The Issue: A bill to restore the former name of the bridge between Rockland and Westchester counties.
Kudos to state Sen. James Skoufis for sponsoring the bill to restore the rightful name of the Tappan Zee Bridge (“Now you Zee it,” Feb. 21).
Gov. Mario Cuomo was an effective but unremarkable politician whose corrupt son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, strong-armed state legislators to rename the iconic bridge after his father.
I propose we rename Hart’s Island after Andrew Cuomo. His leadership during the COVID epidemic added thousands to this burial site for the city’s indigent and unclaimed dead.
Thomas Urban
Wantagh
Let us hope the name-reversal happens.
The indigenous Indians of the Hudson Valley deservedly own that distinction. Along comes a self-absorbed womanizer bully, Andrew Cuomo, and unlike his father, decides that he’s the king and gets rid of the name Tappan Zee.
I’m sure Mario would agree that the name should not have been changed. What truly is unfortunate is that every time you cross that bridge, it’s a reminder of Andrews atrocious mandates and the deaths of thousands of elderly during COVID.
Kevin Judge
Naples, Fla.
Although renaming a beloved crossing may not have been disturbing to the political hacks and manipulators who govern New York, it had enormous impact on so many people.
First, it is one of the most beautiful crossings anywhere to be found with a fitting name — one that can be traced back to the 17th-century Dutch.
Second, the renaming was an illustration of just how powerful, arrogant and uncouth the soon-to-be-ex governor was.
He did it simply because he could, without regard or concern for the people who used, loved and admired this crossing.
With no offense meant to the late Mario, who likely would have been just as appalled by this transparent and vulgar gambit, please change the name back and find something else to name after him.
Mitch Schwefel
Barnegat, NJ
Kudos to Sen. Skoufis’ bill to restore the Mario Cuomo Bridge’s “rightful” name. The Hudson River icon will always be “The Tapp” to me.
Now, about Shea Stadium . . .
Jane Schafrann
Deerfield Beach, Fla.
The Issue: Puffin’s decision to hire “sensitivity experts” to alter the language of Roald Dahl’s books.
It’s a disgrace that editors at Puffin can censor an author’s work (“Willy Wonka and the Woke Factory,” Feb. 19).
To alter posthumously the works of a creative mind is something out of China or “1984.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if the editors were not even born or were children themselves when Dahl was writing his classics.
All authors spend their time creating material that is their own. Once distorted without approval of the author by others, it ceases to be the author’s original work.
This woke madness must stop before it creeps into more aspects of life that we take for granted.
Glen Benjamin
Suffern
How dare the publishers at Puffin change the words that a great author has written.
To think that these woke warriors know better than Roald Dahl is outrageous. They want us all to think how they think, starting with the children. This must stop.
Gina Beckmann
Salt Point
When it comes to “editing” (censoring) Dahl’s books, might it be fraudulent to sell books labeled as written by Dahl when the books sold are admittedly not written by him?
Martin Carus
Cliffside Park, NJ
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