Chaos reigns on Southwest Airlines and more: Letters to the Editor — May 12, 2024

Going south, fast

I can’t understand why people are abusing boarding instructions (“Shady Southwest passengers are abusing the preboarding process — and fellow flyers are furious,” May 8).

They shouldn’t — when they do, they should be told to stop. If they continue, then Southwest should put in its policies that if you abuse the rules then there should be an upfront cash charge.

Airlines should enforce where passengers sit. If you paid for the seat, then that is your seat. Families with children should know how to book a trip.

In the case of seat-changing, the person who is requesting a change should pay the individual who is changing with them. The airlines should also give cash immediately to the person who is inconvenienced.

Christine Blasucci, Manhattan

Dream healthcare

President Biden is allowing DACA recipients to be eligible for federally-funded health care, which could cost up to $300 million (“$300M/yr. JoeCare boost for ‘Dreamers’,” May 4).

Three-hundred million dollars? Wanna bet?

Let’s assume that we are only talking about 100,000 “dreamers.” Three-hundred million dollars comes out to $3,000 per dreamer per year. However, there are already a whole lot more than 100,000 recipients of DACA benefits at the moment.

But why bother counting the pennies? Migrants who crossed into the country illegally are already receiving free healthcare in some instances.

Charlie Honadel, Venice, Fla.

More McCarthyism

To allow Chancellor David C. Banks to respond in his classic self-righteous manner was a mistake (“How NYC Schools Fight Jew-Hatred,” Post Opinion, David C. Banks, May 8).

What I saw during the House hearing on antisemitism in K-12 schools was at best a token hearing, and at worst an acceptance of the chancellor’s coverup.

Ken Karcinell, Hewlett

DEI is DOA at MIT

I was proud to see that MIT canceled the DEI-statement requirement, the first prestigious school in the nation to do so (“No more DEI oath for MIT,” May 7).

Recently I heard Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and a fellow undergraduate of MIT, speak. In response to a question about what he thinks is necessary in the public realm today, he responded with JFK’s quote asking “not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” This step by MIT was in the right direction.

Jack Preschlack, Vero Beach, Fla.

Clean energy

“Still Paying for Indian Point Shutdown” (Editorial, May 5) presents a grossly distorted picture.

The editorial cites a report that ignores expensive repairs that would have been necessary to keep Indian Point operating. It questions the energy source for powering a chip factory in central NY, despite upstate’s power mix approaching 90% emission-free. It states that New Yorkers pay nearly the highest electric bills in the country, when the average residential electric price is nearly half of Hawaii’s.

From $500 million a year in state subsidies to $6 billion in federal support, nuclear plants cost the public. The editorial fails to mention this, along with the plant no longer killing 1 billion fish each year.

We have the technology to produce renewable energy at a lower cost than nuclear. It’s time to look forward to achieve New York’s climate goals together.

Victoria Leung, Staff Attorney, Riverkeeper

Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to [email protected]. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.