Randi’s ‘resilience’
American Federation of Teachers head Randi Weingarten claimed that “kids are resilient” as a justification for keeping schools closed during the pandemic (“Learning Loss’ High Price,” Editorial, Jan. 2).

Evidently, these kids were more resilient than the teachers she represents. Otherwise, these teachers would have been in their classrooms teaching these kids months before they came back to them.

So much for putting the children first, as teachers unions say they do.

Michael Brucella
Brooklyn

Midtown scourge
I found The Post’s article about the “real” cause of congestion in Midtown to be obvious — it is the 100,000 app-based for-hire vehicles that have no restrictions in New York City (“Uber & Lyft putting Apple in jam: study,” Jan. 4).

Mayor Bill de Blasio made a serious mistake in 2015 by not restricting the number of these vehicles, and more importantly, not requiring them to pay the same fees as the yellow-taxi industry — that is $15,000 a year that these vehicles don’t pay.

Perhaps the common-sense solution to the congestion problem would be to cut in half the number of app drivers allowed in the proposed congestion zone on a daily basis — a past study showed they are empty more than 40% of the time — and to require them to pay the same fees that yellow cabs do.

That would generate new revenue while also helping the yellow-taxi industry, which the city has gone out of its way to destroy.

Brad Brooks
Manhattan

Tots on their own
It’s disgraceful that these parents left their two babies, 5 months old and 2 years old, unattended while they dined out (“Home alone twist in ABC News death,” Jan. 4).

Dax and Victoria Tejera splurged on a fancy hotel, baby-monitoring devices and a dinner out in Manhattan — but wouldn’t spring for a babysitter?

Of course, their social-media posts portray them clutching their children. It is the epitome of narcissism.

I hope the charges of child endangerment are prosecuted to the fullest extent.

Patricia Keane
Westhampton Beach

Ron’s Don act
The inaugural address delivered by Gov. Ron DeSantis does not contain any ground-breaking ideas and, in fact, is just another version of the speeches that former President Donald Trump has delivered at his rallies over the past several years (“The DeSantis Difference,” Editorial, Jan 5).

So let us not get too carried away with the prospect that DeSantis should be the GOP’s 2024 nominee, replacing Trump.

Does he have any new ideas to make America great again that Trump hasn’t already proposed? The big difference between the two is that Trump is an original. DeSantis is a copycat.

J. J. Crovatto
Ramsey, NJ

RIP, Pope Benedict
The passing of Pope Benedict brought sadness to many people of this world (“Benedict XVI, 1927-2022,” Jan. 1).

While Benedict was the active pope of the Catholic Church, he kept the church on an even steady path.

While his reign took him through difficult times, he stood for the traditions and morality that uphold our culture.

What he spoke and what he did were not in conflict. Who is pope is important to the whole world, regardless of what religion you are. I mourned when Benedict stepped down and, with many, mourned his passing.

Catherine Adago
Manhattan

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