Letters

Now that Election Day is past, we can harvest some of the outcomes and their meaning in our lives.

Again, we are finding that some states cannot competently collect ballots and tally them in a timely way. With the election over a week ago, votes are still coming in and winners still waiting to be declared.

We used to expect outcomes in 48 hours in a close contest. Now, due to the effects of early voting, we sit and wonder if Election Day has any meaning left for us.

Fortunately, here in New York, we seem to be on top of the process. Our 1st Congressional District remained in Republican hands largely because the attempt by the Democratic legislature to redraw much of Long Island’s voting districts was rejected in our courts. In the process the balance of Republicans and Democrats in each district was squared up, so a fair contest could be held.

On Long Island, the popularity of gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin and his campaign against crime and prosecutorial malpractice in New York resulted in a red wave here, as the people spoke. Unfortunately, our leadership in Albany remains deaf to this and will remain so with a huge advantage in registered Democrat voters.

That Zeldin was so competitive was remarkable.

If you are like me, you probably heat your home with oil. The price of home heating oil is now more than double the $2.90 gallon I paid last winter.

Buying gas for my truck to cart leaves to the dump is now approaching $4 a gallon. Strike two.

Electricity, which used to cost about 15 to 17 cents per kilowatt hour, is now 27 cents. Food costs have soared. Check out the cost of your turkey this year or the plane ticket to bring your university student home for the holiday.

None of this is good news, but our president smiled and said unequivocally, “No,” when asked if he plans on changing any policy. That is a stunning example of the disconnect we have with this administration.

Yet apparently, independents, felt differently. The argument by Democrats that democracy was in the balance must have resonated. Yet our election revealed no such threat. The fact is, most political violence emanates from the left. Right-wing voter suppression, cries of Jim Crow? Oh, please. The radical conservative Supreme Court (that actually is faithful to our Constitution) must be neutered or gay marriage will be overturned? All lies used to frighten — and they worked.

Well, at least I won’t have to watch Nancy Pelosi gnash her teeth as she bends reality as Speaker of the House.

Hey, the Giants are 7-2 , and, hopefully, Aaron Judge remains a Yankee.

Ed Surgan

Westhampton