LIRR fraud, educators' pay, Broadway shows, theater on LI

LIRR fraud makes public big loser

Guilty stockbrokers go to prison, factory workers get jail time, and shoplifters pay a penalty. The common denominator? They stole, respectively, from clients, employers, and stores.

A railroad employee allegedly steals hundreds of thousands of dollars and gets a slap on the wrist [“MTA report: LIRR workers used fake time cards,” News, Nov. 18]. They face “unpaid suspensions” and potential termination? Some retired before they could face penalties? How about criminal prosecution for fraud, theft, and conspiracy, just to mention a few crimes that have been alleged. Why are these workers seemingly exempt from prosecution?

We, the public, lose out. The Long Island Rail Road employees enrich themselves at our expense, and we pay the price. There are laws in place to protect us, but in the end, we are the ones being punished.

— Elaine Limmer, Wantagh

Although it is a violation of the state penal code to falsify business records, once again the LIRR workers face no major consequences. The riders who pay high fares and have effectively been robbed deserve to at least know who picked their pockets. Names of the guilty should be publicized on the LIRR website in a section called the “Wall of Shame.” This will let everyone — including friends, family, neighbors, and especially future employers — know how dishonest and untrustworthy they are.

— Richard Trentacosta, Valley Stream

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney says there is not enough proof of fraud because of how poorly the Metropolitan Transportation Authority polices itself. This is an outrage. A full and complete investigation should be done.

How can someone making $124,000 a year take home $345,000 because of overtime with no oversight? This has been a problem for decades.

In the private sector, those guilty would have been fired and prosecuted. Without a doubt, they would have been forced to disgorge their ill-gotten gains. The LIRR workers should all be put in front of a grand jury and forced to testify under oath. Not holding anyone accountable ensures that no one is accountable.

It is obscene that these people are protected by union work rules and a veil of secrecy that even the federal government doesn’t have.

— Carl A. Peyser, Cold Spring Harbor

Pay superintendents — not at my expense

Some readers responding to educators’ excessive salaries are missing the point [“Educators’ salaries: Taking sides,” Letters, Nov. 19].

One reader compares plumbers, mechanics, and blue-collar workers to superintendents making over $300,000 a year. Really? I wish I made that as a construction worker. Another says athletes and entertainers make outlandish pay, but they are based on ticket sales, television revenue, or movie earnings. You can hardly compare the two.

Most Long Islanders make maybe no more than a third of what superintendents get, so I can see why some people are incensed.

What about seniors who have been paying school taxes for 30 or 40 years, long after their children had graduated?

Something needs to be done because it’s getting unaffordable to live here. Should educators be paid well? Yes, but not at my expense. Where is all the lottery money going that’s supposedly earmarked for the schools?

Cap the number of sick days for educators and limit the number they can cash in, like our police and firefighters.

Finally, when school superintendents retire, why are they allowed to come back in the same position? There’s nothing like double-dipping.

— Michael Appice, Westbury

Why go to Broadway when LI is so good?

Several reasons are provided for the decline of Broadway show attendance by Long Islanders, but the article doesn’t mention what may be the biggest reason of all — the availability of outstanding theater experiences right here on Long Island [“On LI, Broadway attendance at record low,” News, Nov. 19].

The John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, and The Argyle Theatre in Babylon, among others, all offer Long Islanders wonderful theater performances without the hassle of traveling to Manhattan.

I see no need to go back there to enjoy the theater.

— Mike Polansky, Plainview

I miss going into Manhattan to see Broadway shows as often as I used to. During the summer, I took my granddaughter to see “& Juliet.” Before that, I took her brother to see “The Lion King” — my daughter came with us, bringing the total to over $700 for a matinee.

I have often been to Broadway, always taking the Long Island Rail Road, and have had a wonderful time. First, my mother brought us in, then I brought my kids in, and now my grandkids. The actors and musicians deserve every penny.

In exploreLI, however, on the same day as the Broadway article, more than a dozen theaters are listed where holiday shows will be performed on Long Island in December alone [“Time to get in the spirit,” Nov. 19]. I’ve been to some of these theaters, and the shows are great at a fraction of the cost.

As much as I miss it, give my regards to old Broadway.

— Susan Hennings-Lowe, Huntington