Readers sound off on trash cans, Lee Zeldin and NFL commentary

New trash bin rule leaves things to be desired Brooklyn: Last year, the mayor's rat czar came up with the idea for residents to place their trash outside at 8 p.m. to stave off some of the rat problems, as if rats only went through trash during daylight hours. But then trash pickups did not typically happen until much later the following day — in my own neighborhood, sometimes past 10 a.m. and occasionally a day or two afterwards.

Now we are required to purchase new bins. As I write this on day one, it is almost 8 a.m., a full 12 hours after the trash was placed at the curb, and still no pickup. Further, as I look down my street, some neighbors' bins are overflowing with bags because they opted to buy the smaller bins. So much for closed containers.

On top of that, the policy on what to do if your bin is stolen is to file a police report, as if the police have the time or inclination to search the streets for someone else's trash bins. And until found, or until a new one is purchased at additional cost, I am sure that residents and owners will be fined for not having trash in bins when it comes time for pickups.

It makes me wonder who is running the company that mass-produces all of these bins. I am guessing it is a relative of someone high up in city management, but we'll never find out, as this mayor makes policy based on recommendations from a "rat czar." Robert T. Mruczek

Personality aside Arvada, Colo.: To Voicer Celestino P. Monclova: Donald Trump won. It is over. Do your research; 25% of Black males in Georgia (South) voted for Trump. Let that resonate. Does that one fact open your mind to Miss Giggles' loss? His personality is caustic at times, but so were my commanders in Vietnam. We got the job done. Move on. Brian W. Deasy

Cast of characters Petaluma, Calif.: Stephen Miller? Matt Gaetz? Kristi Noem? Tom Homan? Tulsi Gabbard? Mike Huckabee? To quote Yoda in "The Empire Strikes Back": "Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter." Especially Donald Trump's crude equivalent of Jabba the Hutt and Salacious Crumb, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. And since Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Department of Health & Human Services post, the "Star Wars" cantina is now practically empty and will be forced to close! Makes you appreciate Obi-Wan Kenobi's wise comment in "A New Hope": "Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" Bob Canning

Move fast Brooklyn: Re " Don taps former L.I. Rep. Zeldin to lead environment agency " (Nov. 12): Ten years ago, New York banned fracking, a powerful blow against this dangerous gas-drilling method threatening to poison our air and water. With Lee Zeldin, an ardent proponent of fossil fuels, poised to take the helm of the EPA under the new Trump administration, Gov. Hochul must stand behind our fracking ban now more than ever. Hochul must be the climate leader she claims to be and close a dangerous loophole in the ban. Food & Water Watch calls on Hochul to sign legislation that's been sitting on her desk for months to prohibit fracking with carbon dioxide. Eric Weltman

Running out of time Baldwin, L.I.: Trump thinks climate change is a hoax, but New Yorkers know better, as do most Americans (" Losing the climate is not an option ," op-ed, Nov. 12). The people in western North Carolina thought they were living in a climate haven until Hurricane Helene washed whole towns away. Here in the metro area, so-called "flash droughts" mean New Jersey and New York are burning. Our climate laws may be admirable, but Hochul is trailing in meeting their mandated goals. On the governor's list of climate priorities must be signing the Climate Change Superfund Act that would require oil and gas companies to contribute to the cost of climate resiliency, ban climate-devastating carbon dioxide fracking, restore congestion pricing and get as many offshore wind projects underway before the new president cancels future ones. Hochul must Trump-proof New York before he comes into office. Steve Rolston

Handed the keys Freehold, N.J.: The electorate has spoken and overwhelmingly elected Trump, and Kamala Harris has gracefully conceded her loss. There will be no chaos, no invasion of the Capitol, no smashing of windows and doors, no beating up police, no defecating and urinating in the hallowed halls of our nation's cathedral. No — instead, there will be a peaceful transition, as there always was until Trump came along in 2020. He is the first twice-impeached, adjudicated rapist and convicted felon to be elected president. If any of us ordinary citizens had one felony count on our record, we would have a difficult time trying to get hired. We couldn't serve in the military, we couldn't be police officers — in most states, we wouldn't be able to vote. Yet, here we have a man with 34 felony counts against him who was elected president. John Carrig

Manhattan: To Voicer Barbara Barran: I am a little confused. Are you suggesting that Democrats lost because of some gay issues, like we want our children to become gay? Well, I would suggest it's Donald Chump who wants our children to be gay. I mean what man — what real man — tells the world he looks better than a woman? What real man talks about the size of another man's penis on live television? And what he did to that microphone — well, do I need say more? Raymond McEaddy

Spectrum slide Hopewell Junction, N.Y.: How'd this happen? How'd that happen? It's his fault! It's her fault! I'll bet you if it wasn't for Trump-hatred, the GOP would've possibly got another 7 million votes. Democrats had a family crisis. So, as is the case today in too many families, the children must have their way 100% of the time, so the entire party packed up and moved as far to the left as possible. After they unpacked, they said hey, those people over there are "far-right." Really? We're living in the same houses — you're the ones that moved. People have totally had it with them and their media. That's what happened. Freddy Sacco

Precipitous event Raritan, N.J.: All the pollsters were wrong. Somehow, a serial molester of women, convicted felon, morally bankrupt and extreme narcissist has been handed the most powerful position in the world, the presidency of the United States. This time he will fill his cabinet with loyalists and be able to get away with whatever he wants to feed his narcissist needs. The brave men and women of Ukraine will fall to Russia, and a pullout of NATO invites an invasion of Poland. Here at home, we will see mass protests, curfews and martial law. Our economy will collapse. The corporate elite will now have what they have been looking for since Ronald Reagan was elected: complete control of the U.S. government. This, my friends, is the undoing of America. Ben Franklin said, "A republic, if you can keep it." Sadly, we couldn't keep it. We now have an autocrat in the White House, and Nov. 5, 2024 will become one of the darkest days in our nation's history. William Brites

Who's to blame? Brooklyn: To Voicer Patricia Clark: Although I would not vote for Mayor Adams again, you forget that it was Trump's influence on his government buddies. They blocked President Biden when he tried to fix the problem with the migrants getting into our country. Trump had a plan and it worked. But you also need to remember that Trump is corrupt and was charged with many crimes in court. Adams has not gone to court yet. People need to stop putting down one and forgetting what the other did. I call it hypocrisy! Carol Singleton

Lifelong losers Staten Island: I will be fertilizer before the New York Jets win another Super Bowl. Jeffrey Van Pelt

Nutley, N.J.: If I didn't know better, I would think Tom Brady of "Fox NFL Sunday" gets paid by the word. Is there no end to his color commentaries? Oh, please, please tell him to stifle it. Elaine Bucino