LETTERS: Tax assessments, global warming and the LIRR

Another summit won't fix tax problem

Isn't this wonderful? We're having a summit on property taxes ["Panel aims to tackle tax burden," News, Jan. 6]. Guess who's invited? School district officials, school superintendents, school board members and the teachers' union.

If I remember, we just went through a study by former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, which took over a year, and nothing was done. Even Gov. David A. Paterson wanted to put a cap on spending, but it did not go anywhere, since the politicians are afraid to vote against the teachers' union and pass it.

I can see the future of Long Island when we have no young people left, because with continued school spending increases of 6.8 percent, our taxes of $8,000 will be close to $16,000 in 10 years.

This is how serious the problem is. Instead of more studies, put a cap on increases now.

Donald Tuohy

West IslipBlizzard can't negate global warming

A recent letter writer ["Global warming? Not this week," Letters, Dec. 23] is partly right in denouncing Al Gore's "hypocrisy." Gore, as vice president, was often silent on global warming. Now, suddenly, he's a leading spokesman.

But the writer is dead wrong if he thinks the recent blizzard negates the facts of climate change.

How about the melting of the Arctic ice caps, the softening of the permafrost, the dying coral reefs, and two island nations - Tuvalu and the Maldives - about to be submerged by rising seas? And there's lots more.

Don't criticize the Copenhagen conference until you know what you're talking about.

Ben Calderone

LevittownThat's not our LIRR

There is no way that the Long Island Rail Road's published on-time performance number is reflective of commuters' experiences ["LIRR breaks its on-time record," News, Jan. 8]. Newsday and its readers should keep in mind that this number is not audited by any independent organization.

In order to have better than 95 percent on-time performance, commuters would need to be late less than two times per month. Nearly all commuters I have talked to are late at least twice per week.

The LIRR should release raw timing data and allow outside organizations to compute its on-time performance.

In addition it should adopt a "passenger hours delayed" index that can measure delays in ways the current system does not.

Peter Haynes

BayportEditor's note: The writer is president of the LIRR Commuters Campaign.