Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald Sept. 20, 2012

Clark’s views are his own

To the Editor:

Eugene (Mickey) Clark wrote a letter, “No disrespect uncovered” (Sept. 13-19), about the respect, or the lack of it, shown by the Village of Rockville Centre, the police and mayor’s office concerning the funeral arrangements for Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley, USMC.

Clark signed his letter “Past commander, American Legion 303.” While our members may or may not agree with his views, I would like to make it clear that Clark does not speak for the American Legion. The American Legion is not a political organization. It never has been. Clark’s personal views are his own.

Joseph M. Scarola

Commander, American Legion Post 303

Rockville Centre

Government intrudes on religion

To the Editor:

From Randi Kreiss’s column, “Those know-nothing pols are proud of knowing nothing” (Aug. 30-Sept. 5), I can see she is still enthralled with President Obama. She selectively chooses to point to some Republican politicians who she believes are “stupid,” and then infers that the whole GOP is less intelligent, somehow, than her beloved Democrats. Unfortunately, both parties have more than enough controversial figures to go around.

Clearly, Randi has never heard Gov. Nikki Haley (S.C.), Mike Huckabee, Mayor Mia Love (Saratoga Springs, Utah), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) Gov. Bob McDonnell (Va.), Gov. Susana Martinez (N.M.), Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Marco Rubio, etc., etc., — all intelligent people and excellent speakers.

As a Roman Catholic, I am deeply offended by the fact that my government uses some of my tax dollars to support an organization (Planned Parenthood) that provides far more abortions than any other health service for women.

Anyone who believes that government intrusion into religion is only a “Catholic” problem is making a big mistake. Once the government feels it can get away with what it is now trying to do to the Catholic Church, wait and see how long it takes to go after anyone else’s church when that church gets in the way of a government project. I, for one, am frightened.

Randi calls Mitt Romney disingenuous. Really? Give me a break. What then would you call President Obama, who tells us he needs four more years to finish the job? My question is: What job? The job of doing us in entirely by making us more and more like Europe? Last I heard, they weren’t doing too well over there.

Frances J. Deneen

Rockville Centre

Plane noise needs to be addressed

To the Editor:

Residents in communities surrounding JFK Airport know all too well the problem of jet noise. Over the decades, they have witnessed an increasing number of flights in and out of JFK. To accommodate the increase, the curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. was eliminated in the 1990s. Plane noise now occurs at virtually all hours.

There is, however, a bit of good news: Communities around JFK now have noise monitors. Even Floral Park, which is several miles from JFK, has a monitor.

Astoundingly, Valley Stream and Rosedale, which experience the lowest flight levels and greatest noise, along with Elmont, Lynbrook, Malverne and Rockville Centre, have no monitors. With increasing flights over these communities, monitors need to be strategically positioned in these communities to monitor the number of flights and decibel/noise levels.

Increasingly over the last few years, more arrivals and even departures are using the shortest runways at JFK. Planes, including jumbo jets, are landing and even departing from the shortest runways. Witnessing firsthand the slow and labored takeoffs of jumbo jets via the shortest runway, it is quite evident that this is a real safety issue. Jumbo jets require much longer runways to safely climb into the sky.

Curiously, $363 million was recently spent to extend the east-west runways to accommodate the jumbo jets and cargo planes. These runway extensions were part of a master plan to route aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean and onward to their destinations. What happened to this plan? Were hundreds of millions of dollars wasted?

Recently, the Port Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration have disclosed that one runway has been shut down due to “concrete” issues. Less than a year after that runway was completed, there is now a need to close and repair it. Can this be true? This seems incredible. If yes, then the P.A. and FAA have failed once again to do their jobs responsibly. Or is this fiasco a smoke screen to block the implementation of the grand plan to route aircraft out over the Atlantic? This grand plan has become a political problem because takeoffs to the east would fly over affluent areas with some ritzy estates.

The closing of the runway has caused a gross alteration in the distribution of flights. Recently, regardless of the wind patterns, flights to and from JFK invariably use the northeast corridor over Rosedale, Valley Stream, etc. As a result, Rosedale, Valley Stream, Elmont, Lynbrook, Malverne and other communities are the unhappy recipients of these diverted flights and unwanted noise.

There is apparent favoritism in current flight assignments by the Port Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration. This is a situation that needs addressing. Otherwise, it is more than a fairness issue; it is one of abuse and discrimination.

Dr. John Humins

Valley Stream