The Mail

MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA

I'm thinking you do not have any lawyers on the NY Press staff. Neither is Clark Dennis ("MLB needs to end 'steroid era' now," letter, March 29-April 4) a lawyer. He states the principle of habeas corpus is that "a person cannot be charged with a crime committed before the law was installed." Wrong. This is the principle of ex post facto.

Joe Mazza

Hell's Kitchen

COLUMNIST BITES BACK

You have a lot of nerve attacking Andrea Peyser on a personal level. It's fine and dandy to attack someone from behind an anonymous story that you didn't even have the balls to put your name on. Your paper is a rag and will always be a rag. I wouldn't even use it for packing material.

Mark D Phillips

Brooklyn

If you think I'm so unfortunate looking, why don't you meet me right now, your choice of location? Afraid of being proven wrong? Andrea Peyser

The New York Post

Hey, Andrea: Thanks for the offer, but I don't swing that way.

OK, BUT SHE'S STILL A PARTY BIGWIG As a hopeful candidate for State Committee, 77th Assembly District, a possible candidate for New York State Senate, 28th State Senatorial District, and a citizen registered to vote with the Independence Party, it is truly amazing how many facts you got wrong when counting Lenora Fulani among the 50 most loathsome. First, Lenora Fulani is not a "former leader" of the Independence Party, although she is a leading member of the New York County IP. Second, the anti-Semitic remarks uttered by Fulani were 1989, not 1995.

Third, Bloomberg did not "run for cover" after her remarks were repeated ad nauseum; he told Channel 5's Gabe Pressman something to the effect of "she's only one member, next question" and accepted the endorsement. I take vigorous exception to tarring an entire political party by Fulani's brush. The vast majority of the state's 300,000-plus enrollment genuinely want to see reform to the state with the most onerous tax and Medicaid burden in the nation.

The IP has brought to the forefront such groundbreaking issues as Initiative and Referendum, same-day voter registration, and participation in party primaries by non-affiliated voters. Does it make headlines every time someone from the Press utters a racist statement?

Nathan F. Weiner

The Bronx

PRESS AS ITS OWN 'MOST LOATHSOME'

In a city of 8 million people, reasonable minds will of course differ as to any compilation of "The 50 Most _______ New Yorkers." Surely, however, we could all agree that the New York Press should crack the top ten of "The 50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers," or, at the very, very least, make the list. At the risk of stating the obvious, the rationales (though I'll ask that you add the requisite silly caricature):

New York Press: No doubt thinks that name-calling and obscenities are enough to make any article "edgy" (see, for one of many tired examples, Jim Knipfel's description of his ex-boss as "Baldy Fuckwad" in the Feb. 1, 2006 edition). Like a 20-year-old college student, considers those who reach different policy conclusions "loathsome." Publishes the "52 Funniest Things About the Upcoming Death of the Pope" (March 2, 2005), patting itself on the back (see every subsequent issue) for its willingness to use the First Amendment (they obviously heard of the First Amendment, though probably never read the darn thing) even though (or more likely, because) it would offend some "troglodytes" (to use a former writer's description)-apparently, there is a high risk of an Inquisition on Seventh Avenue and 28th Street. At the same time, cannot bring itself to print the recent Danish cartoons (we all knew about the palace revolt even before the New York Press tried to save face)-apparently there is also a high risk of Jihad on Seventh Avenue and West 28th Street. Believes that an ability to use the "Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs" in a sentence somehow means that it has its hear to the cultural ground. Thinks the "outer boroughs" is the generic name of DUMBO, Williamsburg and Park Slope (with the exception of C.J. Sullivan). Loves, loves, its annual, oh-so-witty "50 Most Loathsome New Yorkers" series, though apparently unaware (or thinks it's readers aren't aware) that MAD Magazine has already been there, done that, with its "The MAD Nasty Book" features, published years before the New York Press was even an itch in Russ Smith's pants. Doesn't realize one other characteristic (besides sex-service advertisements, left wing politics, incomprehensible movie reviews and price) it shares with its crosstown "alt-weekly" rival: irrelevancy.

Douglas Segal

Manhattan

Your article naming Bruce Ratner as the most "evil" New Yorker was a pathetic attempt to appease your hipster über-liberal reader base. Your article generalizes and negates most of the facts. Ratner has acquired 95 percent of the private property necessary for the project and those 5 percent of people who haven't sold aren't holding back to protect their properties they are holding back because they know that Ratner needs to warehouse land for his mega-development. Also the comment about the effect on small business is also false; no businesses have been unwillingly affected the project. However, the biggest omission is the fact that people in Brooklyn want a sports team and that the tax base is eroding in Brooklyn. If you want to support all of your liberal social welfare initiatives what do you need, a tax base. If you want good schools for your kids what do you need? A tax base. This project is going to create a very strong tax base for the city of New York and the people of Brooklyn while filling a void for entertainment not to mention providing Frank Gehry designed housing to the people of the borough. Next time, don't be so ignorant.

Alex S. Bresler

Did you mean "tax base" or "tax abatement"? We get those two mixed up.

Number 50-really? Now the paper is almost totally unreadable because they [the former editorial staff] left. Some of the standbys from the Matt Taibbi days gave the paper a little bit of an edge. Of course, you take the opportunity to trash them from a yearly feature that you guys had nothing to with creating. None of you are cool, I'm out. Christopher Persheff

Well done, but why did you leave off Dan Doctorow, Janine Pirro, Peter Kalikow and 50 Cent? Not to mention the entire region of Williamsburg. George Archer

We'd need a whole issue to dish the 'Burg to filth.

Re: Irv Gotti (#17): My homies, The G-Units drink "Cristal" champagne, not "Crystal."

Nazdrovie,

Brian Sack

So what's up, NY Press?

You ask us our opinions on your Web site-to vote for the Most Loathsome New Yorkers-and then what do you do with the results? Whatever you want! OK, so you designated Bruce Ratner #1, but what happened to our dear Brooklyn leader, Marty Markowitz? The readers voted him in as #2 but you list him as #31?

Hey, you guys got a career ahead in Ohio or Florida, doing voter tabulation.

Paul Sheridan

Brooklyn

CUOMO A CLINTON CLONE?

Re: #29 Andrew Cuomo: "If all these failures weren't enough, Cuomo is now campaigning for attorney general despite having never been elected to a public office. "

I am hardly a fan of his, but if I recall correctly, the same status applied to the current occupant of that office upon his ascension to it, as it did to his counterpart in Arkansas back around 1976.

Howard Hirsch

Dayton, Nev.

WHEN PUNDITS ATTACK!

Wow, pundits attacking pundits. Seems like just another set of angry opinions to me. No moral high ground here.

Joel Greer