Letters to the Editor: How will LaLota vote?
Cutchogue
How will LaLota vote?
Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution states: “All legislative Powers granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.”
The powers of the president are placed in Article II, not Article I. Article II consists of four sections, mostly addressing either the election or removal of the president. The specific powers granted in Section 2 are brief: Commander in Chief, grant Reprieves and Pardons, make Treaties, appoint Ambassadors, Supreme Court Judges and Officers, and fill Vacancies during Senate Recess.
We now have a Republican-majority Congress more interested in promoting the agenda of President Trump than in passing legislation in the best interests of their constituents. The RNC, controlled by Trump and Musk, seeks oaths of loyalty in order to gain access to RNC campaign funds. So who is Rep. Nick LaLota going to listen to? His constituents, or Trump and Musk?
The proposed Republican budget cuts billions from Medicaid, agriculture (including SNAP) and education. The key debate will be whether trillions in tax cuts for billionaires will be passed. Cuts to Medicaid will devastate nursing homes and hospitals in rural communities, and homeless shelters in urban areas. Most other cuts will have huge impacts on lower and middle classes, but none on billionaires.
Congress is in recess March 15–23, and Mr. LaLota will be back on Long Island. Mr. LaLota, We the People demand a Town Hall. We the People ask you to vote “No” on any budget that guts Medicaid, agriculture and education, or extends trillions in tax cuts for the wealthy. And if you’re going to vote “yes”, We the People deserve your explanation, directly to our faces.
Barbara Farr
Southold
Buyer’s remorse
Buyers remorse is okay if you buy an expensive couch that looks ugly in your room. But buyer’s remorse about who you voted for to lead this country is an another thing. Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, LBJ saw our country as wearing the white hats. Lincoln waged a war to abolish slavery and keep this fragile union together. Teddy established the National Parks and the accomplishments of FDR are abundant and legendary … so many people have survived thanks to Social Security. LBJ was famous for the Great Society that enacted civil and voting rights. Nixon, one of my favorite presidents, enacted the Clean Air and Endangered Species acts.
I’m not one of the “ Not my President “ people, but I will shout from the rooftops, in the papers, to anyone who will listen about the egregious disregard for a) the Constitution and b) the rule of law from the Musk/ Trump team. I will write and call lawmakers till the cows come home, hoping they don’t have bird flu.
Rosellen Storm
Brookhaven
Farm vs. factory food
According to Joel Salatin, an advocate of regenerative agriculture and successful farmer of pasture-raised meat, the only places that bird flu has arisen is on factory farms. Animals are not meant to live in cramped warehouses. Like you or me, these animals get sick in these conditions, and the government response, mass extermination, is also cruel and weakens their natural immunity through genetics. The solution? Salatin states: “Back many years ago, when high-path avian influenza hit Indochina … the UK did some experiments. They found that if a chicken eats two fresh blades of grass a day — two blades of fresh grass a day — she doesn’t get avian influenza.” I hope that Crescent Duck farm succeeds in keeping this Long Island food tradition going, but I also hope that with this new beginning some changes are made. Vaccines should not be the only answer. There are great resources available from Northeast Organic Farming Association for Long Island farmers to make the transition to organic practices.
Karin Falcone Krieger
Mattituck
School devastation ahead
As a Mattituck native, I know firsthand how much our small-town schools rely on federal support to provide quality education. A leaked internal email shows that the administration is moving swiftly to dismantle the Department of Education, which would be catastrophic for districts like Mattituck-Cutchogue, stripping vital funding, eroding educational standards and deepening inequalities that local taxpayers alone cannot fix.
One of the biggest threats to Mattituck’s schools is the potential loss of federal funding, which supports everything from special education programs to teacher development and free school lunches. The Department of Education ensures that students with disabilities receive the resources they need under laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Without federal oversight, there is no guarantee that New York State would step in to fill those funding gaps. That means students who need extra support may be left behind, with families bearing the cost.
Moreover, without federal standards, education quality could vary drastically across districts. The Department of Education ensures that students in Long Island’s rural communities receive the same level of education as those in wealthier areas. If education decisions are left entirely to the states, wealthier districts could push ahead while places like Mattituck struggle with widening resource gaps.
The push to eliminate DEI initiatives would also hurt Mattituck students. Schools should prepare kids for the real world, where they will interact with people from all backgrounds. Removing DEI programs sends the wrong message: that education should exclude rather than include.
Mattituck’s schools have always been a source of community pride. But gutting federal education oversight would leave them vulnerable, underfunded and unable to compete. This isn’t just a bad policy—it’s a direct attack on public education, and our students will pay the price.
TJ Wells
Cutchogue
Know whereof you speak
Regarding his letter (“We the people,” Feb. 20), the writer owes it to himself, not to mention everyone else, to know what he’s talking about:
- “We the people,” yes, who elected governments for decades that established FEMA, USAID, NATO, etc. That’s how representative democracy works. Laws don’t change on the whim of a king, dictator, autocrat or President Trump.
