Your Say: Sandy brings out government's good, bad

Comments from Facebook:

POLITICS

It's a shame that total devastation of people's livelihood has to happen before political bashing and such can be put to the side! I commend the bipartisan effort President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have put forth.

Eagle Rock

The damage is devastating. The fact that the president viewed the damage is a meaningless photo-op.

Ted Hodgson

Our elected representatives working together across party lines to serve the nation. What a sight for sore eyes!

Larry Waters

CLIMATE CHANGE

All of the climate change alarmists act as if this is the first hurricane to ever hit the New York/New Jersey area. That's simply not true. There have been worse storms over the years. As humans spread out over the planet, there is more of a chance one of these natural disasters will hit a highly populated area.

Ron Erke

Considering many Americans still don't believe in evolution, I don't really think climate change caused by man has a chance at being accepted by the common folk. Until the alternatives are profitable, we won't see the mitigation efforts we need.

Randy Miller

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

Sandy has made clear that our infrastructure needs a lot of work, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is vital to the country, that climate change is real and has significant negative consequences, and that President Obama has impressive leadership skills.

Doug Larson

Federal government is necessary. It can be wasteful, negligent, redundant, ineffective, intrusive and infuriating, but without it, we're a bunch of spokes without a wheel.

Rich Barnes

What many people overlook in regard to emergency response is how much money is wasted by FEMA. Like all bureaucracies, it seems to always think it knows better how to apply funds than local governments.

James Corwin

Letter to the editor:

Mitt Romney and President Obama mostly ignored environmental issues during the presidential debates. Megastorm Sandy may have been Mother Nature's response.

The climate change discussion has changed. Don't lecture about polar bears and the future of the coal industry. Ask instead: "What's needed in the here and now?" For months, Americans have been suffering because of droughts, crop failures and extreme weather events. Give some attention to the environment. Help your neighbors.

Robert Murphy; Falmouth, Mass.