Readers sound off on health care inequality, Gaza ceasefire and inflation refunds

Mamdani presents a path to fixes for the health system

Manhattan: As a long-time health policy activist and primary care physician in the South Bronx, health care is important to us in the mayor’s race. We know a lot about Andrew Cuomo’s time as governor. He listens to donors and family friends, not community residents. He appointed his father’s deputy health secretary, former chief executive officer of Northwell Health, to lead his efforts to eliminate Medicaid and guide his COVID response. Northwell expanded its operations beyond Long Island with blanket state approvals, received the first free-standing emergency room in Manhattan, and authored several plans to overhaul the safety net. Cuomo is adept at creating the semblance of an open public process while his friends carry out his plans.

Zohran Mamdani offers a different path. He listens to community voices and focuses on the affordability crisis. Affordable housing, child care, public transportation and food are essential to maintaining good health. Past policy and institutional choices have made health care unaffordable for 78 percent of New Yorkers and created deep inequities in access based on race, language, medical conditions, insurance coverage, and ability to pay. Wealthy, tax-exempt medical institutions limit care for Medicaid patients while our public health and community care systems remain underfunded and overburdened.

Mamdani is committed to community safety by caring for people where they are rather than throwing them into already overcrowded emergency rooms. Building on promising practices that emerged during COVID, he proposes the creation of a corps of outreach workers to help navigate people toward benefits and services. His vision of a city that serves all New Yorkers offers hope, especially to patients, communities and healthcare workers. Judy Wessler and Dr. Musaub Khan

Call for violence

Forest Hills: To the Megaphone Steven Davies: Cuomo is right to challenge Mamdani to condemn the phrase “Globalize the Intifada.” This phrase means to kill Jews all over the world. How is this acceptable to you or to Mamdani? Libby Gurgis

Viable alternative

Staten Island: As the days before the election draw closer, voters concerned about the future of New York would do well to vote for Curtis Sliwa. Why are many urging him to step down when he is the only viable candidate who truly knows and loves our city? The one who should drop out is Cuomo, whose policies destroyed our state and who was a big loser in the primaries. Curtis is for the people, Cuomo is for himself, and Mamdani is for a socialist city. John Minichelli

Cheating the system

Whitestone: Is New York Police Chief John Chell real? He is trying to get a 3/4 tax-free pension from the city (“Top NYPD cop Chell considers exit,” October 7). This is an insult to the taxpayers and citizens of New York. He claims he suffered an ankle injury that occurred a year ago, but he has been able to work full-time without any restrictions during that time. It seems to me that he is running a scam. This appears to be current NYPD and City Hall protocol. Gene O’Brien

Prejudice on parade?

Manhattan: I attended the African American Day parade last month at 125th Street and Seventh Avenue, my first participation in four years. The Daily News did not publish any photos of our proud parade. What’s new? Dominican Day, Puerto Rican Day, Caribbean Day and St. Patrick’s Day parades feature stories and photos from your reporters, giving perspectives on parades from other cultures. The African American Day parade also deserves this respect. Come on now! Elected politicians need the black vote to win in New York. Otherwise, show some respect to the people who participated in the 56th AADP. Sean Felder

I did it

Brooklyn: President Trump negotiated a peace deal in Gaza. Living and dead hostages must be returned. The last presidential administration failed to reach an agreement. He only wanted Israel to renounce the war against Hamas. Hamas must give up weapons and power. They will be closely monitored. A new political regime must be established in Palestine, hopefully for a new day of peace. People criticize the president for being too aggressive, but he made all parties involved sit down to reach an agreement. Of course, it took a while, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. The return of the Israeli hostages in a few days is a good start, followed by the gradual implementation of other steps of the agreement. Respect to the president. Joseph Comperchio

Block democracy

Manhattan: Why isn’t the Speaker of the House swearing in newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona? Because A) she’s a woman and B) she’s a Democrat. It’s atrocious. If Mike Johnson doesn’t want to swear in her, she shouldn’t need to swear in, or House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries should swear in her. Republicans often talk about the Constitution, but then want Trump for a third term, won’t allow the Epstein files to be released, and will do anything else to circumvent the Constitution. The mainstream media is so afraid of being labeled as liberal biased that it has stopped attacking Trump and the Republicans. Remember all the stories about Joe Biden not having the mental capacity to run again? We now have a totally unhinged child as president who just wants to go after the Democrats and the media (ABC) is giving him millions. Edward Drossman

It’s for us

Woodstock, NY: To the Megaphone Thomas Facchiano: I’m curious where you get your health care from, as Senators Chuck Schumer and Jeffries are doing their best to protect all American workers’ access to affordable health care. This is what they expect. Either you are independently wealthy or, more likely, you are rather uninformed. Suzanne Hayes-Kelly

We pay for that

Kew Gardens: The albatross around the Republican Party’s neck is tax cuts for the rich. The loss of this tax revenue is now being offset by laying off government employees and reducing health coverage and other benefits for working families. Glenn Hayes

Undeserved honors

Blairstown, NJ: Our King has lowered the flags to half-mast for Charlie Kirk and will present him with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. When will the flags be lowered for children killed in their classrooms? When will the parents of these children receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom? Kirk presented himself as a holy-roller, but he constantly spewed hatred, venom, racism, and vitriol, all while claiming he read the Bible. He used all of this to raise millions of dollars, much like our low IQ king uses the White House as a cash cow. No one should be fired for telling the truth about Kirk. Ron Cristi

Smothered Star

Las Vegas: Can Hal Steinbrenner be prosecuted for continuing to deny Aaron Judge a chance in the ring because he refuses to make management changes? First charge: not realizing that they need a culture change at all levels with the manager and the general director. Second count: not realizing that the analysis does not work. Dennis Buckley

It’s something

Manhattan: To commentator Ronald L. Badger: You said that $300 from Governor Hochul was a drop in the bucket. People on Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance don’t get a cent more. They too have bills to pay, rent, whatever. They all get their measly 2.5% cost of living adjustment. Consider yourself and let go, you will get your $300. That’s more than SSI and SSDI users will get. Helen M. Murphy

Proper use

Commack, LI: To voice Marion Friedman: I am an immigrant. My family and I emigrated from the Netherlands when I was two months shy of my fifth birthday. At the same time, we also immigrated to the United States. emigrate and immigrate are both verbs, but the first takes the preposition “de” while the second takes the preposition “à”. Spokesman Larry Maslak was right when he wrote: “I doubt my great-grandparents will immigrate here now. ” However, he should have used the verb emigrate when referring to “the countries from which my ancestors immigrated.” Yvonne Fitzner