Congress must aid the WTC sick

Manhattan: Re “Gilly hits toxic shame of 9/11” (Nov. 9): Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is right: Letting key parts of the Zadroga Act expire is a moral outrage. Congress must renew the act and make health-care compensation programs like World Trade Center Health Program for 9/11 first responders permanent. As a service provider for the 9/11 community these past 14 years, Tuesday’s Children can attest, first-hand, that the needs of these heroes are growing and go far beyond health care. The number of first responders, and their families, who seek our counseling, career and transition services, family engagement activities and community service programs has expanded exponentially in recent years and now tops 6,000. In fact, first responders now make up more than 60% of our constituency.Founded in the aftermath of Tuesday, Sept. 11 by families directly impacted by the attacks, Tuesday’s Children is committed to helping the first responders until our services are no longer needed. Judging by what we experience, day in and day out, this could be a very long time. Terry Sears, executive director, Tuesday’s Children

The world turned upside down

South Salem, N.Y.: As a veteran and a lifelong student of history, I never thought I would see a period of time where the president of France, a socialist, would be more willing to confront terrorism than the President of the United States. David W. Ondrick

He doesn’t get it

Staten Island: President Obama coldly described the tragedy in Paris as a “setback.” Excuse me, but a setback is defined as “something that reverses or delays the progress of somebody or something.” Can anyone explain the progress this delusional President has made against ISIS? His progress can only be measured by the killing of Jihad John. Other than that, ISIS has not been “contained.” As a matter of fact, it has expanded exponentially. If, God forbid, a similar calamity struck one of our cities, would he be so cold as to say that it was another setback? Martin T. Reda

France, fair-weather friend

Brooklyn: France has been a leader in the movement to isolate Israel. It has helped with the boycott, disinvestment and sanctions movement. Since it began losing its control of areas in the Middle East and Africa, it has been cozying up to the Muslims. Last year a French magazine was attacked by Muslims. Now Paris has been bombed by Muslims, and the French are saying “How could this happen?” Someone should have told the French the fable of the frog and the scorpion. After promising not to sting the frog in return for being carried across the river (as both would drown), the scorpion does just that. As they both drown, the frog asks, “How could you?” The scorpion replies, “Because it is my nature.” The French should remember that in dealing with Muslims. For those who cry: “That’s anti-Muslim,” I suggest you read the Koran, and a true life of Muhammad. I am sure the usual Israel-hating contributors will insult me once again, but that will not change the truth.Judith Durah

Pitfalls ahead

Union, N.J.: From the pages of the Daily News to the lips of every politician, “We stand in solidarity with our great ally France.” France — you remember them; or do you? France, the country that told us not to get involved with the Arabs of the Middle East and North Africa, an experience learned the hard way in Algeria. France, the country that inspired Freedom Fries, Freedom Toast and pouring French wine into our gutters because we were determined to invade Iraq. France, which told us, “Don’t get involved in Southeast Asia, it’s a quagmire.” Their Vietnam experience became our Vietnam nightmare. This reminds me of the 1960s folk refrain: “When will we ever learn?” Louis Alt

Send them back to fight

Bronx: Now that President Obama has all but emptied out Guantanamo Bay, why don’t we utilize the space to provide basic military training to adult male Syrian refugees? After training, deploy them back to Syria to fight for their country. Ed Young

Off guard

Island Park, L.I.: As a retired NYPD intelligence detective, I am appalled every morning in Penn Station. I see homeless people laying everywhere, and with the unfortunate terrorist activity in Paris, I see Amtrak officers leaning on walls, on their phones and every morning at 6:30, I see one particular female officer with a large cup of coffee in her hand while on her cell phone. Officer, you need to be more alert and show the pedestrians that you take some pride in your work! George Nancy

All wet

Baldwin, L.I.: Voicer Bill Jimenez says that billionaires should donate money to pay for a water pipeline from the Mississippi to the drought-stricken West Coast. What makes Jimenez think that the people of the Midwest would allow their water to be stolen and given to areas that should never have been developed in the first place? Robert Nielsen

Untangle it please

Smithtown, L.I.: Juan Gonzalez did nothing to investigate whether the allegations of racial bias on the part of University of Missouri administrators had any legitimacy (“Minority student athletes flex new muscle,” column, Nov. 12). Gonzalez just pointed out the money behind college sports and encouraged this type of bullying behavior, contrasting it with his days of protest at Columbia University and seemingly getting satisfaction. But not everyone cares about college sports — and some people do like to know the true story. Andrew Ross

Falling quality of life

Manhattan: Tuesday, while walking my 3-year-old daughter to art class at 4:30 p.m., I saw a homeless woman in a wheelchair aggressively panhandling, benches full of homeless, and three men pouring alcohol into red cups — all within a block of the W. 72nd St. subway station. In our neighborhood in the West 60s, there are six homeless people who are now regularly sleeping on the streets who weren’t there before August. Something massive and scary is happening and we have an incompetent leader who has proven himself totally unable to address the quality of life issues in our city. Mayor de Blasio needs to realize that our city does not naturally find itself in homeostasis — any peace and order that exists is the result of a tremendous amount of effort and push back against the chaos that would otherwise exist. Clean streets, good jobs, excellent schools, litter-free — and homeless-free streets — these things don’t just happen. De Blasio needs to get his act together to ensure the city doesn’t fall apart on his watch and we New Yorkers need to be aggressively seeking (and supporting) an alternate candidate to be our next mayor. Elizabeth Carr

Raises for all except seniors

Brooklyn: The politicians will get a raise, the police will get a raise, fast-food workers will get a raise. But seniors on Social Security, no raise for you! Probably just as well; they would most likely squander it on food. Christina Anderson

Bad ‘View’ing

Brooklyn: Re “Carly’s ‘View’: Show’s liberal crew is biased” (Nov. 2): Joy Behar likened Carly Fiorina’s smile to a Halloween mask. She didn’t comment on what Fiorina said. Behar sounded like the idiot Donald Trump. How could Behar do this? Was it for the laughs? Of course it was. Fiorina probably has more brains than the whole cast of “The View.” Shame on them. Helen Siwinski

Very funny

Bronx: My husband Jeff and I really like the comic strip “Mutts.” It’s funny, heartwarming, informative and totally enjoyable. Marsha Kolin

Poverty has no color

Manhattan: To Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner who wrote “Fair pay in union with race justice” (Nov. 10): You forgot that not only blacks live in poverty. All across the country you also have whites working in McDonald’s and Burger Kings earning low wages. You also forgot to mentionthose of us who have to live on low Social Security checks with no raise in sight. We also have to live in poverty. Black, white, etc., it’s a sad thing what has happened in this country. Delma Rosa

Missing flags

Brooklyn: I have asked and haven’t gotten an answer from the Marine Park Golf Course as to why they have no flag flying. They have a three-mast flag pole at the entrance that should fly the three flags: The U.S. flag, the New York State flag and the New York City flag. But no flags wave. Why? NYPD Motorcycle 3 sits right next door with a flag, so why not them? I find that very disrespectful.Jeffrey P. Smith

Ailing heroes and victims from 9/11 need help from Congress. (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES)