Long Island housing costs, gun buybacks, and road safety 

High housing costs hit poor the most

As a single mother struggling with rising housing costs, I feel so frustrated by the state budget [“Suburban Dems show budget clout,” News, April 29]. Long Island needs to build more housing for ordinary people.

About 55% of my after-tax monthly income goes toward rent. Creating more supply will lower prices and help bring down skyrocketing rents that make living here almost impossible.

But Long Island legislators from both parties who represent affluent, older households blocked Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal for more construction.

Housing prices are high for current homeowners at the expense of younger families who, at this rate, will never buy a home. It’s unfair and shows how Albany politics hurts people whose finances aren’t established.

The Good Cause Eviction bill would have prevented landlords from evicting tenants without demonstrating a real purpose, and it would stop landlords from imposing huge rent hikes on renters with low incomes.

When Hochul blocked this, she rewarded big real estate companies and their executives who may have donated to her election campaign.

We would all be better off if both ideas were supported by our elected officials.

— Dana Busterna, Smithtown

Gun buybacks won’t stop real criminals

If New York Attorney General Letitia James, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison and State Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood) checked the demographics of folks cashing in guns, they might realize how wasteful and ineffective gun buyback events are [“Hundreds cash in at Suffolk gun buyback,” News, April 30].

A fellow gun owner who attended the event told me about the people he saw there. “Just mainly older law-abiding men,” he said. “I saw a lot of crummy, old bolt rifles, BB guns and a few so-called assault weapons.”

At best, these events are opportunities for people to sell worn-out guns for a lot more than they would have sold them for privately.

Real criminals are not going to exchange their guns for gift cards. In effect, the authorities did not get guns “off the streets.”

Taxpayers’ money would be much better spent getting criminals off the streets.

— Vincent Cristiano, Ronkonkoma

The writer is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

Anyone can purchase components for a ghost gun, build one and sidestep firearms laws “Concerns about the rise of ghost guns on LI,” News, March 26]. Gun historian Ashley Hlebinsky, testifying before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee in 2021, said, “But the big takeaway about the history is that these privately made firearms have been around for centuries, basically since the first system was developed over 500 years ago.”

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz later remarked that “when you see countries enact registries of firearms, the next step is confiscation,” disarming law-abiding gun owners and diminishing protection of themselves and their families.

Cruz uses this as a fear tactic despite 83% of gun owners supporting expanded background checks on sales of all firearms, including 72% of all National Rifle Association members, according to a Harvard Political Review report.

In April 2022, President Joe Biden announced a new firearm regulation, requiring federal firearms dealers to add serial numbers to ghost guns, including component parts that they plan to sell. It’s a start.

Unlike Cruz, there are many law-abiding gun owners not influenced by NRA money who understand that gun safety does not threaten their Second Amendment rights.

— Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach

I can’t even walk on the street where I live

Only main thoroughfares were mentioned in “Walk, if you dare” [News, April 30]. I live on a street with a nearby school. I have been a runner for over 35 years, and I rarely run on my street anymore — it’s too dangerous.

I know it’s too expensive to hire more police. Hire traffic personnel, like crossing guards, to patrol streets in the daytime.

Let’s also have more stop signs and speed cameras. Yes, I can hear the freedom caucus yelling “big government.” How about my freedom to bike, walk or run where I live?

— Bill Britz, Sayville

Ticketing speeders on the highway is misguided [“Go slower — you could save a life,” Letters, April 25]. Most dangerous situations are created by tailgating, weaving, passing on the right, and people traveling too slowly.

We need more unmarked cars to crack down on drivers. I rarely see anyone pulled over by an unmarked car.

— Thomas Tranfaglia, Garden City

Reckless drivers will adhere to a 30 miles per hour speed limit only if a 15 mph sign is posted “Not so fast! Lower speed limits being weighed for town roads,” Our Towns, May 2]. Maybe.

— John Gaccione, Kings Park