Men, like Alito, who blame their wives, NYC retirees' health insurance

Men throwing shade on wives a reminder

Perhaps Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito [“Alito questions political compromise in recording,” Nation, June 12] and New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez [“New trial of pungent political interest,” Opinion, June 15] will recall in the Bible Genesis 3 the conversation between God and Adam.

God asked Adam if he had been eating of the tree of knowledge that God forbade him to eat from. Adam replied, “The woman you put with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Alito shifted the blame to his wife, Martha-Ann, for flying two flags — the inverted symbol of the “Stop the steal” movement in front of his Virginia home, and the “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his New Jersey vacation home.

Menendez attributed the blame for his alleged bribe-taking to his wife, Nadine, who he says kept him in the dark on financial matters.

Are these buck-passers not strongly comparable to the earlier biblical reference?

— Pat Morgan, Commack

Don’t let budget woes hurt retirees

Much coverage has been given to the West Babylon school budget, but it never really indicated how the district fell into such hard times [“School district revotes,” News, June 18].

One major proposed cut is changing the retirees’ health insurance. Now, retirees are covered under the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) and want this to continue. The district is proposing changing to a less costly, inferior plan.

Many retirees have serious and life-threatening health conditions and established relationships with doctors and hospitals under the NYSHIP plan.

The district is giving 10 years of free NYSHIP coverage to current employees upon retirement while threatening to take away NYSHIP from current retirees, such as myself. That would be harmful.

We have not been allowed to have a voice in this. Perhaps, instead of attacking vulnerable retirees, there should be better management of the budget.

— Darlene Olszewski, Patchogue