Pensions, road safety, whooping cough, wrong-way crashes, Smithtown parking fees

Pause pensions if new jobs come up

The article “Romaine, others collect pensions plus salaries” points out that this practice is not illegal and individuals in civil and private service participate in it News, Jan. 7]. But isn’t this more of a moral or ethical issue about publicly elected officials?

Is it any wonder that Suffolk and Nassau counties are among the nation’s highest-taxed regions and that our young adult children need to move from Long Island to find an affordable home with lower taxes?

Shouldn’t there be a clause requiring a pension be paused while an elected official is paid a six-figure salary? Shouldn’t that also be applied to school administrators who land high-paying jobs from connections made during their administrative years? And the same review of police officials of a certain rank?

Sadly, the lobbies and unions are too strong to effect this change. I have been fortunate to own homes in Suffolk County with my wife and children for over 30 years. I have worked in the private sector and watched my home property tax rise from $7,700 to over $16,000. Like many nearing retirement age, Florida, here we go!

— John Savarese, Miller Place

Roadways aren’t the issue — drivers are

Randi F. Marshall’s column on road safety contained a particularly important sentence: “No road improvement will stop reckless or dangerous behavior” [“Track roads data to improve safety,” Opinion, Jan. 4].

Our roads are safe at the speed limit, or even a bit above it. So all this talk of straightening the Southern State Parkway or the Whitestone Expressway/Cross Island Parkway connector is ludicrous.

Only Darwin’s theory can fix the reckless, drugged or drunk drivers who are plaguing us [“Cut back on driving and gain benefits,” Letters, Jan. 16].

— Harley S. Nemzer, Wantagh

A man loses his life to someone who has consumed alcohol before leaving for work and is driving 96 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone because, in addition to being drunk, she is also late for work [“Guilty plea in ’22 fatal DWI crash,” News, Dec. 20]. Her attorney initially argued that she had the right of way.

I imagine that being legally intoxicated and driving 96 mph provides someone with a personal “right of way” even if it costs a human life. This is both a sad and frightening example of behavior on Long Island roads.

— Mike Baard, Merrick

Spikes may be answer to wrong-way crashes

It was sad to see again the pictures of Katie Flynn and Stanley Rabinowitz in the article about the fatal wrong-way crash that took their lives in 2005 [“Opposition to Heidgen parole,” News, Jan. 20].

I wonder, with all the technology and engineering that we have now, why we can’t come up with a way to stop drivers from entering parkways in the wrong direction.

Recently, I was at a car rental place that had metal spikes that would puncture tires if you went the wrong way but allowed you to drive in the correct direction. Does it cost too much to study the feasibility of this?

— Michael Palermo, Seaford

Whooping cough is on the rise, but why?

Suffolk County had at least 108 cases of a bad disease, pertussis, for which there is a vaccine [“Whooping cough worries in Suffolk,” News, Jan. 1]. Why is that?

As a country, we are headed backward toward ignorance. Look at the anti-vax rhetoric that was spread during the pandemic.

Ask a local health official why this is happening. Is it because vaccination rates have continued to diminish? And if so, ask the unvaccinated their reasons for not getting the vaccine. Is it bad information, or they just did not know, or something else?

— Mark Lipowicz, Albertson

Charging for parking is one fee too many

I’m deeply saddened to learn that the Town of Smithtown is considering charging constituents to access town beaches and parks [“Locals may lose free parking,” Our Towns, Jan. 3].

I am a 33-year-old constituent — not a senior citizen, veteran or volunteer emergency responder — who works a full-time professional job. I struggle, as do many, with the rising cost of housing, taxes, food and fees to access state parks and beaches.

Having my taxes help pay for access to town beaches is how I ensure that I can get outside, exercise, enjoy nature, and be an overall healthy individual.

While $30 might not seem like a lot to some, for many young people like me, trying to live in the Town of Smithtown, it adds up and can make an impact on someone’s ability to pay for rent, bills or groceries.

All Smithtown taxpayers already have paid for access to town beaches and parks. Adding an additional fee creates an environment of “haves” and “have-nots” among residents. If there is an additional charge, I’ll become a have-not.

— Lauren La Magna, Nesconset