Suffolk County hacking and the Electoral College
Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison talks Monday about the cyberattack probe. Credit: James Carbone
Hacking of Suffolk has repercussions
The impact due to the hacking of the Suffolk County government offices is far-reaching ["County online restart," News, Sept. 28]. As real estate attorneys, we need to make sure that our clients obtain good title, which is done through title searches. Without access to the county clerk’s office, transactions are now at a standstill. Closing dates will come and go, and the impact will be far-reaching. Rate locks will likely expire. Will buyers be able to requalify at a higher rate and, if not, then face high fees to extend their existing rates? Once issued, buyers must keep their commitments in full force and could be held in default if they fail to do so. Rate-lock extension fees could deplete their cash to close, thereby endangering their commitments. Will they lose their down payments if they fail to requalify? If sellers are using the sale funds to purchase elsewhere, what then? If they don’t have the funds to bridge the gap, other jurisdictions are not going to have sympathy because Suffolk County had to shut down. We are all vulnerable and should be up in arms about this debacle regarding the unsafe preservation of our records.
Judith B. Engelberg, Dix Hills
Just do away with the Electoral College
The Electoral College needs to be scrapped ["Electoral College fixes proceed," News, Sept 25]. Whatever the reasoning, it was ratified in the 12th Amendment in the 1804. This country does not have a parliamentary government in which the winning political party appoints a prime minster as head of state. Republicans like the Electoral College, but Amerticans enjoy one person, one vote for all public offices — except for president and vice president. Voting should be done by mail-in ballots to reflect the popular vote.
Mark Schaier, Oyster Bay
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