Readers sound off on cannabis licensing, Airbnb taxation and charter schools

Manhattan: Somebody has to speak up for the potheads! In my considered pothead opinion, the state has completely botched the legalization and licensing of marijuana. Pot is legal to use but illegal to sell! There are what, four or five legal dispensaries in the city? And a few hundred are planned for a state that has millions of potheads! Meanwhile, there are what, 17,000 smoke shops in the city alone and another few thousand friendly neighborhood weed men who sell pot on the corner?

From a pothead’s perspective, we shouldn’t be closing down smoke shops and weed men, we should be licensing them! The real state revenue from marijuana sales is in licensing, not in taxes! Ergo, this pothead firmly believes that the state should have a three-tiered licensing system to ensure that potheads have easy access to good, cheap marijuana! We should have a low-cost license for weed men to sell up to an ounce of pot for street sales and delivery, a second tier of more expensive licenses for small neighborhood smoke shops that can sell up to an ounce of pot, loose joints and the accoutrement that accompany pot use, and the current dispensary licenses that can sell weight up to a pound, gummies, oils, etc. and allow for on-site use.

The bottom line is that no self-respecting pothead is going to travel downtown or to 125th St. to buy a legal nickel bag, gummies, oils or loosies. I’m going to buy my pot from my local weed man who delivers! I also believe that old potheads should get a senior citizen’s discount for a bag of weed. Eugene Rodriguez

Hallandale Beach, Fla.: I’m terribly sad to learn that Paul Reubens has passed away at only 70 years old. I loved him as Pee-wee Herman. He was a one-of-a-kind talent, indeed. Rest in peace, Pee-wee. Paul Bacon

Akron, Ohio: Thanks so much for publishing the wonderful op-ed by vet Dr. Gabriel Cook (“NYC carriage horses are well treated,” July 31). I wish everyone would read it because it’s heartfelt, sincere and so very true according to everyone I know in the carriage-driving community. Amy Barlowe

Green Lane, Pa.: Thank you, thank you, thank you for printing the op-ed by Gabriel Cook of the New England Equine Practice concerning the NYC carriage horses. Finally, an article from a knowledgeable person, and not someone with an agenda based on either greed or misinformation. I know the hardcore activists will insist the doctor is biased because he’s “paid by the industry,” but that is a ridiculous argument. When I have a veterinarian out to see my horses, I expect him to tell me the truth, not just tell me what I want to hear. Also, the carriage horses are not Cook’s only clients, and who else is supposed to pay for their veterinary care? Barbara Steever

Yorktown Heights, N.Y.: Thank you for “NYC’s rat complaints down over month-and-a-half span” (July 26). Hopefully, we can co-exist with rodents in ways that cause the least amount of suffering. Glue traps are sadistic. Many animals languish for days, often with broken and chewed limbs from attempts to escape. Imagine four or five days of non-stop anguish. That’s why glue traps are banned in parts of the world and by certain stores. I sympathize with anyone having issues with rodents, but solutions should be as humane as possible. More cleanliness would help — mint sprays and bags have been deterrents and ultrasonic plug-in devices have worked. Glue traps don’t solve anything. All they do is cause unthinkable suffering. James Scotto

Fall River, Mass.: When people who are not strong swimmers to begin with ignore official warnings not to swim in certain beach areas with strong and unpredictable currents and no lifeguards on duty, they are playing Russian roulette with their lives. City officials are not to blame for the tragic consequences of these risky decisions. Charles Winokoor

Hartsdale, N.Y.: When Airbnbs start paying bed taxes, they can have a valid voice in tourism. Bed taxes greatly benefit tourism and the cites Airbnbs are located in. Lydia Ruth-Gaines

Bronx: Dear Voicer Cassandra Murray: First, I want to clarify your statement that being a New York City Transit employee is not being a civil servant. When I joined New York City Transit as a train conductor in 1991, I took the oath of civil service. I believe that made me a civil servant. Now, if you were a Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority bus driver, having never taken the oath, you were not a civil servant. That aside, I agree with you that fare collection should be abandoned and replaced by the transportation taxes collected by the MTA and city. Daniel Correa

Bronx: Haven’t any of our municipal leaders thought of impounding the buses full of migrants that Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida force upon New York City? We’re not against immigrants, but more than 90,000 of them is just too many for one city not yet recovered from the pandemic to accept. Other cities should also receive these unfortunate and abused individuals since immigration is a national problem and we should all cooperate to solve this dilemma if Congress can’t. Rose Mary Lancaster

Queens Village: DeSantis remarked that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” This statement would be so laughable if it wasn’t for the fact that millions actually believe this! What can’t be overlooked is that many slave owners would not allow their slaves to learn to read or write. In some instances, the slaves were severely punished if caught. Knowledge is power, and the slave owners knew it. Heaven forbid if their slaves were educated and gained the idea of rebellion for freedom! Lawrence Krasner

Rockaway Park: Voicer Robert Kralik’s comments on clean energy may have some merit. Certainly, a switch from old to new models comes with some negative as well as positive effects. There will undoubtedly be some painful moments as we struggle to change society from fossil and coal fuels to renewable energies. Perhaps a mixture of the two would be a good start. We will probably have to adjust things as we go along, but continuing on the path we are on will certainly cause much destruction to our Earth as well to our fellow human beings around the world. We must start now to make changes to ensure some kind of future for the next generations of humanity. John Donohue

Rockaway Park: Donald Trump really blew it. When he found out the FBI was going to raid his house at Mar-a-Lago, all he had to do was call those guys who make junk disappear. Lawrence Matusoff

Bellerose Village: It’s nice that President Biden is finally acknowledging his granddaughter Navy. Now if only we could get Donald Trump to acknowledge his children Eric and Tiffany. Peter O’Connor

Manhattan: To Voicer Warren Meyer: Yes, Don Mattingly’s offensive numbers fall a bit short. But when you factor in his defensive stats (which seem to elude many voters), he’s a definite Hall of Famer. Same with Keith Hernandez. Damian Begley

Scarborough, N.Y.: I predict the Mets will retire the numbers of both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander: $42.5 million. Thomas F. Comiskey

Bronx: In her Sunday opinion piece (“Let public charter schools grow,” July 30), Miriam Raccah asks (I suspect rhetorically): “How can you [Democrats] profess to stand for social and economic equality, yet not stand with public charter schools?” She knows full well the answer, as most of us do: The Democrats in the Legislature are firmly in the pocket of the teachers union, whose leaders are adamantly opposed to the creation of new public charter schools. Bruce D. Campbell