Florida speeding law, rigging votes, border vetting, Mets' Alonso

Florida speeding law worth copying in NY

The editorial board missed one way to improve the safety of our roadways [“For safer roads, ticket more,” Editorial, Dec. 11]. Has a study been done on what happens after a ticket for dangerous driving is issued?

All too often, the tickets fall to plea bargaining. Points get knocked off the infraction and fines are reduced, so issuing more tickets really isn’t a major deterrent.

Innocent people are getting killed. Crashes caused by aggressive and DWI drivers happen every day, but what are our lawmakers doing about it? My auto insurance went up almost 25% without any tickets or accidents on my record.

What Long Island needs is a rock-solid “Super Speeder” law — officially known as “Dangerous Excessive Speeding” — like Florida implemented July 1. The law makes extreme speeding a criminal offense rather than just a civil traffic infraction and has led to hundreds of arrests across the state. It would be great if Newsday’s editorial board were to hold the candidates accountable by making this topic an election campaign issue.

— Andy Bonomo, Seaford

Rigging more votes should be criminal

President Donald Trump has complained and lied often that the system is rigged. Ironically, he also said he knew that because he uses it. With the Working Families Party supervisor “candidate” in Huntington Town siphoning votes from the Democratic Party, it appears it was done to protect the Republican Party from defeat [“It’s up to WFP to avoid being hijacked,” Opinion, Dec. 11]. That may be legal, but it is certainly conniving.

Why isn’t Maria Delgado’s being surprisingly added as a candidate on the Working Families Party line a crime if it is a false representation? After all, former Rep. George Santos used the electoral process to defraud the public. I don’t see the difference.

— Pete Scott, Centerport

I offer a possible solution to this bogus candidate situation. The Suffolk County Board of Elections has two commissioners: a Democrat and a Republican. What they need is a “Third Party and Independent Candidate Ombudsman.”

Currently, if an independent or third-party candidate goes to the Board of Elections, she cannot meet with someone “on her side.” If there were a “Third Party and Independent Candidate Ombudsman” at the Board of Elections, it might help prevent situations like the one with Maria Delgado.

It also seems only fair that independent, third-party, and grassroots candidates — who can be newbies to politics and/or less funded — should have someone to guide them and protect their interests. A “Third Party and Independent candidate commissioner” might provide better accountability. This commissioner could also serve as a “tiebreaker” between the Democratic and Republican commissioners on controversial matters.

— Kimberly Wilder, Riverhead

Want fewer criminals? Revise border vetting

As an immigrant and U.S. citizen, I see President Donald Trump’s blatant disregard for immigrants seeking asylum as appalling [“Naturalization now a sad state of affairs,” Letters, Dec. 12].

My family emigrated from Cuba in 1964 to escape communism. We could have all been arrested as spies against the United States. The vetting of immigrants must be improved so injustices today are not perpetrated.

My heart and tears go to those immigrants seeking asylum who have been arrested as they tried to apply to become citizens. Improve the vetting process and fewer criminals will try to cross the border to enter this great country.

— Fani Gellman, Merrick

Mets’ treatment of Alonso was appalling

I am a 77-year-old Mets fan dating to 1962, their first season, and am appalled by the disrespectful manner in which the Mets treated Pete Alonso [“Heart’s been ripped out; so now what happens?,” Sports, Dec. 13]. Not even making him an offer was the ultimate sign of disrespect for a homegrown face of the franchise, a beloved player coming off a good season with 38 home runs and 126 runs batted in.

And, mind you, this is after a record-breaking home attendance at Citi Field, which was sought by their owner — nearly 3.2 million fans! This is how the club thanks its loyal supporters? I’ve been a Mets fan for 64 years, and now I’ll have to see him wearing an Orioles uniform next season.

But I guess that is to be expected when the team is owned by a billionaire businessman who seems to make many of his decisions based solely on how much more money those decisions will make for him. Do loyalty and fan happiness ever enter into any of these decisions?

— Howard Sutherland, East Patchogue