Letter: Rival views of the LIPA-Huntington tax assessment case

Rival views of LIPA- Huntington tax case

The suggestion that the Town of Huntington should cave in to pressure to settle the Long Island Power Authority’s assessment challenge on the Northport power plant — as Brookhaven did with the Port Jefferson plant — shows a lack of appreciation for major differences between the Northport case now in court and the Port Jefferson case that was inexplicably settled last year [“Huntington should make a deal,” Editorial, April 28].

First, Port Jefferson is a very small school district in one of the most populous towns on Long Island. It is possible that district residents’ cries for representation by the town fell on deaf ears. The same isn’t true for the Northport-East Northport school district, which represents about 18 percent of the population in the Town of Huntington.

Second, in the wake of the cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes, tolerance for higher property taxes is low now that tax refunds for many people have shrunk.

Last, the power of local protest to spread virally has never been greater. See the Amazon experience in Long Island City.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo should be well aware of those last two differences. Cuomo appoints five of the nine trustees of LIPA, and as such is the de facto head of the authority. Can he and the Democratic Party afford this political fallout right now?

Paul Darrigo,

Northport

Editor’s note: The writer heads Concerned Taxpayers Against LIPA, a residents group.

CORRECTION: The name of the above writer's group has been corrected. An incorrect name appeared with the original version published here.

The hardworking men and women of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1049 are proud to be the backbone of Long Island’s energy infrastructure. We help keep the lights on for our neighborhoods through our professional operation of the Long Island’s power plants, including Northport.

It is because of that perspective that we understand the need for a sustainable energy future for Long Island, which includes the Northport power plant. LIPA pays $84 million in property taxes a year on Northport, greater than any commercial property in the United States. This is an unfairly high burden, and it threatens the long-term viability of Northport as part of Long Island’s energy future.

That is why we believe a fair tax compromise would be a win-win for the community and ratepayers. Bringing taxes down on Northport to a fair, sustainable level would also keep the plant viable as a long-term power generator, which offers greater security to our members and the communities we serve.

We urge the Town of Huntington to accept a fair tax settlement, similar to the one struck in Port Jefferson, to protect the community from the probability of a disastrous court outcome.

Ron Bauer,

  Holtsville

Editor’s note: The writer is business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1049.

Nation grapples with synagogue attack

The Newsday editorial board’s suggestion that President Donald Trump can combat anti-Semitism and white nationalism by going to a synagogue and sending Cabinet members to other places of worship is laughable at best [“How Trump can condemn hatred,” Editorial, April 30]. How long would it take media commentators to deride the president for using politics in the wake of a tragedy? This seems to be a paradigm that has no end in sight.

Jeffrey Abt,

  Oceanside

What has happened to America?

There must never be another shooting in a synagogue, church, mosque or other house of worship! We have somehow lost our moral compass. Whether it is due to inane partisan politics, the lack of ethical leaders in Washington, heated and hateful rhetoric, the breakdown of fundamental beliefs in the family, the lack of adequate mental health professionals and facilities, the gun culture. Who knows?

I suspect we are all somehow complicit in the degradation of societal norms.

What I do know for sure is that we should never again have to hear some politician or other talking head spout empty platitudes such as “the families have our thoughts and prayers.” Those are worthless statements bereft of heartfelt feeling. It is time to act. Hate is unacceptable in our society, and the time has come for all Americans to say, “Never again. Enough is enough!”

Joel Reiter,

  Woodbury

The man accused in the deadly attack on the synagogue in Poway, California, allegedly tried to burn down a mosque 13 miles away in March. This latest incident is not only about anti-Semitism. It is about the rise of white supremacy terrorism in the United States.

What is frightening beyond this escalating anti-minority violence is the mainstreaming of white supremacist beliefs. I hear people citing a revisionist, non-slavery-based history of the Civil War, repeating tropes about Jews, dehumanizing Palestinians and other Muslims, and supporting President Donald Trump’s immigration policies that hurt Hispanics.

There are no “very fine people” on the far right side of this issue.

Cynthia Lovecchio,

  Glen Cove