Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor
A cornerstone
To the Editor:
With the coming of autumn, thoughts turn to the rapidly approaching new year, and with it a new executive budget for New York State. In each of his last three budgets, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made a baffling decision by repeatedly removing increases in funding enacted by the Legislature during the previous year.
The Governor’s repeated $5M budget cut to Library Aid demonstrates either ignorance or apathy to the vital role that libraries play in every community.
Despite the rapidly evolving function of libraries in meeting the needs of all New Yorkers, last year Gov. Cuomo proposed Library Aid at just 1% above where it had been funded two decades earlier in 1999. In 1999, less than one third of public libraries had a publicly accessible computer, and today nearly every public library is the primary source of access to the internet for nearly a quarter of households earning below $50,000 annually.
With libraries being increasingly called upon to assist state government in its initiatives (the upcoming 2020 Census is but one example), it’s time for Gov. Cuomo to update his thinking and actions about libraries. He needs to make a bold new investment in our libraries to provide them with the needed resources to provide all New Yorkers with 21st century library services.
Libraries are a cornerstone of New York’s education and civic infrastructure. Gov. Cuomo needs to invest in libraries.
Join me in speaking up for our libraries. Sign up as a library champion at nyla.org/advocacy.
Linda Kraus
Trustee, Shelter Island Library Board
Support the preschool
To the Editor:
Full disclosure: Both my children attended the preschool and I served on its board for several years. Because of this, it will always have a special place in my heart.
And while I do appreciate that allocating public funds for private institutions can be tricky, I believe the issue a bit more nuanced than has been presented in the last few weeks.
For example, our Highway Department employees and police officers — who work diligently to ensure that nonprofit-run events such as the 10K, 5K and fireworks are conducted safely — are getting paid with taxpayer dollars.
That said, the point I want to make with this letter, is to offer another angle on the use of town funds to help keep the preschool running. Specifically, that a strong case can be made that town funds given to the preschool are, in fact, an investment.
Studies on the subject vary as to the degree, but one has the return at $17 for every $1 invested in early education. This is because children who receive early education generally require less special education (expensive). This helps reduce school districts’ costs, and in so doing, our taxes. Also, these students later in life are shown to realize higher earnings, pay more income taxes, require fewer social programs (expensive) and are less likely to get caught up in crime and punishment (expensive).
A wise man once said that “to keep our country strong and safe, we need to ensure all young Americans get the right start in life — we need more investments in high-quality early education.” That was a quote from General Hugh Shelton, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, our nation’s top military leadership council. His comments came from a paper he and dozens of other military leaders signed arguing that “our recommendation to state and federal policy makers is to ensure that America’s children have access to high-quality early education.”
The negligible difference in your tax bill that, say, $10,000 in town assistance to the preschool would bring is not the point here. The point is that money would very likely come back to the town — and its taxpayers — in spades.
A paper out of M.I.T. made clear that “Investments in … early childhood education do more than pay significant returns to children [and] our future citizens. They also benefit taxpayers and enhance economic vitality.”
Nicholas Morehead
Shelter Island
A terrific job
To the Editor:
The Oct. 16 storm toppled a large tree in our front yard. The tree fell in our yard and in the street, making the street impassable. The Heights maintenance crew moved the debris from the road to our yard so that cars and fire trucks could pass. Six days later the crew returned and removed the debris from our yard.
We wish to thank the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corp. and the maintenance crew for their prompt response. They did a terrific job.
Carleton and Deborah Dinkel Endemann
Shelter Island
