Unraveling all the election intrigue

To the editor:

(re: “Lora not ready to give up, but hopes dim,” July 1)

When we talk about what’s happening nowadays, a friend often refers to this being the “age of stupidity” or “strange times.” While the world always has had too much evil and stupidity, in some ways, it’s worse now.

There’s Mayor Bill de Blasio who has supported Juneteenth being made a holiday. But while federal and state workers will get this day off, de Blasio does not support giving it to city workers. He complains it will cost the city $150 million.

This is out of a budget of close to $100 billion.

de Blasio has long preached against income inequality. But as an employer, he has increased the budget above the level of inflation while keeping employee salaries below it, like the EMTs boycotting the parade for pandemic heroes because they’re without a contract for three years while still making poverty wages.

But de Blasio’s anti-worker policies were apparent during his first term. So when he ran for re-election in 2017, how come so few people voted for Sal Albanese in the primary or general election?

Mayoral candidate Eric Adams gets referred to as “moderate” or “conservative” by some, even though he’s long criticized police abuse and racism. He’s said he’d fire bad cops and has expressed support for city workers. The so-called progressives’ favorite was Maya Wiley. When asked if she’d take guns from cops, she said she couldn’t answer that question.

Some try to say Wiley was not ready for that question. What’s there not to be ready for? Who would consider having cops patrol in New York City without guns?

I’ve dealt with neurosis and minimal brain dysfunction all my life. But on my worst day, I would never consider having the New York Police Department patrol without guns. Perhaps a Mayor Wiley would appoint the ghost of the great actor James Stewart as police commissioner. After all, he played no-gun Destry.

Another so-called progressive in the Wiley mold was a city council candidate who lost two recent elections: Mino Lora. In a July 1 front-page story, Ethan Stark-Miller quotes her as saying “I was the only woman of color in the race, the only immigrant in the race, and the only progressive. So I think there were things about all of these things that may be threatening to others and the status quo.”

No, supporting “defund the police” and originally saying “abolish the police” is threatening. If all good people were real-life John Waynes who could outfight and outshoot the bad guys, then we wouldn’t need cops. But us non-celluloid heroes need the police.

Also, a note to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: While I appreciate you having pushed Democrats to support what they are supposed to stand for, I would also appreciate if you did not support the most wacko among those who call themselves progressives.

Then there are the Democratic U.S. Senators’ complaint about legislation they can’t pass because of the filibuster rule. Fact: In 2017, Republicans used “budget rules” to shield then-President Donald Trump’s tax cuts from the filibuster. They passed them by a 51-48 vote. If Democrats really want to, they can pass their legislation as well by bypassing or ending the filibuster.

Then there’s the winner of the Manhattan district attorney Democratic primary, Alvin Bragg. In a guest editorial page column in the Daily News by Daniel R. Alonso, the claim is made that Braggs “would issue a policy on his first day in office precluding (assistant district attorneys) from seeking prison sentences longer than 20 years, even for the most heinous of crimes.”

But a July 3 Daily News editorial says there would be exceptions for “extraordinary circumstances.” Which is it?

Then they complain that Bragg doesn’t explain what those circumstances would be. Since those editors allegedly are journalists, shouldn’t one of them contact Bragg and ask him?

But the publication is only New York City’s best daily because the New York Post and The New York Times are so awful.

The Daily News has a columnist, Errol Louis, who occasionally writes something good, but is mostly lame. His knee usually jerks to the center, such as when he opposed legalization of marijuana.

But then he went from the irrational center to the irrational left when he claimed a social worker, rather than a cop, could handle someone passing a counterfeit bill. I guess a non-homicidal cop would make too much sense.

Richard Warren

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