Pen Pals Wanted

To the Editor:

Hi! My name is Hannah B. and I’m in fifth grade student at West Ridge Elementary School in Harlan, IA. My class is studying the geography and the history of the United States. I would appreciate it if you could send me some postcards, souvenirs or information about your state so I can learn more about our country. I am a fan of the New York Yankees. Our teacher would like some license plates for a school project if possible. I appreciate your time. THANK YOU!

Hannah B.

Mrs. Newlins Class

West Ridge Elemen-

tary School

1401 19th Street

Harlan, IA. 51537

No Winners?

To The Editor:

Eighty-two students from more than thirty Long Island high schools are semi-finalist winners in the significant intel science competition.

Twelve winners come from Ward-Melville High School.

Eight winners are students at Paul Schreiber High.

Sad to relate, our “esteemed” Garden City High doesn’t have even one winner.

With the millions of dollars that we throw at our education complex, you’d imagine that there might be more positive results.

We do see some results, though not positive.

Many students excel in drinking, drugs, vandalism and other degenerate activities.

This climate of unruliness doesn’t affect our teachers.

They make their allotted number of appearances at school; collect their obscene salaries and merrily go on their way.

Angelo DiPippo

School Tax Increases

2004/5, 2005/6

And 2006/7

To The Editor:

On May 17, 2005, we voted on the Garden City Public Schools 2005/6 budget. According to the 16 page Proposed Budget mailed to all current residents, the “Percentage Increase Expenditure Budget” and “Percentage Increase Tax Levy” were 6.51% and 5.81%, respectively. When we received th Statement of School Taxes for the 2005/6 Levy, we determined that our school taxes for the current year had increased by 11.37%. In May 2004, we voted on the 2004/5 school budget based on a 6.95% increase in the expenditure budget and a 6.7% increase in the tax levy. Our records indicate that while our full market value and total assessment did not change our school taxes increased by 12.72%. Relative to the 2003/4 budget, the total school taxes levied have increase by $7.21 million or 11.76%, while our school taxes have increased by $1066, or, 25.53%.

The 2004/5 Budget Fact Sheet included several “factors in why the percent increase in taxes a real property owner may be paying differs from the tax levy to tax levy increase of 6.79%. The 2005/6 Budget Fact Sheet indicated that the $932 million increase in Class I value, together with shifting of water from Classes II, III and IV into Class I is due to the real property reassessment conducted two year ago and will result in an average taxpayer in Class I and Class II paying a higher percentage increase in taxes than the 5.81% tax levy increase. Neither of these statements gave us any clue that our actual increases in school taxes, for both years, would be approximately double the percentage increases in the proposed budget which were submitted to, and approved by, the residents of Garden City.

The proposed Average Tax Rae per $100 of Assessed Valuation by Class are included in the Budget Fact Sheets. For the 2005/6 Tax Year the percentage increase in the Tax Rates for Class I and Class II were 76.2% and 3.8% respectively. In other words, the percentage change in the Tax Rate for residential homes, two and three-family homes and low-rise condominiums was 20 times the percentage change in the Tax Rate for Apartments, cooperatives and high-rise condominiums. For comparison, the Tax Rate for Class III increased by 10.2% and the Tax Rate for Class IV decreased by 2.2%. In the forty years we have lived in Garden City we cannot recall an explanation on how the Average Tax Rates are determined and what the word “Average” means.

Last week, Superintendent Dr. Robert Feirsen, proposed a 2006/7 budget of $86,288,805 which is $5,277,737, or 6.51%, higher than the 2005/6 school budget. Last year, the Board adopted a budget of $81,011.068 which was an increase $4,949,456 over the previous year. This increase was also 6.51% and the tax levy increase was 4.60%. Since the percent increase in the proposed 2006/07 school budget are identical to the actual increase in the 2005/6 budget we expect our school taxes to be at least 11.37% higher than last year.

During the years covered in this letter, we have attended the Proposed Budget presentations conducted by Dr. Leitman and Mr. J. Powell and we have read the 16 page Proposed Budget, Budget Fact Sheets and District Budget Notices. We thought we were well informed and voted intelligently. In retrospect we now know that we were not adequately informed about our actual estimated increase in the school taxes for our property. Unless the Garden City School District provides the additional information, we have requested, which enables all residents to determine their actual proposed school tax increase, we will reject the 2006/7 Proposed School Budget on May 16, 2006.

