Readers sound off on residual income, Suboxone and a toxic plume

Glendale: It was refreshing to read Joe Crowley’s comments in “Music artists must be paid for radio play time” (op-ed, Feb. 19), if only because it had nothing to do with politics. Or did it, in a roundabout way associated with (excuse the pun) fair play?

Public opinion on such a modern-day non-sequitur topic may vary depending on the listener’s age and preferences. Some may be inclined to believe that music is a gift that keeps giving. Very few would interpret it as meaning the artists themselves should always be compensated for how, where and when a song is played. The mindset is that an artist is paid by the publishing company for their work. While it may be a good idea to ensure artists be given their artistic integrity and respect, financial recognition every time their music is played seems perhaps gratuitous, if not overzealous. Common everyday workers make changes in their workplace environment that result in a company’s increased revenue, which can be used every day to provide better services. There’s nothing given to them each time the product of their work is implemented.

There has never been a clear and concise way for musicians to receive proper compensation, hence the era of “payola” in the 1950s, when there were only AM radio stations — a practice considered illegal but done nonetheless to get songs played on air.

It’s a welcome topic worthy of discussion for our modern times. Jonathan Kiddrane

Manhattan: I am shocked! I read about the acceptance of a street named for Malcolm X and nobody objects (“ ‘Resistance’ overcome,” Feb. 17). The man did not hide his feelings about the Jewish people and white people. I understand why statues and streets have been renamed because of racism but don’t the Jewish people deserve the same respect? Shame! Marilyn Levin

Brooklyn: I’m a regular reader of the Daily News for about 50 years who continues to shell out $3 a day despite being disheartened by your efforts to be “woke.” But reading several articles related to equity issues, I was wondering why the words describing Black and/or Latino people are in upper case yet the word “white” is lower case? Patrick Susco

Manhattan: It seems that being woke and gay are two ways to avoid being fired these days. Recently, CNN’s Don Lemon berated co-anchor Kaitlan Collins in front of staff badly enough for her to leave the studio in tears. A few days later, his other co-anchor, Poppy Harlow, walked off set after being disgusted by Lemon’s misogynistic comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s age. How fast would CNN fire a straight white man for doing the same thing? CNN is scraping the barrel for ratings because of their own double standards and hypocrisy. Patricia Clark

Manhattan: To Voicer John Procida: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has influenced our culture since it was first performed in 1900. It is a continuing source of comfort and strength for those in the ongoing fight for social justice and it is a source of inspiration to the myriad artists who have performed the song. It has been sung by Mormons, Southern white folks, at the George W. Bush inauguration and by congregations around the world, appearing in more than 30 church hymnals. It is not a Black national anthem and it’s not divisive. The lack of education of many Americans is unfortunate. Heyward Johnson Jr.

Bronx: Riding the bus home from work, I witnessed something that broke my heart. The bus was filled to capacity and most of the front seats that are supposedly reserved for people with disabilities or the elderly were taken by, from what I observed, able-bodied citizens. A past injury to my ligament in my knee left me needing to walk with a cane. I was standing. Well, an elderly couple boarded the bus. It was clear that the woman was having a hard time walking, let alone standing, and not one person offered her a seat. I watched and thought what is the matter with these people? It does not cost anything to be kind. I could not believe that not one of those seated thought enough to give up their seat for this poor woman. Showing kindness in sight of others may help it spread a lot further. Arlana Solomon Girven Walker

Brooklyn: To Voicer Joe Tierney: You should check with your doctor to get you off the Suboxone you have been prescribed. I was given Suboxone to help get off the 3,000 mg of Vicodin I was taking. Suboxone is as dangerous to your body as the opiates are. A detox from heroin is seven to 10 days. Detoxing from Suboxone is 24 to 28 days. On March 3, I will have been clean from all opiates and benzodiazepines for six years. I attribute it to the Naltrexone I have been prescribed. Harvey Kaplan

Tomkins Cove, N.Y.: Kudos to Voicer Marie McCormick on the Laura Kavanagh FDNY issue. This is just another situation where the white, male, white-haired old farts object to anyone daring to enter their sandbox. For the record, I’m a white, male, white-haired old fart. This whole brouhaha reminds me of a story arc in Dennis Leary’s excellent series “Rescue Me,” when a female firefighter — oddly also named Laura — is assigned to their house. They then try to freeze her out and subject her to childish shenanigans, hoping she’ll ask for a transfer. Now a chief who served decades comes out of retirement to help the organization under Kavanagh’s term and they turn on him — someone they previously, no doubt, had great admiration for. What a bunch of crybabies. Talk about being woke and cancel culture. Doug Slotolowicz

Brooklyn: Blistering utility rate hikes are coming, and Gov. Hochul and the Legislature must derail them immediately (“Get ready, New Yorkers, Con Edison set to raise rates,” Feb. 18). The governor has already announced a one-time $672-million relief bill to get consumers out from staggering utility debt. But ongoing gas service and its unpredictable pricing will swamp us again. Gas delivery fees are where utilities make their money, and a whopping 31.3% planned increase tells the story. We need better electric infrastructure. It’s time to stop investing in gas pipelines and hookups, which will become stranded assets as we electrify. Electric rates will go down as we electrify with ever-cheaper wind and solar power. The Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) Act would eliminate gas companies’ “obligation to serve,” and cap low- and middle-income New Yorkers’ utility bills to 6% of their income. Ella Ryan

Bergenfield, N.J.: I can understand the people of East Palestine, Ohio’s concerns about the water and air quality due to the train derailment. It doesn’t look good to say the water is fine when you can see dead fish in the water. As for the air, people remember what the head of the EPA said about the air at Ground Zero. In the meantime, they saw the toxic fumes going into the air from those burning tanker cars! And talk about chutzpah — the head of Norfolk Southern Railway wanted to give residents $1,000 each! Can they afford to? Jim Kerner

Redondo Beach, Calif.: Does Vladimir Putin think Germany started a special military operation in Russia in June 1941? John Chevedden

Beechhurst: Voicer Jimmy Layton keenly asks why if, as I contend, most MAGA Republicans were deeply put off by 45′s desperate machinations to stay in power, do polls continuously show they still largely support him? Well, their Pavlovian-like loyalty is, no doubt, closely connected to their fear that the country is going under with that corrupt and shallow frontman for the radical left sitting in the Oval Office. Trumpism without Trump is what they secretly crave, but like the GOP itself (recall that only 10 House Republicans voted to impeach 45 over Jan. 6 and just seven GOP senators voted to convict him), they’re too transfixed and cowardly to close the book on him. “Character is destiny,” said Heraclitus — and now the deeply-flawed character of DJT looms over the GOP like a giant, ominous dark cloud. James Hyland