Troy, N.Y.: The Retired Public Employees Association, which speaks for around 500,000 retirees from New York state and local governments, is adamantly against any move to remove them from standard Medicare.
Although the recent decision by New York City to halt the installation of a Medicare Advantage plan is a positive step, we are nonetheless worried that the concept might come up again in the future. RPEA is adamant that seniors should have access to stable health care that removes needless obstacles to receiving the treatment they require. Any idea that would restrict coverage or jeopardize the commitments made to public sector retirees should be rejected, we implore leaders.
The state comptroller reports that the average pension for retirees from public service is $28,000. Seventy percent receive less than $40,000, and half receive less than $30,000. Due to their fixed earnings, these New Yorkers depend on their current coverage for regular care, predictable out-of-pocket expenses, and access to reliable physicians. Prior authorizations, treatment denials, and provider network restrictions are common obstacles imposed by Medicare Advantage plans. Retirees’ commitments made after decades of public service are undermined when they are forced into such arrangements. For this reason, RPEA backs initiatives like the Health Equity for Retirees Act, which would safeguard retiree benefits throughout the state and guarantee that no one is compelled to accept a lower level of coverage against their will. In order to preserve the benefits that retirees have accrued, legislation must be advanced next session with bipartisan support.
We’re excited to keep collaborating with state legislators to guarantee the security of retiree health care for many years to come.Executive Director of the Retired Public Employees Association, Tom Tatun
Bronx: Why would the MTA raise subway and bus fares now that they are getting funding from congestion pricing?Cummings, Eric Jr.
Glen Ridge, New Jersey: Because of his cruel, twisted hatred of animals, the Queens man who killed a dog by beating it and then burning it should have a front seat in hell. He is, and I use that word sparingly, a repulsive human being. You should burn in hell, Isaiah Gurley. But first, serve the longest sentence the court permits for your horrible deed.Ferrara, Francine
Manhattan: The identical image of Park Ave. shooter Shane Tamura, who appears to be walking or strolling across a wide-open area with an enormous, difficult-to-miss firearm (an AR-15 rifle!) in his right hand, appears in every news report. Didn’t someone on surveillance, above, or nearby see this odd individual and think about reporting him to the appropriate authorities? He turned out to be a murderer and mass shooter.Fragale, James A.
Monroe, N.J.: After witnessing the starving children in Gaza on television, President Trump said, “Make sure they get food.” He is requesting that Israel manage it. It’s odd coming from a president who has canceled foreign humanitarian initiatives like USAID. In the United States, President Sensitivity has also reduced a number of services, including health care and SNAP. How about putting compassion into action to restore America’s greatness?Moloney, Katherine A.
Sleepy Hollow, New York: With the swift success of Trump’s authoritarian takeover, the opposition will need to be extremely resourceful to keep politics from overriding science, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin complies with Trump’s directives regarding the position to adopt (Zeldin’s greenhouse gasbag, editorial, July 31). The government’s excess in disregarding science is no more than its oversight of Columbia University’s hiring and admissions practices or its monitoring of CBS News and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert. Tyrant Trump is the real heir to Louis XIV, the French king who is said to have said, “L tat, c est moi,” meaning “it’s my country and I make the rules.” Trump believes that climate change is a hoax, protests the presence of wind turbines on his Scottish golf courses (which he recently paid for with tax dollars), and demands enormous sums of money from oil companies in return for destroying the clean jobs, renewable energy, and local investment sectors.Kellock, Sally
Ormond Beach, Florida: The left has been expressing a lot of anger and using a lot of foul language lately, especially since Trump has been able to fulfill the campaign pledges that helped him win the election last year. Many Democrats and so-called progressives, in my opinion, exhibit classic symptoms of histrionic personality disorder (HPD), a mental illness marked by excessive attention-seeking behaviors, emotional instability, and a distorted self-image, in addition to their Trump Derangement Syndrome. To get attention and approval from others, people with HPD frequently act out or behave in ways that are theatrical or inappropriate. Emotional reactivity and a propensity to exaggerate events are common symptoms. This is exemplified by Cory Booker’s recent outburst in the Senate floor.Sitero, Charles Michael
Voice actor Ralph D. Esposito, Bronx To claim that MAGA despises Jews by using the Fine People fake is equivalent to claiming that MAGA despises gays and minorities by citing the Jussie Smollett hoax.Chuck Shannon
Midland Park, New Jersey: The four-part documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein is a must-watch for anyone interested in learning more about the employee from whom Jeffrey Epstein stole from Trump. It is currently available on Amazon Prime. The late Virginia Giuffre is shown talking about how Ghislaine Maxwell volunteered to teach her how to be a massage therapist for Epstein when she was a 16-year-old employee of Mar-a-Lago. The five-year-old documentary is sadly captivating.McDonough, Mary Jo
White Plains, N.Y.: I worked for a number of businesses in a posh mall when I retired. Sales associates from other stores were frequently hired by store management. These workers weren’t taken. If they quit their current position, it was either in hopes of working for a better employer or because they were offered a better job description or benefits.Bernstein Feigenbaum, Randi
Dartmouth, Mass.: Newspapers and cable networks continue to be a bulwark against the demise of American democracy, despite the kowtowing and caving of colleges, legal firms, and once moral lawmakers. Fear and avarice have essentially shut down any trustworthy news source, from the Washington Post to obscure local weeklies. Readers are either denied the facts or are given misleading information to support their opinions, sometimes by relying on local lore or being given false equivalency. In a collapsing democracy, the media either obeys the orders of the autocrats or is either kept in the dark about events that are happening or is suppressed by expensive lawsuits. Reputable reporters and pundits are either quitting or getting fired, leaving their jobs vacant or being hired by obedient or harmless replacements. A democracy quickly and silently perishes in the absence of trustworthy and truthful news.Ussach, Betty
Hallandale Beach, Fla.: Ryne Sandberg was a revered character in Major League Baseball and a legend of the Chicago Cubs team. He was a five-tool player whose strength, speed, and work ethic allowed him to succeed in every aspect of the game. Ryne earned 10 consecutive All-Star selections, nine straight Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and 1984 National League MVP honors. As a Cubs ambassador, a Phillies manager, a minor league manager, and a regular visitor to the Hall of Fame, Ryne continued to be involved with the game. In recent years, he bravely battled cancer with the support of his many friends from across the game. My sincerest sympathies go out to Ryne’s family, all Cubs supporters, and his admirers during our national pastime.Bacon, Paul
Augusta, Maine: ReJustice Story: Dynamite kills 2 in tiny Maine town(Aug. 4, 2013): I would like to comment and add additional information for this story. I live next door to Cynthia Kelley s younger sister, who survived the 1963 dynamite attack. We have been neighbors for 18 years. Ms. Kelley s granddaughter also lives here and grew up as best friends with my daughter. I first learned about this story from Ms. Kelley about eight years ago. It s tragic but also fascinating, even more so because Ms. Kelley s granddaughter was born more than 40 years after the tragedy on the same day, Aug. 3. I believe the baby is still living. I also believe Paul Pierce is among the living. I think it would be so interesting to follow up on this 62 years later.Tracy D. Towle
