Letters to the editor for Friday, July 27, 2018

Water testing move helped save money

The July 17 news story “Water testing lab to reopen in ’19” could leave readers with the impression that my administration arbitrarily decided not to rehabilitate the Town of Hempstead’s laboratory shuttered since superstorm Sandy.

In fact, the decision my administration made to close the lab and sell the salvageable equipment at auction was based on an extensive analysis of the economics of continued operation of the lab.

The math did not add up for taxpayers. Given the considerable cost of refurbishing the lab and staffing it with trained technicians, it was much cheaper to continue outsourcing statutorily required water testing to existing commercial laboratories.

Of course, that meant that I couldn’t be featured in a staged photo-op, but it did mean that I had the satisfaction of saving precious tax dollars for town residents.

Anthony J. Santino, East Rockaway

Editor’s note: The writer was Hempstead Town supervisor in 2016-17.

Let Mueller finish his Russia probe

It is despicable that some House Republicans are considering the impeachment of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein [“Move in House to impeach Rosenstein,” News, July 26].

Rosenstein is just doing his job in overseeing the Russia investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. Republican attacks on Rosenstein in an attempt to hamper the wheels of justice are a travesty. Please stay out of the way of Mueller’s investigation.

I would have to think that my U.S. representative, Lee Zeldin, a lawyer, believes in justice and the rule of law. If there is a vote on the impeachment of Rosenstein, Zeldin should vote no. History will judge him on how he acts during these times.

Doug Harner, Farmingville