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May 22: Catholic abortion politics, SUNY merger, Suffolk health plan, Israel stays

May 22, 2008

Communion exclusions

As a Roman Catholic, it saddens me terribly that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the most extreme radicals among elected officials, when both of them have a 100 percent voting record in supporting every abortion proposal that came before them in the United States Senate.

The Catholic Church clearly teaches that abortion is a "grave offense against the will of God," in a statement released by Edward Cardinal Egan. It is hoped that leaders within our church would emulate Cardinal Egan in reminding pro-abortion Catholic elected officials that they should not advocate abortion and still see fit to receive Holy Communion, as former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani has. It is entirely a misuse of highly esteemed sacrament.

Thomas Dennelly

West Islip

Suffolk's health plan is sound

In response to the recent news stories and editorials about the proposal to sell Suffolk's health plan, the HMO proposing to buy it, Neighborhood Health Providers, has already been scrutinized "microscopically" and found to be a high-quality plan.

The very state health department surveys referenced in Newsday's editorial ["Future of the county's health," May 16] demonstrate Neighborhood's commitment to quality and to quality improvement. Last year, Neighborhood was tied for 6th place among all 26 plans in the state, 3rd among the plans serving the metropolitan New York region, and the year before it was ranked 8th in the state and 3rd among the metropolitan plans. Suffolk County lawmakers and the 15,000 Medicaid recipients currently receiving services through Suffolk Health Plan should be reassured by Neighborhood's commitment to quality.

Paul F. Macielak

Albany

Editor's note: The writer is president and chief executive of the New York Health Plan Association, which represents managed care companies in the state.

Israel remains

Charles Krauthammer made your readers aware of the fact that, in its 60 years of existence, Israel has never been the aggressor with regard to the Arabs, and the Palestinians in particular ["," Opinion, May 16].

The Jewish state is here to stay. Egypt and Jordan have accepted that fact and hopefully it will soon spread to the other Arab countries. If their next generation can become educated instead of being brainwashed there might be hope for peace.

Pat King

Merrick

College merger would be unwise

Old Westbury College President Calvin Butts suggests a merger between his campus and that of Farmingdale State College as a way of showing "creative thinking" [" SUNY Old Westbury-Farmingdale State Merger Blasted," News, May 16].

But such a concept should be based on facts.

Butts says that Old Westbury and Farmingdale have overlapping academic programs in psychology and economics. The reality is that few of these programs actually overlap.

In fact, Farmingdale's program is in applied psychology - as any professor can tell you, a wholly different course designed for a workplace career.

This ill-conceived idea for a merger is really a disguise for the troubles Old Westbury continues to face and would like to hide, as well as the leadership vacuum that exists there.

If Old Westbury feels threatened by Farmingdale's booming enrollment, investment by the state, and academic success, it should solve its own problems without trying to weaken a superior institution, and one critical to Long Island, with a "merger."

Lloyd Makarowitz

Jericho

Editor's note: The writer is a professor of physics at Farmingdale State College.

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