Bethpage mosque dispute, RFK Jr., wage laws, protesting the rich

Bethpage mosque issue is about safety

The mischaracterization of Bethpage residents and the Town of Oyster Bay in your editorial “Call for fairness on the mosque” Opinion, Sept. 5] is misleading and unfounded. We are appalled by the offensive remarks cited — and equally appalled that Newsday seeks to define our town by a handful of comments while ignoring the overwhelming number of residents raising legitimate safety concerns.

There is already a mosque at Stewart and Central avenues in Bethpage. No one is blocking or interfering with this house of worship. This case is not about religion or discrimination — it concerns at least a proposed threefold expansion on a site plagued by traffic congestion, parking shortages, and safety hazards. For over 20 years, the group has freely practiced its faith without protest.

Expanding the facility, which includes classrooms, would only heighten the traffic accident risk. Shouldn’t everyone be concerned about children safely crossing Stewart and Central avenues? The settlement wouldn’t even guarantee a crossing guard.

Religion is not the issue — public safety is. Oyster Bay defines itself by fairness, respect, and responsibility to its residents, and that is precisely how the town board defines itself.

— Frank Scalera, Oyster Bay

The writer is Oyster Bay’s town attorney.

Trump allies allowed Kennedy to mislead

With good reason, the Kennedy family wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign as secretary of Health and Human Services, just as they called for him not to be confirmed [“Kennedys call for RFK Jr.’s resignation,” News, Sept. 7].

The Kennedys are only one among the various groups justifiably worried about the health of the American people with the secretary making dangerous choices. While it’s encouraging to hear the outrage voiced against him, the ship has sailed for removing him. That happened during the confirmation hearings when he lied about how he would handle vaccines, and the Republicans chose to believe him because they dare not defy their leader, President Donald Trump.

Special shame belongs to the two senators who are also physicians, Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Barrasso, who clearly explained their concerns but bent the knee to Trump. Until our representatives do what’s right for the people who elected them and put aside their desire for power and fear of Trump taking it away, we’re stuck with people who are in power not because of their qualifications but due to their loyalty to Trump.

And as illness continues to spread and probably escalate because of Kennedy’s choices, I hope those who voted for Trump realize the damage that is being done.

— Linda Durnan, Wading River

Wage laws support workers and towns

The op-ed by Mike Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute, misrepresents prevailing wage laws and offers a tangled mess of contradictions “Prevailing-wage bills threaten projects,” Opinion, Sept. 3]. In reality, prevailing wages are a proven economic engine that supports working families and ensures that public dollars build strong and safe communities.

Florio praises our strong and growing local economy but admits young people are leaving and employers can’t hire, so who’s really benefiting? Not those struggling with housing or basic costs. He calls close to $30 an hour “solid pay,” but $62,000 a year barely covers the cost of living on Long Island for many.

Prevailing wage laws are designed to guarantee fairer pay on public projects and protect the public from shoddy, unsafe work practices. When workers earn more, they invest in our local communities and make them stronger.

Florio’s agenda appears to be: Keep labor cheap for developers even if it forces workers into poverty while they build housing they’ll never afford themselves.

Let’s not be fooled — prevailing wage helps workers, their families, and our communities. The only ones it threatens are developers looking to profit from underpaid labor.

— Ani Halasz, Smithtown

The writer is executive director of Long Island Jobs with Justice, a workers’ rights organization.

Protesting rich harms restaurant staff more

How disgusting it’s become that people cannot go out and enjoy a meal in today’s society “Protesters target LI’s rich,” Long Island, Sept. 8]. Who are these “protesters” hurting?

Rich people, as they refer to them, will simply go somewhere else to eat where they feel safe. The only ones who will feel the pain is the restaurant owner who’s trying to make a living and his crew, who are not wealthy.

Drive the rich away and you drive the money away. You’re simply hurting Long Island’s economy.

— Kevin Mullen, Holtsville