Good Monday morning. Here’s a digest of opinion content published in The Journal News over the weekend and today:
Saturday, July 30
Norway attacks: Commentary
Tim Rutten, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, assesses connections between literature consumed by Timothy McVeigh, architect of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and that read by Anders Behring Breivik, who carried out last month’s deadly attacks in Norway.
Air pollution: Commentary
Adrienne Esposito, executive director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, argues in a Community View that the federal Environmental Protection Agency should adopt “standards to slash mercury and other toxic emissions from fossil-fuel-burning power plants.”
Sunday, July 31
Rockland’s deficit: Editorial
We comment on Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s proposal to slash his county’s balooning deficit — Rockland’s debt could swell to $80 million by year’s end. We write:
Plenty of criticism can be leveled at Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s five-year plan to cut, consolidate and tax away the county’s $51 million county deficit — most obviously, asking why it wasn’t executed much sooner. But those who take issue with Vanderhoef’s plans should be prepared to find alternative savings. …
Astorino and the Tappan Zee Bridge: Commentary
In a Community View, Croton-on-Hudson resident Celeste Theis wonders why Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino made such a public plea to Gov. Andrew Cuomo that the state provide funding for a new Tappan Zee Bridge. Theis argues Astorino should have asked fellow Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth for funding assistance.
Birth control: Commentary
Reina Schiffrin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson/Peconic, argues in favor of a recommendation from the Institute of Medicine that contraception be covered as a preventive service under the federal health-care reform law.
Deficit debate: Reisman
Phil Reisman weighs in on the drama in Washington over the deficit-ceiling debate. Reisman argues that Congress continues to make life harder for the middle class.
Debt Ceiling and the Tea Party
We published a pair of commentary pieces that addressed the debate in Washington over the federal debt ceiling and the Tea Party’s role in complicating negotiations between Democrats and Republicans:
Independence from GOP serves Tea Party
Budget can’t neglect needy families
Monday, Aug. 1
Cornell Cooperative Extension funding: Commentary
Nancy Giges of White Plains offers a Community View in which she argues for sustained funding of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Westchester programs. County Executive Rob Astorino has held up nearly $1 million in county funding for CCE.
