Abortion pill ruling, energy efficiency, retiring early, George Santos, and Island Garden

Now, find a judge who can ban AR-15s

Today, it’s the abortion pill [“Court preserves access to abortion pill, tightens rules,” News, April 14]. Tomorrow contraceptives, perhaps?

Now that it appears, at least temporarily, that a judge can overrule long-standing science-based Food and Drug Administration decisions, perhaps we should look for a judge who can decide to outlaw the sale, distribution and possession of AR-15-style rifles, similar weapons and mega magazine  ammunition.

After all, if we’re so concerned about children that aren’t even born yet, how about showing the same concern for children who are living with us?

— Ernst P.A. Vanamson, Sayville

Gas companies must look to future

Long Islanders are discovering that electric heating and cooling makes sense for their homes [“Alternatives heat up,” News, April 11].

Efficient air and ground-source heat pumps, by using less energy, also reduce climate pollution even before we’ve made our transition from gas generation to clean power.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature already agree on the All-Electric Building Act, which will ban new gas hookups. The All-Electric Building Act means no new pipelines to connect to new electric homes, either.

Gas companies should stop fighting the future and develop new business models.

One such is neighborhood-scale geothermal heating and cooling, like the geothermal project that National Grid is preparing in Massachusetts. Vermont has a new line of business helping customers switching from gas appliances for electric ones.

— Karen C. Higgins, Massapequa Park

Retiring early isn’t usually good advice

“Retire 10 years early with a bit of planning” can be dangerous advice [LI Business, April 9]. A person retiring at 65 is expected to live to about 85, give or take a few years.

Retiring at 57, if they survive to 65, means many people living 30 years in retirement could run out of money and become poor. No one wants that.

As a certified financial planner, I plan on at least 20 years of successful retirement for clients, withdrawing 6-8% per year, adjusting for performance, and rarely, if ever, does a client run out of money.

Better advice is to retire at the full retirement age, which for most of us is 67, and retire on 80% of the last three years of average gross income before retiring, because income is the key to successful retirement, not invested capital.

Income of 80% should assure a 20-year retirement with a small margin of safety, assuming inflation returns to a reasonable 2-3% per year.

— Alan H. Cohn, Nesconset

Santos should not duck interactions

Instead of grandstanding in the circuslike arraignment of former President Donald Trump outside a lower Manhattan courthouse, Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens) needs to do his actual job “Santos, Greene join crowds, News, April 5].

Santos had the nerve to tell reporters that he “was talking to you because you talk to my people”?

How about Santos talking directly to his people instead of ducking his responsibilities and being a constant no-show in his district office?

— Tom Sena, Merrick

Nailing down Island Garden memories

It’s about time the Island Garden received recognition for its contribution to rock music on Long Island in the 1960s [“A Garden grew on LI,” fanfare, March 19]. I also have many fond memories of the facility. It was part of my life through high school.

I spent my time behind the scenes. We did things like hanging event posters in the area around the Garden, directing cars to parking spots and operating the big spotlights in front of the building before an event. Our compensation? Free admission, so I saw a lot.

One lasting memory was of a good friend (whose father owned the Garden) and me doing one of our small Garden tasks. I was approached by a guy who asked us for a hammer and nails. He was on the road crew for the rock group Cream, and the requested items were used to nail the drum kit to the stage.

I didn’t understand why the kit was nailed down until the performance that night. As Ginger Baker played those drums, broken drumsticks went flying out into the audience during most of the set. I hoped those nails I gave the crew would hold. They did, and it was a great concert.

— Larry Ferraro, Port Jefferson Station