Retiree health benefits, charter schools, cars, Penn Station

We bit the bullet for higher well being care

As a New York Metropolis retiree, I perceive the necessity for municipalities to save cash [“Shrink retiree health coverage,” Editorial, Sept. 18]. In our case, nevertheless, in 2014, the United Federation of Lecturers and different giant unions struck a take care of town to take $1 billion from the Well being Insurance coverage Stabilization Fund (particularly earmarked to offset rising well being care prices) to fund raises largely for lecturers.

In 2021, they determined to pay again that cash on the backs of its retirees by forcing us right into a for-profit Medicare Benefit Plan. By the best way, this plan truly drains extra from the Medicare belief funds than conventional Medicare.

We went with out raises and labored for decrease salaries believing we might have the well being care we have been promised and earned. In 1975, metropolis union pension funds have been used to assist bail out town.

There are different methods to save cash. Self-insurance and auditing retiree lists are simply two. We had no enter into using funds meant solely to offset rising well being care prices. We shouldn’t be penalized.

Because of the efforts of the NYC Group of Public Service Retirees, the courts have agreed with us.

— Camille Croce Dee, Roslyn

Newsday’s editorial doesn’t replicate the scenario for a lot of retirees within the New York Metropolis system. I labored for the Metropolis College of New York as a professor. We obtained compensation at a fee decrease than many different universities. We accepted this example as a result of we knew that, upon retirement, we might be receiving good advantages.

The present try to scale back our well being care advantages is in violation of our earlier agreements with town.

— Matthew Shalette, Island Park

I agree with the letters responding to Newsday’s surprising editorial about taking away well being advantages promised to retired authorities employees [“Retirees should not lose earned benefits,” Letters, Sept. 20].

My husband labored as a metropolis public college instructor for over three many years with the promise that his well being care advantages have been totally protected in retirement.

Now that he’s 77, town has tried to renege on this promise, which was a negotiated profit. This is able to have value us a whole bunch of {dollars} a month for a plan with the identical advantages if a choose hadn’t stopped this.

Disgrace on Mayor Eric Adams for focusing on weak retirees.

— Terry Bain, Rockville Centre

Constitution colleges aren’t essentially helpful

Constitution colleges could be helpful in that they develop new academic practices to be adopted by their wider communities [“Opening of charter school renews debate,” News, Sept. 18].

But when these are little greater than buzzwords with non-union employees that declare to be closing the “studying hole” in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, they do extra hurt than good.

The “studying hole” is a predictable disparity in studying outcomes between well-resourced and poorly resourced communities. Calling it a “studying hole” obfuscates the coverage choices that reproduce these studying situations and outcomes.

As a result of public colleges are funded by way of property taxes, inequities between districts are constructed into the system. Constitution colleges exacerbate this drawback by taking funding away from public colleges and denying giant scholar demographics, akin to particular schooling college students, admission to their colleges.

So if and when poorer public colleges fail, the manufactured “alternative” is constitution colleges. Then lecturers and households go away districts, colleges shut, and everyone seems to be worse off, irrespective of how a lot people appear to profit.

The answer to fixing financial inequities is to totally fund public colleges. Our college students deserve the futures they create collectively, not those which can be funded for a choose few.

— Timothy Karcich, Deer Park

The author is an English instructor at Wyandanch Memorial Excessive College.

Don’t use my automotive — what’s a secure choice?

Lengthy Island was constructed for automobiles [“Thousands on LI to forgo cars Friday,” News, Sept. 20]. My bus cease is not less than one mile away and the bus comes solely as soon as an hour — possibly. It goes to a mall.

We now have no sidewalks to stroll on. Attempt to cross a large Suffolk County highway at a site visitors mild whereas automobiles make proper turns on the crimson mild. You’re taking your life into your arms.

Using a bicycle is simply as hazardous. Add in rushing drivers with eyes on their cellphones.

Thanks, however I’m a lot safer with 2,000 kilos of a metal automotive round me.

— Gracie Rugile, Rocky Level

Evaluate Penn Station’s grand corridor priorities

Whereas “a grand practice corridor” could be good finally at Penn Station, the precedence needs to be enhancements to platform capability, security and repair [“Push on to speed a new Penn plan,” News, Sept. 13].

— Suzanne Mueller, Nice Neck