Letters: Frustrated by bridge closing

I am writing in regard to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ["Citizens deserve better," News, Jan. 15].

I find it highly corrupt that it is possible for members of government to purposely cause traffic jams near the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. And for what? Just so one Christie senior staff member could seek revenge.

I want to know what is going to be done to prevent another government official from frustrating many Americans. This is repulsive, and Christie had no clue his staff was doing such things?

I hope answers will come soon, because this is not government at work.

Antonio Lipovec, West Hempstead

So it's the end of Gov. Chris Christie's political career because he didn't immediately admit to knowing about the bridge crossing problem? His staff, when he asked, denied having anything to do with.

I guess he needs a lie-detector policy to verify that every response he receives from his staff is the absolute truth!

I will give him the benefit of the doubt until it is proven that he is lying, too. If he is, then he needs to step down.

John R. Volpe, East Meadow

Iraq involvement a terrible decision

I mean no disrepect to the retired Army major who defended the Iraq War ["Renewed fighting in Iraq," Letters, Jan. 12], but to compare the defeat of Germany, Japan and Italy after World War II to the defeat of Saddam Hussein is way off base.

After the peace treaties were signed that ended the Second World War, the Axis nations were completely defeated. In Iraq, we first were fighting against Saddam's army, then against terrorists/ freedom fighters, and there was no clear enemy. When the major fighting ended in Iraq and the new government was established and elections held, there was still violence against the people there.

The people did not want us there, and if we had left our troops there, they would still be in a hostile environment. In contrast, when we left our troops in Germany, Italy and Japan, we were helping rebuild nations. We also stayed there to provent the spread of Communism from Russia and China.

The people of Iraq saw us not as liberators but as foreign invaders -- crusaders, if you will -- and we know how that turned out.

John Walsh, Seaford

Newsday's letter writer takes the hawkish position that we should have stayed in Iraq, and our leaving destabilized the country. I disagree.

What destabilized the country was the religious animosity between the Sunni and Shia Muslims. By getting rid of Saddam Hussein and his Republican Guard, we created a vacuum and a chance for the Shia warlords to fight for power, and they did. Newly unemployed Republican Guards joined the fight.

Al-Qaida came in from neighboring Afghanistan. Iran and other Iraq neighbors saw it as an opportunity for influence there too.

Yes, Hussein had the world fooled about his having weapons of mass destruction, but his bluff allowed him to keep the region stabilized. Our getting involved in Iraq was the worst decision in our military history.

Tyler Cassell, Flushing

Equal pay for women overdue

Growing up in a world that is a male-dominated culture, the chances for achievement and equal pay for women have not changed ["Worthy laws for women still waiting," Opinion, Jan. 9].

The 10-point Women's Equality Act proposed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is one of the many ground-breaking legislative attempts to have equal rights: equal pay, enforcement of sexual harassment laws and the feeling for women that their hard work is finally paying off.

I can see that the different roles women are pushed to fulfill -- from mother and homemaker to their occupation -- add to the stress of being held to a high standard. I see how hard women work, and I feel that equal rights in pay, etc., are long overdue.

Johna Belmonte, Floral Park

Oppose expanding immigrants' interests

It's a sad commentary on the current state of affairs when "immigrants in New York have been steadily gaining political power and momentum," according to the director of the New York Immigration Coalition ["Renewing push for driver's licenses," News, Jan.10]. The sad part is when these are people in the country illegally.

As much as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo claims to be "excited by the diversity," it has become shrewd politics to pander to such groups for votes, lest politicians find themselves missing out on support. It has become painfully evident in the last few elections that it is highly beneficial for a candidate to back such special interests, while possibly forsaking the views of the majority of their constituents as well as the welfare of our country.

Entitlements continue to choke state and federal budgets while advocates seek "state-funded financial aid for college students here illegally." The backbone of our country, the middle class, is struggling under the weight of college loans while our children are often unable to find jobs.

Dominick Barone, Seaford