'Dilbert' removal, congressional salaries, and LIRR complaints

Readers react to 'Dilbert' removal

Newsday dropped “Dilbert” because its cartoonist, Scott Adams, publicly reacted to the results of an extremely disturbing poll by Rasmussen [“ ‘Dilbert’ cartoonist was not ‘canceled,’ ” Opinion, March 2].

Only 53% of Blacks surveyed agreed that “it’s okay to be white” while 47% either disagreed or were not sure. How accurate is this poll? If accurate, though, it should be tremendously troubling to everyone.

Rather than focus on the shocking results of the survey, news media across the nation have targeted the cartoonist.

Newsday’s response, and most other newspapers, is to kill the messenger. There should be no question that it is OK to be white, and no one should be afraid to say so.

— Kevin Lowry, Ocean Beach

“Garbage in, garbage out,” and a mess is produced.

Our ire ought to be directed at Rasmussen. Its “poll” proposition that “It’s okay to be white” is garbage because it has not told us anything we did not know. It did, however, divert public attention to one racist’s response and served to broadcast his sensational opinion while delivering grievous harm to Dilbert, an innocent victim.

What needs canceling is our affinity for sensation over information about public issues.

— Brian Kelly, Rockville Centre

A survey shows that 26% of Black responders disagreed with “It’s okay to be white.”

So instead of addressing that racist attitude, Newsday cancels the guy who brought it up for discussion.

If anyone brings up a subject that Newsday doesn’t feel supportive of, is the solution to ignore the message and silence the messenger?

— Edward Kamarad, East Northport

Now that Newsday has done the proper thing and dumped “Dilbert,” it is time to bring back “Non Sequitur” by Wiley Miller to the comic pages.

Newsday dropped “Non Sequitur” in 2019 for the terrible mistake of putting a short profane suggestion to then-President Donald Trump in small, barely legible script in the margin of a panel of one of his comics. Miller said he forgot to remove it, and it became a national issue.

I drive around my local area and have seen several flags using the same profanity against President Joe Biden, displayed where children walk by.

Newsday still carries “Mallard Fillmore,” drawn by conservative Bruce Tinsley, who often lampoons liberal thoughts. Be fair and bring back “Non Sequitur.”

— James Delisio, Farmingdale

Congress deserves to be well paid

Rather than demanding Congress take pay cuts whenever the economy takes a downturn, we should be sure our legislators are well paid “Congress can show voters solidarity,” Letters, Feb. 24].

If Congress and the president are not well paid, the wealthy would likely be the only ones who could afford to hold high office.

The Founders believed that having financial concerns would distract office holders and make them more susceptible to bribery and corruption.

Were the current members of Congress to reduce their salaries to show solidarity with voters, many of us would assume they could do so because they had secret and nefarious sources of income.

— Mitch Kessler, Copiague

No shortage of ideas for LIRR's new woes

If you commute from New Hyde Park to Penn Station on the Long Island Rail Road, there is an 8:57 a.m. train with no change at Jamaica. The next direct train to Penn is 9:36, almost 40 minutes later. On Tuesday, the 8:57 was 19 minutes late because there was a disabled train farther east.

The public was told the LIRR’s third track was needed in case of a breakdown so trains behind could go around the disabled one. That didn’t happen.

Now, the afternoon: There is a direct (no-change) train from Penn to New Hyde Park at 3:09 p.m. and the next no-change at 4:40, a mere 91 minutes later.

At first,many trains had been shortened by at least two cars “LIRR adds cars after crowding complaints,” News, March 2], so the LIRR could have enough trains to Grand Central.

Again, on Wednesday, the 4:40 was standing room only, at least two cars short. It’s good they’ve learned from that. Now, let’s hope changes will be made to the new schedule.

— Bruce L. Hecht, New Hyde Park

At a daily gathering of friends, a group leader made an interim and possibly long-term suggestion to solve the new LIRR schedule problems.

Reinstate the previous schedule to Penn Station and institute a shuttle system between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison terminal. This new schedule would accommodate, as much as possible, commuters arriving at Jamaica on trains going to Penn.

This would appease the Penn commuters and, while Madison commuters would be somewhat inconvenienced, it would be better than their arriving at Penn and then going crosstown.

— Richard Mugno, Rockville Centre

Who is running the asylum?

The LIRR has really stung passengers on the Far Rockaway branch traveling to Atlantic Terminal.

On Monday, passengers on the 6:39 a.m. train from Hewlett were directed to Track 11 at Jamaica, but the train left on Track 12.

Monday evening, passengers on the 6:46 train from Atlantic Terminal were forced to wait more than 15 minutes in the cold at Jamaica to catch a train to Far Rockaway. And on Tracks 11 and 12, where the shuttle train from Atlantic Terminal arrived, there was no operational sign or an employee directing riders to a Far Rockaway train.

On Tuesday, riders on the 8:04 a.m. Hewlett train arrived in Jamaica to race to Tracks 11 and 12 to see an empty train leaving Track 11.

When the LIRR loses riders on its Far Rockaway branch traveling to Atlantic Terminal, maybe executives will react.

This $11.1 billion project to attract riders on trains to and from Grand Central is at the expense of loyal passengers such as those traveling to and from Far Rockaway and Atlantic Terminal.

— Steve Bernstein, Woodmere

That didn’t take long. On Day 2 of operations, Grand Central Madison had signal problems, a leaking roof and overcrowded trains.

It looks as if it will fit right in.

— Gerard Sewell, West Babylon