Amazon tax break, Florida's gay bill and coins

Explain why Amazon deserves $2.4M break

The market for warehouse space on Long Island is hot. Amazon alone, we are told, wants “at least 10 warehouses on Long Island ["2nd try for warehouse," LI Business, April 1]. Competition for a scarce commodity, we are told, increases its price. So the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency should have a sound, convincing explanation for gifting $2.4 million in tax breaks to Venture One developers, who appear to be a front for Amazon. Has anyone asked? Who represents Suffolk’s taxpayers in the face of the usual threat: We will “not move forward with this project and look for somewhere else to build,” while refusing to identify anticipated tenants. Residents also deserve some explanation as to where “at least 30 people” who would work there would live, as the “$40,000 average” pay would almost certainly require public subsidy, or a commute from Alabama. Who will ask?

Brian Kelly, Rockville Centre

Florida's 'gay bill' creates a distraction

Cathy Young's essay " 'Don't Say Gay' bill inflames the culture wars" raises several important points [Opinion, March 31]. The passage of a law to ban discussing one's sexual orientation from kindergarten to third grade is another example of the Republican Party creating a fake issue to distract the electorate from important issues. How many teachers bring up this issue in classrooms? The opposition responds to this silly law and makes it a cultural issue. The Republicans, including Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), bring up crime but fail to advocate a sane gun control policy. Guns are a serious problem in both New York and Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis has supported several of these cultural issues but has showcased mask and vaccine mandates as infringements on one's freedom even though more than 73,000 Floridians have died from COVID-19.

John Boughal, Bayport

I am the proud mother-in-law of a transgender woman, and she and my daughter are looking to live their lives with the same dignity and rights afforded all. Cathy Young’s point that “All these are proper subjects for school board debates -- but a state law is a blunt instrument that shuts down debate rather than promotes it” is extremely relevant and is one of the major reasons that the law is so dangerous. Given the political climate in Florida and the language of the law, does anyone really believe that a teacher is going to endanger his or her livelihood by reading a book to students about “non-traditional" families, no matter how general the tenor of the book might be? To place teachers in a position where opening up minds will expose them to dismissal or sanctions is Orwellian, to say the least.

Judith B. Engelberg, Dix Hills

Media need to tell full story on Bidens

William F. B. O'Reilly lays out the implications of Hunter Biden being prosecuted for obvious ethical and legal breaches that were committed during his father Joe Biden's vice presidency ["Pondering a Hunter Biden indictment," Opinion, April 4]. He also talks about the media censorship of this story during the campaign. Whether you are on the left or the right, we have an idea what type of person Hunter Biden is. What O'Reilly does not talk about is the elder Biden's possible complicity in these events. The author states that the president skirted questions about his son's activities during the campaign and afterward Biden said that he did not know of any of his son's business dealings with our adversaries. Can you imagine if this story was about Donald Trump Jr. and former President Donald Trump? If the media is going to finally address the Hunter Biden story, they need to also address his father’s possible involvement.

Mike Nastro, Holtsville

I think William F. B. O'Reilly's time would be better spent looking into any nefarious dealings of former President Donald Trump's family rather than writing about Hunter Biden's possible indictment.

Raymond Germann, Ridge

Want my coins? Make it a free conversion

I have a few jars of coins that I would be happy to convert to bills, if I could dump them into a coin sorter at the bank or supermarket -- at no fee ["Spare change? Spread it around," LI Business, April 1]. I understand that the coin-sorting machines out there are a for-profit business, but, with about a 12% fee, I am unwilling to try to help our government's coin shortage. Banks and retailers, if you need my coins, make it easy and cost-free for me to get rid of them.

David K. Benson, South Huntington