Just Sayin': Flawed golf website gets us teed off
A golfer putts at one of the Bethpage State Park courses. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Every Saturday night, golfers in our group and I log on to this so-called Bethpage State Park Golf Course reservation system right at the start. Fifteen seconds after 7 p.m., every tee time is gone. I am bewildered that all these tee times can disappear in a matter of seconds.
I’m guessing that some nefarious people use unscrupulous means to capture all these times.
Something must be done to fix this system to give everyone a fair shot at getting a tee time. Perhaps state parks could install software that makes it mandatory to check that a person is “not a robot” each time a golfer logs into the system.
— Gerard Kinsley, Smithtown
Slashing budgets slows things down
Many people who vote for Republicans want smaller government.
They cheered when then-President Donald Trump slashed the State Department and Internal Revenue Service budgets. And they cheered when the GOP blocked President Joe Biden’s effort to increase IRS funding.
Yet they may well be the first to complain when they can’t get their passports on time or IRS refunds quickly
— Song Yu, Glen Head
Cellphone negativity rubs off on all of us
Social media has been and continues to be the whipping post for everyone’s negative thoughts.
From the one-hour time change to a candidate’s latest speech, the negativity in our cellphones and laptops rubs off on society as a whole.
Whether it’s standing in line at the supermarket or being at a Little League game, people love to complain. We need to take time to put down our phones and realize what a great country and society we live in.
It doesn’t take an expert to look at Haiti, Ukraine, Gaza or Mexico to see what’s going on in the world. After Russian President Vladimir Putin is gone, the world will be a better place. Until then, don’t worry, be happy.
— Charley Frey, West Babylon
My congressman needs to respond
Why does a congressman have a website that claims to want input and communication with constituents but doesn’t respond?
When we use the site, we’re asked about positions on current events, and all we get back is a generic response about how much the politician appreciates our interest and will get back to us as soon as possible. Then, we never get a response.
We, his constituents, are paying for this website. We are paying for his expenses and for his office staff. How is a generic response to a question from a constituent acceptable? And no further communication addressing our concerns is OK?
Is this what we are paying for?
— Patrick Ehmann, Ronkonkoma
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