Letters to the Editor

Dear Readers, 

I have received many questions regarding how I select which letters are placed in the paper. I want to make it very clear – unless there is egregiously foul, harmful or language insinuating you will harm others, I do not “pick and choose” what letters I place in the paper. I have also decided that, ahead of the primaries, I will be including letters from our neighbors within CD-17. If you disagree with this choice, please let me know by emailing editor@rocklandcountytimes.com. 

Sincerely, 

Sierra Lidén

Managing Editor

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Dear Editor at Rockland County Times,

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to coal ash protections that would endanger the health of communities across the country. Coal ash, the toxic waste produced from burning coal, contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other hazardous pollutants that are linked to cancer and serious illness.

For decades, utilities dumped this waste into unlined ponds and landfills, allowing it to leak into drinking water. Strong federal safeguards put in place in 2015 and expanded in 2024 finally began holding polluters accountable. Now, those protections are being dismantled, exempting hundreds of toxic dump sites and allowing companies to delay or avoid cleanup altogether.

This is a direct threat to public health. Industry data already shows that groundwater at most coal plant sites is contaminated above federal safety standards. Weakening these rules only ensures more pollution, more illness, and more communities left to deal with the consequences.

The EPA’s job is to protect people, not corporate polluters. We must speak out and demand that these safeguards remain in place. Our health, our water, and our future depend on it.

Sincerely,

Sr. Joan Agro, OP

Blauvelt

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Dear Editor,

Too Conservative to Win

We are at war. We are spending millions of dollars a day bombing children in the Middle East based on a false claim of WMDs while costs continue to rise back home with little to no government help. Reminds you of twenty years ago, doesn’t it?

Everyone I’ve talked to in this county has agreed on one thing: we need change. The push for change is so pervasive that we have three main challengers on the democratic ticket to run against Mike Lawler, staunch supporter of this illegal war: Effie Phillips-Staley, Beth Davidson, and Cait Conley, but who among them can actually win and close the door on Trump’s stooge?

Cait sells herself as an outsider, saying she’s a “different kind of Democrat”, but when we look at her platform, it most closely resembles the platforms of Republicans from twenty years ago. That sure is different, but it doesn’t inspire confidence, especially when she’s profiting from Palantir and other big AI surveillance companies from her investments. That’s not a different kind of Democrat, that’s a different kind of Republican trying to secure the Democratic ticket.

Beth has a real progressive legislation history here in Rockland, I’ve worked closely with her on the SADA push recently and I respect her greatly. But she’s hired the same consultancy team that Mondaire Jones used when he lost to Lawler two years ago, and she seems to be scared of taking actually progressive stances in this race so far. She says she’s “the most progressive candidate who can win”, but Mondaire didn’t win in 2024, so I’m skeptical.

Most telling to me, both Beth and Cait have repeated the same exact words the president has used to justify his war in Iran: that they “cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon”. But here’s the thing, even our own military intelligence reports show that Iran wasn’t building one. They weren’t even close to trying to build one. To be fair to Beth, she’s a county legislator and not a national security expert, but I’d at least expect Cait to know better as a military intelligence veteran herself. Either way, as far as I can tell neither even spoke out against the war until April when Trump started threatening “total obliteration”, and even then they only spoke out against the highly inflammatory rhetoric or the lack of authorization from congress for the war.

Effie is the only candidate who wholeheartedly supports universal childcare, Medicare for All, and stopping America’s foreign intervention, and she’s been doing so since day one. Not as a conversation starter or as a position from which to negotiate, but as the goal. In other words, she’s the only main candidate offering anything notably different to what Sean Maloney or Mondaire Jones offered in 2022 and 2024, and both of those men lost to Lawler, so the precedent shows us that different is required to win.

In my opinion, nominating Beth or Cait would be a huge mistake for the Democratic party, paving the road for Lawler to win the district yet again. We know his playbook when running against Mondaire was to call him a radical leftist and a socialist, and we know that Mondaire responded by running to the center in the general, alienating his base and decreasing turnout. There’s no reason to think that whichever candidate wins the primary this year, Mike won’t call them a radical leftist again. And when two of the three major candidates are already moving rightwards in the primary we know they’ll keep moving right once we hit the general because they think that leftist rhetoric scares people.

And if you agree that leftist rhetoric is scary and you’re still not convinced on Effie’s chances of victory, let me share one more piece of recent precedent from just a little ways down the river and only a few months ago. Zohran Mamdani stuck to his socialist leaning policies regardless of the criticism and he turned out young, left wing, energized voters to the point that he won a three way general election with a commanding majority in three of the five boroughs of New York City. The lesson? Unapologetic leftist policies defuse the “but they’re a socialist” attack from the right, and ultimately win elections. Zohran wasn’t “too progressive to win”, if anything Cuomo was too conservative to win!

