Suffolk shows double standard

Suffolk shows double standard

Two Suffolk County police officers recently were suspended without pay for an incident caught on video ["2 Suffolk cops suspended," News, March 3]. The officers have not been charged with a crime but will lose a month’s pay.

Currently, we have two Suffolk County legislators who have been arrested and have pending felony charges but still are collecting salaries paid by taxpayers ["Staying in office despite charges," News, Dec. 13]. I believe those legislators also should have been suspended without pay until their cases are adjudicated. My guess is they will postpone their cases as long as possible so they will continue to get paid.

Vincent Stephan, Sayville

Seniors want to get mobile vaccinations

As a senior in Woodbury Gardens, one of several Oyster Bay Town housing developments, I and others here are disappointed in the handling of the COVID-19 vaccinations. New York’s mayor is protecting those in housing developments, so why can’t the town or Nassau County set up vaccination sites in each complex? We have retired nurses waiting to give us injections. Many seniors are homebound and not computer-savvy. We have desperately tried to get answers. Seniors have made this town great, and this is the thanks we get. Politicians asked for our votes, and this is how we are repaid. Continue making this difficult to get, and eventually the senior population will not stay quiet.

Joan Napoli, Woodbury

Keep snow days for everyone to enjoy

Snow days off from school are one of the highlights of winter for our teachers and students ["Schools say snow’s no day off," News, March 4]. During this pandemic, remote learning was a poor substitute for in-person learning.

Why put teachers and kids in front of a computer screen rather than having them go outside to breathe in the clean, fresh air that snow brings.

It’s much healthier than wading through another day of remote learning. All the kids want to do is sleep a little later, have breakfast in their pajamas, then go outside to play and perhaps help their parents shovel and clean off their cars.

These two or three snow days, to me, are more appreciated for the reprieve they give parents, teachers and school staff than an added day of vacation time.

Geri Bruno, Bohemia

Teacher remembered her students for years

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Nancy Cobb ["Nancy J. Cobb, 82, beloved Port Jefferson Station teacher," Obituaries, March 6]. She was my daughter Lisa’s second-grade teacher at Clinton Avenue Elementary School in Port Jefferson Station more than 25 years ago. In the fall, out of the blue, she gave me a call. She had come across boxes of student compositions in her attic and wanted to know if I wanted Lisa’s work. She was trying to contact as many parents or students to share their work before the boxes were discarded. The next week in the mail, I received two of Lisa’s compositions. I think that perfectly sums up the kind of wonderful, thoughtful and caring teacher "Mrs. Cobb" was.

Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station

Why lifting mask mandates is bad idea

Several states lifted mask mandates, and the Texas governor has announced that all businesses and facilities will be permitted to open to 100% of capacity ["Texas to lift statewide mask mandate," Nation & World, March 3]. Most politicians said their citizens have the individual freedom and right to do so. I believe that concept does nothing for the common good. So let’s go ahead and ignore the more than 300,000 U.S. intersections controlled by traffic lights and simply proceed through red lights when we want to. The argument collapses when you have a green light, and one of your like-minded individuals approaching the same intersection at a right angle to you has a red light, an impingement on his individual freedom. So you have a meeting of the cars, so to speak. Every day, in ways we don’t even think about, we sacrifice some personal rights for the common good. Without an agreed-upon set of values, a society can expect only chaos in conducting our daily activities, whether it be driving to the grocery store or helping stem the advance of a deadly virus.

Kevin Thompson, Northport

GOP supporters: Why take stimulus money?

Perhaps constituents of Republicans who voted against the latest stimulus package should refuse the money ["Checks coming soon," News, March 9]. Maybe they’re not unemployed or struggling with rent or lack of food. Or maybe the GOP should stipulate that none of its constituents should receive any of the money. Or perhaps those who voted for Republicans should not re-elect them.

Phillip Gennawey, Mineola