Inflation, absentee ballots, speeding past school buses and more

Inflation a small price to pay

I was annoyed on Nov. 14 to read the front-page story on inflation ["Long Islanders feeling inflation squeeze," News, Nov. 14]. In large part, the inflation is due to the $6 trillion stimulus that both Republican and Democratic administrations spent during the pandemic to save millions of Americans from financial ruin.

The stimulus checks, extended unemployment benefits and aid to private business to save jobs represent the biggest government intervention since the Great Depression. It worked! Our economy has rebounded, and unemployment is down to 4.6%. Aren’t 5% inflation and a delay in getting our gifts for the holidays a small price to pay?

If the government hadn’t intervened, the inflation rate would be much lower, but can you imagine the devastation for average Americans?

I’d like to see front-page stories on how the government saved this country. Consider where we would be if we still did not have a vaccine. The government working with the scientific community made that happen. This is a remarkable case of how government was the solution and not the problem.

— Luciano Sabatini, Blue Point

I used to think people were just misinformed, but after reading that most blame President Joe Biden for the inflation we are facing, I’ve changed my mind. You can’t blame Democrats or Republicans. We are in a once-in-a-100-year pandemic.

People have not been traveling (cruising, flying, visiting family, etc.). Big business has been losing money and has to make it up. OPEC has slowed oil production to drive up prices. Stop listening to the lies on the internet and some so-called news networks. 

— Mark Stysiack, Ridge

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s news conference at a Manhattan gas station called on the Biden administration to tap into the National Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help lower the price of gas at the pump ["Relief on gas prices urged," News, Nov. 15].

This would only be a temporary fix and not help long-term energy needs. The real solution is to go back to the previous administration’s policy of energy independence and no longer rely as much on foreign countries for our energy needs.

Not all of former President Donald Trump’s policies were wrong.

— Raymond P. Moran, Massapequa Park

Acknowledge risks of absentee ballots

It took two weeks after Election Day for the absentee ballots to be counted ["Blakeman defeats Curran," News, Nov. 17]. This is exactly the kind of thing that causes people to distrust this process.

Mail-in ballots are ripe with opportunity for fraud, especially with no identification requirements. The Democrats’ refusal to acknowledge these risks only fuels the paranoia of Republicans.

Absentee ballots should be required to arrive before Election Day and counted as received. The results should then be reported each day to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

— Gerard Sewell, West Babylon

I have a question for Republicans: How come the voting machines worked when there was a red wave in 2021, but when the Democrats won in 2020 there was fraud and voting machines were tainted?

I see a double standard here.

— Joseph Rella, Farmingdale

Stop speeding past stopped school buses

I am a school bus driver who transports children with special needs ["The thinking behind school bus stop sites," Letters, Nov. 16]. We do door-to-door service and, even though their parents meet them at the bus, sometimes parents can lose the grip of the hand of their child, who wants to run.

Regardless of what people think about bus cameras, "Stop" means stop, whether the sign is attached to a bus, a crossing guard is holding a stop sign, or a stop sign is in front of you on a corner. Having cameras on school buses is a fantastic idea. Two or three cars pass my bus every week, and their drivers love to speed. I wish my bus had a camera.

— Diana Carannante, East Meadow

Agreed: No one should pass a stopped school bus letting children on or off, but bus companies and drivers must help by doing things properly on their end.

I saw a school bus stopped, yellow lights flashing — not red lights, it seemed. I started to slowly pass the bus, saw the stop sign was out, and instantly stopped. I noticed this yellow light color error on other buses from that bus company in following weeks. The lights which should have been flashing red on the top of the buseswere the flashing yellowlights. My husband did not believe me until I pointed it out as he was about to pass a school bus.

School buses are supposed to put on their yellow flashing lights when approaching a bus stop, then switch to red when stopped. Some school buses drive with yellow lights flashing continuously. Flashing yellow lights warn of an impending stop, but when they’re  constantly on, the warning value is gone. We careful drivers do our part. Bus drivers must do their part, too., to help us.

— Anne Smith, East Meadow

Fuel industry big part of daily living

A head scratcher from a reader: She holds the fossil fuel industry responsible for some of the ills of the world ["Coastal barriers are needed for inlets," Letters, Nov. 17].

It is not the fuel industry’s fault that we have to put gas in our cars and heat our homes. Good luck generating all the necessary solar and wind electricity to power a world free of fossil fuels.

— Joe Cesare, Copiague

Mets fan says good riddance to Thor

Major League Baseball players talk about owner and fan loyalty, but where is their loyalty? The Mets wasted two years on Noah Syndergaard's injury rehabilitation ["Thor can't resist Angels' money," Sports, Nov. 17] . Now that he feels healthy, he jumps ship. I was shocked the Mets offered him $18.4 million and then the Angels $21 million for a player who has pitched two innings in two years.

When pitchers Matt Harvey and then Steven Matz left the Mets, I hoped they both did well. As for "Thor" Syndergaard, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him land back on the injured list.

Bob Goldkranz, Uniondale