LETTERS: Drilling upstate, stopping on red, support for Levy's wife

Gas drilling's impacts should be studied

I read with horror Robert Catell's opinion to consider allowing drilling for natural gas in upstate New York. He needs to understand the environmental impact it would have for all of us and our children.

I am very concerned at the possibility of another powerful, greedy, unethical, unregulated industry making an "oversight" that will affect the environment for generations to come. We must anticipate this and protect this land with strong regulation now, not with public outcry after the fact.

One can only learn from the problems in the Gulf that went way beyond a technology checklist, inexcusable business practices and a lack of concern for life and the environment.

William Hawkins, Huntington

Stop on Red could put us back in black

I'm very pleased to see Suffolk County participating in this week's National Stop on Red Week to catch people running red lights .

Long Island has some of the worst drivers I've ever seen. The county's - or even the state's - budget woes would be solved if traffic police were parked at every lighted intersection on Long Island.

Scott R. Micca, Rocky Point

Support for West

Newsday's story on the court reporting business of County Executive Steve Levy's wife, Colleen West, was an insult to working women . She did not need a political husband to become a success.

West started her business 20 years ago after being left by her first husband with two infants to raise on her own. Instead of going on welfare, she took out a second mortgage, started a business, worked hard and had close to 200 clients before her second husband, Levy, was elected county executive.

Newsday cited five firms that did county work that were her clients. All of these firms were her clients for years before her husband became executive, and all had done work for local governments for years prior. Newsday should have noted that her firm never received any work from the county. The ethics committee had cleared her contracts.

West disclosed all the financial information that was required by law. The filing of state forms was required because the executive is a member of a state commission, and the state's highest ethics attorneys agree that filing the state form satisfies all filing requirements for localities. West was not required to file clients on the disclosure forms, as the state form explicitly informs filers not to list clients, and nowhere on the county form is there such a requirement.

Richard Doyle, Smithtown

Editor's note: The writer is Colleen West's accountant.