Letter: County contracts should bind

I'm sick of people blaming the Nassau fiscal crisis on contracts for county workers ["Old and new Nassau workers should pay in," Letters, April 21]. Three major issues keep getting overlooked.

First, we're talking about county residents -- friends and neighbors who have been trying to make do with the same salary they had three years ago, while their taxes and costs of living have increased. The 15 percent shortfall in sales tax revenue might have something to do with the fact that those county workers have less to spend.

Second, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority was given the job of watchdog. Every year, Nassau borrows to pay refunds after people challenge their property tax bills. Interest accrues. Why hasn't NIFA forced an overhaul of the assessment system?

When Wall Street was bailed out through Troubled Asset Relief Program, many of the firms still awarded bonuses to workers because their contracts called for bonuses. That a contract is binding is a fundamental right we can ill afford to ignore.

Larry Bassen, East Meadow

Editor's note: The writer's wife works for Nassau County.

Cable guardrails are dangerous

One can't help but notice the ugly steel-cable rails that state workers have been installing along formerly scenic Ocean Parkway.

Not only are these rails eyesores, they are potentially dangerous. If a motorcyclist were to crash through them, it would be like going through an egg slicer.

A rustic wooden guardrail would have been more in keeping with the historical character of Ocean Parkway and safer for all motorists. The natural resiliency of wood would absorb and dissipate crash-impact energy.

Hank Baumann, Wantagh

Editor's note: The writer is a motorcyclist and a certified emergency medical technician.

Party bus driver isn't to blame

I read about the party bus driver, Luis A. Guevara-Henriquz, being charged with child endangerment ["Party bus driver: 'I just did a job,' " News, April 24]. He drove a bus in which a group of teenagers became intoxicated and unruly. I'm outraged at how the blame was misplaced in this incident.

What about the kids, do they bear any responsibility for their behavior? Should parents have been more alert?

The driver's primary responsibility was to operate a large motor vehicle, keeping his eyes on the road, his mind on the traffic and his hands on the wheel. That's what he did, and that's what I would want him to do if my child were on that bus.

Recent events have made it very clear how tragic the results can be when bus drivers make mistakes. If it's illegal to use a cellphone while driving because it can be a dangerous distraction, how can a driver be expected to police 42 teenagers while safely operating a bus?

All charges should be dismissed against Guevara-Henriquz. The parents, and whoever supplied the alcohol, should apologize to him, pay his legal bills and thank him for the fact that everyone made it home safely.

Chris Karrmann, Hicksville

Trade agreements globalize rights

In response to Ted Bromund's column "The power and limits of free trade" [Opinion, April 20], I would like to say that today's "freer trade" agreements are not just about trade.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are being negotiated in near-total secrecy. Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and President Barack Obama are trying to ram them through Congress.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership concerns international tribunals, e-commerce, medicine prices, financial regulations, patent extensions, government procurement, labeling, product safety, state-owned enterprises, visas, supply chains and more.

Pacts such as the North American Free Trade Agreement have resulted in massive job losses for Americans. Trade agreements are also responsible for the introduction into the United States of diseased fish, beef, fruit and vegetables.

Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, big pharmaceutical companies would extend their patent rights, potentially leading to higher prices. Big agricultural companies want to force all farmers to use their genetically modified seeds.

These trade agreements would also set up extra-national tribunals to settle disputes. Where is the input from the environmentalists, unions, physicians and nurses, social workers or educators?

We shouldn't enter trade deals that are detrimental to U.S. workers and consumers.

Lisa Oldendorp, Massapequa

Editor's note: The writer is a regional organizer for the Long Island chapter of MoveOn.org, an advocacy organization.