Readers sound off on migrant buses, Christmas spirit and Mariah Carey

Tarrytown, N.Y.: I used to be a salesperson covering the five boroughs from 1990-2010. Part of our monthly expense account went to the different parking tickets, i.e. meters, alternate side of the street parking, too close to a hydrant, etc. God forbid you had an expired driver’s license, registration or insurance card, or a broken taillight, noisy muffler and dozens of other potential reasons to write you up.

This goes to my plan to make it difficult for the cocky southern governors. After dropping off these poor asylum seekers, I would pull over every bus and give them a real NYC inspection! I’m quite sure these buses can be held for a week or so until deemed safe. The amount of money we could fine these bus companies, plus the amount of time lost, would make them all think about whether it’s worth the trip. Since we can’t or won’t hold these governors responsible, all we have to do is make it impossible to give these bus companies an easy exit.

Our mayor keeps warning us about the overflow of asylum seekers and how it’s going to affect all of us. It’s way past time we flex our muscles and show what we do when some idiot politician thinks they can get over on us. This is New York and it’s about time we showed them how we deal with low-rent governors of low-rent states. Can one of you overpaid bosses do something? Anything! Jaime Geiger

Jersey City: The holiday season is here! Shoppers rush from store to store looking for the right gift for that special someone. Yuletide cheer is alive and well. Passersby seem more friendly than usual. Strangers are willing to lend a helping hand. Peace, love and understanding supplant anger, hate and intolerance. Truly, the magic of Christmas brings people closer together. However, about the second week in January, dried-out Christmas trees, Yuletide decorations and holiday gift wrappings are thrown away. Sadly, along with those festive trimmings go our kindness. Nasty snarls and frigid looks replace cheerful holiday greetings. A helping hand from a stranger is looked upon with suspicion. Prejudices and bigotry are rekindled. Why can’t the Christmas spirit be alive throughout the year? The season clearly demonstrates that society can set aside its differences and live in harmony. John Di Genio

Bronxville, N.Y.: I went to see Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday. She made us wait two hours before appearing on stage and stated, “I know, I’m a little late,” without apologizing. We had to leave in the middle of the show because we had a train to catch. I saw other people leaving as well. Her lack of consideration and regard has caused her to lose this big fan! It was my first and will be the last time I see her in concert. She confirmed what I’ve heard about her: She acts like a diva. By the way, I paid $270 for a mid-level seat — what a loss! George Garcia

Danbury, Conn.: Even before the final World Cup game began, I was touched by the emotions of the players as they exploded in pride, loudly singing their respective national anthems. I couldn’t help but think that most American athletes not only don’t think it’s cool to sing ours while some others seem almost indifferent when our anthem is being sung. Is the overwhelming pride that our athletes formerly exhibited during the playing of our anthem disappearing? Bob Bergin

Fairfield, N.J.: Yeah, sure, Mike Lupica. Maybe Brittney Griner can start standing for the National Anthem and then us “bums” can redeem ourselves (”A December to remember for every New York sports team,” column, Dec. 18). Alexander Franchino

Brooklyn: Voicer Ralph Canzone is correct: It is indeed very sad and disgraceful that major league ballplayers make countless millions of dollars. This is entirely due to the end of the reserve clause and the introduction of free agency in the 1970s, forcing teams to bid for the services of top players. I can recall when the Daily News would print a photo on the back page each year of Yankees great Mickey Mantle holding up a copy of his $100,000 contract for the coming season. At the time, he was the highest-paid player in baseball! The batboy probably makes more now. Dennis Middlebrooks

Manhattan: For Christmas, Con Ed and the Public Service Commission plan to give us yet another rate hike — 13.2% for electricity and 19.1% for gas. Con Ed spokesman Allan Drury said the rate increase would fund clean energy investments (“Advocates rip Con Ed request to raise rates,” Dec. 16), but the increase is mainly to prolong business as usual. For example: $1.27 billion for fracked gas pipeline replacement, $221.5 million for pipeline expansion, $70.4 million to extend the life of the Astoria LNG plant, and $155.9 million for other fossil fuel projects. Sorry, Mr. D, no matter how you package it, these are gifts to yourselves and your shareholders, which we ratepayers will pay for. It’s now up to Gov. Hochul and her PSC to reject this deceptive, self-serving rate hike. Lisa Harrison

Bronx: Voicer Joseph Brusca was correct that the environment and consumers will be ultimately harmed by congestion pricing. What Brusca failed to point out is what caused congestion in the city to get to where it is today. Let’s look at what the city has done in the past: increasing the number of Uber and yellow cabs, decreasing traffic lanes by adding bicycle lanes on both sides of streets and creating bus-only lanes. All these factors have contributed to worsening the environmental and congestion problem, not just single-passenger cars. Louis M. Vazquez

Manhattan: Thank you for your editorial “Then there was one” (Dec. 17). You’ve been the only New York outlet that has felt it newsworthy enough to regularly report on the loss of healthcare options for 250,000 retirees plus their spouses. That huge number doesn’t seem to move the local newscasts nor The New York Times (which should drop “New York” from its name) to coverage. It’s almost as if the news media has been silenced by the city and its unions. The editorial’s headline can apply to your paper as well, as you were the one to report on the issue. Again, thank you. Paul Weissman

New Hyde Park, L.I.: In castigating Voicer Wendy Packus for urging anti-Trump readers of this paper to lose their obsession with the former 45th president, Voicer Robert Rundbaken lays out his true woke colors by averring she and others like her belong to a “cult.” He then goes on to give a laundry list of his grievances with Donald Trump while, of course, he is oblivious to the current Democratic president’s multitude of heinous mistakes in office, starting with the debacle in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers. So instead of offering constructive commentary about the many pressing issues of our time, this Voicer is fixated on his many resentments about Trump from years ago that he just can’t seem to get over. Thank you, Mr. Rundbaken, for manifesting yourself as exhibit A of D-SOTS, Deranged Stuck On Trump Syndrome. Tamara Balin

Bronx: Obviously, the psychology of lying and cheating the people they had sworn to protect is not a priority. When stating falsehoods for monetary gain and self-benefit is your primary goal, we all have entered “The Twilight Zone.” Your mental defect is your incapability of discerning truth from your own reality. To allow this type of person to continue to pursue a life of conspiracy, insurrection and false statements will certainly destroy our way of life. Mark Benveniste

Ridgewood, N.J.: If Trump loses the Republican Party nomination for president in 2024, he will run as a third-party candidate, guaranteeing a Democratic Party victory. Ed Houlihan