Letters to the Editor

To the Editor,

The power of the people is stronger than the people in power. First, we can vote all Trump’s MAGA party out of office. Then, the new majority in Congress can resume working for us — the people — as opposed to Trump’s Congress who work for the billionaires.

In 2027 Congress can staunch the bloody wounds  that Trump has inflicted on our country.

Congress with its constitutional power of the purse will stop funding the illegal, disastrous Iran War. They will eliminate funds for continued deployment of personnel and materials that deplete our readiness and leave us vulnerable elsewhere. If the Pentagon wants additional funding, Hegseth will have to start fully complying  with congressional investigations. Similarly, if the Department of Homeland Security and ICE want another penny, they will need to cooperate with oversight. They  must adopt and follow strict guidelines on wearing body cameras, use of force, treatment of detainees, compliance with warrants. They need to stop racial profiling and start following due process.

Congress will take back its power regarding tariffs, so we can resume a smart tariff policy that won’t hurt our economy and pose problems for working people’s budgets — as opposed to Trump’s random inflationary tariffs based on his irrational animosity toward other countries.

By voting Trump’s MAGA party out of the majority, we the people have the power to enable the beginnings of a healing process our wounded democracy badly needs.

Wendy Holtzman

Peekskill

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To the Editor,

Cait Conley is a proud 16-year veteran of the U.S. Army. A West Point graduate, she served several combat tours overseas. Cait knows precisely how our military must be organized and managed to be effective and efficient.

However, Donald Trump and his incompetent lackey, Pete Hegseth, our Secretary of Defense, who prefers to be called Secretary of War, are doing their very best to destroy our military; to render it ineffective in the twenty-first century.

Hegseth has fired, or forced the resignation of, numerous civilian and military officials with decades of appropriate experience, including highly decorated senior military officers. He has blocked the promotions of other highly competent officers simply because they were female or people of color. Many of these fired individuals were focused on modernizing our armed services to meet the challenges of modern warfare. In the meantime, he has embroiled us in an illegal “forever war” in the Middle-East which is costing us a fortune and for which there is no end in sight.

If Hegseth had his way, Cait would probably never have been allowed to serve our country.

Cait Conley is totally appalled by all of these actions. When elected to Congress, she will vote to ensure that our military regains the effectiveness we once had. That its leaders are people of experience and integrity, whose promotions are based solely on merit, not on their appearance, their sex, or their ethnicity. She will promote a military strategy in keeping with our times, not one that focuses on culture wars rather than military readiness.

And where is our esteemed Congressman Mike Lawler in all of this? Mike Lawler, who has not served a single day in uniform? Has he voiced one word calling for the ouster of the inept Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary? Has he publicly opposed the endless war in Iran?  Has he called for the removal of other incompetent Cabinet Secretaries, like Robert Kennedy, Jr., who is trying to destroy our public health system and medical research in the U.S.?

Of  course not! Why? Because he is scared! He is terrified! He is a coward! A pathetic, craven coward who knows that if he says or does anything that displeases Donald Trump, his political career is over and he will not be permitted to run again for his Congressional seat.

So do not vote for this sorrowful individual who has only a single constituent that he, fearfully, will do nothing to anger.

Rather, vote for Cait Conley for Congress! She will not only restore the prowess of our military, but she will faithfully represent you and me and all of our neighbors in New York’s 17th District.

You will never regret that decision.

Sincerely,

Joel E. Gingold

Croton-on-Hudson