Control school, pension costs

Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo's agenda doesn't go far enough ["$9B deficit crisis," News, Dec. 5]. A 2 percent tax cap should have no exceptions for inflation. Current pensioners should pay income tax on receipts over $100,000, and pensions should be calculated on base salary only. There should be no more payouts for unused sick or vacation time. Use it or lose it.

School costs are out of control. School boards are rife with conflicts of interest, incompetent or unqualified to negotiate contracts with employees. State or county labor departments should be responsible for contracts. School districts of fewer than 5,000 students should be consolidated. All these administrators and deputy commissioners are not necessary for schools or government.

Teachers' and administrators' contracts (even with the phony wage freeze) will still increase salaries over the next few years, because they receive annual step increases. These should be eliminated.

Joseph F. Birk

Port Washington

Newsday has published stories about the scandalous pay of some school superintendents ["LI's school chiefs top state pay list," News, Nov. 12], and Long Island's largest teachers union voting to forego a contracted raise to help school districts with their fiscal crises ["$3.1 million concession," News, Nov. 25]. While published separately, these stories are actually related.

What was remarkable was the response of the superintendents that they deserved the money because of their "experience" and "longevity." The Mount Sinai school superintendent reportedly received about $403,000 [a portion was an advance; he has a $285,000 base salary].

When questioned by a reporter about this pay, a board of education representative replied, with no apparent sense of irony, that the payment was necessary because it was in the administrator's contract. Conveniently omitted was the fact that the contract had been awarded by that board.

So, now that Long Island school districts are in deep financial trouble, where is the blame placed? On the teachers! Teachers, not administrators, are the ones who provide the education and then get the blame for crippled budgets while superintendents are busy negotiating bloated payments from clueless boards of education.

The bulk of taxes on Long Island are levied by school boards, not the county or village. The backbreaking tax situation is not thrust upon us by some Albany cabal or faceless Washington bureaucracy. The responsibility rests directly on local boards of education - the friends and neighbors we elect to represent us. Maybe when we get tired of beating up on teachers, we can do something about where the real wasted money is going.

Charles Guzzetta

Mount Sinai

The state, city, Nassau and Suffolk are broke. There is talk of closing schools, laying off teachers, aides and security staff. Has anyone even seen a spreadsheet on how much the various lotteries have taken in over the years? Only a portion of the prize money is paid out. Wasn't this money specifically for education? Where has all the money gone?

What about Off-Track Betting? All gamblers are losers. Even if they have a good day, they give it back the next time. Where has all the money gone?

Mark Imber

Holbrook