I argue that it’s the same story here. Effie is not too progressive to win, Cait is too conservative to win, and while Beth is a good person and a good legislator for our county she’s running a losing playbook that’s been tried numerous times before. We need to stop treading to the right to catch the mythical moderate voter and instead vote in someone who actually has our priorities, our wallets, and our nation’s peace in mind: Effie Phillips-Staley. The primary election is June 23rd, and early voting starts on June 13th.

Tae-eun Leiah Hartley

Valley Cottage

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Dear Editor,

Mike Lawler has been taking great credit for passing the increase in the SALT deduction on Federal taxes from $10,000 to $40,000. As a New Yorker, I have no objection other than the price that was paid to accomplish it. The Big Ugly Bill was in jeopardy of not having enough votes in the House to pass. President Trump said to give Mike

Lawler all the SALT he needs to get his vote. In essence Mike got the SALT increase because  he sold his vote to pass the onerous Big Ugly Bill. Let’s look at what was accomplished.

Increasing SALT to $40,000 allows people with high real estate taxes and state taxes, who itemize their federal tax deductions an extra $30,000 of deductions. Should that family be in the 30% federal tax bracket, they would save $9,000 on their taxes. Certainly a substantial amount but how many people are actually itemizing their federal returns?

Since the standard deduction for a married couple is $32,000 and for married over 65 it is $35,200 about 80% of NY filers and almost 90% of federal filers take the standard deduction.

The increase in the SALT deduction has no impact on their taxes. The increase in the SALT deduction affects a very small portion of the population. This would be people living in very expensive houses with high real estate taxes and paying high state income taxes.

In order to increase the SALT deduction, what else did Mike Lawler have to agree to that was included in the Big Ugly Bill and was it worth it. He agreed to major changes

In health insurance by taking away government subsides which led to either high increases for premiums or people losing their health insurance. He would tell you that he was only eliminating fraud which is always the Republican claim when they impact the poor but never when there is a program they promote and certainly never against what the President might do. Over the next few years this may lead to 1.5 million New Yorkers and 16 million people nationally losing their health insurance. In order for some of them to keep it, they would have to pay thousands of dollars more in premiums. Mike also agreed that about 300,000 New Yorkers and about 16 million household nationally would lose or have their SNAP benefits reduced. This program provides  a major defense against hunger in the United States. In case you did not know it, about 14 million children in the US live in food-insecure households meaning they miss meals or face daily uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Republicans felt these cuts were necessary in order to pay for the tax cuts for the wealthy, including SALT, and for major increases in money being spent for Homeland

Security and ICE programs. The national debt is projected to increase by 3.1 trillion dollars over the next 10 years, Just as a point of observation, in 2025, 88 profitable companies who made a total of 105 billion dollars paid no taxes. If they had paid at the existing 21% rate the government would have received 22.1 billion dollars. Maybe we should check for fraud that our corporations might be committing. This is unlikely to happen since they have very strong lobbying groups that influence Congress and often help finance campaigns in contrast to those losing health insurance and SNAP who have no such influence. They are the easy targets and the Big Ugly Bill has made their lives much more difficult.

When Mike Lawler sits down at night for dinner with his family, does he ever think of the harm he caused these people or does he just rationalize it away by saying the word “fraud”.

Try to imagine Mike if you and your family had no health insurance and didn’t know if you were going to have enough food to feed your kids. I can think of no worse situation. You take great pride in saving rich people money by the increase in SALT  but seem to have no concern about those truly who need help. This is my question: Is more important for wealthy  people to save $9,000 or for poor people to have health insurance and food. I know what my opinion is, but as Mike continues his dinner, he says to his wife Pass the SALT.

Joseph D’Innocenzo                                                                                                                       

New City

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Dear Editor,

Vote for the Best. Vote for Beth!

The race for New York’s 17th Congressional District is critical. The incumbent isn’t a pushover, so we need the best possible candidate to run. 

After careful consideration, I believe that our best candidate is Beth Davidson.

I took this decision very seriously. I met with the candidates, attended forums, and followed each campaign closely. Beth stood out for her positions, her character, her experience, and her leadership skills.

