Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald Feb. 23, 2012

Excellent help, when it counted most

To the Editor:

Recently, I had cause to call 911. My husband had a stroke and was in need of immediate assistance.

Within minutes, the Rockville Centre police and ambulance service arrived. They took care of things efficiently and swiftly.

We are fortunate to have such a well-trained, caring staff of people in our community.

Helen O’Grady

Rockville Centre

All women should have access to contraception

To the Editor:

I commend the Obama administration for ensuring that millions of women, who work for religiously affiliated institutions, including hospitals and universities, will have the same access to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control insurance benefit as women who work for secular organizations. We’ve had a similar requirement in New York for the past decade, and it has served women and their families well.

This law is a respectful balance between religious interests and individual conscience and freedom. It includes a strong exemption, allowing approximately 335,000 houses of worship to refuse to provide birth control for their employees. Hospitals and universities that operate as businesses and serve and employ the general public need to follow the same rules that others are required to follow.

All women should have access to contraception, have it without a co-pay, and have it no matter where they work.

The bottom line is that President Obama’s decision is the right one.

Evelyn Bishop

Rockville Centre

Redistricting commission sought

To the Editor:

The League of Women Voters of Nassau County is seeking to ask the Nassau County Legislature on Feb. 27, at its 1 p.m. session, to follow Nassau County Charter Section 113 and appoint a Temporary Advisory Commission to execute fair and inclusive redistricting.

Many organizations in Nassau County are joining with the League of Women Voters to make this request of the Legislature. We believe that an independent, nonpartisan commission should be convened to accomplish this. The membership and charge of this commission must be transparent, geographically diverse and representative of the various populations of Nassau County.

We request that this commission:

Hold public hearings prior to and after committee meetings. These meetings will enable the commission to receive input from the public before the development of the plan as well as a public response to all proposals before presentation to the Legislature.

Hold hearings in each of the towns and two cities, at different times of the day and evening in order to enable as many members of the citizenry to participate as possible.

Post notice for all meetings at least seven days in advance and extend these meetings geographically so that they are accessible to the county’s diverse populations.

Design voting districts so that they are contiguous, reasonably compact and fairly representative of identifiable communities of interest. Wherever possible, a concerted effort should be made to keep cities, towns, villages and unincorporated areas intact.

Adhere to the Voting Rights Act and take into consideration Nassau County’s minority populations.

Develop and maintain a website where hearing times, locations and dates are clearly posted, all committee minutes are cited and recorded in a timely fashion, and all proposed district maps are published.

The League urges residents of Nassau County to write or call their legislators about the redistricting issue, which will affect voting in the county for the next 10 years.

Rachel Krinsky

President, LWV Nassau County