Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald - March 3, 2011

Long Islanders love NYC

To the Editor:

My grandparents immigrated to New York City from Eastern Europe. They worked in the garment district to survive and raise their children, my parents. My father was able to go to City College, tuition-free. He became an electrical engineer, and the American dream story continued on.

In his letter to the editor, “He’ll fight for school funds” (Feb. 17-23), Assemblyman Brian Curran expressed a somewhat more hostile point of view. The assemblyman displayed his pride in opposing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s somewhat disproportionate allocation of funds to New York City’s schools. A few years ago, Sen. Dean Skelos, then the minority leader, was equally proud to stand behind the repeal of the commuter tax. Apparently the senator theorized that Long Island commuters make no use of fire, water, police, garbage, snowplowing, judicial, infrastructure and other services provided by the city, while they are working all day. So it was just fine for commuters to pay no income tax to the city.

For New York City, the financial fallout keeps accumulating. Now Mayor Michael Bloomberg is being forced to propose eliminating many schoolteachers’ jobs. What a disaster. If the Big Apple declines, its suburbs will no doubt follow.

When the Erie Canal was completed, New York City became one of the world’s great cities, as the Port of New York became the entryway from the Midwest to the Atlantic Ocean. That was the origin of the Empire State. We are one community, and we must continue to stand together, support our great traditions and values and put partisan politics aside.

Steven Atlas

Rockville Centre

Why should the rich pay higher taxes?

To the Editor:

Every once in a while I read a Letter to the Editor that really aggravates me. This is in response to “How not to get elected” (Feb. 24-March 3) and a comment about taxing the rich. I suppose the writer of that letter feels that rich Americans should pay more taxes. That is absolute nonsense!

  When I was a boy, my parents told me that if I did my homework and worked hard and followed the rules, I could make something of myself. I did a few of those things. But sometime in my 20s I must have had an epiphany. I became a registered nurse, and then eight years later I took a risk and went into business and worked really hard.

Having money, in my opinion, does not make for a successful human being. I believe one must have integrity, loyalty, honor and charity. Too many people think that if you make a lot of money, you must not have those attributes, and all you do is chase the almighty buck. That is patently incorrect.

The writer of that letter believes in punishing people for becoming financially successful. That’s how I read his comments. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Now I work probably 2½ days a week for the state and federal governments. I spend my money and I fuel the economy. I donate to all kinds of charities. So let me ask that letter writer, how many days should I work for the government? Three days, four days? How about the whole week?

This is my recommendation for him and anyone else, including all those liberals out there who make a ton of money but were praying taxes wouldn’t go up. You know who you are. Those folks enamored with our president. Volunteer to pay more taxes yourself. You can do that. Nothing is stopping you. Send the government a check. You have the right to do that. Just let us know how much more you paid. I would be very interested. Does anyone think that the same people who want the rich to pay more taxes are going to volunteer to pay more themselves? I don’t think so.

You know how to save this country from financial ruin? I’ll tell you. First, don’t re-elect Obama. Then tell our elected officials that we will not tolerate waste. The government should run its budget like the responsible people reading this run their households. Unfortunately, our elected officials don’t listen. They forget they work for us.

Burton Diamond

Rockville Centre

No reason for the ‘treason’

To the Editor:

Shame on Sen. Alfonse D’Amato for charging our president with treason in his column “High treason on the American taxpayer” (Feb. 24-March 3) because he differs on a budget issue! It only indicates that D’Amato’s arguments are so weak that he has to go to the gutter to substantiate his position.

On Sept. 11, 2001, our country was attacked by fiends associated with Osama bin Laden, and as a result of those acts, we are still involved in military operations overseas. During the eight years when George Bush was president, he stubbornly resisted raising taxes to pay for these wars. A major part of our outstanding debt today is derived from these conflicts. Nobody accused President Bush of treason!

From 2005 to 2008, our country went through irresponsible, selfish and non-disciplined activities in the real estate market, which went undetected until it was too late. This mismanagement was a result of the inadequate oversight by personnel in the Securities and Exchange Commission (appointed by Bush).

It will now take many, many years to work through the damage that continues to exist. Nobody accused President Bush of treason!

In addition, taxpayers who are fortunate enough to have incomes in excess of $200,000 received a reduction in taxes. This measure not only failed to help the economy, it was also ineffective in reducing the debt we accumulated during the Bush years. Still, nobody accused President Bush of treason!

For an individual who had the honor to hold the high office of senator, Mr. D’Amato should be more careful when he accuses someone of high treason.

Leslie E. Schwartz

Woodmere