Readers of public health programs, Tennessee lawmakers and drag queens – New York Daily News

Manhattan: I’m writing about Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s April 5 guest essay (“Americans Should Age with Dignity and Prosperity,” op-ed), which reads like a campaign speech. Yes, he mentions some serious social issues, but his five points are too vague and broad, not saying enough or being specific.

Other strategies have had clear steps to take over the decades. They are connected:

1. Ask the federal government to restore money to the Social Security Trust Fund that it has borrowed and not paid back. Social Security is financed by a dedicated tax that specifically pays for old-age pensions. It is not part of general financing, although it is treated as such.

2. Increase dollars for Social Security and Medicare by eliminating the salary/wage cap for each worker that is taxed for it. Each person must pay Social Security taxes on all earned income instead of just the first $160,200. And graduate the tax as the income tax is graduated.

3. Due to the exorbitant cost of medical care, it has been established that pharmaceutical manufacturers mark up some of their products by thousands of percent over cost. And doctors routinely charge hundreds of dollars for regular consultations and provide inadequate care because they believe insurance companies don’t pay them enough. It is well past time that the United States should follow the example of numerous European countries by nationalizing pharmaceutical production and establishing universal health care.

This is just a drop in the bucket, but serious problems require specific solutions. Sheila Trachtenberg

Bergenfield, NJ: When I became eligible for Medicare, I went for Medicare Advantage. Big mistake! In the first year, they dropped eight of my doctors! I had to find a replacement doctor, which was not easy. After the year was up, I switched to traditional Medicare. At least my medicare and my supplemental insurance will be accepted wherever I go in this country, as opposed to the medicare disadvantage. I have an idea: Let Mayor Adams and the union leaders and others drop their insurance and get Medicare Advantage coverage. Next, go out of town, visit a hospital or doctor and see what happens. Oh, I forgot to include former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Jim Kerner

Jackson Heights: Time to do your patriotic duty and vote for the official NYC wildflower. It’s brought to you by the people responsible for NYC Wildflower Week, which is May 5-14. They visited us in Jackson Heights to work on the butterfly garden. only crazy

MANHATTAN: Did you hear that slippery “Eel” Musk is rebranding Twitter after he poached most of the advertisers and tons of customers and pretty much destroyed the Twitter name? He’s changing it to “quieter” which seems appropriate. Stan Sifton

Hallandale Beach, Fla.: I was so excited to hear that Jon Rahm won his second career major at the 2023 Masters Golf Tournament! He won by four shots over Brooks Koepka and 52-year-old Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest runner-up in Masters history. What a master it was! I think Rahm is one of the greatest golfers of all time. I also think he will win his third major at the PGA Championship next month. Congratulations, Jon Rahm, for winning the 2023 Masters Golf Tournament! Paul Bacon

FORT WORTH, Texas: I watched in disbelief as the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two black members among the three Democrats convicted of protesting gun control after the Nashville school shooting. The founders of the Ku Klux Klan, originally from Pulaski, Tenn., are cheering from their graves today as a group of white men chased two black lawmakers out of the Tennessee State Capitol. It’s hard to believe that 157 years after the Klan was founded, three 9-year-olds and three adults have died from gun violence when racism is still so clearly alive and well in Tennessee. Sharon Austry

Brooklyn: What’s more painful for kids: a funky costumed character at the local library teaching them to enjoy reading and be included, or an angry mob shouting obscenities while trying to enter the local library? Drag Queen Story Hour is a family-friendly, completely optional activity. The only sikora that brings sex into it are the protestors outside who scare the children with words and ideas they would never be exposed to in the safe space of the library. My heart breaks for these kids who must be so confused – not by drag queens helping inspire them to read, but by a hateful and ignorant crowd of people who are threatened by inclusion, personal expression and good old-fashioned book-learning. . To NYC parents: The only costumed characters are the Times Square Elmos that your children are afraid to bring up. Katherine Raymond

Flushing: Philip Meyers chokes and punches a man who dies five days later (“Killing Punch Marked,” April 7). According to the Daily News report, he is 45 years old. The News also said he was convicted of a murder in 1999, 24 years earlier, alongside his 13-year-old son. So he was 21 24 years ago. right Bernard Cain

Bronx: Alan Podizer to Voicer: I don’t know what you’re thinking. Former President Donald Trump is, by law, innocent until proven guilty. He doesn’t have to prove anything. I assume you are among the people who have already convicted him. Daniel Correa

Valhalla, NY: Again “Trump’s Arrest Falls Below First Class” (op-ed, April 9): William Marcy, you are comparing a former president of the United States to criminals who rape, shoot, stab, use controlled drugs and Considered as vermin by the rest of society including all castes! Yes, Trump should be punished if he is convicted of this Democratic-driven political crime. But realize that the whole world is watching and we should be able to set a good example of how to handle misdeeds by political representatives and criminals who commit crimes that are not of a violent nature. This is the United States and we should not act like that uncontrolled government of the world! Your opinion is ridiculous and not worth the ink or tree used to print it! Michael Grisanti

Freeport, LI: I wish more people in this country would have read William Marcy’s article about how DT was unfairly identified with the indictment and arrest in NYC last week. People should know the difference in the process of arresting and detaining “us” versus “him”. I was hoping for a normal experience for her, but no — again, she was treated like gold, and she’s not humble enough to see how she was handled and treated. Waiting for results. Linda Hall

Bayonne: After seeing all the news last week about Trump and Stormy Daniels, I saw Stormi’s interview on TV where she said she has nothing to hide. After watching his interviews and looking at his web pages, I can completely agree: he has nothing to hide. Mike Armstrong

Glendale: Gather yourselves around the table for a story about the future of our society. When the corruption gets too close for comfort, change the narrative to find another culprit, be it someone who’s sufficiently experimental to take the spotlight off the current main attraction, or which way the wind blows down a deep well. Stay away from the rabbit hole with the maximum amount of dirt. There are many ways to catch that on the web. Digging for the truth has become a distraction worthy of a sitcom. Those with the most to lose hide behind the scenes, waiting to be discovered. Those willing to tread carefully are hailed as heroes. Jonathan Kidren