The Long Beach Boardwalk reopened on May 21, 2020 with new...

The Long Beach Boardwalk reopened on May 21, 2020 with new rules in place. Credit: Howard Schnapp

I am a senior in Long Beach, and I decided to take a walk at 5 p.m. the other day [“A popular return for Long Beach boardwalk,” News, May 22]. Rather than relaxing, I was stressed because many people were not wearing masks and not social distancing. These people were oblivious to others, and I found myself dodging people.

Where were the special police, as I would’ve expected? We are not going to get past the coronavirus this way.

Sondra Hyman,

Long Beach

Color LI’s future economy green

The editorial “The Road Ahead” [May 17] is spot-on. At a moment when we must make large-scale investments to restart our economy, we should take action on climate at a scale that science demands. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put ourselves on the path to a low-carbon future while creating new quality careers that provide family-sustaining wages and benefits for communities across the state. From energy efficiency upgrades to solar retrofits on schools, smart green projects can put people back to work fast, stabilize energy costs, and have a real impact on emissions.

As for Long Island’s long-term sustainability, offshore wind projects offer significant economic development by creating a skilled green-economy workforce and establishing a footprint for a consequential new industry. We can combat climate change and help meet the state’s goal of 70 percent electricity from renewable energy by 2030, all while creating good jobs with labor standards.

In this time of bold transformation, smart investments in a clean-energy future can simultaneously put people back to work, build infrastructure to address climate change, and spur economic development in our communities. The economy of the future is the green economy.

Mariah Dignan,

Ronkonkoma

Editor’s note: The writer is Long Island organizer for Climate Jobs NY.

Cut town’s school budget before vote

The Oyster Bay school budget, if passed, will have increased the past three years by $3,985,778, which is staggering, particularly when the school enrollment has decreased from 1,600 to 1,558 for kindergarten through 12th grade.

What is the justification for this increase? It is unbelievable that not one position has been eliminated. I find it unconscionable that the administrators and town board members have the audacity to increase spending instead of finding ways to reduce costs, especially during the financial disruption facing our nation because of the pandemic. People lost jobs, can’t pay rent, can’t provide food.

My grandchildren attend Villanova University, and parents were advised of measures to mitigate costs. No salary increases, and staff and administrators are taking a 10% salary reduction. Retirement contributions have been reduced by 20%, hiring frozen, etc. The university is to be commended for showing fiscal restraint. It seems this district ignores such cost reductions and savings. Propositions say “no additional cost to taxpayer,” but I see this as misleading as we have provided funding from the previous year’s budgets — excess funds transferred into reserve accounts. I encourage the entire community to vote no so that a revised reduced budget be submitted.

Grace Searby,

Oyster Bay

Not much of a choice for president

Many letters in Newsday condemn President Donald Trump’s statements and behavior both before and during the pandemic [“Protesters in Commack drawing criticism,” May 14].

I am also a conservative who believes that his behavior has been unpresidential and not adultlike. He also has run up the deficit. The problem is what does the other side offer? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips up Trump’s State of the Union speech on live television and has called him morbidly obese. That’s an alternative?

Many Democratic presidential contenders proposed free health care, free college tuition, forgiving all student loans and having free child care, among other programs. Most adults realize nothing is free. During the debates, even former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, tried to match some of the other candidates’ giveaways, none of which we can afford. I see the Democrat playbook as increasing spending and taxes, which doesn’t work. It shrinks the economy and eventually the taxes go to the government. We’re over $20 trillion in debt, and neither party seems to care.

In November, should I vote for the unpresidential president or the party of giveaways? I want to vote for an adult, but unfortunately none is running.

John Chiappino,

Smithtown

Tell Cuomo virus came from China

Why does Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo feel the need to say at his daily news briefings that “unlike what we thought, the virus actually came from Europe”? It appears to me it’s just another way to defend China. If someone drives a car from Manhattan to Montauk and makes several stops, would you say that “he came from Queens”? Of course not. It's from “place of origin.” It's simple: It came from China. Period.

Steven Zollo,

West Islip

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