Newsday letters to the editor for Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Overpass accidents can be prevented

I hope that the people injured in this bus crash on the Southern State Parkway recover quickly [“Bus with students hits LI parkway overpass,” News, April 9].

I’m amazed at how often vehicles hit parkway overpasses. I cannot help thinking that technology should be able to stop this kind of accident.

Years ago, I lived in Madison, Wisconsin, where the city used a photoelectric eye to warn vehicles approaching a low overpass. It wasn’t foolproof, but we should really have the technology today to warn oversized vehicles about a low overpass.

Bill Olson, Westhampton

In light of the horrific bus crash on the Southern State Parkway, I have a sensible suggestion:

The bus driver was reportedly from Pennsylvania and didn’t know that buses weren’t allowed on the parkways. Shouldn’t bus drivers be required to file route plans, much like airplane pilots? That way the bus company or the bus driver would be alerted to route restrictions and could make adjustments.

Beth Rose Macht, Long Beach

I find it ironic that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on blue tourism signs to nowhere, while failing to address the poor signage on our outdated parkways.

Perhaps the governor could spare us the rhetoric on his next fund-raising trip and pay more attention to the actual needs of his tax base.

C. J. Tortora, Commack

Hold student-loan debtors accountable

Does anyone take responsibility for his or her actions anymore? The March 24 letter “Reduce student loans in bankruptcy filings” [Just Sayin’] left me bewildered.

The writer stated that student loan debt affects fulfilling personal dreams, including home ownership and family status. He acknowledged receiving a college degree in 2002, and unfortunately filing for bankruptcy sometime thereafter.

Why should such debt become dischargeable? When you take a loan and graduate college, you become responsible for the repayment.

Late fees and penalties are a consequence of not being fiscally responsible. This is not a free ride.

Neil Katz,Nesconset

The mire of Nassau tax assessments

Elected officials quoted in the April 2 news story “Nassau reassessment: Who will be affected?” mused about how to ease the burden when new full-valuation assessments redistribute the total tax levy. Not one offered a plan to reduce the inordinate and confiscatory total levy in the first place. Wake up!

The reason homeowners and businesses grieve their assessments is not because they’re so unfair, but because the total levy is outrageously high, and they can’t afford it. Let’s hear some radical plans to reduce total taxes, not just phasing in the redistribution.

Bob Teetz, New Hyde Park

I’ve challenged my taxes for years, with good results. Some neighbors can’t be bothered, and they complain about their taxes.

Even though I have benefited, I’ve always wondered why the county encourages it by sending out information on how to grieve and giving seminars.

It’s getting more and more confusing to live here!

Jim Martin, Wantagh

Assessment problems will never go away by simply reassessing. Assessment challenges will continue as long as there is nothing to lose.

The common-sense fix is to allow an assessment that is challenged to go up as well as down. This would stop frivolous challenges, and more important, it would force the attorney mills to be more judicious in their appeals.

Most important, the problem of the county guarantee could be resolved by having the state allow the county to turn over the assessment function to the towns, villages, etc.

Finally, how about a 3-year look-back when a property is sold? If the selling price is more than 10 percent or 20 percent higher than an assessment that was challenged, there should be a charge for underpayment.

It takes guts and imagination to fix problems, and one party or the other will always fear defeat at the polls.

Rony Kessler, Franklin Square

Editor’s note: The writer is a retired accountant and real estate agent.

It’s difficult enough to live on Long Island, with the high utility rates, the sales taxes on everything we purchase and the ridiculously exorbitant real estate taxes.

Now we have a county executive who wants to make the cost even worse by reassessing our homes and raising the assessments of those who grieved their taxes [“Seeking fair taxes,” News, March 27].

I propose we cut the number of elected officials, cut the salaries of the remaining ones and stop bleeding the taxpayer. I have to wonder where the tax dollars really go, because the roads could not be in any worse condition.

Rosemary Terryn, West Hempstead