Schumer should explore mass transit

I agree with Sen. Chuck Schumer’s announcement supporting the reopening of the New York City Transit subway system 24/7 ["Fewer infections boost hopes for wider reopening," News, May 3]. Why not also reopen all the closed subway station bathrooms as well?

Does Schumer have a MetroCard and use it when in town to travel from his Park Slope, Brooklyn co-op to his office in midtown Manhattan? Does he use the subway, Staten Island Ferry, Long Island or Metro-North railroads when traveling to his frequent news conferences around the metropolitan area?

If not, he should give up the perks of a personal aide driving him around town and join his constituents in using public transportation on a regular basis. It will give him a better understanding of what life is like underground for the 99% rather than the elite 1% who don’t mingle with the masses when traveling.

Larry Penner, Great Neck

Editor’s note: The writer is a transportation advocate and historian who worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.

Cuomo needs to get Florida magic wand

Hear ye, hear ye!

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has finally decided to reopen New York State on May 19, and that is welcome news to millions of New Yorkers, but it still makes me wonder why it took so long ["Cuomo: NY reopens more on May 19," News, May 4].

Florida has been open since September with no restrictions, with businesses open and children back in school.

Florida must have a magic wand or something — they even hosted the Super Bowl with more than 22,000 in attendance.

Maybe Cuomo can use some of the money from his $4 million book deal and rent the magic wand for a while.

George Repetti, Wantagh

Socialism doesn’t relate to Supreme Court

The reader who wrote "Packing the court is just like Big Brother" [Letters, May 3] does not seem to know that socialism is an economic system and has nothing to do with the filibuster or the number of justices on the Supreme Court, though he does like to brandish the right wing’s favorite attack word, germane or not.

He also does not seem to know that the Senate has used its constitutional obligation to set the size of the court several times in our history. But given the usurpation of the Senate’s advise and consent duty by one lone senator who would not allow President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland to even get a hearing, the reader’s complaining about "politicization" of the court is galling.

Given gerrymandering, voter suppression and the fact that the Democratic half of the Senate represents more than 40 million more people that the Republican half, a right-winger calling adding a state "legalized cheating" brings galling to a whole new level. Washington, D.C. has a larger population than Vermont. Than Wyoming. D.C. pays taxes. Since he likes to invoke the Founding Fathers, he should remember how they felt about taxation without representation. And I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with socialism.

Patrick Flynn, Ridge

Easier ELA tests justify school spending?

With many questions being the same or similar on the English Language Arts practice exams as on the actual test, one has to assume that this is the only way that the education system can ensure that the majority of students who take these tests pass with flying colors, and thereby justify the annual out-of-control school spending in New York State ["Educators: ELA tests had familiar questions," News, May 1].

Thomas W. Smith, Riverhead

This cover photo offers us a joyous story

The exploreLI cover photo of a child and his father brought a big smile to my face ["Early bloomers," April 27].

To me, this photo tells a story — the look of joy and wonderment in a child’s face, parental love and the beauty of nature.

It is true that a picture can be worth a thousand words.

Carol Krupinski, Plainview