LETTER: Alfonse D'Amato responds to story
I'm writing in response to the story, "D'Amato offends some with speech" [News, Nov. 20], and your mischaracterization of the audience's reaction to my remarks at the Vision Long Island Smart Growth Summit. It's unfortunate that the story was based on the reactions of only a few of the almost 900 people in the audience.
Before my keynote remarks, two seniors from West Islip High School reported on a study that they were conducting about the youth "brain drain" on Long Island. They stressed that high property taxes, lack of affordable housing and lack of cheap transportation were keeping our young people from staying on Long Island to raise a family.
My subsequent remarks only stressed what 90 percent of the audience members hold as true - that Long Island's high property taxes are astronomical and remain a tremendous burden on our families. Newsday was remiss not to mention my suggestion that our county leaders offer a 50 percent property tax break to first-time home buyers.
To begin to tackle this problem, our leaders must address the onerous defined-benefit packages and retirement plans still afforded to our state's public employees. Our teachers and school administrators are the worst offenders, and I'm not embarrassed to say it.
Long Island has the distinction of employing 9 of the top 10 highest-paid school administrators in New York. Most earn well over $250,000 a year, not to mention that some are already retired with pensions well over $200,000, in addition to a salary, since they leave one district and are rehired by another. And you wonder why our taxes are so high? I pay $28,000 a year in school taxes alone!
Yes, I myself receive a pension for my 40-plus years of public service, but 40 years ago, times were much different. People weren't living into their 80s and 90s. Now, the system is broken and the state is nearly bankrupt. As former Gov. Hugh Carey so eloquently put it, "The days of wine and roses are over."
The article said, "In the end, some stood and clapped and many were entertained." In fact, I received a standing ovation and thunderous applause.
Editor's note: The writer is a former U.S. senator from New York.
Thieves steal hundreds of toys ... Woman critically hurt in hit-and-run ... Rising beef prices ... Out East: Nettie's Country Bakery
