Drought, CDC, Liz Cheney, FBI, and Trump's lawyers

Develop systems to battle drought

In this era of high tech, each home needs a system where water used for bathing, laundry, dishes, handwashing and so on can be filtered and reused for lawns and flushing “S. Shore in ‘severe’ drought,” News, Aug. 19].

We shouldn’t use drinking water for our lawns and toilets.

Rain barrels can catch rain water for watering plants and other nondrinking uses. Japan has a system in which bathroom sink water is used to fill the toilet rather than go down the drain.

A movement away from lawns toward native planting can also help. We need to stop using poisons on our lawns that filter into aquifers. We can use landscaping techniques to enhance our yards while saving the environment.

We can and we must find ways to conserve water.

— Lynn Geisler, Huntington

Views on shakeup by Walensky  differ

I commend Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for her attempt to overhaul the CDC [“CDC director vows shakeup,” News, Aug. 18].

She is doing what needs to be done for the health of the nation. As she has said, “My goal is a new public health action-oriented culture at the CDC that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication and timeliness.” This is quite necessary.

I am 73 and have been tested, have all my vaccinations and wear face masks and distance myself. This I do because of the CDC recommendations to keep us safe. But all this should have been required before COVID-19 ran rampant, and now we have monkeypox, and who knows what other viruses await us. We must be prepared, and the CDC is vital in the war to combat what could come next.

— Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose

Dr. Rochelle Walensky is past her sell-by date. Most people decided for themselves that the CDC’s massive ball of miscommunication and contradictions was not doing anyone any good.

What was acceptable one day could change on a dime the next day. There were too many big egos involved, and dissenting viewpoints were dismissed. It came down to people deciding for themselves what was the best path to take and relying on their personal physicians for informed opinions. Walensky has come to this party way too late. All the guests have left.

— Tony Giametta, Oceanside

Wyoming GOP slogan: ‘Trump Over Truth’

Rep. Liz Cheney’s primary loss was indeed a referendum on former President Donald Trump, and Wyoming Republicans might as well make “Trump Over Truth” their official slogan [“Cheney’s defeat signals Trump purge of GOP nearly total,” News, Aug. 18].

If the Republican nationwide leadership had any integrity, it would not affix the pejorative “RINO” (Republicans in name only) label on members who put our democracy ahead of the party. But, then again, this is not the “party of Lincoln” anymore, is it?

— Josh H. Kardisch, East Meadow

Dems want Trump lawyers to fear peril

Dan Janison is correct about the perils of being an attorney for former President Donald Trump [“Lawyers serve Trump at their own peril,” Opinion, Aug. 19]. Anyone working for or associated with Trump is in peril.

The idea is that the prosecutors — federal, state and city — have determined that they have no evidence to prosecute Trump. They then go after the people who have worked for him. Eventually, they will find a vulnerable associate. Prosecutors go after that person and wear them down with legal fees. They then make a deal with this associate to provide information (hopefully incriminating) about Trump.

I’m confident that if they dug deep enough, these prosecutors could find dirt on anyone. They have “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” For example, state Attorney General Letitia James had not even assumed office when, in 2018, she was already proclaiming that she was going to investigate Trump for criminal actions.

Democrats want Americans to know that if you are associated with Trump, they will get you. It is very Russian.

— John Fallon, Kings Park

Trump has no issue with threats on FBI

I am responding to readers who wrote about “Trump and the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago” Letters, Aug. 17]. Former President Donald Trump likely does not object to the threats on the FBI. He believes that almost anyone disagreeing with him by telling the truth needs to be punished and rarely displays empathy or compassion.

Regarding Chinese payments to President Joe Biden’s son, that’s old news and is only surfacing again to distract people from learning the truth about Trump. Even if one wants to focus on Biden’s son, Trump’s organizing, not stopping and getting away with an attempted coup, so far, is much more dangerous than anything Hunter Biden did.

— Emily Lester, East Setauket