- Anthony Fauci did not hold elected office; he was appointed. Elon Musk was not appointed or elected to any office. As an adviser, that’s fine. However, he has no constitutional right whatsoever to make decisions that affect any citizen.
- Our debt is indeed skyrocketing, because of Trump’s tax cut giveaway to the wealthy.
- Spend less? On what? Medicare and Social Security? The post office that delivers their checks? Aiding communities after a disaster? Emergency care in hospitals?
- Loss of cheap or slave labor is a sure way for debt to rise. Rome was not crushed by debt, though; it was overrun by Visigoths. Britannia lost its empire because its colonies revolted.
William Sertl
Southold
Who is protecting us?
We, as Americans, are less safe than we were before Jan. 20. Why isn’t Rep. LaLota publicly announcing what he’s is doing to protect us?
President Trump dismissed all of the members of the Cyber Safety Review Board, which was responsible for investigating significant cybersecurity incidents. Just last week, more than 100 cybersecurity workers were laid off from the departments of Homeland Security and Energy. FBI and CIA investigators with decades of experience are being pressured to retire or risk being fired. The largest cybercrime in history happened Friday, Feb. 21: North Korean state-backed hackers stole $1.4 billion in crypto. Many experts say that North Korea uses hacked money to fund their nuclear program and other military programs. What is Congress doing to ensure that U.S. cybersecurity efforts are strong, with experienced experts? President Trump and DOGE clearly are not prioritizing cybersecurity.
Reports are rampant that Elon Musk and DOGE are trying to access and/or copy our confidential personal data at the Treasury Department and the IRS. To what end? What are Mr. LaLota and other members of Congress doing to defend the institutions that protect our data?
The president also pardoned violent militia members who attacked law enforcement officers n Jan. 6. Now people feel emboldened to take “justice” into their own hands and harm law enforcement who “get in their way.” What is Mr. LaLota doing to protect law enforcement on Long Island and make clear that there is never any justification for injuring them?
Katy Stokes
Southold
Life before vaccines
I was born in 1953 to parents who couldn’t vaccinate me for measles and other contagious diseases because vaccines weren’t available. Measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox – I had them all. Measles made me so ill at age 8 that I still remember it and how jealous I was when my younger brother was able to be vaccinated. My mother, who had seen the devastating effects of polio on friends and family, cried tears of joy when she took us to get vaccinated.
In the early 1970s, as a young nursing student, my class spent a day caring for children with profound brain and physical dysfunction. They had suffered devastating complications from measles in infancy or been exposed to rubella in utero. The teenaged boy I cared for was blind and deaf because of measles. He had to be restrained 24/7 to prevent self-mutilation. The children I saw that day have stayed with me ever since.
Vaccine skepticism is commonplace and caused an outbreak in Texas that has taken a child’s life. Twenty patients are hospitalized with pneumonia..
I shared my story because personal stories help reach people with vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines go through rigorous testing and are safe for most people. Vaccines are released because the risk of the disease is higher than the risk of side effects.
If you have been “anti-vax” but are questioning your stance, speak to your doctor and visit the website “Back to the Vax” – started by two former anti-vaxxers. If you are trying to convince someone you love to get vaccinated, the website “Jitsuvax” may help you with the conversation.
Barbara Wasilausky
Cutchogue
A fairness alternative
SALT was removed from itemized deductions on your income tax completely. Later a $10,000 limit on SALT was returned. In its place an increased standard deduction, all this in 2018.
New York has complained ever since, wanting the deduction back. Some reasons why: New York gives more money to the government then it gets back, we have a higher cost of living and pay higher state taxes.
Seems reasonable, but are they? And really, what would be fair? New York has the fourth largest population in the country and as such its residents earn more income than many other states. Logically we should produce more income tax going to the government. Conversely, if we received back as much as we gave why would the tax be necessary? The revenue is needed for the whole country.
Yes, we do live in a high cost of living state. So there should be some recognition as to the fairness of the standard deduction in this regard. I doubt the votes are there to change the itemized deductions to again include SALT.
Our representatives should attack the level of standard deduction instead. They should base this on recognizable federal government cost-of-living designated areas now present in federal wage adjustments.
I believe that adjustment for Suffolk County is about 37 1/2%. Using this reasonable adjustment to increase the standard deduction by that percentage would help many in Suffolk reduce federal taxes paid. Taking into account discretionary nontaxable income based on a flexible area cost of living standard deduction, rather then one size fits all
Bob Bittner
Laurel
Insult to injury
Re: “Fatal fire triggers code enforcement” (Feb. 27): While it pales in comparison to the conditions that existed in the illegal occupancy that led to the death of Edy Herrera, the landlord also insisted that the illegal rent be paid in cash. This is a common practice for landlords who want to avoid paying taxes to the federal government on the income.
