LETTERS: Pols sling mud, lose favor, and more
Slinging mud
and losing favor
To prove the basis of the article "GOP's rough road" , look no further than the Republican primary in the 1st Congressional District. Candidates Randy Altschuler, Chris Cox and George Demos are spending a fortune, not so much telling people what they have to offer voters, but instead slinging mud at their fellow party members. While one will emerge a primary winner, his reputation will have been tarnished by the losing candidates.
Like many Republicans, I'm looking for a reason to vote my party's line this November, yet all they're giving me are reasons not to.
Gerry Bringmann
Patchogue
If they're paying rent, they're paying taxes
People keep complaining about the children of illegal immigrants getting a free education while their parents don't pay school taxes .
If they are paying rent, a good part of it goes to school taxes. I am a landlord, I collect rent and I pay an awful lot of school taxes.
Micky Curry
Cultural paradoxes
Human nature amazes me .
Nobody wants cell phone towers, but everyone has to have a cell phone glued to his or her ear. Nobody wants higher taxes, but we're against combining school administrations into co-ops, which would save tons of money that could be used for really teaching and supplying kids appropriately.
We fear illegal immigrants taking over the country, but ignore who cuts our grass and prepares our food. We are outraged at the corruption in our government and corporate culture, but do not want to do the work of speaking for true change, instead choosing to be entranced by celebrities.
Few will sacrifice for the greater good if it means giving up a small comfort or routine. It's sad that so many of our parents and grandparents fought and died in World War II, labored to form the middle class and put us through college, and we show our gratitude by letting the country lapse into a selfish, ignorant malaise. But we do have really great TVs.
Glenn Kaplan
Earl money well spent
Newsday reports that the Long Island Power Authority spent $30 million preparing for "the hurricane that wasn't" as if to suggest that this money was wasted .
That works out to about $11 per person in Nassau and Suffolk and in my view, it's money well spent. If Earl had diverted only slightly it could have hit the Island directly. I'm glad LIPA was planning for the worst.
John Carlson
Sarra Sounds Off, Ep. 15: LI's top basketball players On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra and Matt Lindsay take a look top boys and girls basketball players on Long Island.
