'Do the right thing' and vote for Sandy aid

"Do the right thing," Tommy Asher of Island Park told Congress before he and a busload of other Long Island and Queens residents headed toward the nation's capital before the sun rose Tuesday morning.

Do the right thing in approving more than $50 billion in federal aid that will speed the tri-state area's recovery from superstorm Sandy, and get the region working to protect people and property before the next storm.

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) has been working overtime getting fellow Republicans to support a measure that should have been passed a long time ago. As the sun rose, he was said to be optimistic about Congress passing a relief bill.

It's shameful that lawmakers stalled needed financial help for so long in the first place; it'd be unconscionable should they decide to do more of the same today.

Some of that relief money could go toward post Sandy-recovery programs announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo during his State of the State address last week.

One smart proposal is to buy out residents who are ready to leave shoreline areas rather than take the chance of having to rebuild after every bad storm.

So do the right thing, Congress.

For Tommy Asher, and for the residents in other communities hard hit by Sandy.

We're beginning to feel as if Congress has abandoned us.

Make things right on Tuesday