To build more, remove an obvious obstacle
Albany: The Daily News is right that New York City needs to act boldly to resolve the housing crisis (“Housing report is right that NYC must build and build,” editorial, Aug. 23). Building affordable housing at scale means politicians need to break up with wealthy special interests like the construction accident lawyers who plaster the city and MTA buses with billboards and ads. Albany has the tools to fix the costly lawsuit-magnet Scaffold Law, but it requires the courage to stand up to the trial lawyer lobby.
The only-in-New York Scaffold Law adds millions of dollars to every construction project through inflated settlements and insurance costs, much of which is alleged to be driven by fraud and exaggerated claims. Affordable housing builders have warned about these costs for years, and disaster relief organizations named the law as a barrier to rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.
New York can’t afford to let lawyers and their lobbyists stand in the way of tackling the city’s and the state’s housing shortage. Albany should reform the Scaffold Law to curb lawyer-led fraud and unnecessary lawsuits. We can lower construction costs while preserving protections for workers. If Mayor Mamdani truly wants a housing construction boom in New York City, he should advocate for Scaffold Law reform and help make housing more affordable to build.
Tom Stebbins, executive director, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York
High-roller renters
Smithtown, L.I.: Whatever Voicer Michelle Brown says about “The Communist Manifesto,” Scandinavia and meliorism in response to my suggestion to tax rich renters may be true, but that wasn’t my point. Why are only wealthy owners with two residences asked to pay more to support the mayor’s agenda? Using her estimate of wealthy rent-stabilized tenants being 10% of all, that’s more than 100,000 units that are being subsidized. If they paid $300 more per month on average, that would generate close to $400 million in revenue to support Mamdani’s agenda. Why does he only go after rich property owners who aren’t subsidized and not rich renters who are subsidized?
Andrew Ross
Not working
Manhattan: ” ‘Penn Track’ pimp who used threats to keep women working faces 10 years: feds” highlights the brutal reality of the commercial sex trade at the notorious Brooklyn site: black eyes, threats to break teeth and bones, breaking down doors. All these acts describe nearly unimaginable violence. What it doesn’t describe, however, is “work,” a term the article repeatedly uses to describe the activity the brutalized women were forced to perform. What other employer fosters acts of torture in the workplace? Label the activity by the term contained in New York’s criminal code: prostitution. If “prostitution” sounds sordid, that’s because it is. We should be careful not to minimize the brutal reality of the commercial sex industry by characterizing it as “work.” Call it by its name.
Lori L. Cohen, CEO, Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT)
Keep them safe
Manhattan: It’s not too late for the Senate to save Haitians who’ve been living here under Temporary Protected Status from being forced onto deportation flights to the violent and chaotic place from which they escaped. Sen. Chuck Schumer fought to maintain TPS, and it’s not time for him or for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to quit trying to protect New York’s large Haitian population. Let them both speak out about this effort to send people America promised to protect back into danger, and to pass legislation to make it official.
Joel Chaffee
Particularly vulnerable
Manhattan: President Trump, with the backing of our unjust Supreme Court, is about to send Haitians who have been protected here back into a humanitarian crisis in their chaotic homeland. Those returning from the U.S. are perceived as well-to-do, and would be at even more risk of daily violence and kidnappings than ordinary Haitian citizens. Haitians served Trump and JD Vance as racist foils during the campaign. Now their skin color makes them a priority deportation target. Schumer and Gillibrand worked hard to maintain Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. They must not give up now. Keep speaking up for Haitians in the U.S. and make sure to pass the current bill to restore their protected status.
Sarabeth Harrelson
Capital punishment
Manhattan: Immigration detention centers are an outrage in our United States. Where’s the pushback from Congress? Must this unhinged man be allowed to destroy America? He’s demolishing our nation’s capital piece by piece — the White House, the Reflecting Pool, and vulgar auto racing on its streets. America 250? Wake up, fellow citizens.
Neil J. Pollicino
Unbelievable
Brooklyn: Regarding Voicer Robert Brennan’s diatribe against President Joe Biden: Why is DJT using an alias to write to the Daily News? Does he think this nonsense would be even less believable if he used his own name?
Ilsa Ruthen
That’s the spirit
Orange, Conn.: With the current unnecessary tariff conflict between Trump and our Canadian neighbors precipitated by our child in chief, the bully Trump has possibly met his match. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have the courage and will not back down to Trump’s bluster. They reply, “Bring it on.” I say stick it to the bullyboy by tacking a 100% tariff on all U.S products coming over the border and cutting all energy exports to the U.S., then watch how the Trumpers scream. And they deserve it. Finally, there are leaders like Carney and Ford who won’t be intimidated by Trump’s posturing. I wish we had elected leaders with the courage to stand up to his bullying tactics, finally put him in his place and start protecting us, the everyday people. It’s time that people start punching back.
Fred Portoff
New mnemonic
Largo, Fla.: Many of us learned the mnemonic HOMES to remember the names of the five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. If Trump petulantly changes Lake Ontario to Lake America, I guess we can use the mnemonic SHAME. Of course, this will only be good until Canada changes Lake Michigan to Lake Toronto, and then we could use HATES?
Michael Ferrara
Little ol’ me?
Manhattan: I’m a low-income senior living on assistance. My life was turned upside down when I was victimized by an overseas wire transfer. They got into my banking, computer, cell phone and landline. They did me really dirty. I thought it only happened to big corporations, but not so. They can get to anyone.
Helen Mary Murphy
Bringer of joy
Suffern, N.Y.: Dolly Parton was a great songwriter (3,000 songs), singer and humanitarian. She had that common touch, as shown in my favorite song “Two Doors Down” (“They’re laughin’ and drinkin’ and havin’ a party”). She turns feeling sorry for herself to joining the joy at the party. Just measure all the joy she has brought her fans with her music and her love.
Rick Sinclair