Talks should be held to slow border surge

With all of the back and forth between the Biden administration and its critics about the serious immigration issues at the Mexican border, it appears to me that the real problem is not being discussed ["Official defends border response," News, March 22].

The real issue is that the Mexican government has done little to curb the flow of immigrants passing through from Central America. President Joe Biden should have a serious discussion with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about how Mexico can greatly help the United States mitigate this problem.

Arthur M. Shatz,

Oakland Gardens

Why Amazon gets galling tax breaks

It is appalling and galling to read about the world’s richest corporate CEO, representing Amazon, a multibillion-dollar corporation with a reported $21 billion profit in 2020, getting "millions of dollars in tax breaks" for its Syosset warehouse project ["Amazon gets IDA tax breaks," News, March 20]. As a 40-year resident of Nassau County, further inflaming me is the smug comment of Richard Kessel, Nassau County Industrial Development Agency chairman, about "people who pontificate whether we should or shouldn’t . . . but many of those people have jobs." In my view, Kessel is a longtime beneficiary of patronage appointments in which he has failed Long Island’s hard-working, taxpaying residents. It is ironic to me that when Newsday recently published a 1985 special edition, "more oversight of the IDA" was called for. Young families have fled, baby boomers are retiring elsewhere, infrastructure investment is nonexistent, our utilities underperform, many entities such as the Board of Elections are filled with party appointments, yet there’s still no coherent master plan no matter which party is in power. Newsday conducts award-winning investigations of housing, zoning, gerrymandering, judges running on all party lines, but nothing changes because the "shadow government" of party bosses picks the next candidates, so mediocrity remains entrenched.

Steven M. Walk,

Great Neck

Capitalist economic theory presumes contract agreements are to be made between parties of equal standing. Amazon’s "bargaining" with the Nassau County IDA, therefore, is thus fundamentally unfair ["Amazon doesn’t need tax breaks," Editorial, March 18]. Amazon says, "We weigh a variety of factors when deciding . . . however, we have a policy of not commenting on our future road map." On the other hand, Amazon is seeking many millions of dollars in revenue discounts with hints, not terms, of short-term construction jobs, unresolved state Department of Environmental Conservation issues, and wage subsidies for some undefined number of workers at an undisclosed pay scale, in unstated working conditions for an undefined term. To me, Amazon’s "policy" benefits itself, and the Nassau County IDA should not deal at such a disadvantage.

Brian Kelly,

Rockville Centre

So the Nassau IDA approved tax breaks for the richest company in the world for $60,000 warehouse managers and $15-an-hour workers. I believe the Amazon tax break is ridiculous. Amazon doesn’t need tax breaks for a warehouse. Let them build it on their own. Amazon needs last-mile warehouses close to its customers regardless of tax breaks. To me, the Amazon tax breaks are nothing but political pandering and government foolishness. With homeowners recently getting massive tax increases from reassessment, I say it’s time to shut down the Nassau IDA and fire its supporters, including Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Taxpayers can ill afford any more government-sponsored corporate socialism. Stop the insanity before it bankrupts us all.

Darryl Dowers,

Syosset

Newsday is the one that tripped up

Newsday displayed a headline and long caption with four photos showing President Joe Biden tripping up the steps to Air Force One ["The trip before the trip," News, March 20]. As a 20-year Newsday subscriber, I find this to be the kind of gratuitous and mean-spirited humor you might expect from schoolchildren and, in my view, it serves no "news" purpose.

We now have a person in the White House who has accomplished so much during his first two months in office while vowing to unify this country. So why dredge up the divisive ageism and mental competency insinuations he suffered during his presidential campaign? I do not want my newspaper to devote space to this, be it a president or private citizen.

Annette Daiell,

Roslyn

Just imagine if former President Donald Trump had tripped three times while walking up the Air Force One steps. I project that the media might have said he was on drugs, experiencing a stroke, etc. On the other hand, President Joe Biden’s three trips were attributed to heavy winds. To me, the hypocrisy would be glaring.

Ed Quinlan,

New Hyde Park