Manhattan: Your editorial “SoHo and beyond” (Dec. 18) and the guest column “Whose history is the city preserving?” (Dec. 12) on the City Council’s recent upzoning of SoHo/NoHo contained misperceptions of the city’s historic districts.
Landmarked areas take up only 5% of the city’s buildable area. Historic districts can’t possibly be stopping development or the creation of affordable housing. The city’s Landmarks Commission also routinely approves new buildings in these neighborhoods, which are often the densest of their areas. Many of the historic districts created in recent years have majority-minority populations. Designation reports routinely report on the history and former populations of an area.
History at risk. (Shutterstock/Shutterstock)
The city’s plan suggested that any new affordable housing in SoHo/NoHo would be built outside the historic districts. Yet the city targeted more than 80 landmarked buildings as potential development sites. Its Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan, which requires at least three market-rate units to support one affordable unit, has never produced the number of apartments it promised. There is no guarantee that any new housing will change the demographics of SoHo/NoHo.
That area has been an economic engine for the city, attracting business and visitors from around the world, because of its extraordinary collection of architecture. Out-of-scale development encouraged by this upzoning threatens its value to New York. Peg Breen, president, New York Landmarks Conservancy
Manhattan: Re “Dunce cap” (editorial, Dec. 23): Let’s get real. Nitpicking about MTA’s fare-capping offends everyone. Anyone brave enough to ride the subway to reach essential jobs during the pandemic should be commended and treated to a free ride. George Haikalis
Little Neck: To Voicer Randi Bernstein Feigenbaum: The article “Top 10 TV shows of 2021″ (Dec. 20) is a list of shows that have already been televised. It’s a “best of” for the past year, similar to lists for film, plays, etc. John P. Quinn
Spring Valley, N.Y.: Last week, Voicer Mike Ryan praised politicians for not following NYC mandates on wearing masks. I live in one of those counties. I wish I could have answered sooner but I was sick at home with COVID. I saved some money as I couldn’t buy gifts and I missed a family dinner. Thanks, Ed Day. Delores McDonald
Peters Township, Pa.: The guilty verdicts against the former officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright and the murderer of George Floyd cause one to have hope that a new era of accountability is dawning for police officers who confront suspects in a manner that results in their death, and that a white officer’s attempt to apprehend Black suspects does not provide carte blanche to use lethal force. It cannot be emphasized enough that police work is dangerous. Most officers are in their professions to serve all members of the community. It should also be stressed that an individual who is told to obey a police command should do it without question, but failure to comply must not allow officers to act as judge, jury and executioner. We entrust police officers to enforce the law and to tote lethal weapons in our name. When they fail us, they must be punished. Oren Spiegler
Whitestone: The intentional state of mind required in Minnesota for first-degree manslaughter was not proven in the case of former police officer Kim Potter. More than negligence is required for this conviction. Even manslaughter in the second degree requires that one consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm. There is no evidence that Potter consciously took chances. She reacted instinctively, if negligently, to the sudden actions of Daunte Wright. His car can be seen as a deadly weapon if driven by a desperate person trying to escape from the police. Potter will appeal. It would not surprise me if she gets a new trial, possibly based on a member of the jury admitting that he or she convicted Potter partially because he or she feared riots, as were seen after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Dorothy Lyons
Centerport, L.I.: Voicer Ron Turek stated that if Ben Franklin were alive, he would add stupidity and gun violence as certainties. Instead, he may agree with this saying: Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on a meal. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote. Don’t blame the pencil for making an error. Yet, our society is the result of mistakes made by the senseless and foolish. Too often, the clever and the genius take cover and are unwilling to act with needed reason. Peter Scott
Brooklyn: Sen. Joe Manchin is worried that the beneficiaries of President Biden’s Build Back Better program will take advantage of the child tax credit to purchase drugs, and he reportedly told fellow senators that he was against the bill’s paid sick leave because people would lie about their illness for hunting trips. Well, I guess he knows these are valid concerns among his constituents, the people of West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the nation. He is protecting them from their own personal failures, which I guess is admirable. However, maybe he should hold the residents of the other 49 states to a higher standard. Here in NYC, for instance, the hunting option would be off the table. People may abuse the child tax credit to pig out on pizzas! Dennis Middlebrooks
Massapequa Park, L.I.: I was just wondering if the Biden/Harris administration had anything to do with the release of the remake of “West Side Story.” A very popular song from that movie said something like this: “I want to live in America / Everything’s free in America.” This could not be more of a coincidence. Raymond P. Moran
West Islip, L.I.: I’m wishing for a New Year full of hope. We are at the end of this dreadful year of death and virus and the Dems are still working on Jan. 6, reminiscent of Russian collusion. Move on. Have you not noticed that this country was invaded at the border and nothing was done? Our voting system was destroyed and ignored. Also, a pipeline was stopped and gas prices soared. Our outlook for this country is sad for 2022. It’s time to pray. Carmel M. Harrigan
Kew Gardens: It seems hypocritical that the Women’s Tennis Association and American media is saying that a thorough and complete investigation be made of the alleged sexual assault by a former Chinese government official of tennis player Peng Shuai while suspending all tournaments in China. However, 26 women accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, since the 1970s, yet their allegations were virtually ignored, allowing him to be elected president. Glenn Hayes
Manhattan: I would like to know who makes up the harsh rules for SNAP users. Why is it that if your rent goes up to $278 or more, your SNAP is reduced to $48 or $23? Who actually does the math here? It is a harsh ruling. It will hurt seniors. The government is actually telling seniors who are low-income to starve to death — if you get SSI and another check, your SNAP will be reduced on Jan. 1. A lot of seniors got the letter on Dec. 22. If that isn’t a Scrooge letter, I do not know what is. It is a real slap in the face to everyone over 65. Helen M. Murphy
Las Vegas: Even though the U.S. Air Force, especially at Nellis Air Force Base, has put out press releases and has posted a number of reports online about how happy and proud they are to be testing a new mini-nuke weapon delivered by advanced fighter aircraft, try and find any coverage on this by anyone but the Air Force. While Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s daily crazy threats of war are getting reported all over, the same news organizations are not saying anything about America’s new nuclear bomb introduction. Unfortunately for me, that is happening here near Vegas at Nellis, where fighter pilots are being trained to drop them. John Penley
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News
Copyright © 2021, New York Daily News