Walking tax next? To The Editor: Re “Court: 14th St. car ban can start” (news article, Aug. 1): The local citizens should be able to vote on our fate through a referendum at the ballot box. The next dictate will be a sidewalk walk tax. Perry Rothenberg ‘Call it Zero Vision’ To The Editor: Re “Court: 14th St. car ban can start” (news article, Aug. 1): Under Bloomberg and de Blasio, the Department of Transportation has been ruining New York City, making every street more dangerous for drivers, pedestrians and bikes. As more and more people become unwilling to drive into Manhattan, unwilling to be subject to the insane chaos of painted markings, bus lanes, bike lanes, speed cameras, intersection cameras and D.O.T. goons issuing summonses on every street, more stores will close, the economy will suffer and many more bike riders will be injured or die. Vision Zero has Zero Vision. Robert Lederman Leaders need morals To The Editor: Re “Two Bridges project needs public review: Judge” (news article, Aug. 8): The Two Bridges luxury towers will destroy Chinatown and the Lower East Side! We need to vote these people who approved this out of office! You don’t need religion to have morals. If you can’t determine right from wrong, then you lack compassion, not religion. I’m an L.E.S. resident since 1945! Victor Colon Dayton shooter an enigma To The Editor: Re “Message to Republicans: Do something” (editorial, Aug. 8): I’d like to see the evidence that the Dayton shooter was an “antifa activist” and “avowed socialist.” He was an open misogynist who was in a band that had songs glorifyng rape, and apparently maintained a “rape list.” He made a couple of tweets in support of antifa. That’s it. Which do you think was relevant to his crime? Please do not play into the bogus equivalism, Villager. Bill Weinberg More than ‘anti-vaxx’ To The Editor: Re “‘Anti-vaxxers’ try to mob rent-laws town hall” (news article, Aug. 1): It’s upsetting to see this protest made out to be about being “anti-vaxx.” It’s about being pro-medical choice, pro-religion, pro-family and pro-parental decisions. Giving the government the rights over our bodies is a dangerous decision. This law was passed on June 13 and there are already bills to mandate the flu and HPV vaccines to attend school and to give 14-year-olds the right to make medical decisions without their parents’ consent or knowledge. We value certain freedoms in America and these freedoms are under attack. That is the reason for this demonstration. Heather Clare
Jazzy Gem Spa To The Editor: Re “News flash: Gem Spa is struggling” (city business, Aug. 8): I once spotted Thelonious Monk having an egg cream in Gem Spa in the late 1960s. Alan Flacks $5 egg creams?! To The Editor: Re “News flash: Gem Spa is struggling” (news article, Aug. 8): When I stopped by this afternoon for a pricey ($5) vanilla egg cream, the daughter of ailing owner Ray Patel made it plain that the landlord is giving Gem Spa grief. She said the rent has just climbed to $17,000-plus a month. So this is a sadly familiar story about gentrification in the East Village. Mary Reinholz We don’t need market To The Editor: Re “Astor Place mulled for a new market” (news article, Aug. 8): Hate that bad holiday market in Union Square and really hope that does not happen here. It’s not well curated and there is a lot of kitschy junk, not all, but a lot. Also, all those tents crammed together means zero visibility, and if there were ever a fire in there, everyone would trample each other to get out of there. I would prefer morning tai chi, yoga, a weekly soapbox opportunity, learning events and so forth. But it should never be used for private events that block out the public. Mary Judge E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 MetroTech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published.
