Alternative energy, leaf blowers, low-wage aides and more

Solar, nuclear power give LI choices

So the CEO of PGP energy believes Long Island should be able to choose its electrical provider ["LI should get choice of electric companies," Letters, Oct. 24]. The primary reason Long Island doesn’t have a choice of suppliers is because the utility is still paying off bonds for the unused Shoreham nuclear plant that former Gov. Mario Cuomo shut down. It’s never paid off because more debt is being added — debt for events such as Hurricane Irene and other storms.

Long Island, however, does have energy supplier choice. It can choose to install solar energy, which reduces electric costs significantly. I installed solar and am glad to save money while enabling the Long Island Power Authority to shut down decades-old diesel plants. Cuomo stuck ratepayers with Shoreham, and LIPA still continues to pile onto the debt, ensuring that Long Island will likely never have access to energy competition in the near future.

If, however, we let Shoreham open, then we would never need the constantly failing offshore power cables that we installed to meet Long Island’s needs, nor would we need unsightly, expensive windmills. Long Island would in fact become an energy exporter because of the plant and we’d all have benefited.

— Darryl Dowers, Oyster Bay

Lots of noise coming from town board

Wow, the Huntington Town Board is at it again. Sure, gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy, but whatever devices we replace them with likely will be at least as noisy and annoying ["Officials issue more limits on gas-powered leaf blowers," Our Towns, Oct. 25]. Plus, rules or no rules, we hear commercial grass cutters full force as early as 7 a.m. any day of the week, including Sunday. Apparently, there is no enforcement.

And once again the town board ignores the obvious — the unmuffled stand-on mowers and other equipment that usually drown out the leaf blowers. They are so loud and intense that they can nearly vibrate you out of bed, and you may have hours of them straight, including on weekends. And then there’s the dirt they blow off lawns and all over cars — parked and those that drive by. By the way, modern, well-maintained gas equipment can be much less noisy.

— Ron Troy, East Northport

Slap on the wrist for suspended driver

I was disgusted reading about the 20-year old passenger who died in a single-car crash and the 21-year-old driver, who was driving with a suspended license and given a slap on the wrist — no jail time and it only cost him $438 ["Call for stricter penalties," News, Oct. 22]. There must be more to this miscarriage of justice than meets the eye. Hopefully, the victim’s family will have its own day in court. It seemed that neither the court nor the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has any interest in doing the right thing. 

— Robert Boos, Plainview

I was saddened by the article "Call for stricter penalties." Naturally, the local politicians, all of whom want to appear to be tough on crime, discuss more severe penalties for driving with a suspended license.

Although individuals with suspended licenses should not be driving, it does not mean that they have suddenly lost the ability to drive and are the cause of an accident in which they were driving.

There are many reasons one can have a suspended license. Do tough-guy politicians believe that all these people can no longer drive safely?

— John Gimberlein, West Babylon

Bone-marrow donors can be lifesavers

I pray that Brian Kevan finds a bone-marrow donor ["Retired firefighter needs lifesaver," News, Oct. 24]. Raising awareness of the need for bone-marrow donors is praiseworthy. Many suffer from blood cancers and need a donor to get a lifesaving transplant.

Two years ago, I was such a person. I was suffering from adult acute myeloid leukemia. I was fortunate. My younger sister was a perfect match and donated her cells, saving my life. A sibling match occurs only 25% of the time. Chances of a minority person finding a donor are greatly diminished. An African American has only a 23% chance of finding a donor. Those who are healthy and ages 18 to 45 can become part of the donor bank and national registry at the Be the Match website.  

— Patricia Fife, Merrick

Low-wage aides can’t afford cost of living

I was so happy to read the letter "Service providers do deserve fair wages" [Oct. 25].

I am a home health aide pushing for a raise. Aides make $15 an hour, minimum wage, and we deserve a lot more for the hard work we do.

I have been getting this same wage for more than two years, but the cost of living, especially gasoline, has gone up, and I drive to different cases. My monthly rent is $1,775, and my lease is up in one month.

I hope Gov. Kathy Hochul takes up our cause.

— Teresa Jurkowitsch, Selden