Raymond J. & Mary L. Finnerty

Another View

To the Editor:

How would you compare the fieldhouse to the main building at St. Paul’s? The fieldhouse is used by thousands of village residents each year. It is also used by the general public for book fairs, charitable fund raising, and to assist with the Turkey Trot. It has proven, though not particularly attractive, to be a real asset to the village. The main building will now cost a minimum of $30 million if it were to be used solely for public use. Private developers are no longer satisfied with the footprint of the building, but need additional area to make the investment worthwhile. The building can be likened to “Dorian Gray”; the facade maintains its splendor, while the interior withers.

What if “Dorian” were no longer there? Naysayers will state that it will cost too much and ask for specifics on how the plans will be funded. Initially, it could be used for fields or a park. The funds spent annually for the building could so be diverted. In time plans might be formulated in stages, though not limited to or in any particular order, to build a senior citizens center, a recreation area to include an indoor running track, and a pool. Is there a need to rush? A pool once built, could be a ten month self-sustaining operation, but specifics could be addressed later. These buildings could prove to be valuable assets as the fieldhouse is. They might even be so constructed as to be aesthetically pleasing. A permanent exhibit, be it indoors or outdoors, could be created to honor Alexander T. Stewart.

Such a view might be short on specifics, but it is a possible and useful way out of the present quagmire concerning the main building.

T. Stephen Childs

Nobody Cares

To The Editor:

If able to do so I would be pleased to write and speak deathless prose, the more than apt phrase, the words that perfectly capture the moment. A shakespearean every man concept. “Damn the Torpedoes, full speed ahead,” “I only regret I have but one life to lose,” or perhaps, “Don’t shoot until,” you get the picture.

Looking at our present situation, laughable, sad, disastrous, hopeful, idiotic, principled or, it’s over boys head for the Hills, I draw from what I believe to be the words which today best describe my beloved country. The Pogo Papers (1953), Walt Kelly, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

A preponderance of our international enemies, who are easy to spot because we have so few friends, are laughing at us. American Politicians of both parties have proven themselves to be posturing buffoons, in over their heads, not worthy of the high office to which the voters, in their wisdom, elect them. “Promise me stuff and you’ll get my vote.” The polls know the game. If delivered who will pay for that stuff? You know who.

When Kruschev pounded the desk with his shoe and promised to bury us he meant economically and today his words ring true. We are the worlds largest supplier of blood and treasure, the well seems bottomless, with as yet no end in sight. But it will go dry. Rome did not endure forever and we are making the same mistakes as they. When we implode not a tear will be shed, the vultures will tear asunder our coat of many colors and strip our bones.

Every couple of weeks the new word pops up. It is meant to reflect our awareness, we are “with it man,” we are cool and fashionable. The worst of these was gravitas, “George Bush lacks gravitas.” The pols and their sycophants beat the heck out of it and the word disappeared before we could define it.

The new “new word” was ethics. It came and went so quickly I was never sure whether it was good or bad to have it.

After a fall from grace and with perhaps a severe pang of conscience The New York Stock Exchange Magazine, Jan.-Feb. 2006, devoted six pages of pious print to ethics. I have excerpted as follows from the articles and comments of Corporate officers whose corporations are listed on the NYSE. Their goal is improved Corporate Governance but clearly the values expressed are applicable to our daily lives, man as man, a way of right living.

• Code of Conduct

• Responsibility

• Integrity

• Core Values

Ethical conduct has to begin with the Board and Emanate from the CEOs office.

We are a company full of humans, we make the mistakes that humans make.

I believe that people mainly want to do the right thing. Most of us were raised to value honesty and integrity. Don’t leave those principles at home.

Treat others as we would want to be treated, the highest standards.

When John Phelan was the NYSE chairman each Exchange officer and employee received a Lucite Desk plaque upon which were engraved our corporate values.

Integrity

Excellence

Respect for the Individual

Customer Commitment

I still have my plaque and often look at it. Yes, go ahead have a good laugh while I shed a tear. As with education it is the lack of ethics which is most obvious.

We are not without joy. We celebrate our families, traditional marriage, childbirth, respect for each other, especially for senior citizens who deserve to live in peace free from confiscator taxation and most certainly free from the fear of loss of their homes. Each of the above is a bedrock of civilization and each is under attack. As we attempt to remake the world remember the strong words of Winston Churchill, “First England and then You”

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” Perhaps it is not too late. If you wish to bring about the necessary change you, the good people, must raise your voices from a miniscule peep to a might roar, find a vehicle. We must work together with politicians to restore sanity to our culture. We do not seek anarchy, representative government is our way of life but presently we are poorly represented by all political parties at every level of government and it is just not working. It is your fault, yours and mine.

Tell me that kid shelleen was wrong when he spoke these deathless words, “It ain’t good anymore, nobody cares.”

Edward J. Heaney