Newsday letters to the editor for Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018

Having not taken the Long Island Rail Road into Manhattan for a few years, I was eager to enjoy the multi-year, $27 million renovation of the Wantagh station and the railroad’s improved on-time record for October [“LIRR on time at six-month best,” News, Nov. 14].

Upon arrival, there were two men in a waiting room who by their unkempt appearance seemed to be homeless.

The train breezed into Penn Station on time, but then waited 10 minutes because the train in front of us couldn’t leave because of signal problems.

After I had just made the train for the return trip, riders were told the train was being taken out of service. We waited 10 minutes in the train across the platform.

The only changes I could see from my trip were that there were cops in the Wantagh waiting room to remove the two men, and the waiting room didn’t smell like urine as it had in the past — not yet. I guess that can be considered progress.

Marc Eiger, Wantagh

Many older workers have shown reliability

I read with interest the story “Here today, ‘ghosted tomorrow’: Mystery of vanishing employees,” about workers who leave without a word to their employers, or who skip job interviews [Business, Nov. 19].

I gathered from the article there are two sides to this trend. I am on the other end of the story. I am a career administrative/executive assistant and was laid off in September from a job after five years.

As a professional with 28 years of experience, I can never imagine bailing out of a job in such a way. I noticed that most cases in the story referred to young adults, but I have had the opposite experience. I have applied for multiple jobs and gone on multiple interviews, only to never hear back again, including from some employment agencies.

I have even seen ads stating “young and energetic.” I think some employers think I’m close to retirement and would leave in a year or two. Not so. I hope to work into my 80s, as my mother did. Older workers need the income and can be of great value to companies other than as door-greeters at big-box stores.

Advice to companies and employment agencies: Look at skills and experience, and not just youth and looks.

Donna Skjeveland, Holbrook

NY should seek to end using fossil fuels

With Democrats controlling the State Legislature, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo must lead a transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 [“Suburban needs in the mix,” News, Nov. 8].

Unfortunately, after his eight years in office, New York produces a paltry 5 percent of its electricity from solar and wind power. At the same time, we are in the midst of a buildout of pipelines that transport fracked gas and power plants that burn it. Some of these projects, such as the Competitive Power Ventures power plant in Orange County and the Algonquin Incremental Market gas pipeline in Westchester County, have already been built on Cuomo’s watch. Meanwhile, the proposed Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline from New Jersey is under consideration.

Unless he changes direction, Cuomo’s legacy will be infrastructure that maintains our dangerous reliance on dirty fossil fuels.

Joseph M. Varon, West Hempstead

Editor’s note: The writer is a volunteer with Food & Water Watch, an advocacy organization.

Protect Endangered Species Act

“Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed . . . It forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.” So said President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

His words are as true today as they were then. The act has brought diverse species back from the brink of extinction, species threatened by mining, logging, drilling for fossil fuels, and unchecked development that destroy this natural heritage Nixon sought to preserve.

Attacks on the Endangered Species Act when we are facing what scientists are calling a mass-extinction crisis are unconscionable, and every elected official needs to understand this and protect from greedy interests what rightfully belongs to the American people [“Vicious attacks on the planet,” Opinion, Sept. 30].

Let’s be good stewards of this Earth and not destroyers of it. Keep the Endangered Species Act strong. Let’s make environmentalism patriotic again.

Wendy Ryden, Oyster Bay

She didn’t love ‘I love NY’ signs on roads

At last, the “I love NY” signs have come down [“ ‘I love NY’ signs make their exit,” News, Nov. 22]. They were eyesores and took away from the beauty of Long Island. It took from February until late September to agree on their removal — and then until this month to take them away. The state government works too slow.

Lois R. Brinkley, Manorville