Long Beach letters

Long Beach is becoming an aristocracy

To the Editor:

I was shocked to read that list of salaries for Long Beach police lieutenants, sergeants and detectives (“Police approve contract,” April 15-21). Now, to be clear, I do believe that police and other civil servants need to be paid a living wage. I also believe that those who negotiate the contracts are bound to do the best they can for their members. But salaries approaching $200,000 seem to be just a bit much.

This is just a microcosm for much of what happens in the Long Island-New York metropolitan area. For instance, Nassau County has 56 school districts. Each district has a superintendent who averages $250,000, not to mention assistant superintendents and other highly paid administrators. The point is that because of these salaries Long Beach and Long Island residents are forced to pay exorbitant property taxes.

Tax bills of $8,000 to 12,000 or more are six to 10 times as much as those in other areas of the country. This is over and above house prices that are much higher than the national average. The result is that many young people and retirees are voting with their feet and moving to low-cost areas such as Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and New Mexico. Many 20- and 30-somethings have told me they are considering moving or are actually doing so.

Perhaps Nassau County residents need to refuse to pay such high taxes as a means of forcing local government to live within its means as they themselves must do. They can't jail the whole county. Perhaps it's time for a Nassau County Tea Party, that focuses on local taxes and the failure of local government, Democrat and Republican, to do anything meaningful to curb costs.

We have a new aristocracy, folks. That is the clique of upper-level civil servants who get pay and benefits the ordinary citizenry can only dream of!

Peter Nicholson

Long Beach

Welfare clause is not about entitlements

To the Editor:

I usually dismiss Scott Brinton's pseudo-intellectualism in the same manner I do the smirk that appears every week in his column in your paper. When, however, he feels inclined to lecture on the Constitution (“Is government the enemy of the people?” April 22-28), I am compelled to respond. The "general welfare" clause does not mean what Scott thinks it does. He should know that the commerce clause has been used by progressives to expand the power of the federal government. Since Scott wishes to tell us what our founders would think of such liberal causes as "health care reform," here are a few quotes:

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

And the most appropriate: "If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy." These are from none other than Thomas Jefferson. End of discussion. I might suggest that Scott "shut up and sing," except I don't think he sings.

Warren L. Forman

Long Beach