Science research cuts hurt LI students
Melody Hong, 17, of Wantagh, created a model that mapped parts of the human genome to take sixth place in the national Regeneron Science Talent Search on March 12. She is a student at General Douglast MacArthur High School in the Levittown School District. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Science research cuts hurt LI students
As a retired research teacher and now a consultant for science programs, I know that the Washington administration’s cuts and holding up federal funding for research have already had an effect [“Let’s hope science search won’t be finale,” Letters, March 11].
Many of our local Regeneron Science Talent Search entrants do their research in university labs; five of the six recent finalists did this.
Scientists will find it much more difficult to justify using their remaining funds to mentor students like these. The impact is real, and it is happening now.
The loss of lab internships where high school students can do authentic research is threatening the development of our future scientists and the health and well-being of our nation.
— David Shanker, Rockville Centre
Two votes against election machines
The article “A choice between 2 voting machines” [News, March 16] brings the issue to a head. Regardless of what the Suffolk County Board of Elections officials say, I believe the county has decided to purchase the ExpressVote XL machines. The XL machines are specifically included in the county budget at a cost of $34 million.
These machines are not better for the voter or taxpayer but are easier for those who run the elections. With touch screens, they do not have to worry about hand-marked paper ballots. Instead, they can just turn the voting process over to a vendor and let a corporation handle our elections and votes.
Hand-marked paper ballots are the gold standard for voting and security. With a hand-marked paper ballot, the burden is not on us to try to match up a touch screen, summary card and QR code to see whether the machine got it right.
There is a national movement to require hand-marked paper ballots for federal elections. If legislation or the pending lawsuit succeeds, the $34 million in taxpayer money will be wasted. So, what’s the benefit?
— Roy Reynolds, East Moriches
The writer is a founding member of Project Civica, which engages in community action.
The enormous cost, confusion and concerns about security related to the new electronic voting machines underscore why as county executive I had sued to keep the old-fashioned lever machines in place. To me, this was a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The lever machines were inexpensive, easy to use and were fraud-proof. Yet the feds and the state forced localities to spend hundreds of millions of dollars collectively to make a perfectly good system more costly, more vulnerable and more confusing.
Newer and flashier isn’t always better.
— Steve Levy, Bayport
The writer was Suffolk County executive from 2004-2011.
These ideas give every voter a voice
A reader suggested that the solution to our polarized political situation is the creation of a third party that “seriously looks to incorporate the positives from both parties” [“It’s time for a third party,” Musings, March 10]. I agree that it’s one possible solution.
However, while that party is being built, another solution exists that would be swift. Allow open primaries in New York State, where all voters can participate in primaries. Currently, nearly half of registered voters have no party affiliation, which under New York law bars them from primary election participation.
The nonprofit group Open Primaries has proposed legislation in Albany to provide access for all voters, regardless of party affiliation, but it has been voted down.
No one has the right to block my vote. If everyone could participate in primaries, it would dilute the impact of the fringes of both parties.
— Donna Frithsen, East Meadow
Beware: Third parties often act as “spoilers” to a losing candidate who otherwise would have won. Two recent examples are in 1992 when Ross Perot, the spoiler, may have helped Bill Clinton beat George H.W. Bush, and in 2000 when Ralph Nader, the spoiler, helped George W. Bush edge Al Gore.
Ranked choice voting can avoid the problem. In a three-candidate race, each voter makes a first and second choice. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
In a recount, the second-choice votes for the eliminated candidate are counted as votes for one of the remaining candidates, and the winner will have received a majority.
This eliminates the third-party spoiler effect but allows each voter’s voice to be heard.
— Stewart Karp, Roslyn Heights
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Just go to newsday.com/submitaletter and follow the prompts. Or email your opinion to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone number and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