Voters consistently say that they want representatives who are problem solvers that are responsible, dependable, and available. Beth embodies all of those qualities. She brings both legislative and campaign experience, a deep understanding of the district, and more than twenty years of living in our community. Beth lives in Rockland County and has won office there multiple times, which is critical in a county where Lawler lives and has also won. Beth has the credibility to compete and prevail in Rockland. And she has now established her credentials in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess.

Beth’s priorities reflect what matters most to Hudson Valley families: tackling the affordability crisis, protecting our environment, Social Security and Medicare, defending reproductive freedom, safeguarding our democracy and the rights of all residents, and restoring integrity to government at home and abroad. She combines a clear vision with the steady leadership and judgment needed to navigate difficult challenges.

Congress was designed by our founders to be close to the people. And members of Congress must be responsive, accountable, and grounded in real community needs. As a legislator, Beth has already proven that she is committed to putting people before party and special interests.

In contrast, Lawler and MAGA Republicans have focused on partisan agendas that favor the wealthy and special interests. We need an experienced representative who has lived here, fully understands our needs, and will focus on solutions, not distractions, disruptions, and profiteering.

Beth Davidson has the experience, integrity, and strength to stand up to Lawler and his tricks and lies. 

Beth will fight to win. Beth will flip this seat. And Beth will serve with purpose. 

Democrats; on June 23 come out to vote in this Primary and unite behind the candidate who will take us to victory in November.

Come out to vote. Come out to vote for Beth Davidson!

Mark A. Lieberman

Yorktown

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Dear Editor,

My past involvement in the political process has been limited to being a consistent voter. But this year, I felt the congressional campaign for NY17 required more of my attention and effort. And so I listened carefully to all the candidates. I paid attention to their demeanor, their positions, their voting record, and their background. After a year of listening and watching, in person and online, I decided, without hesitation, that Beth Davidson will have my vote in the Democratic Congressional Primary.

Beth’s commercials inform us of her community service, her work in government, and her decades long dedication to the environment and women’s and worker’s rights. But those great contributions alone are not why I will be voting for Beth.

More than her work, is Beth’s approach. She is a fighter without needing to go into battle. She is laser focused on the job at hand and transparent about who she is. She is a defender of Israel without defending the actions of Netanyahu. Beth has spent the last twenty years in NY17, raised her children in NY17, and consistently voted in NY17. She knows the area, not because of a childhood memory, but because her life has been here.

The final consideration for me has been who will beat Mike Lawler in the general election. I have no doubt that Beth Davidson, more than any other candidate, can accomplish this. She knows Rockland and knows Lawler. She can speak with ease on any topic, and has the skill to take him on in real time. While I am a 30 year Westchester resident, I understand the importance of Rockland in this race.

I look forward to voting for Beth Davidson in the primary, and hope that I can do so again in the general election.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Venditto

Mt. Kisco

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Dear Editor of the Rockland County Times:

New Yorkers have voted on paper ballots (hand marked or using a ballot marking device, known as BMD) since 2010. The system works, but the system is now in danger.

The scanners for ballots and the BMDs are breaking down. The County Boards of Elections must replace aging paper ballot systems. Counties could simply replace scanners and BMDs, but some are replacing the entire paper ballot system with machines that only record votes electronically, with no physical record of the mark you make to register your vote. Only the physical mark on a saved, physical paper ballot can provide absolute proof of your vote. A paper ballot is saved and can be recounted manually to confirm an election result.

Replacement of the hand marked paper ballot system also wastes money. Electronic voting machines much cost more than the scanners and BMDs now in use. Counties will also need more machines to serve the same number of voters, increasing the cost of maintaining, storing, and testing the equipment.

Tell your county election board to keep paper ballots. They are cheaper and more secure than electronic voting systems.

Ask your State Senator and Assembly Member to support VIVA, the Voter Integrity and Verification Act (S7116 Cleare and A6287 Cunningham)

Protect your right to use a paper ballot in future elections. Call before the legislative session in Albany ends on June 4, 2026.

Catherine Ray

Ossining

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You Can Make a Difference…

As Democrats prepare to choose a nominee in CD17, I urge my fellow voters to support Cait Conley — the candidate with the strongest chance of defeating Congressman Mike Lawler in November.

We live in a true swing district, one made up of Democrats, independents, moderate Republicans, veterans, teachers, nurses, small business owners, and seniors on fixed incomes. Winning here requires more than partisan slogans. It requires a candidate who can appeal to the broad coalition of voters who will decide the general election.

Cait Conley understands that reality.

Raised in a Hudson Valley family of blue-collar workers and small business owners, Conley graduated near the top of her class at West Point and served 16 years in the Army, including six tours in the Middle East. She later worked on national security and cybersecurity issues as a director of counter terrorism, as well as the National Security Council and CISA.

