Make outdoor dining’s rules fit NYC’s eateries
Manhattan: NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn deserves credit for highlighting the importance of outdoor dining and reforms to ensure its long-term success (“It’s time for us to save outdoor dining,” op-ed, March 15).
Seasonal rules that require restaurants to repeatedly build, dismantle, store and rebuild roadway cafes create significant costs and operational burdens that many small restaurants in neighborhoods across the five boroughs simply can’t afford. But saving outdoor dining isn’t just about roadway cafes. DOT should also restore the long-standing clear-path standard for sidewalk cafes that worked for decades before the pandemic, was endorsed by DOT during the temporary program, but then inexplicably changed for the worse. The current limitations and complicated rules have reduced seating, revenue, jobs and worker pay. The city should also make the Dining Out NYC program easier to access by reducing fees, allowing paper applications and adding a “save your work” feature to the online portal, streamlining Community Board review, permitting high-quality sidewalk café enclosures in cooler months to support year-round revenue and jobs, eliminating the costly revocable consent requirement that adds months of red tape, and allowing fees to be paid in installments.
Outdoor dining has proven its value. The city must refine the rules so it can thrive across all five boroughs. Andrew Rigie, executive director, NYC Hospitality Alliance, and Tom Grech, president and CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce
Religious posturing
Astoria: What a slap in the face to the correction officers, captains, assistant deputy wardens and everybody at the top by that imbecile mayor. He hosted a celebration for Ramadan on Rikers Island for the menaces of society, who don’t even vote. They pulled the wool over Mayor Smiley’s eyes, who is clueless to the fact that inmates find religion while incarcerated and then lose it when they’re released. What’s next? Probably an Easter feast at Gracie Mansion for the “kids” who had a “snowball fight” with police officers. Aris Sakellaridis
Broadcaster blitzkrieg
Manhattan: Bari Weiss, the machete-wielding head of CBS News, killed the nearly century-old CBS News Radio. It had 23 million listeners. I’ve gotta wonder how this is an accomplishment. Her efforts to slay the more influential “60 Minutes,” with its viewership of some 9 million, seems more aligned with her slayer assignment. And so goes America. Frankie Turchiano
Cheap shot
Brooklyn: Upon learning of Robert Mueller’s passing, a very small man wrote, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” Just wait… Peter Magnotta
Predictably petty
Massapequa, L.I.: My condolences to the family of Robert Mueller on his passing. Just after the announcement of Mueller’s death, President Trump says, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” What a terrible thing to say, especially from the president. Donnie, it just shows all of your class. Too bad your class is all low. Ron Boehning
Long-term pain
Kingston, N.Y.: To Voicer Michael Ilardi: No one complained about gas prices during Joe Biden’s administration because the price fluctuated reasonably within the parameters of a vibrant, healthy economy that Biden brought back from the chaos he inherited from the Trump 45 regime, turning America’s economy into the envy of the world. The utter destruction of natural gas and oil fields and refining facilities in the Middle East under the Trump administration won’t be a “temporary issue for a war we’ll reap benefits from for generations,” as you claim. The damage to the aforementioned natural resources and equipment will take years to fix. The fact that you and millions of others continue to buy into the lies and propaganda of Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is a sad commentary on the state of education and critical thinking in our school systems. Joseph Kesselring
Home territory
Staten Island: I’m thankful that the snow has finally melted, and after enduring such a winter, I promise that I will not complain about the ant “invasion” and their “excursion” onto my kitchen floor. Not to worry — my plan is to “obliterate” them. Happy spring! Gina Ottrando
Who will do it?
Albany: As we enter the final state budget process, it’s important to note that Gov. Hochul has invested more than $2.5 billion for programming and facilities to make our families, children and communities stronger and safer. One missing need: Where are the workforce and providers that will offer and implement treatment and increase access? We need to continue to invest in the vital workforce and staff to ensure effective success. We still have a serious mental health crisis. Waitlists are excessive, families and clients suffer without options and lives are ruined. We need comprehensive and sustainable workforce mental health investment — 4% worker payment, scholarships, loan forgiveness, living wages and professional support — if we want to address the crisis. Prior investments are significant, but without the staff, it will be for naught. William Gettman
Masking methane
Manhattan: Hochul has been delaying implementation of a nation-leading climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, since she took office. Now she has a new tactic. She’s trying to weaken it through the state budget process. She has replaced CLCPA’S correct methane measuring method with one that dilutes the pernicious nature of methane. Nearly 70 climate scientists have written in response to set her straight. Methane is far more dangerous than carbon dioxide, its climate heating potential as it leaks from pipelines and flares from smokestacks occurring over a brief 20 years, rather than over the 100 years of carbon dioxide that Hochul is trying to dilute it to. Faking the math masks the monster methane is. It’s a gas company tactic, yet another that Hochul has embraced. David Wolfson
Condemned nonetheless
Manhattan: While I can sympathize with Voicer Stephanie Harris’ frustration at the criminal justice system regarding her brother and his cancer diagnosis, I noticed a severe lack of acknowledgement regarding the human her brother murdered, who can get nothing because their life was taken. Her brother hasn’t given 13 years to anyone. He took a lifetime from a person. He should absolutely receive health care — to ensure he serves his entire sentence for the life he took. And I truly sympathize with Harris. My aunt died after five days in a Suffolk County jail where she was denied her basic medication. She had not been proven guilty. Her brother has. In pleading for his life, she forgot to mention the one he stole. T.S. Fallani
Undeliverable
Manhattan: Voicer L. Veneroni is spot-on about the USPS wanting to raise the first-class letter rate. And every rate increase causes a “restriction,” a reduction in items mailed. Of amusing interest is the “penny postcard” from many years ago. The intent was to enable writers who couldn’t afford the 3-cent letter rate then to be able to communicate. Today, the postcard rate is 61 cents! Alan Flacks