Claims of voter fraud ignore the rules we have
Commack, L.I.: I’d like to thank Voicer Robert Kralick for adding some humor to an otherwise boring Saturday! He seems to believe that anyone can vote anywhere and vote more than once.
Not so! Having served as a poll worker, I can explain how in-person voting works. Both a Democrat and a Republican poll worker are required to be seated, side by side, at the table where potential voters line up to be given blank ballots. Each table represents a number of addresses in the neighborhood. The potential voter must give their name (we are not required to ask for ID). When we find them in the log, they must sign under a copy of their previous signature. We then hand them a blank ballot to fill in. The voter hands the completed ballot to another election worker who feeds it into a scanner where it gets recorded.
There are issues that may present themselves, for which poll workers have been prepared. If we can’t find the name of the potential voter in our log, they can’t vote (sometimes that’s due to a recent move to another address and is something they must follow up on with the Board of Elections). If they don’t appear to resemble the voter they claim to be — age-wise, for example — they can’t vote. If they already voted (i.e. we notice they already signed under their previous signature), they can’t vote again. Mail-in ballots work similarly: Your ballot, once received, will be scanned and counted, provided you haven’t already voted.
If Kralik believes it’s so easy to vote more than once, I suggest he gives that a try. Yvonne Fitzner
The true trickery
Flushing: The Squire of Glen Head, Voicer Robert Kralick, tells us once more about all the voting frauds perpetrated by the Democrats in previous elections. He conveniently ignores the fact that GOP state legislatures in the South are routinely imposing voter suppression rules aimed at minorities in order to limit voting for Democrats. How many bubbles in a bar of soap, Mr. K? Lester Simon
Industry city
Brooklyn: Despite all the grandstanding and backslapping by politicians, why don’t they show some real guts and admit that there will never be any solution to the affordable housing crisis in New York City? Why? Because the greedy, disgusting real estate lobby owns our elected officials lock, stock and barrel. Stop putting everybody on. Take the money out of politics! Gary Butler
Short-term rentals
Manhattan: The restriction on Airbnb in New York City represents a heavy-handed approach that has not yielded the desired outcomes. A more balanced policy is needed. Rent in New York City continues to be astronomical, and is only going in one direction— up. The housing supply remains constrained. And those who wish to rent their apartments on a short-term basis will merely find other ways to do so. It is generally a matter of adapting to the law, not abiding by it. The ban on Airbnb makes it exceedingly difficult for tourists — at least those of middle-class means — to visit NYC, and likewise puts a burden on those who may need temporary accommodations for any variety of personal reasons. The law is a gift to the hotel lobby, not one that has benefited the people of NYC. It is red tape gone awry. Daniel Dolgicer
Park-friendly
Manhattan: Re “The High Line, under threat again” (op-ed, Sept. 4): These arguments don’t hold water. First, the High Line is not remotely under threat by our proposal to develop the Western Rail Yards; as longtime neighbors and supporters of the High Line, we have met with Friends of the High Line 10 times and made substantial amendments to our proposal in response to their concerns. Since that time, they have failed to communicate any substantive concerns and instead have launched a disinformation campaign. We amended the 2009 plan because it was no longer economically feasible given the escalating costs of building the platform on the site, and the housing that the High Line decries being reduced was actually high-end residential units. While the High Line hand-wrings over the impact on their “city views” of a railyard, this proposal will create a 5.6-acre public park, 5,000 permanent union jobs in the resort, more than 300 units of affordable housing and much-needed economic investment in NYC, all while enhancing access to the High Line. Andrew P. Rosen, chief operating officer, Hudson Yards
Unpleasant art
Brooklyn: I am disabled. So, when subway elevators are available to use, I am grateful. However, it’s kind of creepy when you ride up and down these elevators to see graffiti on the exterior transparent walls. Whoever designed these elevators obviously didn’t think ahead to how easily they would be defaced by graffiti in NYC. Even worse is that the graffiti seems to be unremovable. Shame on them. George Nader
Blowing it
White Plains, N.Y.: Why can’t the Yankees ask Mariano Rivera or Jeff Nelson for help with Clay Holmes’ pitching? He’s killing us with 11 blown saves. We’ll be hopeful to get past the first round if he can’t get it together. He’s like John Wetteland (Sweatland, lol). Help! Rick Tilson
Pitcher pattern
St. Petersburg, Fla.: When the hell is Hal Steinbrenner going to realize that Boonehead is the dumbest manager in baseball? To continue to bring Clay Holmes into games as a closer time after time when this guy has blown 11 saves already is unbelievable. Not to mention the many times he’s turned a comfortable lead into a nail-biting ending and received a “save” for it! Aaron Boone is a bubble-blowing, peanut-shell-spitting moron who should’ve been fired last year. The Yankees will never win the big prize with him as manager. I’d love to know what the players privately feel about his dumb decisions. Please, Hal, get him out of our dugout! Bill Barrett
Dog days
Staten Island: To Voicer Sarah Alboher: I’m with you. I detest summer. The heat, humidity and smells are disgusting. I even get upset in spring knowing that summer is just around the corner. Can’t wait for those first chill nights of autumn. Lynn Fodor
Just go green
Brooklyn: So, Gov. Hochul has convened “global experts” to discuss New York’s future energy economy with a discussion of small nuclear reactors as a high point. Does she think New Yorkers have forgotten Chernobyl or Fukushima? What community would welcome a new nuclear power plant, no matter how small? As the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis points out, nuclear power remains too expensive, too slow to build and far too risky. Hochul’s flirtation with nuclear power is a way for her to avoid doing the real work of governance. By law, New York is required to get 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. But a number of recent reports show that New York under Hochul is falling behind. Build the wind, solar, battery storage, thermal energy networks and grid support we need. That’s our future energy economy. Sara Gronim
Restraint
Camden, N.J.: As we are approaching the final days of President Biden’s political career, I applaud his efforts to refrain our country’s military from the world’s conflicts. Biden has endured much family tragedy himself — he is personally aware of and can identify with long-standing pain and suffering. He didn’t encourage Congress to declare war in international affairs deemed unruly. His actions kept our country from not enduring new Gold Star families’ painful hardships. Wayne E. Williams
Preoccupied prez
Jackson Heights: While President Biden segues from one vacation to another and Vice President Kamala Harris is on a multi-state campaign tour, who’s running our country as we inch closer to World War III? The American people are like Kevin from “Home Alone.” Glenn B. Jacobi
Sank the solution
Bronx: To Voicer Glenn J. McManus, who complains about Kamala Harris and President Biden letting “millions” of “illegal migrant criminals” across the border: You ask why? Why don’t you ask Donald Trump? He is the one who killed the bipartisan border bill. Sandi Lusk