Drivers: Quit whining, and killing
Brooklyn: Bob Friedrich couldn’t be more wrong about speed cameras (“Speed cameras just won’t give drivers a brake,” column, Oct. 19). Far from a “cash cow” or a nefarious plot against middle-class taxpayers, the cameras could not be more charitable toward drivers who are already breaking the law: They don’t kick in until a driver is exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour, issue tickets costing only $50, and result in zero points on a motorist’s license. Want to avoid getting ticketed by a speed camera? Easy: Don’t speed. Doug Gordon
More killed by cars than guns
Manhattan: On Dec. 15, a driver hit me as I was walking, and fled the scene. The driver was speeding, and had he been going a bit slower, perhaps I wouldn’t be undergoing my third operation for the severe injuries I sustained. Every 11 seconds, someone is struck and seriously injured. And we are the lucky ones. More New Yorkers are killed by cars than murdered by guns. The purpose of speed cameras is to have drivers adhere to the speed limit everywhere — to make speeding unacceptable. People should drive at a safe speed, not just to save themselves money, but to save lives. Lindsay Motlin, Families for Safe Streets
Slow down, fellas
Astoria: The whole point of unannounced placement of speed cameras is to condition motorists to obey the speed limit everywhere. If we warn motorists where the cameras are, we are pretty much telling drivers to slow down at those very few locations, but that it’s really OK to speed on the 98% of streets without them. Speeding kills. Speed cameras save lives. End of story. By the way, I bike, I walk and I drive — and I do them all safely and legally. Steve Scofield
A bridge too far
Glen Ridge, N.J.: I am a bicyclist who has crossed every major NYC bridge many times. The Brooklyn Bridge is a global tourist attraction that should be for pedestrians only. Let’s make cyclists go next-door to the Manhattan Bridge. Sam Persing
The company you keep
Plainview, L.I.: In reply to the Voice of the People letter in defense of Rachel Noerdlinger and signed by well-respected and prominent women including Hazel N. Dukes of the New York NAACP, Elinor R. Tatum of the Amsterdam News and Arva Rice of the New York Urban League, I agree that Noerdlinger should not be smeared. However, she has made very poor choices that should not be excused simply because she is a single mother. She is employed by New York City, paid by taxpayer moneys and earns a very handsome salary as chief of staff to Mayor de Blasio’s wife. Although she does not oversee a city department, she does play a key role in activities to enhance the progressive values of the administration. Thus, her personal choices matter. I believe the mayor’s strong defense of her is misguided, and reflects poorly on him. Eileen Bogner
Fools’ companion
Brooklyn: After reading the long and well-intended letter from Hazel N. Dukes and 16 others supporting Rachel Noerdlinger, I thought of something my mother told me a long time ago: “Tell me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are.” And also of Proverbs 13:20: “He who walks with wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Peter G. Orsi
The Sharpton connection
Middle Village: The 17 Voicers who signed the letter defending Rachel Noerdlinger need to understand that many of us are still trying to figure out why the mayor’s unelected spouse has a $170,000 aide on the public payroll. There is no witch hunt, but there is real anger at paying so much to a woman who does not even live in New York City, and who worked for years for the Rev. Al Sharpton. It makes it look like Sharpton is being given a role in setting public policy — and he, too, has not been elected to any public office. The Voicers’ sanctimony is misapplied. Citizens and taxpayers have legitimate complaints about Noerdlinger and her job. Larry Hoffman
Uncommon service
Forest Hills: One question for Hazel N. Dukes and Co.: On what planet are public servants not subjected to public scrutiny? Personally, it doesn’t really concern me that Rachel Noerdlinger loves a thug, or that she misrepresented her background, or that she could use a financial adviser. What makes me see red is her bogus claim of needing to live in New Jersey for the sake of her 17-year-old son’s health — while the kid is a linebacker on his high school football team! I worked for the city for 20 years, and nobody but nobody was ever even offered the option of applying for a residence variance. J. M. Culley
TMI
Brooklyn: I don’t see a reason for 24-hour news networks. There isn’t something newsworthy going on every second of every day. Information is constantly being brought to the public and is brainwashing people. Emanuel Mordechaev
True teachers
Brooklyn: Voicer Isabella Risius wants to know who is supposed to teach her how to pay taxes or talk her way out of a traffic violation. Here’s a novel thought: How about your parents? Next, she’ll be asking her teachers for an allowance or keys to the car. Susan Cassano
Sports talk
Oakland, N.J.: Bob Raissman refers to people who call in to sports talk radio shows as the “first-time-caller, long-time-moron crowd.” As someone who calls in quite often, I consider this a ridiculous generalization. Why does everything Raissman writes have to be so nasty? Bob Shwalb
Thinking of the children
Hyde Park, N.Y.: To assist with this problem of children leaving school unattended, I would suggest schools look into seniors and other volunteers who would be willing to spend a few hours at an elementary school. Provide a desk, chair, telephone and perhaps a free cafeteria lunch. That would be the only cost. It goes without saying that all volunteers must be checked for their appropriateness to be around the children. Jeannie Clark
Who’s the boss?
Long Branch, N.J.: I couldn’t agree more with Voicer Melissa Falcone about Pope Francis and Timothy Cardinal Dolan. Whenever the Pope makes a statement, Dolan finds it necessary to explain what his boss really meant or should have said. Dolan needs to get onboard, support the Pope and stop “correcting him” (which I’m certain hasn’t gone unnoticed at the Vatican). Lenzy Kelley
Where blame belongs
New City, N.Y.: Reflecting on the murder of little Jeida Torres, I reject the notion entertained in your editorial that the city is in any way at fault (“After Jeida’s murder,” Oct. 21). That kind of talk not only relieves those responsible from their culpability, but also encourages lawsuits. Short of having a team of social workers and armed guards in each apartment, you can’t stop all maniacs. Scott Jones
Panic
Secaucus, N.J: With the panic that the Ebola virus is creating around the country, why hasn’t the NYC Marathon already been canceled? Thousands of West Africans will flood our local airports, then run 26 miles through the city sweating and spitting! If Mayor de Blasio doesn’t see a problem with this, then maybe it’s time for President Obama to intervene and declare a federal emergency to stop this disaster in the making. Gary Weiss
Perspective
Brooklyn: You can’t catch Ebola unless you come into contact with the body fluids of someone showing symptoms. And yet Voicer Michael Malewich suggests that terrorists might give themselves Ebola and secretly infect subway riders while showing “no outward sign of sickness.” He then asks: “Is this a frantic rant or plain logic?” Michael, it’s a frantic rant. Thanks for checking. Todd Drezner
Poetry
Brooklyn: Why czar? The Ayatollah of Ebola is more poetic, don’t you think? Vladimir Vizner
Let’s call the whole thing off
Sayville, L.I.: Just wondering: Is the Ebola virus covered under Obamacare? Maureen Fazio
