Congressman silenced? Immigration rules and Booker and Joe D’s relationship | Letters – NJ.com
Barnegat’s democracy is in jeopardy
Democracy is in jeopardy here in Barnegat. Recently, two instances occurred causing great concern on the health of our democracy and the willingness of people to have an open mind:
First, Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist., was scheduled to speak at the Mirage, as approved by the board of trustees. His agenda was to talk about his activities in Washington and to listen to residents’ comments and concerns.
The Mirage board rescinded its invitation because it received several threatening emails and calls from residents, demanding that Kim not be allowed to speak. The cancellation of this event is disgraceful.
Second, at the Aug. 6 Barnegat Township Committee meeting, Mayor Al Cirulli preached for 20-plus minutes, opposing new legislation for middle and high school curricula to include instruction on the political/economic/social contributions of people with disabilities and in the LGBTQ community. Cirulli said this law was “an affront to almighty God.”
I reminded him that in this country we have a separation of church and state. In fact, he has refused to officiate over gay marriages. Officiating at marriages is a mayoral function, and if he refuses to perform that function, he should resign.
Marianne P. Clemente, Barnegat
New immigration rules hurt America
My grandparents emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s to flee the horrors in Europe that lay ahead. They were tired, poor, did not speak English but sought freedom. They assimilated and had children.
My mother was a medical administrator in the Bronx and provided care for the underprivileged.
My father fought in World War II. My parents had two children. My younger brother taught in the South Bronx for 25 years. He dedicated his life to children of families assimilating to the culture. I spent 47 years devoting my adult life to students and their families with disabilities.
With the proposed new immigration restrictions, my grandparents would not have been allowed in the U.S. My family was dedicated to the freedom of our country and the support of our citizens. This is a cornerstone of America.
This is one story.
This is one America.
Marvin Leiken, Cedar Knolls
Editorial shows lack of pot info
While I agree with your sentiments in an editorial about Justin Wild (“Taking medical pot shouldn’t get you fired,” Aug. 11), the degree of impairment due to medical or any marijuana has not been well studied and, as you stated, there is not any consensus on how to measure for situations such as driving or workplace.
Therefore, it is simply incorrect for you to state, “The effects of marijuana usually wear off after about four hours.”
Talk about “fake news.” Unlike the linear relationships developed for water-soluble alcohol, the fat-soluble THC has varying cognitive effects depending upon the medium (leaves, oil, brownies, candy), dose, method of intake (inhalation, ingestion, dermal), and sometimes the worst cognitive impairment occurs when blood (or urine) concentrations are quite low. Four hours after smoking may be the worst time to drive.
I just wish this editorial would have used this opportunity to shine a light on this critical issue of “no data” as New Jersey rushes to legalize recreational pot.
Colleen Ranney, Plainfield
We must not ignore our debt problem
I basically agree with Rosemary Becchi’s guest opinion column (“GOP, Dems are sending U.S., N.J. into bankruptcy,” Aug. 10). She discusses the United States’ $22 trillion debt, which will be increasing by $2 trillion in the next two years, as well as additional domestic and military spending of $322 billion without new funding.
She also criticizes the $4 billion over the past two years in the New Jersey budget, but does not mention that state budget must be balanced. She could have also mentioned that New Jersey has a multibillion-dollar shortfall in the public pension and medical obligations to existing and retired public employees.
However, what is most concerning on the national level is that none of the Democratic presidential candidates has even been asked in the debates about the national debt or deficits. Surely, ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away.
Robert S. Molnar, Wayne
Booker needs to do more to be a progressive
Cory Booker, D-N.J., is a U.S. senator. He gives great speeches. He’s been to the privately run immigration detention center in Elizabeth, where he railed against the treatment of the detainees. There are times when he sounds like the second coming of Malcolm X.
But the speeches often don’t translate into action. When it comes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees held in the jail run by his buddy, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., he becomes more reticent. He says he’ll share his concerns about the jail with DiVincenzo privately.
Booker has a long history of cozying up to Wall Street and taking money from Big Pharma and charter school backers. But in his presidential campaign at least, he is not taking “dark money” or political action committee donations.
If he were to run in New Jersey on traditional Democratic values — health care, the environment, education — he would be a senator for life. He doesn’t need DiVincenzo’s money or the endorsement in this bluest of counties.
Booker can’t have $2,800 lunches with DiVincenzo and George Norcross III and still claim to be progressive. Time to walk the walk, senator.
Jim Price, Montclair
Watson Coleman deserves Ledger’s criticism
I read with interest a reader’s letter “Stop the divisive reporting” (Aug. 5), but The Star-Ledger is very selective. The newspaper likes to use Republican targets such as President Donald Trump and former Gov. Chris Christie, but usually shies away from criticizing Democrats.
Take, for example, the recent vote by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist. She was among 17 Democrats who voted against a recent resolution opposing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.
Watson Coleman’s lame excuse in the 398-17 vote was the need to preserve the right to boycott for civil rights purposes.
Yet, the well-known civil rights champions of her own party — Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, John Lewis of Georgia and Elijah Cummings of Maryland had no such problem and voted for the resolution, as did all of the other members of the New Jersey delegation except for Rep. Albio Sires, D-8th Dist., who did not vote.
Kenneth Berkowitz, Somerset
Aid is useless to Trump — except to himself
It’s interesting that our president is making new rules against immigrants who rely on aid. Hasn’t a man whose companies went bankrupt six times been given huge amounts of aid? Hasn’t a man who many times didn’t pay the full amount agreed to for goods and services usurped aid from others? And how about the help he received from his daddy multiple times? I guess aid only goes to those President Donald Trump deems worthy, mostly himself.
Allen Edelstein, Highland Park
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