Drunken driving sentence, defunding USAID
A street sign with names of U.S. government agencies housed at the Ronald Regan Building, including the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, headquarters in Washington, seen on Friday. Credit: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Fatality sentences should be longer
Why is the minimum sentence in a fatality not equal to at least the age of the victim? For example, Amandeep Singh gets 8 1⁄3 to 25 years in the wrong-way, drunken driving killing of teens Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, both 14 “Max prison time in double-fatal crash,” News, Feb. 8].
Singh should serve a minimum 28 years to make up for the lifetime of the two boys. They will never get a chance to experience life, but Singh, at 36, would still have a chance, even after serving 28 years.
How awful would it be if he gets out after 8 1⁄3 years. It’s a slap in the face to the victims’ families. A minimum sentence should never be less than the age of the victim in a fatality.
— Kathy Quinn, Bethpage
Defunding USAID a contemptible act
The decision by President Donald Trump’s administration to defund the U.S. Agency for International Development is a disgrace “Judge deals Trump, Musk USAID setback,” News, Feb. 8].
It should be our nation’s mission to help clothe and feed the world’s poorest. Overall, we are a wealthy nation and can afford the small part of the budget that helps the impoverished.
People across this country should be speaking out loud against this plan while the government wants to allow tax breaks to the already wealthy.
Many of us are tasked with following the Beatitudes, something our president likely would not recognize if he saw it. Shame on us.
— Mary Negra, East Setauket
Tens of thousands of government employees are being told to or asked to resign. How does this help the economy? Would it not be a drain on the system with many having to apply for unemployment insurance and food assistance? It does not make any sense.
— Mark Stysiack, Ridge
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