Green’s censure and crossing party lines

I found the article on censuring Rep. Al Green to be one-sided, and I am not a supporter of President Donald Trump [“Two LI Democrats vote to censure Green,” News, March 7]. Green’s behavior was disruptive and rude.

There are many ways to register disagreement with the president, and Green’s grandstanding was unbecoming. The two Long Island representatives who joined the Republicans in the censure vote, Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen, did the right thing.

Political strategist Hank Sheinkopf’s quote is abhorrent. He said that both Long Island representatives cast their votes against Green because they are concerned about reelection. How does he know their motives? It also speaks to the tribal politics that have put us in today’s political climate.

Republicans are afraid to cross Trump and party lines. When politicians are expected to vote only along party lines, haven’t they given away their ability to think? And when two representatives do cross party lines and give valid reasons, it’s because they fear they may not be reelected? No wonder so few have the courage to cross party lines anymore.

I applaud the two representatives for using their brains and voting their conscience. Would that all politicians do the same, rather than vote strictly by party and march like lemmings off a cliff.

 — Pamela Harms, Patchogue

Two Long Island Democrats crossed their party line and joined Republican House members and eight other Democrats in censuring Al Green, but no one censured Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert when they interrupted then-President Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address. The Republicans are acting like hypocrites.

 — Roderick Andersson, Islip Terrace

LI deserves seat at transit plans table

An op-ed opposing the creation of a Long Island Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) makes a puzzling argument: that giving Long Islanders more control over their transportation future is a bad idea [“No new LI transportation planning group,” Opinion, Feb. 25]. If anything, the strong pushback from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) proves how much of a threat this proposal poses — to the status quo.

Under NYMTC’s structure, Nassau and Suffolk representatives can only object to projects they disagree with — they can’t shape the system’s priorities. NYMTC requires unanimous consent on all votes, so even when Long Island officials raise concerns, they can’t truly push for the funding and projects their communities need. The proposed MPO, however, would allow for majority rule rather than veto-driven gridlock, ensuring Long Island has real decision-making power.

Critics argue the MPO would remove critical expertise from the process, but this is misleading. The bill retains the two county executives, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair, and the state Department of Transportation commissioner, and it adds a Long Island Regional Planning Council representative, strengthening the leadership dedicated to solving infrastructure challenges.

This debate isn’t just about an MPO. It’s about whether Long Island will continue to be a junior partner in regional transportation planning or finally can advocate effectively for its fair share. Long Islanders deserve better roads, better transit, and a funding structure reflecting their needs — not the priorities of a larger bureaucracy. That’s what an independent MPO would deliver.

— Marc Herbst, West Islip

The writer is director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association.

Let’s hope science search won’t be finale

The article “LI’s 6 Regeneron finalists take shot” [News, March 9] begs two unspoken but vitally important questions:

How much are the Society for Science, which runs the Regeneron Science Talent Search, corporate sponsor Regeneron, and the schools whose science departments nurture these young scientific talents reliant directly or indirectly on federal funding?

What will happen to their support of research talent if the current federal administration’s proposed cuts in funding for scientific research and education are implemented?

We may not have anything left to celebrate in the scientific research arena if that very real threat, already carried out in part by President Donald Trump during his first term, is further realized to the degrees now proposed. Responsible media should be hammering that point home every chance they get.

Let’s hope this isn’t the last such article on this subject that Newsday will be able to publish.

— Robert J. Yamins, Great Neck

The writer is a former adjunct professor of computer science at Queens College.