Letters to the Editor — October 30

Every vote is critical

To the Editor:

As you may know, the message from the recent “No Kings” rallies was focused on voting, voting, voting! And in particular, early voting! 

Many people are proud to vote on Election Day. For some, it just feels better. Old habits die hard. But a story shared by a speaker at the Ridgefield rally echoes the concerns that caused me to reconsider my own plan. She told of making phone calls on Election Day, in the last hours before the polls closed. 

One of the voters she reached had not yet voted. He had fractured a tooth earlier that day and made an emergency visit to the dentist. By the time he left the office, he was late for a coaching session with local youth. He said he just didn’t have time to stop and vote before the polls closed. So … since we never know what emergency might arise on any given day, and this Election Day, Nov. 3, is so important, why take a chance?

If you have been a “faithful” Election Day voter, as I once was (I converted some time ago), I hope you’ll consider joining me and voting early. Pound Ridge and Somers, the two closest sites to our area, both offer early voting, and there’s still time: it runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. 

Regardless of when you vote, it’s so important to have a plan. Our democracy hangs in the balance. Every vote for Row A Democratic candidates, and especially for Cait Conley in NY-17, is crucial, and your vote has never mattered more. 

Thank you for your time, and thank you for your vote. See you at the polls. Then let’s party. 

Cheryl Card

South Salem

Mike McGuirk’s experience valuable to Village Board

To the Editor:

I have known Mike McGuirk for nearly 20 years. Our children grew up together, and I’ve always admired his calm and patient demeanor, his devotion to his family, and his willingness to step up and share his time and talents with our community. I urge Mount Kisco voters to elect him to the Village Board of Trustees on Nov. 3.

Mike is not new to village government. He has served on the Planning Board for five and a half years, three and a half as its chair. In that role he has worked to protect our environment, make streets safer for drivers and pedestrians, and ensure our local economy thrives. He also serves on the Complete Streets Committee, which helped the village secure $8.3 million in grants this year.

Being an effective trustee isn’t about giving orders. The board governs by majority vote, working through the Village Manager and professional staff. The job demands preparation, judgment, and the ability to build consensus — exactly what Mike has practiced for years leading the Planning Board. It also demands accountability: making sure the Village Manager delivers results, and pressing our county and state officials to fight for the resources our village deserves. Mike will do both.

Look at how he approaches problems. On the Preston Way Bridge, he proposes regular public briefings with the village’s engineers, traffic officers at key intersections, and incentives for the contractor to finish early. On the village’s long-term finances, he talks openly about hard challenges rather than avoiding them. And he wants more ways for residents to be heard, because good policy starts with listening.

Mount Kisco needs trustees who are experienced, thoughtful and accountable. Mike McGuirk is all three. Please vote for him on Nov. 3.

Margaret Davis-Cerone

Mount Kisco

After election, we’ll still be  neighbors

To the Editor:

Recently, driving through Scotts Corners in Pound Ridge, I encountered a political protest. Signs included “Drop Prices, Not Bombs” and “Democracy or Data Centers.” I’ve seen similar signs in Bedford.

As someone who came to America as a political refugee from the Soviet Union, I deeply value the right to protest. But free speech works both ways. Protesters have the right to express their views, and I have the right to question them.

What exactly are we asking for? Which prices? Which policies? And how did democracy become the alternative to data centers?

My reaction to the reference to bombs is personal, given the events of recent years and the hostility surrounding Israel. Others may interpret the slogan differently. But foreign policy deserves its own serious debate, not a convenient pairing with grocery prices.

If affordability is the concern, let’s discuss what’s actually driving costs in New York: housing restrictions, permitting delays, taxes, energy costs and barriers to business growth. Many of these issues fall under state and local authority. Shouldn’t we be holding those officials accountable?

I’d welcome a debate about how to make housing more affordable, expand reliable energy infrastructure, encourage investment and create jobs. These are complicated issues, with real trade-offs, and they deserve more than catchy slogans.

But my larger concern is how we communicate in a small community. We see one another at school, in restaurants and around town. Political disagreements shouldn’t turn neighbors into enemies.

Democracy isn’t strengthened simply by invoking its name. It requires informed citizens, accountability, a willingness to question assumptions and the ability to disagree without dismissing one another.

