LOCAL NEWS & LETTERS

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Letters to the Editor

On December 19, 2020, in a post on Twitter, Donald Trump wrote: “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
By the time Trump called his supporters to action, his lawyers had failed in court to prove that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud and was stolen. Many of his lawyers were later sanctioned by federal judges, including Trump lawyer Sydney Powell, whom a Wisconsin judge sanctioned for filing a case “in bad faith and for improper purposes.”
In all, Trump’s team lost 60 cases, with every suit dismissed or dropped for lack of evidence or standing. Former New Jersey governor and federal prosecutor Chris Christie called Trump’s legal team a … [more]
Italy’s Conservative prime minister, Giorgi Meloni, got straight to the point shortly after the recent G-7 meeting in Paris concluded. Italy’s leader was reacting to a statement President Donald Trump made that Meloni begged him for a photo: “Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated.”
“Fabrication” is a perfect word for Donald Trump. Whether he uses it to anger another country’s leader, or, for the purposes of this letter, to undermine democracy, it’s a disqualifying trait that should have been given sufficient weight by voters to conclude that he was unfit to be elected president.
It is his never-ending fabrications about voter fraud, undermining American elections, that threaten our democracy. His claim that Democrats systematically cheat at elections is a lie that … [more]
The Southampton Town Democratic Committee is proud to endorse Chris Gallant for Congress in New York’s 1st Congressional District in the Democratic primary on June 23.
This endorsement reflects our belief that Chris Gallant is the strongest candidate to represent Long Island families in Washington, D.C.
Chris Gallant brings a lifetime of public service experience. He is a veteran of the Army National Guard, where he serves as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He has also worked as an FAA air traffic controller, served as a firefighter and been a union leader. His career reflects discipline, leadership and a consistent commitment to … [more]
While our health and our futures continue to be imperiled by the rampant growing use of plastics, the fossil fuel industry is fighting sensible legislation that’s on the table in Albany.
Industry lobbyists from chemical companies, fossil fuel firms and big plastic are bombarding our state lawmakers with unsubstantiated claims about the alleged benefits of plastic recycling and warnings that switching to nonplastic packaging would raise costs — when Consumer Reports has already stated that this is not true!
Every day, we … [more]
In journalism, serious accusations require scrutiny, corroboration and context — especially when the primary source has recently been arrested and charged with felony fraud [“Police: Southampton Man Charged With Felony for Impersonating Biz Partner,” 27east.com, May 7]. When those standards are not applied, readers are left to question both the fairness of the reporting and whether they are receiving the full story.
In Michael Wright’s article [“Challengers Force Primary for Democratic Committee Seats in Southampton Town,” 27east.com, May 19], several allegations made by Ron Fisher against Southampton Town Democratic Committee Chairman Gordon Herr were repeated without … [more
Last week, I announced as a candidate for Southampton Village trustee in the June 19 village election [“Willa Bernstein Announces Run for Southampton Village Board; Zinnanti To Seek Reelection,” 27east.com, April 28].
As I make the rounds knocking on my neighbors’ doors, I’m focused on listening to what concerns and excites them about village life, and I’m hoping that I can bring my government and legal background into the mix to improve the quality of governance here.
I’m also continually struck by …[more]
Today, a New York Times Opinion piece by the editors screams: “America Needs To Build More Housing.” To prove this, after many graphs showing the cost of housing in various places, Austin, Texas is highlighted as proof that building thousands of units of housing in a brief period drives down the cost. “Less expensive” rather than “affordable” seems a more accurate description of the result.
Left entirely aside is the environmental impact. Austin has experienced repeat periods of drought in the last 20 years: 2010-15, 2021-23. Texas is forecast to have extraordinary issues with water in the coming decades. Austin currently uses the excellent device of recycling wastewater, which … [more]
As you read the following paragraphs, keep in mind that Republicans have chosen to appropriate $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to support Donald Trump’s vanity project: the proposed White House East Wing Ballroom. Note, too, that at the outset of this project, Mr. Trump assured that no tax dollars would be used for the ballroom, but that it would be funded by private donations (Carl Hulse, “Republicans Seek $1 Billion To Use for a Ballroom,” New York Times, May 6, 2026).
With the above noted, I would like to explain how Republican health care cutbacks will impact Suffolk County and Congressional District 1 residents. … [more]
Watching Bill Maher last night, with an Iranian war discussion with U.S. Representatives Dan Crenshaw and John Fetterman pushing Donald Trump’s agenda, not one of the four people on my screen — not one of them — even hinted that if Trump never got elected either the first time or second time, we would not be in this war, because President Barack Obama and his associates, including nuclear experts, and their months of intense, smart, intelligent negotiations had finalized a treaty that put a giant watchdog over Iran’s dream of a nuclear weapon and restrictions on missile proliferation. And the Strait of Hormuz would be open. …[more]
Over the weekend, Representative Nick LaLota provided his statement regarding the attempted attack on the White House Correspondence Dinner, in which he decried political violence. In his usual tone-deaf approach, he notes a “pattern” of attacks and assassinations, brought about by hyperbolic rhetoric, and warns us that words have power and meaning.
This is rich coming from such a rank-and-file Republican. Mr. LaLota, you’d benefit in more than one way by finding a mirror. … [more]
If you are worried about our country and the direction things are going, you are not alone. Economists, political advisors and military generals have raised alarms, and we are all struggling with the reckless policies pushed through by Donald Trump’s administration.
The upcoming midterm election is one of the most important in decades. It may be the only way to stop Trump’s failed MAGA agenda. … [more']
Our congressman, Nick LaLota, evidently likes to communicate with constituents at a distance. Recently, he has taken up writing to your Letters page, although he’s been unwilling to meet the public in person for a town hall since taking office. It’s not hard to figure out why: A majority of voters are deeply unhappy with the state of our country and our economy under the control of Mr. LaLota’s party. He would rightly get an earful from his constituents.
For this taxpayer, it was particularly aggravating to read Mr. LaLota’s letter bragging about fighting “tooth and nail” for SALT tax relief against “every New York Democrat” [“Targeted Relief,” Letters, April 9]. He painted a distorted picture of who created the problem and who has tried to fix it…. [more]
On Long Island, the cost of living is already high, and rising energy bills are making it harder for residents to keep up.
As the former director of the Town of Brookhaven’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, I worked to expand solar access through the Green Homes — Go Solar Program. In doing so, I saw firsthand how the right incentives can help residents lower their electric bills while strengthening our local economy.
That’s why I support two important solar initiatives under consideration in New York State. … [more]
While watching the thrilling launch of Artemis II to orbit the moon, I thought back to my diving trip to Grand Turk, the splashdown site for John Glenn’s 1962 Friendship 7 mission in the Mercury Program. The Splashdown Grand Turk exhibit had a replica capsule that was so tiny compared to what we have achieved today. It is hard not to be awed by the accomplishments made since then.
Despite all the chaos and hatred in this world, the NASA team has worked for years to achieve a singular goal, and this week they prevailed in their scientific mission. … [more']

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