On Civil Service severance pay

The severance pay due Civil Service workers on Long Island is both outrageous and egregious [“Island’s enormous severance pay burden,” News, June 21]. I believe it is the result of politicians negotiating contracts with unions for tacit approval of Election Day endorsements. However, the parties seemingly have forgotten a main rule of economics: Something that can’t continue, won’t continue. It will collapse. The only question is when, and then taxes will be raised so high that highly taxed people flee, or will our counties try bankruptcy to escape the inescapable? The current politicos seemingly have the answer: Leave this mess for the next group of elected officials.

Doug Heimowitz,

Jericho

How can administrators and teachers in a district where many struggle to pay bills and the students consistently score near the bottom in state assessments justify being Long Island’s fifth highest paid teachers with, I consider, some of the most outrageous benefit packages [“Non-police severance pay varies across LI,” News, June 21]? Perhaps there has been little criticism because, to me,  most residents haven’t read the articles (too busy working two or more jobs) or they know the school board has given the teachers’ union carte blanche for years.

I hope more people read this since it’s on page 3 and we are amid a pandemic that has caused many to lose jobs. I watched in utter frustration as the district’s had its teachers give out schoolwork packets with no online teaching for my kindergartner. Although I’m sure some do care and work hard, I see them as disgraceful, self-serving non-educating hypocrites doing little to help students move forward (unless exceptionally bright and in the top tier). I do not oppose unions or teachers; I am a retired school counselor. I simply believe educators should do their utmost to educate every student and not simply fatten their paychecks.

Mary Garrison-Dennis,

Central Islip

Newsday seems to have determined this is the best time to pit hardworking American citizens against each other by instigating anger toward teachers, police and other public workers. Let’s not examine tax breaks in the CARES Act, which benefit those earning $1 million. As per Forbes magazine, “While wealthy Americans are not eligible for the comparatively measly $1,200 stimulus checks that are now being disbursed to many Americans, they are on pace to do even better. 43,000 taxpayers, who earn more than $1 million annually, are each set to receive a $1.7 million windfall, on average, thanks to a provision buried in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.”

Let’s not use investigative skills to discover which corporations have received the most money. Let’s not talk about the executives’ bonuses, salaries or perks. Let’s ignore those who can take losses from the past three years and use them to bolster their CARES benefits, while not struggling in the least. Let’s make sure to include the words “taxpayers’ revolt.” Let’s conveniently forget that public employees also live here and pay taxes. To me, it’s business as usual at Newsday.

Nancy D. Stein,

Centerport

Political correctness needs correcting

L’Oreal is now taking the word “whitening” from all its products [“Skin care giant commits to more inclusive labeling,” LI Business, June 26]? Next will be toothpaste companies. Then “John Wayne” will be removed from the name of the airport in California? Oh, it’s already being discussed. And American Movie Classics no doubt will stop showing Wayne’s movies. Make sure in your conversations you don’t say the word “white” or you might get arrested in the near future. How do you like our cultural revolution now? Sadly for this country, I see this as only the beginning. The insane have taken over the asylum.

Everett Mann,

Miller Place

Bellone: Don’t mess with county water

I heard Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone call the county’s Drinking Water Protection Program “low hanging fruit” and a “no brainer” for budget cuts in his Facebook Live news conferences recently [“Hands off funds for environment,” Editorial, June 22].

This same county executive has also declared nitrogen pollution as “public enemy number one” for years. Is nitrogen pollution a top priority for this administration or is it not? Long Island has the most contaminated water in the state. It also has some of the highest concentrations of nitrogen in our groundwater in the country. This is a public health crisis!

To me, he’s also trying to fool the public by saying that these cuts are necessary due to budget deficits caused by the coronavirus. Years before this virus landed on U.S. soil, the Bellone administration was trying to avoid the court-ordered repayment of $29 million that had been previously raided from the drinking water fund.

Our groundwater quality impacts every one of Suffolk’s 1.5 million residents. Legislators should think about what their families are drinking, bathing in, and cooking with before they vote to approve measures that would cut this critical environmental funding. Our water quality is not “low hanging fruit” to be messed with.

Katie Muether Brown,

Riverhead

Editor’s note: The writer is deputy director of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society.