After all, when the election is over and the signs come down, we’ll still be neighbors.

Irina Zavina-Tare

Pound Ridge

A proud poll worker 

Letter to the Editor:

Last night (Oct. 20) I was a first-time poll worker at Meadow Pond Elementary. It’s a nice group, right? They make it seem like a holiday gathering. Joanne, Caty, Kathy, Maureen, Bill, Doug, Sy and Bob have been doing it together for years. Between them they pretty much know everyone who walks through the door.

Here’s what you might not know about your voting in any election. Even if you are a family member of the poll worker, your name, signature, address and district will get checked every single time, year after year. And this is important — you’ll still have to be registered across all federal-state-local records to vote. Trust me on this, don’t test it. That little team of friendly faces could not do their job without the district staff that oversee it along with code-controlled oversight.

It blows my mind to read that there are over 10,000 election jurisdictions across the country just like the team that processed the bond vote last night.

Makes me proud.

Jean Duckett 

South Salem

Leadership is about more than keeping the lights on

To the Editor:

As the husband of Bedford’s current supervisor, Ellen Calves, I see firsthand what this job demands. Late nights, weekends, early morning calls and countless hours driving throughout Bedford and the region to advocate for our town’s future. The work is relentless because leadership is not simply about keeping the town running today. It is about building the town we want tomorrow.

Yes, department heads keep essential services running. A good supervisor empowers them, leads the team, sets priorities, makes tough decisions and drives a vision for the future. That is what leadership looks like.

Bedford deserves more than someone who believes the town runs itself. It deserves a leader who listens, engages, advocates, and works tirelessly on behalf of its residents.

Please join me in voting for Ellen Calves, a supervisor we all know will show up, lead with purpose, and work tirelessly for Bedford’s future.

Heberto CalvesHusband of Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves

Conley will guard the right to vote

To the Editor:

I am voting for Cait Conley to ensure equal rights for all, especially the right to vote, so key to any democracy.

While Cait Conley has genuine experience protecting our elections as a former federal official for cybersecurity and infrastructure security, Mike Lawler helped the House pass the SAVE Act, which would make it harder to register in the name of deterring voter fraud, which no less an authority than the Brookings Institution terms “minuscule,” citing the conservative Heritage Foundation’s study of U.S. voter fraud. 

While the present system requires anyone registering to vote to swear under penalty of perjury that they are a citizen, Lawler’s SAVE Act requires specific documents, including birth certificates and passports. This burden falls unequally on different demographics: 69 million married women and many members of the LGBTQ community have legal names different than those on their birth certificates. Registration hurdles would extend to roughly 21 million citizens who lack ready access to birth certificates and the 146 million American citizens, many of them people of color, who do not have valid passports. 

Simply put, while Cait Conley has been guarding against genuine threats to the process of voting and vote counting, Mike Lawler is raising new barriers for some citizens to vote at all. This is one of the many reasons I support Cait Conley for Congress.

Linda Rae

Cross River

Children get lesson in leadership

To the Editor:

The other day, I had the pleasure of walking through a neighborhood made up of many families with Ellen Calves and my children, knocking on doors and talking about the issues we are all facing. As we continued through the neighborhood, children started joining us, and at one point, we had eight children in our group.

They enjoyed not just stopping by their friends’ houses but, more importantly, spending time talking to Ellen about what it means to be town supervisor, what is important to them, and how Ellen is making this town a better place for them.

It reminded me that strong leadership is not about who has the better sound bite or makes the better AI-generated image. It is about being in the community, listening and connecting with everyone, regardless of age, political affiliation, or opinions. A true leader wants to hear from everyone, shows real empathy, and is always open to thinking about how to address the issues, no matter how big or small.

This is one of many reasons why I wholeheartedly support Ellen for reelection and believe she is truly the right person to help Bedford continue to be a place where everyone feels welcome and listened to.

