Hep B shift is a mistake, superintendents pay, ranked choice voting

Hepatitis B shift an appalling mistake

I am appalled that a federal vaccine advisory committee has recommended that not all babies need to get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they are born [“LI medical experts worry about vaccine change,” News, Dec. 6]. The vaccine is safe and effective — no data suggests otherwise.

If an infant contracts hepatitis B during birth and does not get the birth dose, that baby’s immature immune system does not recognize the virus and does not mount a response. Infection in infants carries about a 25% lifelong risk of liver cancer or cirrhosis.

The current federal panel, all appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, claims that the birth dose will be administered only to infants whose mothers test positive during pregnancy.

However, a woman is usually tested at the beginning of pregnancy, can have a negative result, and can contract hepatitis B during pregnancy without her provider’s recognition of this infection. Thus, her infant is at risk if no vaccine is administered at birth.

 — Dr. Jane Corrarino, Setauket

The writer was coordinator of the perinatal hepatitis B program for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services from 1989-2000.

Hochul seen as deal, not schools’ supes

I’m surprised that no reader suggested that Gov. Kathy Hochul seems to deserve a raise [“Educators’ salaries: Taking sides,” Letters, Nov. 19].

The governor oversees an annual budget of more than $250 billion and is paid an annual salary of $250,000. This seems like a bargain when compared with the total proposed Long Island annual school districts’ budgets that are about $16 billion. The average total annual compensation for superintendents is more than $100,000 above Hochul’s salary.

This year, many taxpayers in the state are receiving a check from Hochul. All I’ve ever received from my local school district is an annual request for more money. 

— Jim Incorvaia, Plainview

When I was still teaching mathematics in a local high school, once a year we’d have an event called Career Day. We’d invite area professionals who used math, for example, as a daily part of their jobs and have them explain to students the role math played in their daily work routine.

We requested they speak for 30 minutes to each of three classes, allowing students to attend the talks about the jobs they were most interested in. Classes were usually at least 40 minutes, so we allowed 10 minutes for questions.

This was enlightening for students who participated. After just two classes, several professionals indicated they were ready for a nap. They had no idea how taxing it is to give two consecutive 40-minute “lessons.” Most teachers have three classes in a row scheduled.

So, while a few educators make over $300,000 per year, those in the trenches make about one-third of that. And they deserve every dollar they receive.

 — Phil Grella, Rockville Centre

Newsday has a responsibility to keep readers informed about where their hard-earned tax dollars go, such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Long Island Rail Road overtime, PSEG Long Island rate increases, police overtime, large settlements awarded to people impacted by misconduct of police officers and teachers, and so on. So, Newsday has done well, placing a spotlight on incidents where taxpayer money is used sensibly or squandered.

One reader is correct that Allison Brown, the Roslyn school district superintendent, could potentially earn millions of dollars in the private sector, but that comes with a catch. She would have to improve the company’s bottom line so her employer makes large profits and employees thus receive high salaries, bonuses, and benefits. In our education system, however, Brown’s roughly $400,000 in pay comes from taxpayers’ pockets as property school taxes and state aid, not from profits. Hence, our high property taxes.

— Syed Hussain, Lindenhurst

Stop shenanigans with ranked choice voting

There’s a simple solution to the “spoiler effect” in our elections — ranked choice voting [“Ballot line shenanigans,” News, Dec. 5].

Each voter can choose to mark candidates in order of preference; for example, those who voted for the Working Families Party candidate could rank the Democrat second. If nobody gets over 50% when counting everyone’s first choice, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes go instead to the second choices on those ballots (if any), until one passes 50% or only two candidates remain.

Election officials would no longer realize a mistake has happened until it’s too late to do anything about it. “Fusion voting” has nothing to do with why this happened. Each candidate ran on only one line. Fusion is part of a system to shut out any challengers to the two major parties while creating an illusion of more choices.

Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made it much harder for smaller parties to remain on the ballot since 2020 with steeper signature thresholds. So, unless a smaller party cross-endorses one of the two main candidates for governor and/or president, you won’t see smaller parties like the Green Party listed there anymore.

 — Harry Burger, Deer Park

The writer was the Green Party candidate for the 2nd Congressional District in 2020.