Manhattan: Like many of my fellow small business owners here in New York, I approach 2023 with strong, if cautious, optimism. After three years of doing everything possible to ensure my cafe, Wattle Cafe, survived the COVID crisis, I am excited to look to expand. I’m not alone: A new Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices survey found that more than half of small business owners in the US plan to add employees this year.
And yet we remain wary of what could be just around the corner. Inflation and interest rates continue to hit our bottom line, and finding qualified workers remains our number one challenge. Here in New York, 35% of small business owners are unable to find skilled workers because we are forced to compete with larger companies for wages and benefits.
Small business owners have stepped up, tackling these challenges with creativity and innovation. And yet, at the same time, the Small Business Administration, the part of the federal government that’s supposed to help small businesses like mine, remains decidedly stuck in the past. Can you imagine having to fax a loan application? Or untangle a mountain of paperwork and wait months for a response due to delays? That is the reality of the SBA today.
That’s why I’m calling on Congress to join us in a bipartisan effort to modernize the SBA and ensure small businesses finally get the support they need. We have had to work smart and efficiently to survive this new normal. Let’s prepare the SBA to do the same. Ana Ivkosic
Manhattan: I am very proud of my son. He quit smoking unhealthy cigarettes and now continuously smokes medical marijuana. I want to especially thank Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams and all members of the City Council for their leadership in reorienting my son to a new and healthy lifestyle. aden gerhart
Wyckoff, NJ: In “’Get over it,’ sez mayor” (March 18), you quote Mayor Adams as saying, “Some people see me go to church and they get upset because I believe in God and faith, but, You know, all I can say is get over it.” This is the classic straw dog argument. No one is denying the mayor his personal faith. That is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. What people take issue with is when Adams makes statements that suggest that government and religion should be intertwined. That is antithetical to long-accepted principles of separation of church and state. People shouldn’t let Adams get away with refuting an argument that no one has made while he continues to threaten a ban against the government regulating establishment of religion. marc schaeffer
Manhattan: In just a few generations, we’ve moved away from school prayers, packed churches, and the belief that “God is on our side.” Although it sparked the (historically inaccurate) belief that Thomas Jefferson called for the separation of church and state in both thought and practice, and thus precludes Mayor Adams’ statement, what is Adams really saying? He spoke of the principles of a loving God who wants him and us to care for our neighbors in need. This society has regressed so much that the mere mention of a Supreme Being cannot be tolerated. If you think about his words, a stronger religious foundation could only benefit so many children and families lost in this increasingly violent and aimless society. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the pearly gates of St. Peter’s when those who are not only intolerant of religion, but openly hostile to the mere mention of God, face judgment day? Juan Brindisi
Kew Gardens Hills: To Host Ed Greenspan: I share your view that the Oscars telecast is a waste of viewers’ time. Comedian Johnny Carson, who hosted the Oscars many times, called it: “Two hours of brilliant entertainment packed into a four-hour show.” This year’s event was two hours of entertainment extended to three hours and 35 minutes. The “In Memoriam” segment sparked controversy for omitting some famous names. But what really belongs in the memory is the entire awards show, which has bored viewers for the past 70 years. The Oscars need one final fade. Ricardo Reif
Plainview, LI: Question of the day: Will Aaron Rodgers do more for the Jets than the combined efforts of stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Ben Simmons for the Nets? Richard Siegelman
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Richmond Hill: To Host John Lemandri: We were once known as the arsenal of democracy, but we can’t give away all the weapons. The A-10 would make a dent in the Russian invaders, but we don’t have an infinite supply of them. We stopped making them decades ago. We would have to train the Ukrainian pilots first, and then establish a supply base for weapons and maintenance. Roberto Clolery
manhattan: oh my god! I agree with Daffy Donald! Dirty Don said that the biggest threat to world peace is “ourselves”, and I think he’s absolutely right! “Ourselves” are the seditious GOP and their loyal MAGA mob of morons who insist they stole the election and spout Putin propaganda to foment an American civil war. Prove me wrong! eugenio rodriguez
Stockholm, NJ: So, Donald Trump cheats on his first wife, cheats on his second wife, and then cheats on his third wife, and in between, he sleeps with a porn star and a Playboy Playmate. Who does he think he is, Tiger Woods? Nat Saraceni
Dayton, Ohio: The March 19 Daily News editorial “Perp walk Trump” deals with the possible arrest and indictment of Donald Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump Says: “PROTEST, TAKE BACK OUR NATION!” He is actually calling for a repeat on January 6, 2021. President Biden should pardon Trump and say it’s not because Trump deserves it, but because this nation needs to stop paying so much attention to a man who only cares for himself and nothing for the United States. and americans. vic presutti
Brooklyn: I’m not a fan of Trump, but getting arrested by a sex worker who needs to be in the news every day is overkill. Unlike Putin, Trump does not need handcuffs to surrender. Embarrass America No More – Stormy Daniels Has Done Enough! Lisa DeSantis
Manhattan: The Washington Examiner recently published an article by Matt Lamb called “Texas Man Rightly Sues Women Who Facilitated Abortion Of His Unborn Child.” I am postborn. Although I was lucky to have good parents, many of us are not. Some of us do not receive education, medical care, counseling, a roof over our heads, or even food. Equal rights for the post-born, please! Some of us are trafficked or abused, and most of the time the source of this abuse is a “natural” parent or the partner he lives with. Some of those born after who fall into a certain gender get less privilege than those who fall into another gender. Some of us come back after being born to mothers who know we are destined for pain, but are forced by politicians to come forward and live horribly. Why must we suffer? Where, Mr. Lamb, are our rights? kathryn nocerino
White Rock, British Columbia: In connection with the collapse of Credit Suisse Bank of Switzerland: Never underestimate the need for a scapegoat, especially an easy one, in such major bank failures. The financial crisis of 2007-08 resulted in the largest, and perhaps the most culpably corrupt, top American bankers not being criminally charged. Rather, they received their usual multi-million dollar performance bonuses (as if nothing ever happened) via a taxpayer-funded bailout. Instead of those big bankers, the Justice Department, in a classic act of cowardice, just charged a few officials with a relatively small Chinese-American community bank that couldn’t really hold its own and looked different from most other Americans. . Frank Sterle Jr.