What sets Conley apart is not ideology, but pragmatism, integrity, and a deep commitment to public service. She speaks directly to the concerns people in CD17 face every day: lowering healthcare housing and energy costs, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, strengthening small businesses, investing in clean energy and infrastructure, and restoring trust in government, offering specific programs for each.

Conley also brings rare expertise on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure protection to CD17 communities— issues that will increasingly affect our economy, privacy, and national security. She supports responsible AI regulation, stronger consumer protections, and safeguards against corporate abuse and political corruption.

Most importantly, Cait Conley understands that public office is about service, not personal ambition. In a time of growing cynicism and division, she offers seriousness, competence, and the ability to bring people together.

Any Democratic nominee would be preferable to Mike Lawler. But Cait Conley is the Democrat best positioned to win — and to serve CD17 with honor and effectiveness. Your vote from June 13th to election day on the 23rd, will the best way of thanking her for her service and replacing Lawler with a caring patriot. 

Jay Forbes

Peekskill

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If you are a Democrat in the NY-17 Congressional District, and you haven’t yet researched the candidates running in the June 23rd primary, I get it.  We all live in a state of constant overwhelm and continuous partial attention, and the news is pretty bleak when you do actually engage with it. 

However, now is the time to check back in and take note of the enormous responsibility placed at your feet. If you live in Putnam County, Rockland County, or parts of Westchester County (including Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Peekskill, Ossining, Yorktown and Briarcliff) your home district is one of only a handful of flippable districts in the entire House of Representatives. The whole country is looking to us to put the strongest possible candidate onto that Democratic line in November.

That candidate is Cait Conley, and I invite you to join me in voting for her in the June 23rd Democratic primary. As a town councilperson, I know she would be a trusted partner representing our local interests in Washington from Day One.

What stood out to me when I first met Cait was her unyielding fortitude and bravery. Cait is a West Point graduate, a decorated combat veteran with three Bronze Stars, and a national security expert who served on the National Security Council at the White House and at CISA, where she worked directly with Congress on some of the most complex threats facing our country. If you get the chance to meet her or see her speak, you’ll see what I mean — Cait’s not a career politician, but a public servant, and a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native. When you are around her, the energy is palpable, and she is a beacon of hope for me in a time with few such sources. 

This is one of those races where picking the right candidate absolutely matters. Cait is the candidate who can beat Mike Lawler and deliver for the Hudson Valley. 

Do not sit democracy out. Do not leave this critical choice to others. Join me in supporting Cait Conley next month. 

The primary is Tuesday, June 23rd. Early voting runs June 13 – June 22nd. 

See you at the polls,

Councilwoman Cristin Jacoby

Cortlandt

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Letter to the Editor: Why I’m Voting for Cait Conley

If you are a Democrat in the NY-17 Congressional District, and you haven’t yet researched the candidates running in the June 23rd primary, I get it.  We all live in a state of constant overwhelm and continuous partial attention, and the news is pretty bleak when you do actually engage with it. 

However, now is the time to check back in and take note of the enormous responsibility placed at your feet. If you live in Putnam County, Rockland County, or parts of Westchester County (including Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Peekskill, Ossining, Yorktown and Briarcliff) your home district is one of only a handful of flippable districts in the entire House of Representatives. The whole country is looking to us to put the strongest possible candidate onto that Democratic line in November.

That candidate is Cait Conley, and I invite you to join me in voting for her in the June 23rd Democratic primary. As a town councilperson, I know she would be a trusted partner representing our local interests in Washington from Day One.

What stood out to me when I first met Cait was her unyielding fortitude and bravery. Cait is a West Point graduate, a decorated combat veteran with three Bronze Stars, and a national security expert who served on the National Security Council at the White House and at CISA, where she worked directly with Congress on some of the most complex threats facing our country. If you get the chance to meet her or see her speak, you’ll see what I mean — Cait’s not a career politician, but a public servant, and a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native. When you are around her, the energy is palpable, and she is a beacon of hope for me in a time with few such sources. 

This is one of those races where picking the right candidate absolutely matters. Cait is the candidate who can beat Mike Lawler and deliver for the Hudson Valley. 

Do not sit democracy out. Do not leave this critical choice to others. Join me in supporting Cait Conley next month. 

The primary is Tuesday, June 23rd. Early voting runs June 13 – June 22nd. 

See you at the polls,

Councilwoman Cristin Jacoby

Town of Cortlandt