Alex Grodner

Bedford

Rep. Mike Lawler is making climate change worse

To the Editor:

As a former oil and gas industry lobbyist, Mike Lawler is making climate change worse for all of us. The League of Conservation Voters gave Lawler a 17% lifetime score on environmental issues. Per the LCV, in the past four years Lawler voted to fast-track fossil fuel power ahead of clean energy, supported extending the operation of dirty and expensive power plants, voted to defund the Department of Energy’s clean energy programs, voted to open the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas drilling, voted to take a sledgehammer to environmental protections, voted to remove vehicle fuel efficiency standards, and voted to roll back clean air protection standards. This is just a sampling of his anti-environment votes. 

Cait Conley is the clear choice if you are concerned about climate change. The League of Conservation Voters has endorsed Conley, stating, “Conley sees climate change as a national security crisis, promising to take action by investing in the Hudson Valley and prioritizing clean, affordable energy, and investing in resiliency projects to protect against the ever increasing effects of climate change like flooding. She’ll work to restore and expand federal investments (like FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant) in renewable energy, grid modernization, and infrastructure upgrades that lower utility bills and protect communities.” 

Cait Conley also received the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund’s endorsement.

If you care about the environment or climate change, join me in voting for Cait Conley for Congress, and vote early!

Neil Cutler

South Salem

Conley the candidate of choice

To the Editor:

Republican Congressman Mike Lawler has been flooding our mailbox with one or two political ads nearly every day. They are slick, they are flashy, and, I believe, totally misleading. In order to get himself elected, he is characterizing himself as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress in New York.  However, his voting record shows that he is anything but. He is hoping to fool us into believing that he has been voting in our best interests. In fact, by voting for the Big Beautiful Bill, he has supported significant cuts to our healthcare, SNAP, education and other vital public services in order to give tax breaks to billionaires. He has done little to nothing to speak out about Trump’s massive corruption. All of this leads to the affordability crisis we are in today.

I have attended at least two of Congressman Lawler’s town halls and have called his office many times. He evades questions that are asked of him by answering with his own false narrative. He seems to be tone-deaf to the very people he has been elected to represent. I am speaking out because I feel it is important that everyone be made aware of his deceptions before they cast their ballots in the upcoming election.

In my opinion, Cait Conley is the candidate of choice if you care about prioritizing the needs of ordinary hardworking people. We deserve to have someone working for us. However, we can only make this happen if we get out to vote for candidates that will honestly do that.

Rebecca Keebler 

South Salem

Takes issue with Lawler town halls

To the Editor:

Having attended two of Congressman Lawler’s “town halls” and noted his votes on critical issues facing our country, I feel qualified to say that I see him for what he is; dyed-in-the-wool MAGA, despite his claims that he “takes on” his party and puts “people before party.” Why else would Trump stage a rally with/for him and would House Speaker Johnson and Majority Leader Scalise come up to NY-17 to support his campaign? He voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill (which has added more than 10% to the federal budget deficit since its passage, contributes to a downgrading of U.S. credit and, consequently, puts upward pressure on interest rates) whose tax breaks overwhelmingly go to the wealthiest Americans. He also voted for dramatically increased funding for ICE, MAGA’s private army that commits atrocities with apparent impunity. He supports the United States’ self-destructive war on Iran and has failed to speak out on corruption (including the Epstein cover-up), trade wars and Trump’s craven fawning over dictators (especially Putin).

A town hall is supposed to be a venue in which a candidate listens to constituents. Instead, Lawler has used them to lecture us with rehearsed MAGA talking points. Security for the events is performative and draconian — I wasn’t permitted even to bring a magazine or a pad and pen into the venue, only my car keys. Attendees got 30 seconds to ask a question with no follow-up. When a woman did follow up to assert that Lawler had failed to answer her question she was ejected by what appeared to be state policemen. The venue in which this occurred was a Catholic high school and a priest opened the proceedings, inappropriately, with a Christian prayer. Lawler appears to fear his constituents and treats them with condescension.

Richard A. Holub

South Salem

Editor’s note:

The Bedford Republican Committee, in response to a letter to the editor in the Oct. 23 edition (“‘Flush Bedford 2030’ is no political football”), said it had nothing to do with signs that were placed around town on the issue of whether to keep Bedford 2030, the nonprofit environmental group. The letter writer had asked, “Is this an issue Bedford Republicans want to be known for?” The committee said in an Oct. 24 statement that it “did not create, authorize, fund, distribute, or place” the signs.