SCPD probe, Trump and Clinton, road repairs and Russia

Suffolk County’s Internal Affairs Bureau commanding officer, Michael Caldarelli, deserves kudos for being an honest and incorruptible law enforcement official ["Cover-up of a cover-up," News, Feb. 15]. The tasks that he was charged with under the reign of corrupt officials were close to impossible.

I had the fortunate opportunity to work with his father, who was my commanding officer in the FDNY. From Day One, I came to know that Capt. Michael Caldarelli’s integrity was pure and unblemished. So it is no surprise that his son would not be bullied into changing his investigation.

It seems that his appointment to the Internal Affairs Bureau was the right move for the county. Too bad the top brass and people in the district attorney’s office did not have the same upbringing and expected their appointment to cover up their indiscretions.

Caldarelli’s dad must be smiling down on him with pride.

— Thomas Melia, Oak Beach

Newsday recently has devoted numerous pages to corruption or cover-ups in the Nassau and Suffolk police forces. Granted this is not excusable and should be addressed, but in these times of anti-police sentiment, does Newsday think plastering these stories on the front page and having the first several pages dedicated to this helps how people feel about the police?

The honest cops far exceed the bad. Don’t you think this is a dangerous way to get your point across?

— Robert Russo, Farmingdale

Reporter David M. Schwartz deserves kudos for his reporting of the police cover-ups. It was disheartening to read how extensive and high up the ladder this police department cover-up went.

No one should be above the law, but the participants in this multilayered web of lies and omissions of truth apparently thought otherwise. And these corrupt participants had no issue with setting up an innocent man, cabdriver Thomas Moroughan, to justify and hide their wrongdoings.

It began with former Nassau County Officer Anthony DiLeonardo and extended through Nassau and Suffolk police department detectives and top bosses.

The one lingering question I have is how Nassau County Officer Edward Bienz managed to move up the ranks to sergeant and then lieutenant since he also played a significant role in the cover-up. As with any other profession, cops who do their jobs well and with integrity deserve our respect and our support. However, those who break the law or twist the facts for their own self-serving reasons, especially at the expense of another, deserve to face the consequences for their wrongs.

— Nancy Winkler, North Babylon

Put Trump and Clinton in the rearview mirror

As a fiscal conservative and social moderate, I’m sick and tired of seeing and hearing about former President Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton throughout the mainstream media "Investigation controversy," News, Feb. 16].

I believe both parties must move on from them. They’re both divisive and polarizing. They both bring out the worst in people for each party. They are a big cause of the divide and vitriol currently in our country.

Not only are both parties being stifled and stunted, but we as a nation cannot progress as long as Trump and Clinton are in the forefront.

Elected representatives from both parties must stand up and promote collaboration, compromise and unity. If not, I’m afraid the future of our country is in peril.

Lastly, the mainstream media must cease stoking the embers of division before it’s too late.

— Claude Kasman, Nesconset

Fix the LIE, for us and for tourists

My wife and I recently drove from Dix Hills to Southampton, mostly via the Long Island Expressway. What an embarrassment ["Plentiful potholes beset LI drivers," News, Feb. 16].

Long Island soon will enter its tourist season, and we need visitors now more than ever because of the pandemic. What must people from other states think as they drive along the LIE? Long Islanders pay high taxes — local, state and federal — and they should keep one of our main thoroughfares in decent condition. My "uneven surface" warning light must have been on 60% of the trip.

We need to upgrade the repair material to have even a chance of it lasting more than a year. This is a project worth doing, and it must be done well. We and our tourists deserve it. It can’t be multiple Band-Aids put all over the road.

— Steve Boyce, Dix Hills

The Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway, Route 135, was paved not long ago and is already breaking up between lanes. Who checks the work? The Southern State Parkway and even my residential street are also full of potholes.

Maybe it’s time to change how we pay companies that do the work. Let’s still approve the lowest bidder. But let’s have their contract require maintaining the road for two or three years and include a penalty and liability for car damage. It would cost more but save lots of insurance payouts to municipalities. And it probably would save lives.

— Chris Cooper, Wantagh

Are we ever going to get Long Island roads fixed? Now we have sports betting, and the money generated looks to be very profitable for the state. Where will it go? Soon there will be cannabis sales, and more tax money. Where will that go?

— Ken Bruce, Oceanside

Stop playing these war games with Russia

The expected battle between the United States and Russia over Ukraine is getting ridiculous ["Biden skeptical of Russian move," News, Feb. 16]. While this cat and mouse between these two superpowers is going on, we are paying for these war games with tax money.

World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War had purposes. Yes, this looks like a game, and we taxpayers are falling for all this nonsense and panic.

When will America wake up and send emails to President Joe Biden and Congress, telling them to stop this and let them know we are not fools. This board game must end.

— Bernard Fradkin, Jericho

The writer is a Korean War veteran.