OK, let me get this straight. The oil companies allegedly make a profit of about 10 cents on a gallon of gas. The federal government makes 18 cents in taxes from a gallon. Then New York State takes 59 cents a gallon. Who is making money here? And Barack Obama wants a “windfall profits tax” on the oil companies. I have a better idea, how about a windfall profits tax on government? Maybe then we can get some of our money back. Obama is not about change. He’s Jimmy Carter all over again.
John LaPorte
Whitestone
Caffé on the Green fan
Thank you Victoria Schneps for expressing the outrage so many of us feel about the unfair articles written in The New York Post about our very best restaurateur, Joseph Franco. I am a frequent diner at Caffé on the Green and I have watched Franco deliver first class cuisine and service to all of us who appreciate its ambiance. Think about how much he has done for Queens after taking over the venue. Now they want him out. Why?
I do not know whom they think they could get to replace this hard working person who has the respect of his patrons and his employees. I suggest that they extend his lease and let us continue to enjoy this Joseph Franco creation. We have been around. Nobody does it better.
Again I say, extend his lease before we wind up with a restaurant with an absentee owner and a building with no heart.
Linda DeSabato
Malba
Worthy cause
“QCSB will match $100K for Flushing Library” (Victor G. Mimoni - June 19, 2008) concerning Queens County Savings Bank offering to match a total of $100,000 in contributions from ordinary citizens to the Flushing Library is a great example of private sector fundraising for charity.
Contrast this with City Councilmembers who give out tens of millions of dollars in discretionary funding from their personal pot of gold for member items otherwise known as pork barrel spending.
A report by the Giving USA foundation noted that Americans donated over $300 billion dollars last year. This should be mandatory reading for all elected officials on the city, state and federal level, on a bipartisan basis.
Compare the average tax returns of ordinary people versus public officials. On a voluntary basis, Americans donate more money per individual than most elected officials, who earn far more than we do. Let us see how many public officials will match the Queens County Savings Bank offer out of their own pockets to help support the Queens Library!
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Time for home schooling
Imagine for a moment you love bagels. Imagine you live in a neighborhood where only one bakery is allowed to make and sell bagels. Imagine the bagels are below par and unappetizing but you are compelled to purchase them by law and are forbidden to make your own. Now substitute “education” for “bagels” in this scenario and you will understand the true nature of compulsory public education.
A bakery that produces an unsatisfactory product would soon be out of business because people are free to choose and find a better bagel. However, competition and freedom of choice - which nurture creativity and excellence - are conspicuously missing in the sphere of scholastic instruction.
A recent international study involving 26 countries places American fourth grade students in the middle of the group, by grade 8 in the bottom third, and at the finish line, almost dead last. Public high school graduation rates are equally disheartening: 70.7 percent in California, 56.5 percent in New York, 51.5 percent in Washington DC, with a national average of 69.1. The state education monopoly does not allow parents to make choices regarding their children’s education even though there is convincing evidence some alternatives have achieved better results.
A study of the scholastic achievement of home-schooled children by Lawrence M. Rudner at the University of Maryland found, “Eighth graders who are home-schooled perform approximately four grades above the national average. On standardized testing, they average in the 87th percentile while public school peers average in the 61st percentile, and on the SAT for calendar year 1999, they scored 67 points above the national average of 1,016.”
The message is clear: “Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children.” Home schooling is no longer an option for parents who might disagree with the state-developed, state-sponsored curriculum and teaching methods.
What we desperately need is separation of schools and state.
Ed Konecnik
Flushing
Protect our trees - everyday
We have just celebrated Arbor Day and Earth Day. But shouldn’t every day be a celebration of our planet’s natural beauty and recognizing the importance of taking steps to turn the tide against global warming and pollution?
Our mature trees are disappearing due to overdevelopment and a “cement it all” mentality. A large tree is significantly more valuable in terms of processing pollutants than several small trees. Small trees are important but they take decades to reach maturity.
More effort needs to be taken to preserve and care for our mature tree stock, even those on private property. In many communities across the country, a permit must be obtained before a large tree can be removed. New York City should follow suit in order to dissuade people from destroying healthy trees and to provide a healthier environment for us all.
When new homes are built, a mature tree must be viewed as an asset to preserve whenever possible, not a nuisance to be eradicated. Trees increase the value of a property.
Our present administration wants to plant a million trees, yet they are considering cutting down a forest of trees at the Ridgewood Reservoir. Likewise, dozens of trees have been removed on Randall’s Island for another project. The Long Island Rail Road committed arborcide along their right of way to prevent leaves from blowing onto their rails.
We are our own worst enemy when it comes to ruining our environment. We use all kinds of poisons on our lawns and gardens. We find the city and other agencies using herbicides along roadsides and railway lines to “control” vegetation when there are safer alternatives.
Our actions affect everyone around us. We must continue to plant new trees and other vegetation, preserve existing mature trees and avoid using dangerous herbicides and pesticides that threaten our well-being.
Henry Euler
Bayside
Letters To The Editor
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