What is 'simply' forced sex? Please define 'run-of-the-mill rape.' Those terms diminish the severity of the assault, along with the physical and mental trauma suffered by the victim. I believe that a rapist can be reformed, however, the penalty should be determined by a judge and jury. Stephanie Revander
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Why Hochul won't back Mamdani in NYC mayoral race
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2 hours ago
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Zohran Mamdani's dreamy, big-spending plans for New York City — free buses, free babysitting and $100 billion for free apartments — are about to smash into the hard reality of the state's massive $36 billion budget gap. Whoever is mayor come Jan. 1 will have a hard enough time meeting payroll, much less expanding the scope of government spending. New York has been on a spree lately, much of it funded by once-in-a-lifetime federal bonanza grants tied to the pandemic. But those giveaway days are gone, and Washington's far more likely to reduce what it sends this way, so both city and state must now face some serious belt-tightening. Blaming President Donald Trump — as Mamdani is already doing with his 'Five Boroughs Against Trump' tour — can't change the stony truth that New York spends money like it'll never run out. Heck, in the face of federal tightening of eligibility for Medicaid and food stamps, Gov. Kathy Hochul is scrambling to ensure no illegal immigrant gets cut off, even if New York taxpayers must cover the whole bill. It all means less state and federal flowing to Gotham. Which would leave a Mayor Mamdani looking for soak-the-rich tax hikes even larger than what he now suggests to fund his big dreams. The great Maggie Thatcher famously noted: 'The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money,' but New York City is on track to run out even before the socialist takes over.
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AOC campaign denies link to woman charged with 'terroristic threat' against school over Jewish students
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