Newsday letters to the editor Tuesday, April 4, 2017

House GOP should replace Nunes

Republicans should replace Rep. Devin Nunes as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee [“Interviews in Russia probe to begin,” News, March 30].

Nunes, who was a member of President Donald Trump’s transition team, should have been disqualified to serve on any committee inquiring about wrongdoing by Trump or his appointees.

Nunes went to Trump with findings from his committee’s investigation without first telling his own committee. He betrayed the ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff, by not advising him, having his input and gaining his approval on whether this was a proper action. It wasn’t. You can’t serve two masters — the president and your committee.

Jeffrey Myles Klein, Centereach

Require new stores to facilitate solar

Instead of clearing trees and land for solar arrays, why not put into zoning law that any new mall or large store must provide its roof for the use of solar generation [“Solar project set to go,” News, March 27]?

This would help reduce the store’s energy use and carbon footprint. If excess energy were generated, it could be put into a energy credit system for store use or donated back to the community for needy families.

Fred Eavarone, Huntington

MacArthur fix is simple: more flights

I chuckled when I read “Campaign to promote MacArthur” [News, March 24]. I fly out of Long Island MacArthur Airport whenever possible, but unless you’re flying Southwest Airlines to Florida, the airport is pretty much a one-trick pony.

Despite a Long Island population of almost 3 million people, the total number of MacArthur flights has actually declined 16 percent since 2012. Attempts to lure JetBlue fell flat. That’s poor management of a viable regional airport, in my opinion.

Rather than spending $180,000 on a marketing initiative to attract more passengers with limited flight options, how about spending the money instead on a campaign to attract another major airline?

Gary Anderson, Smithtown

 

We just want flights that go to places like Chicago and Boston, so that we can travel anywhere in this country as well as overseas. How about negotiating with American Airlines to expand its service?

All MacArthur needs is a few good daily flights to major places, and the rush to the airport will be on.

Harlan J. Fischer, Smithtown

Dems should oppose, not work with GOP

In an article on Rep. Thomas Suozzi’s town hall meeting, Newsday said that I “criticized Suozzi for voting for recent Republican legislation” [“Health care central concern at town hall,” News, March 19]. That description missed the point as to why I am upset with the man I voted for.

Suozzi has stated on many occasions that he is seeking to work with Republicans. At the town hall, I pointed out that for 20 years, Democrats have worked with Republicans at the expense of the American people. They passed Republican free trade bills that devastated American workers, and Republican financial deregulation to the peril of the American people and the world economy.

Suozzi was one of a few Democrats to vote for bills that will once again gut the regulation on the poor, poor vultures on Wall Street. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted regular on-site inspections before Republicans cut it back in the 1980s. Thirty-one construction workers were killed on New York City construction sites in 2015-16.

Joel Herman, Melville

Elections official had

plenty of ‘integrity’

I had the honor of teaching Nicholas LaLota, the Suffolk County GOP elections commissioner who lost a bid for Amityville mayor, in U.S. history in high school [“LaLota’s loss is sweet for Schaffer,” News column, March 26].

The “Politics & Power” column seemed to imply that “brash” carries only a negative connotation. Webster’s dictionary also defines the word as “full of fresh raw vitality” and “energetic.”

It seems that Suffolk Democratic chairman Rich Schaffer’s notion of “integrity” may be at variance with Republican LaLota’s integrity as exhibited in high school, the U.S. Naval Academy and the Navy.

Daniel J. O’Neill, Amityville

Editor’s note: The writer is a retired teacher.