Newsday letters to the editor for Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018

I am writing to express deep disappointment with Newsday’s extreme display of sexism. My daughter, Kate Cimino of Hicksville High School, played in a Nassau-Suffolk Girls Senior All-Star soccer game on Friday in Cold Spring Harbor. The girls played their hearts out.

My daughter was excited to read about the game the next day in Newsday because the paper had written an article on the boys version of the event the week before [“Kwansah shines for Suffolk stars,” Sports, Nov. 15]. Although an account and several photos about the girls event appeared at newsday.com, imagine her disappointment when on Saturday and Sunday, there was no article in print for the girls, but a total of 10 pages about boys football playoffs.

I thought in this day and age, sexism in sports coverage would be gone, but apparently not. Newsday printed an account of the boys all-star game, but not the girls game. Such blatant sexism and bias are unbelievable. I will have to rethink my subscription. Newsday should be better than this.

Roseann Shubert Cimino, Hicksville

Trump willing to sell out journalists

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who lived in the United States and worked for The Washington Post, made the mistake of his life by entering the Saudi Embassy in Turkey on Oct. 2. According to the Turkish government, he was assassinated and dismembered in that embassy.

President Donald Trump claims he asked the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whether he was responsible for this barbaric murder, and according to our president, the crown prince more than once said no! So, Trump simply believes him.

Even more important, since the United States has some very large financial deals with the Saudis, the president is ignoring U.S. intelligence information that the crown prince ordered the killing [“President: Saudi prince not found culpable,” News, Nov. 23].

So it seems that the United States will start selling journalists’ lives if the price is right. Shame on our country if we simply stand by and allow the president to do this.

Maureen Marotta, Hempstead

Jonestown victim reached Congress

Your article about the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in November 1978 did not mention that Jackie Speier, now a member of Congress from California, was one of the participants in the congressional fact-finding delegation that was shot at by Jones’ followers [“LI connection remembered, 40 years later,” News, Nov. 18].

At the time, she was a legislative counsel for Rep. Leo Ryan, who was killed along with three reporters and a defecting Jonestown member. Speier was shot five times and left for dead overnight until she was rescued. She wrote a book about her experience and overcame incredible odds to be elected to Congress in 2008.

Sherry Eckstein, Huntington

Retiree group enriches lives of LI women

Thanks for the terrific article on the Long Island chapter of The Transition Network [“Moving beyond retirement,” Act 2, Nov. 25].

The local chapter began in the Wantagh home of organizer-founder Dania Smith, my wife, in 2003-04 when a handful of women met to talk about enriching their over-50 lives. The group formed the core group “the originals.” It reached out to other women, and dynamic peer groups formed. Today more than 800 women participate in the Long Island chapter.

I write this letter as a compliment for acknowledging the hard work and dedication of the members of that seed group, which continues to thrive. With my wife, other members include Linda Niedzwicki, Nancy Reedy and Ellen Schmidt.

Thanks also for the efforts of Newsday reporter Patricia Kitchen for her early stories on the organization.

Stan Feinberg, Wantagh

Tax sports bets and pot to raise transit funds

To provide a dedicated source of capital funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York lawmakers should legalize and tax sports betting and recreational marijuana for adults.

New York City subways, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North need vast sums to keep running safely and efficiently. State and local elected officials have proposed future funding from a millionaires tax or tolls for vehicles entering certain areas of Manhattan. Current funding sources include outlays by New York City, New York State, fares and MTA bridge and tunnel tolls [“MTA plans 4% boost,” News, Nov. 16].

New Jersey already has legal sports betting, and many states have legal recreational marijuana and tax it to generate revenue while expanding public services.

With the Democrats in control of the New York State Senate, Assembly and governor’s office, this is the perfect time to enact laws to legalize and tax sports betting and recreational marijuana for adults.

Robert Gottfried, Plainview