Letters: Put limits on taxes for seniors

My children left the Herricks district schools more than 30 years ago, and my taxes have risen steadily since then ["Candidates face off on taxes, job creation," News, Oct. 30].

I, like many in my circumstance, feel the financial burden as I have been retired for 26 years and on the same income. How long should older folks have to be burdened with these increasing taxes after their children leave school?

Sure, we get a break through the STAR program, but our fair share should have either stopped or, at most, continued at the rate that prevailed when our children graduated.

Bill Hatem, Williston Park

For too long, school taxes have driven senior citizens out of their homes. We are on fixed incomes and cannot afford $9,000 a year. Some are paying even more. We no longer have children in the schools.

It's time for Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, to come together and force the government to limit school taxes for senior citizens to $3,000 a year.

Mike Neglia, North Massapequa

Faulty science on brown tide opinion

The letter "Brown tide not fault of our septics" [Oct. 25] suggested that a lack of rainfall since late September and, in turn, a corresponding lesser delivery of groundwater nitrogen from septic tanks, caused the brown tide in Great South Bay.

The data do not support this hypothesis. While groundwater flow is generally proportional to rainfall on Long Island, there is a delay between these processes. Accordingly, the brown tide blooming in Great South Bay began in mid-September following an intense rain on Sept. 4.

Further, the intensity of this brown tide matches the sewer patterns of the watershed: low in the sewered Town of Babylon, but high in the unsewered towns of Islip and Brookhaven.

Last, the continuous delivery of septic tank nitrogen through the year ensures that Great South Bay always has a large reservoir of nitrogen stored in its sediments that can fuel brown tides, even when groundwater does not.

Christopher J. Gobler, East Quogue

Editor's note: The writer is a professor in marine and atmospheric sciences at Stony Brook University.

Alternative ways to choose leaders

With local elections in progress and the outrageously large amounts of money donated to fund campaigns, perhaps it is time to consider a better way of selecting our leaders ["Millions in ad spending," News, Nov. 1].

Instead of getting superb leaders, we often choose from the lesser of evils and wind up with officials who are obligated to serve their contributors.

Consider a method that simply elects the candidates who receive the most money. This would save the taxpayers the expense of an election. It's a foolish scheme, but it would be more honest.

Consider another method: The ancient Athenians chose legislators by drawing lots from among all citizens. This method has the virtue of possibly deferring financial influence until after the representatives are seated.

Robert M. Goldberg, Jericho