Readers sound off on Mamdani’s first month, agent accountability and snow removal

Rhetoric aside, the mayor is off to a good start

Manhattan: I certainly did not vote for the inexperienced Mayor Mamdani, and I am certainly not a democratic socialist. That said, I must congratulate our new mayor on his good first weeks in office.

He decided to retain our city’s super-effective and independent police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. You could have heard my exhale from a mile away. I appreciate and admire the way he has treated our clown of a president thus far. The priority of the mayor’s job should be to act in the best interests of his constituents, not to be his official spokesperson on all national or international issues. Unlike New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who said last week on CNN, “There’s no point in having a working relationship with Donald Trump because Trump is not someone you can work with,” Mamdani has worked to establish a mutually cordial relationship with the president. He took a “Look, we probably won’t agree on too many social issues, but we’re both New Yorkers and we both have something to gain from making the city a safe and economically viable place to live and work” approach.

The Department of Sanitation did an excellent job plowing snow and clearing roads in all corners of the city during what was a historic snowstorm. I have never seen as much snowplow activity on Second Avenue as I did on Sunday! I’m sure I’ll have more than my share of problems with Mamdani as his term continues, but based on this short sample of his tenure, I admit to feeling a little safer than I did a few months ago. Gary Stein

Unconstitutional murder

Flushing: To Rep. Grace Meng: My wife and I were outraged by the senseless murder of Alex Pretti on Saturday. They stripped him of his First Amendment (the right to peaceful assembly), his Second Amendment (lawfully carry a firearm), and his Fourth Amendment (not to be unlawfully searched or seized). Republican Senators Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) called for a thorough and impartial investigation, adding that anything less would be a disservice to the nation. We also demand a thorough and impartial investigation into this matter. Al Musaffi

Twisted reasoning

Jacksonville, Florida: Watch and listen as Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino on CNN Sunday is asked repeatedly: What evidence do you have against this 37-year-old U.S. citizen who was actually a nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs? Like all those who cannot defend their actions, Bovino deviated! His response: He had no reason to be in the middle of a street to obstruct a law enforcement operation. In fact, this man was just holding a cell phone and whistling! Wow, that would really stop these untrained federal thugs from dragging people out of their cars, stores, churches and sidewalks! Next time I’m shopping at Walmart, I’ll look for a bag of Bovino pretzels, as the CNN reporter turned it into Bovino! Carl JC Hafner

Self-responsibility

Bronx: Given all the lack of truth coming out of Washington in general and the White House in particular, they should be required to wear publicly visible lie detectors when speaking publicly. The bullshit needs to stop. Stephen Markbreit

Threat from above

Bronx: I never thought the greatest threat to our national security would one day be the government itself. The blood of innocent people killed in Minnesota by an American secret police is in the hands of the perpetrators and their lying accomplices. These stains will not fade easily. Protest and vote against this “leadership”. The United States has ceased to be a refuge for foreigners and citizens alike. Maria Bonanti

System reset

Newtown, Pennsylvania: Rep. Ritchie Torres suggested putting QR codes on ICE agents to identify them. This will work just as well as “It’s okay man, I’m not mad at you.” Let’s treat ICE like Woody Johnson would treat the 0-17 Jets. Fire the general manager and coaches, i.e. Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem and Bovino. Evaluate each player based on their abilities and psychological profile. Release any agent who views American citizens, especially brown and black people, as enemies. Change recruiting and hiring tactics, such as war marketing, white nationalist imagery, insufficient background checks, and recruiting gun rights advocates and military enthusiasts. Increase training time and train staff on the new system so they don’t think stepping in front of a vehicle and shooting an innocent woman three times in the head is the right response to First Amendment protests. Gary Goldman

Privileged minority

Elmhurst: Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey seem to be under the impression that Minnesota is Somalia. Somalis are not the majority in Minnesota. They constitute a small minority. The governor goes out of his way to treat Somalis as if they are an endangered species. Walz’s obsession might be better understood when linked to the massive sums of money attached to fraud in his state, which is largely, if not entirely, perpetrated by Somalis. This explains his actions better than his concern for the welfare of the illegal influx of undocumented Somalis. The love of money seems more credible. James League

Different fight

Manhattan: Please stop trying to compare the Minneapolis riots over ICE immigration enforcement to the American Negro Civil Rights Movement. It is insulting, incorrect, offensive and racist. The Negro American fought our government for the rights it denied us as citizens. We are not illegal immigrants or immigrants at all; we were created here. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did say that injustice anywhere poses a threat to justice everywhere, but he also understood that we must obey laws, no matter how unjust, and he and others were repeatedly imprisoned. Stop comparing the fight of citizens to that of undocumented immigrants. We are not the same. Heyward Johnson Jr.

Expect the worst

Hicksville, LI: To anyone who still believes there’s going to be a “blue tsunami” in the November midterm elections, I have a Brooklyn bridge to sell you. And if you think these traitorous fascists will just allow you to remove them from power, you need to step aside and sit down somewhere. Wake up, people, and understand that the Trump administration is working to create Part II of the Civil War. Steven Malinofsky

Still buried

Brooklyn: There’s a lot of snow outside, and with these freezing temperatures, it won’t melt anytime soon. The plows just pushed the snow from the middle of the street onto the cars, leaving people to dig out the cars. Where to put all the snow? Many years ago, during big storms like this, the city would have plows to pile the snow at one end of the street, or better yet, they would load it onto trucks and haul it away. This seems like a smarter solution. And heaven help us if we have another storm before the snow from this one disappears. L. Veneroni

Cross the picket line

Manhattan: By sending nurses from the New York State Department of Health to striking hospitals, Governor Hochul breaks the strike. The hospital management uses the Hochul maneuver to hide the deteriorating conditions at the hospital. Instead of supporting management and their lies, Hochul must pressure them to address the real issues of the strike: staff increases and workplace safety. Union members have a long memory when it comes to breaking strikes. I certainly won’t vote for her. Lee Levin

Single flight

Brooklyn: Calling me a fanatic, voice actor Andrew Ross launches into the projection. He would do well to take a careful look at the history of Zionism. When it comes to land ownership, Zionists take an approach analogous to that of shoplifters: any land they see is “holy.” Therefore, it’s theirs, so they take it. The words of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echo this sentiment. Nick Smith