White supremacists, Long Island housing needs, Nancy Pelosi, and more

Shine a spotlight on white supremacists

The recent, surreptitious dissemination of antisemitic flyers on Long Island, on car windshields and on driveways, represents a straight line from the American antisemitism that 1938 Camp Siegfried personified, especially at a time when far-right white nationalist extremism in America has reached a fever pitch [“Recalling a summer camp for Nazis,” Opinion, Nov. 16].

Denunciations by political officials are perfunctory. Without a concerted, sustained effort to identify, locate, root out and expose the perpetrators and craven organizations that support them, condemnation by government officials amounts to little more than politically expedient photo ops.

Aside from law enforcement and legislation, if offenders are protected by free speech and hidden by anonymity, the media must be enlisted to uncover, publicly expose and apply unrelenting pressure on those who are positively identified and whose names are lawfully obtained.

The names and images of the purveyors of hate speech and political violence should be posted in the media. Sunlight is needed to help them scatter out of the darkness and shatter their secrecy.

— Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach

Use vacant strip malls for housing

I agree with the editorial “Add housing at the mall” Opinion, Nov. 16]. It should be noted, though, that creating new homes from old mall spaces is not a new idea. The Arcade Providence, a mall in Providence, Rhode Island, was converted into 48 tiny apartments several years ago. The renovation also kept space for shops and food vendors for the renters’ convenience.

On Long Island, with so many nearly empty strip malls, this would be an effective way of creating small units, especially for the disabled, elderly and veterans. Further, being in a commercial area, it would reduce the need for new building that might interfere with residents in the community. The cost would not be as exorbitant as creating new space. The building and utilities are in place. A small office could serve as a meeting room for different organizations to assist those with applications for services and health care.

Given the cost of housing on Long Island, this would be the right time for property owners to reuse, repurpose and recycle nearly vacant properties such as Sun Vet Mall in Holbrook.

— Patricia Howlett, West Islip

Pelosi used her role to spread the divide

I am a retired social studies teacher who spent most of my life teaching Long Island youth about the rights and responsibilities ensured by the Constitution. I would never use House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a representative of those two concepts [“Pelosi stepping down as House Dem leader,” News, Nov. 18].

Pelosi abused her powers. How many times did she travel, not just to home but to take other legislators, as well as business associates, on international trips, paid by our taxes? Her behavior at former President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was incredibly unacceptable when she ripped her copy of his speech. What does that show our youth watching it as a homework assignment?

Regardless of your political party, this person did little to bring the two parties together. She used her position as a pulpit to spread the divide.

— Linda Wangner, Garden City

Florida rebuilt bridge in days. LI? Not quite

The Hofstra University pedestrian overpass will be shut down for at least several weeks [“Hofstra overpass to stay closed for weeks,” News, Nov. 17]. Why?

Florida was hit with a category 3 hurricane, and emergency workers rebuilt the Pine Island bridge, used for vehicular traffic, in three days. We have a pedestrian bridge hit by a truck, and it will be closed for weeks.

If this doesn’t sum up New York’s failings, nothing does.

— Rob Leonardo, Rockville Centre

Broken promises on road to pothole fixes

The article about the newly purchased milling machine used for repaving by the Huntington Highway Department got me thinking about our roads here in Brookhaven Town [“Grading system,” Our Towns, Nov. 14].

Several months ago, we received a letter from our highway superintendent promising some much-needed repaving and pothole repairs. A bit later came another alert, specifically targeting our neighborhood to be ready.

Unfortunately, we are still waiting. North Country Road, our cross street, is a total mess of badly patched potholes. Our local street has a huge crack right down the middle, as well as potholes.

Why is this so difficult? What do we have to do to get these much-needed fixes before the dead of winter? I wonder what our highway department is thinking. Where is our tax money going, as yet another year goes by while our roads continue to deteriorate?

— Lee Ann Silver, Shoreham