Zeldin's EPA, Bethpage Black change, Jews and Mamdani, more

Zeldin’s EPA doing irreversible harm

Bravo for drawing attention to the danger that Long Islanders face from air pollution, where it comes from, and how it will only get worse under Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin’s radical transformation of the EPA [“Zeldin’s EPA prepares to roll back air pollution standard,” News, Nov. 24].

It seems like Zeldin wants to take us back to the unregulated good old days before the EPA was created, in 1970, when cities were choking in smog and rivers were on fire from rampant industrial pollution.

Zeldin also disparages “climate change religion.” The irony, of course, is that the fact-free “religion” of the Trump administration is denial of inconvenient realities, such as climate change. And I’m not buying the argument that to bring down prices for Americans, we need to tolerate dirtier air, more respiratory disease and deaths, and the multitude of horrors we are seeing because of fossil fuels cooking the planet.

Our former congressman has left reality and Long Island behind to live in Trumpworld, a fantasyland where even coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels, is “clean.”

 — Amy Posner, Lido Beach

You don’t need to be an environmental scientist to understand that weakening regulations on fine particulate matter will sharply increase the health risks they pose — risks that include respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and even premature death.

Lee Zeldin’s unyielding pursuit of influence within President Donald Trump’s political sphere directly harms the very communities from which he came. He surely must know better. Before aligning himself with Trump, he even advocated for meaningful action on climate change.

 — Ken Feifer, Massapequa

Give the ‘people’s’ courses back to us

Each tournament at the Bethpage Black course causes enormous disruption at a public facility where it’s already hugely challenging to get tee times under normal circumstances [“State won’t charge PGA for hosting future events,” News, Nov. 30]. Open tee times are reserved within seconds after being made available each evening.

All five courses are either closed or impacted for months before and after these big events. It takes time to put up and take down structures such as grandstands, huge tented suites, souvenir tents, and even giant port-a-potty corrals. Just one more example: They pave over the 18th hole for buses on the Yellow Course.

Bethpage is already renowned and doesn’t need further promotion. How about we forgo these tournaments and their nebulous and unproven “economic activity benefits” and give “The People’s Country Club” back to the people?

— George Krug, Garden City

Count me among those who support tourism in New York State, particularly on Long Island. I find this deal between PGA and NYS to be particularly problematic. It supports the hospitality and food service industries among other private sector enterprises, but at what cost to the vast majority of taxpayers?

Rather than reaping millions of dollars from the PGA, as has been the case in the past, these future events will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. I don’t play golf. I don’t watch golf on TV.

Why should the preponderance of state residents foot the bill for these events?

 — Stan Feinberg, Wantagh

Jews’ fearing Mamdani is an overreaction

I believe much of the “fear of Mamdani” syndrome by Jewish New Yorkers is an overreaction [“Generational split in Jews revealed by Mamdani win,” News, Dec. 1]. I do not believe nor have I seen any evidence that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is guilty of antisemitism.

Most definitely, we’ve seen that he is anti-Israel, is not a Zionist and believes that a Jewish state of Israel should not exist. Does that present a danger to New York’s Jewish community? I think not. Does it present a danger to Israel? Perhaps, if he decides to legislate his support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. And while that might represent a perfectly fine reason for Zionists to oppose Mamdani, I don’t think it endangers Jewish residents of the city.

— H. Mitchell Schuman, Brightwaters

In this administration, where’s the buck stop?

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman defined his presidency when the sign on his desk stated: “The buck stops here.” It meant the president is responsible for all activity in his administration.

A Venezuelan “drug boat” was struck twice, killing two survivors after the initial strike [Trump: Venezuela airspace ‘closed,’  ” News, Nov. 30]. Who gave the order to hit it a second time? If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave the order, he should face severe consequences. If President Donald Trump gave the order, he needs to be impeached, at the very least.

We are not at war with Venezuela. At least I don’t think so. Is this what Americans really want?

 — James DiGregorio, Garden City

Laws regarding teens are out of whack

A 17-year-old can legally own a rifle that can kill someone but is not allowed to buy a beer for another four more years [“Police: Teen fatally shoots ex,” News, Nov. 27]. Confused?

Something is wrong here and needs to change.

— Toby Stevens, Holbrook