John Viteritti
Cutchogue
He’s got to go
There are two immutable truths: one, Russia invaded Ukraine and, two, an insurrection occurred at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. If you disagree with either of these facts, you need not read further. You’re in a cult and the truth no longer matters to you.
Donald Trump, leader of those folks who just stopped reading, has now brought our country to the edge of economic collapse and closer to World War III. He has sold out Ukraine and all our former allies in Europe and the rest of the world. Those who’ve stopped reading are the people who put him in office. Is it really possible they’re getting what they thought they were voting for? There’s only one way to stop this destruction of our country. Every Republican who has enabled Mr. Trump needs to be defeated in the mid-term elections. And that’s just about every Republican.
I’m going to cast my vote in the next Congressional election for any Democrat who runs against Nick LaLota, a Trump enabler. I don’t care how good he may be on any particular issue or even whether he can walk on water. He’s part of a Republican cabal that’s keeping Trump propped up and the only way to stop his craziness is to take away his Congress.
The Feb. 28 Oval Office abuse of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, perhaps the bravest national leader on the planet, was the last straw for me. Nothing Mr. LaLota can say or do short of a commitment to vote in favor of impeaching Trump for the third time can change my vote. Mr. LaLota’s now a part of our national problem and he, along with the other Republican sycophantic Trump enablers, has to go.
Michael Levy
Orient
Build our house with facts
Facts are like building a house, or a boat, with real material, not fake — to function well and withstand hazardous weather.
Fact: Europe’s support to an attacked Ukraine is $138 billion — more than the U.S. ($120 billion). Did you know that 70% of U.S. aid was spent in factories here? Nine states received over $1 billion. Over a half-billion was spent in each of 47 states including New York. Next commitments include $5 billion from the U.S. and 24 times more —$121 billion — from Europe (Kiel Institute).
When we signed the Budapest Accord with four other nuclear powers, the U.S promised to provide security to Ukraine if they gave up their nuclear weapons. Russia signed it, then violated, invading Ukraine. We upheld our agreement to our sister democracy. Bloodshed would stop today if Russia stopped its assault.
In my adult life three presidents have lowered the deficit and accompanying debt service payments. One administration achieved a surplus. They smartly partnered with federal agencies to carefully identify cuts, minimize duplication, saving $140B. That was VP Al Gore’s reinventing government project, giving us a budget surplus. We were to be the beneficiaries, not the uber rich.
The world knows all this. We should know it, too. Let’s build our house, our communities, our businesses, our alliances, our safety, on facts.
Mary Foster Morgan
Wading River
A decent U.S. president
The one thing you can say about former President Jimmy Carter is that he did not disgrace the office of the president. We had Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, George Bush and now our current President Donald Trump, who have disgraced the office. Some of these people faced impeachment, which shows how wonderful they were while in office.
Robert Svoboda
Southold
Freedom-loving peoples
In 1961, my sixth-grade teacher assigned us to make a scrapbook about Europe. I put energy into the task, calling each of the European embassies in Washington asking for information about their countries. Our mailbox flooded with brochures and pamphlets. All were interesting, but one piece — from Lithuania — was stunning, shocking, moving, and it seared itself into my heart and brain. It said: “May the fate of Lithuania serve as a warning to freedom-loving peoples everywhere that the appeasement of Soviet Russia is the first step to the loss of that freedom.” Even at 11, I knew that the Baltic countries were under Russia’s thumb and I knew what courage looked like.
Over 30 years later I visited the Baltics with a large group from around the world. Each of the Baltic countries had only recently become free of Russian occupation, and the joy they felt in being able to display their pride in their cultures and their freedom was palpable. The last night of the trip was a gala in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, which happened to fall on July 4. Only four of our group were Americans, [but] everyone dressed in red, white and blue to honor our special day. We all gathered on the steps of the town hall, and a local brass band serenaded us with Lithuanian songs and American patriotic songs. Again, I was moved and impressed.
Freedom-loving peoples, let us heed Lithuania’s warning from their firsthand experience. Let us stand with our Baltic friends and with Ukraine and all of the free world and say “no” to appeasement. The danger is real. The time to speak up and stand up is now.
Patricia Lloyd
Wading River
Warning from Moynihan
“If you have contempt for government, you will get contemptible government.” So said Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whose long and eminent career included stints as U.S. Ambassador to India and to the U.N. and a seat in the U.S. Senate for some 34 years. More than two decades after Moynihan’s death, his warning now rings true. Donald Trump, Elon Musk and many of the president’s cabinet appointees have little regard for the institution of government or the rule of law. The guard rails are being removed, all in the name of “government efficiency.” Trump, Musk and their minions care little for government, except for how they can use it increase their personal wealth and power. If you disagree, look at the proposal for Trump Gaza or Musk’s grab at the CFPB of proprietary and personal computer information. Contemptible government now reigns!
Martin Skrocki
