LI traffic deaths, Nassau County transgender bill

Driving on LI is anything but safe

Is anyone out there surprised? Driving on Long Island gets more dangerous by the day [“Surge in LI traffic deaths,” News, June 28]. It seems that anything goes at any time.

I loved the Suffolk County police statement that it has increased enforcement at high-crash sites and it “remains committed to traffic safety.” How many police cars have you seen on any roads in the county in the past month or so? My answer is none, on any road.

The report released by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli stated there has been a 1% dip in the number of licensed drivers. That is ridiculous and shouldn’t happen. It costs me over $400 to renew my license, registration and inspection. Why bother to get a license when apparently nobody is checking until an accident occurs? This is not the first article or letter asking, “Where are the police?”

— Judith Hanson, Fort Salonga

There is a troubling disconnect between Thomas DiNapoli’s report on the increase in traffic deaths and recent measures by Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature to increase access to alcohol. From 2019 to 2022, there was a 45% increase in state auto fatalities involving alcohol.

In light of these and other statistics, it is outrageous that those laws were passed. It is about time for the governor and the State Legislature to pay attention to these reports and demonstrate the kind of leadership that the issue of DWI demands.

— Seymour Spiegel, Jericho

The tragic salon incident, in which four people were killed and nine injured by an alleged drunken driver, underscores the urgent need for more stringent actions against drunken driving [“Stop this plague of drunken driving,” Editorial, July 5]. The driver had a previous DWI conviction yet was allowed to drive again, leading to this devastating outcome.

Although Gov. Kathy Hochul took last-hour action to derail congestion pricing, she has not implemented measures to ensure that patrons exiting establishments serving alcohol are required to pass breathalyzer tests.

Individuals caught driving drunk should face a lifetime driving ban. It appears to be the only effective deterrent. This policy should be enacted nationwide.

A colleague and members of his family were killed on the Southern State Parkway by a driver drunk and high on marijuana. We need comprehensive and decisive action against impaired driving.

— Michael Brozinsky, Central Islip

How many people have to die because of drunken drivers before we do something? Interlocking devices are readily available and should be mandatory in all cars. If anyone who drives without one causes a fatal or devastating accident, that person should be punished more severely than drivers are now. A minimum of life without parole would probably deter many. A vehicular death affects many families for the rest of their lives.

— Richard Levens, Lynbrook

Every time I drive on the Southern State Parkway, I see at least two cars weaving in and out of traffic at excessive speeds, seeming to try to “outdo” one another. It’s an obvious precursor to traffic fatalities.

Why not use drones to identify these lawbreakers who endanger other drivers? They could identify them and stop these dangerous miscreants.

— Michael Wolpov, Central Islip

One way to try to reduce drunken driving is to stamp, in red, drivers’ licenses of all those with a DWI conviction. All customers, regardless of age, should be required to show a license to purchase alcohol or be served at a bar.

Felons cannot buy firearms. People convicted of drunken driving should not be allowed to buy alcohol. They should lose that right.

— Kevin McGrath, Northport

Hashing out thoughts about trans women

Your editorial “Nassau trans bill is a loser” [Opinion, June 28] objects to banning transgender women from women’s sports. I am not Republican, but I feel Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s decision is the right one.

I do not discriminate against transgender women; however, they still have a man’s body. That gives them, in general, an edge physically. It could present itself as demoralizing for biological females to repeatedly lose to transgender females.

A biological woman said in Newsday that she would not want to train to come in second. A rose is a rose is a rose. Identifying as a woman in a man’s body can be a thorny issue.

It would seem fair to accommodate both by establishing transgender sports. Physical strength would not be a disadvantage for biological females, and transgender females would feel comfortable among others who are also transgender. Wouldn’t that be fair, nondiscriminatory and acceptable?

If those with male bodies who identify as female may join females in sports, why couldn’t any male join? Would that not be discriminatory against those who do not identify as female but otherwise bring the same qualification?

— Diana Ihmann, Valley Stream

I disagree with the editorial. Having transgender females compete in female sports impacts the sport’s integrity. A person born a biological male with XY chromosomes is still a male no matter what surgeries he undergoes. It’s fine to do that for his personal life but not as a competitor in female sports. There is no real competition.

— Judy Riccuiti, Farmingdale

Do transgender women or girls not pay taxes? How can Bruce Blakeman deny them access to public parks? The cruelty is obviously the point of his illegal ban. If he is concerned about safety, why is he not banning transgender males from competing on “male only” teams? He would probably say it is their choice.

Everyone is free to make one’s own choices. Are there size and weight requirements to play in county parks? A 200-pound, 6-foot person may have a physical advantage over someone who weighs 100 pounds and stands 5 feet tall. What is Blakeman planning to do about that?

— Cathi Venis, Auburndale

I have to believe that anyone who’s opposed to the transgender bill has never had a daughter who competed in various sports and especially individual ones.

Is it fair for a female who has trained and competed in sports like swimming and track and field to now have to compete against a transgender female? The biological female is put at a terrible disadvantage.

— Rich Sundermier, Rockville Centre