Readers sound off on displaced residents, Biden’s poll numbers and women ballers

What responsibility do housing profiteers have?

Manhattan: After watching the frightening images of the partial building collapse in the Bronx, it’s a miracle that no one died, but now more than 100 residents are facing homelessness in a city that has more than 100,000 homeless people already. This was not an act of god that left these tenants homeless, but an all-too-common act of man: landlords and developers. People lose their homes when buildings are neglected or damaged. Real estate is where the money and power in NYC resides.

Two weeks ago, the tenants of 642 E. 14th St. returned home to find a vacate order from the Department of Buildings plastered to their front door. Imagine coming home from work and seeing that — the panic, packing up belongings and vital papers. Imagine running through your friends’ and family’s names wondering who has space for you. Imagine not knowing if or when you can get back into your apartment, and not returning to your home of 30 years. Imagine trying to find someone who can shelter your pet, and deciding whether or not to take the Red Cross offer of shelter for a few days or risk staying in your building until they seal the front door.

In this case, the construction work in the next lot damaged the building. Construction will continue in this city and we desperately need affordable housing. But too often, housing is for the rich at the expense of the working class. Developers get rich as tenants are displaced. What responsibility do the landlords and developers have to repair and support these newly homeless tenants? Mary Garvey

Make rules

Brooklyn: Each year, a list is made up of the worst landlords in the city. Why is the list a joke? The landlords listed still collect rent increases on expiring leases, as well as hardship raises. Start cracking down on rogue landlords by not allowing any increases if there are violations in their buildings. Ed Greenspan

Easy out

Commack, L.I.: Why is that every time Mayor Adams gets asked about any internal investigation against him, he plays the race card? John Flanagan

Honor with laws

Plainview, L.I.: Thursday was the 11th anniversary of Sandy Hook Elementary School’s 2012 massacre, and the most significant fact is that this 2023-24 school year would have been the 20 oh-so-young 6- and 7-year-old first-graders’ senior year. Since they won’t be here in June to attend either their prom or graduation, the best way to make this up to their families would be for the U.S. Congress to finally (more than 4,000 days since the tragedy) pass some common-sense, life-saving gun control laws. Richard Siegelman

Inspiring arc

Hempstead, L.I.: Knowing Patrick McDonnell (“Mutts”), I knew Guard Dog (now called Sparky) would wind up in a good home. Thanks to Patrick for bringing this to light, and I hope it influences legislation in New York to protect pets. Leslie Feldman

Expand empathy

Monroe Township, N.J.: I love “Mutts.” I’m glad Guard Dog will live happily ever after. But if we can show such care and concern for a comic strip dog, why don’t we do the same for our fellow man? Can’t we all just get along? Lorri Thompson

Strange stance

Queens Village: Can someone please tell me why the Democrats in the House of Representatives are blocking efforts for the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s flight records? This is why people are walking away from the party that does not want to get to the truth on many topics. Frank Barnett

Religious nut

Rochdale Village: To Voicer Margo Kent: The House speaker uses God way too much on any subject. When asked about his positions, he says they’re all in the Bible. What Bible would that be? He’s a biblical literalist, which means he believes that the Earth and universe are 6,000 years old, and all his positions are hardcore conservative. He has yet to act like a Christian, or act at all Jesus-like. Saul Rothenberg

People person

Fairfield, Conn.: Recently, it has been suggested that if JFK were alive today, he would be a Republican. There is absolutely no way that JFK would be a Republican because he actually cared about people. Bob Bodo

News to me

Merrick, L.I.: I would like to thank you for your editorial “The impeachment of Hunter Biden” (Dec. 14). I never knew that Hunter was in any trouble. It was very eye-opening. I must have missed the articles in the Daily News reporting his problems. Thank you again. Donald Ziminski

Oxymoronic

Yardley, Pa.: One of Donald Trump’s defenses in the classified documents case is that he declassified all the documents, so there were no classified documents retained by him. While that is not factually correct, assume for a moment the documents are declassified. All declassified documents are subject to Freedom of Information Act requests, meaning anyone can file a request for those documents and get a copy. There is no dispute that many of the documents retained by Trump contain sensitive national security information that at one time was (and likely still is) classified. So, either Trump illegally retained classified documents or he was grossly negligent in declassifying these documents, which can now be accessed by anyone. Which is it? Steve Pastor

Trouble ahead

Swarthmore, Pa.: This is not a drill and it is not hypothetical. President Biden is trailing Donald Trump in all of the seven battleground swing states. Across all of these states, Biden’s average polling deficit equals almost five points. Forget the usual caveats like the polls are merely a point-in-time snapshot of sentiment forecasting an event still almost a year away. Biden and his supporters need to heed this as a clarion call signaling danger. Bottom line: Forget complacency, Biden is in real danger of losing the presidency to Trump. Buckle up — the forecast portends political turbulence ahead, and forewarned is forearmed. Ken Derow

Preoccupied audiences

Edinburgh, Scotland: I get that both the U.S. and U.K. are deeply distracted by the hugely expensive dual reality TV shows, “The Trump Toddler Tyrant” (season 2) and “Conservative Car Crash: The Delusional Years.” However, America and Britain are now so out of step with the rest of humanity that Gaza is starting to look like just another reality TV show in these two “leading” Western nations — slightly less interesting and getting less airtime with free-to-view slaughter (just Brown people though). Amanda Baker

Evidence abounds

Brooklyn: To respond to Voicer Joy Goldberg’s assertion that there is no proof of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, I have to ask: Where have you been for the last several decades? Proof abounds. There’s a Reuters report from September stating that “more than 180 Arab citizens have been killed in crime-related violence since January.” There was a July piece from Al Jazeera regarding Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinian children. That story included pictures and video. Haaretz has reported on the 1948 Deir Yassin massacre, which was arguably the most gruesome. How about Human Rights Watch? I could go on, but if you want to be willfully ignorant, I can’t help you. What this boils down to is that most American media outlets think Israeli lives are so much more important than Palestinian lives, and I beg to differ. This is the true moral rot that we face today. Nick Smith

Celebrity shade

Manhattan: To Voicer Dennis Burge: So let me get this straight: If they were Black, not white, it would be fine to be subjected to showing them on TV? Your comment is making me nauseous, and I am sure many other people who read it. Jeanette Pecora

Superior stats

Glendale: Voicer John L. Couch believes that the Indiana Fever should pick Cameron Brink from Stanford University with the No. 1 pick. Boy, is he off base. For the past three years, University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has been breaking records and lighting up the scoreboard. For those who never saw her play, her shooting rivals Steph Curry’s with her “from the logo” three-pointers. Most analysts pick Brink as the third pick or so, but all agree on Clark’s unique talent and that she will be the top pick. Thomas Murawski