Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with government
members via a video link in Sochi, Russia November 24, 2021. Photo
Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS
A mob of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump fi ght with members
of law enforcement at a door they broke open as they storm the U.S.
Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021. Photo by REUTERS/
Leah Millis/File Photo
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR MAR. 4-10, 2022 13
letters & comments
To the Editor,
So, let me get this straight.
The city, under the new mayor,
is kind of short of funds. So it’s
going to spend $350 million
to build one homeless men’s
shelter in an area that already
has three shelters. They won’t
own it, but they will rent it
from the owner, bumping up
the price in a couple of years
to $500 million.
The Blondell shelter will
be near three schools, and the
Poplar shelter will be across
the street from a school for disabled
children. If the city can’t
control the homeless on the
streets and the subway, what’s
going to happen to these children?
Last week, two men begging
on the No. 6 train started
out by saying they are in a
shelter, but are not
given what they need,
so they must beg for
food and money. Where
are the shelter funds
going, I wonder? We
have all this money to
spend for the homeless,
but can’t come up with
$7 million for a library
in Westchester Square.
By the way, where
are our politicians who
only show up if there’s
a photo-op or are up for
re-election? Their silence
is deafening.
Woody Brundage
The site of a proposed shelter in Riverdale.
Photo | Adrian Childress
Republican Party has
devolved into the
party of Putin
Jan. 6 was more than
disobedience, it was
willful terrorism
To the Editor,
Re: “Questioning Pelosi’s
Jan 6 Commission“
The author not only contradicts
his other opinion
pieces but contradicts himself
within the opinion piece.
The author questions if Pelosi’s
commission on Jan. 6
was worth it. I feel it is, but
we’ll get back to that in just
a minute.
The author questions
why no commission to investigate
property damage
associated with Antifa, or
our growing national debt.
I wholeheartedly agree with
the author about the seriousness
of all these issues,
although I wonder if a commission
is needed to investigate
each.
From what I have read,
it’s an extremely complex
task identifying everyone
that participated in the Jan.
6 insurrection.
The author just doesn’t
get it. The Jan. 6 insurrection
was not peaceful protest,
“political discourse”
(quoting the Republican National
Committee), or even
civil disobedience. It was
an attempt by terrorists to
prevent the orderly transition
of government from one
administration to the next.
These terrorists invaded
space where they weren’t
permitted, and attempted
to stop the certifi cation of
the presidential election
through violence, intimidation
and coercion.
The author has had opinion
pieces posted about fare
evasion (he disapproves). I
will make no comment on
this very complex issue.
What I will say, however, is
that while the author has an
issue with a non-violent violation
of the law, he apparently
has no issue with the
violent violation of the law.
So is the author advocating
we pick and choose
which violations of the law
should not be tolerated and
which violations of the law
we should give a pass to?
The author states those who
violate basic civil liberties
should be held accountable.
I’m not quite following how
illegal immigrants and national
debt violate my basic
civil liberties; Antifa-related
protests arguably do. But
what about the civil liberties
of all the senators and House
members to conduct their
business without fear of injury
or death? The author
has no issue with this? Is it
because his opinions appear
to be solidly Republican?
Nat Weiner
To the Editor,
Once upon a time the Republican
Party was virulently
anti-communist, a
position that has been abandoned
by the current leader
of the GOP, others in his orbit
and Republican infl uencers
who are shamelessly supporting
the Russian invasion
of a neighboring democratic
country. Continuing his bromance
with Putin, the twice
impeached 45th president
praised the Russian dictator,
characterizing his Ukraine
invasion as, “pretty smart.”
Trump’s former secretary
of state and faithful minion
Mike Pompeo described Putin
as “an elegantly sophisticated
counterpart,” and
gushed “I have enormous respect
for him.” Republican
infl uencer Tucker Carlson
has parroted Russian talking
points to such a shocking
extent that he is featured
on Russian state television.
These individuals have
openly voiced their support
for an autocratic thug who
is bent on restoring Russia’s
sphere of infl uence over the
now independent nations
that were formerly part of the
Soviet Union. It is especially
jarring to see a former president
break a long-established
norm by criticizing the current
head of state and the policies
of the U.S. government.
Once upon a time the Republican
Party favored limited
government, a position
that has been abandoned as
Republican state legislators
and governors are working
tirelessly to control the bodies
of women, non-binary citizens
and to prevent students
from learning our history,
warts and all.
Once upon a time the
Republican Party was
staunchly opposed to budget
defi cits and promoted a balanced
budget, usually at the
expense of social programs.
Trump promised to eliminate
the national debt in
eight years. Like just about
all of his pledges, this guarantee
was unfulfi lled, as he
oversaw the fastest increase
in the debt of any president,
almost 36% from 2017-2020
as reported by The Balance.
Thanks in large part to his
tax cut for the wealthy, there
is little chance that the defi -
cit will be reduced or eliminated
any time soon. But, you
can bet that the Republicans
will blame Biden for the continuing
problem.
Once upon a time the Republican
Party styled itself
as the party of law and order.
Now, they justify the Jan. 6
insurrection as “legitimate
political discourse” and refuse
to view right-wing extremists
as a threat to American
democracy.
I wish there was a happy
ending to this tale, but the
hypocrisy and cynicism of
the Republican Party make
for a Grimm brothers ending.
Pasqual Pelosi
What’s the city doing
with all this money
for shelters?
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
Letters to the editor are welcome from all readers. They should be addressed
care of this newspaper to Laura Guerriero, Publisher, the Bronx Times Reporter,
3604 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, NY 10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@cnglocal.com.
All letters, including those submitted via e-mail, MUST be signed and with a
verifi able address and telephone number included.
Note that the address and telephone number will NOT be published and the
name will be published or withheld upon request.
No unsigned letters can be accepted for publication. The editor reserves the
right to edit all submissions.
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