Bethpage-Tribune_1981-03-05

              BETHPAGE
BEDtf ABE PUBLIC IID11Y
OLD BETHPAGE PLAINVIEW
ISLAND TREES PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 15 NO. 48 The Week of March 5-11,1981 20 cents per copy
s—People In The News'
CONGRATULATIONS: Oyster Bay Town Councilman
Salvatore R.Mosca [left] congratulates Al Castaldi, new
chief of the Bethpage Fire Department, as outgoing chief
James Emken looks on. Mosca was a guest at the Depart­ment's
annual installation dinner, held this year at the
Crest Hollow Country Club.
ENGINEERING A SPECIAL WEEK: Hempstead Town
Presiding Supervisor Thomas S. Gulotta [center] is joined
by fellow Town Board members and representatives of
the Nassau County Chapter of the New York State Society
of Professional Engineers as he proclaims National
Engineers Week in the Town of Hempstead in recognition
of the outstanding and beneficial work done by
professional engineers. Joining Presiding Supervisor
Gulotta are [L-R] Town Councilman Joseph Mondello,
Town Councilman Peter King, Frank Scicchitano, P. E.,
of Bethpage and from the Town's Engineering
Department Richard Marone, P.E., of Seaford.
FiTNESS FANATICS: Hempstead Town Presiding
Su lervisor Thomas S. Gulotta [left] is joined by
representatives of the Seaford School District as he
proclaims the week of March 1-7, as Physical Education
Week in the Town of Hempstead, in celebration of the joys
and benefits derived from exercise and recreation.
Joining Presiding Supervisor Gulotta are [L-R].
Superintendent Edward J. Voorhees and the District
Coordinator of Physical Education and Recreation Neal
Aronin, the Nassau County Coordinator of Physical
Education Week. In conjunction with Physical Education
Week the Seaford Schools are conducting various events
and activities, including Jump-Rope-A-Thons for the
benefit of the American Heart Association at 3 elementary
schools and Seaford Junior High School on Wednesday,
.March 4th.
Marino Poll Cites Crime
Problem In Suburban Area
More than half (52.4 percent) of those responding to Senator Ralph J: Marino's 1981 legislative questionnaire report
that they or a member of their family have been a victim of crime within the last ten years.
In order of frequency, the kinds of crime reported include home burglary (24 percent of all respondents); robbery or
mugging (15.9 percent); other types of unspecified crime (9.8 percent); assault with a weapon (2.8 percent); rape (2.1
percent); and murder (1.5 percent). Approximately four percent of those reporting crime victimization incidents
indicate more than one type of crime affecting their families within the last ten years.
Asked what government should do to reduce crime, the
most frequent responses include imposition of stiffer
sentences with less plea bargaining and with greater speed
and consistency; restoration of the death penalty; hand gun
control; additional youth education efforts, including drug
counseling; and creation of more prison space.
A majority of 59.2 percent further indicated they would be
willing to pay higher state income taxes if assured the money
would make their neighborhoods safer.
Marino's constituents also endorsed restoration of the
death penalty for premeditated murder by a four-to-one
majority (80.8 percent in favor). Senator Marino supports the
death penalty bill already approved by the Assembly and
-soontereome before the Senate.
By a similar margin (84.6 percent in favor), those
answering the questionnaire favored allowing judges to
order no-bail preventive detention of dangerous accused
criminals before trial. A majority of 69.5 percent of those
responding said they would approve an election day refer­endum
for a $375-million bond issue to finance new prison
construction.
A second proposal by Governor Carey for a $700-million
bond issue for improvements in Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA) facilities proved less popular but was still
supported by a majority of 54.2 percent of persons answering
the questionnaire.
On issues related to expansion of legalized gambling, 54.4
percent of those responding favored casino gambling while
58.8 percent endorsed state legalization of sports betting at
Off Track Betting (OTB) parlors. r,
Johnson "Repeal
Fuel Adjustment"
Stating that "The fuel adjustment clause is, in many
instances, being flagrantly abused by utility companies,"
State Senator Owen H. Johnson (R-Cons., 4th S.D.) is
demanding prompt legislative and/or court action to remedy
the problem. The original intent of the fuel adjustment clause
was to allow utilities to automatically pass along to the
consumer their changes in fuel costs. Currently the State
Consumer Protection Board has filed a suit against the
Public Service Commission in which it challenges the
legality and constitutionality of the fuel adjustment clause.
The suit also asks for a refund to customers of more than $200
million which utilities have already collected under the
clause. In a separate action, the Attorney General has
recently filed a petition for relief on LILCO's use of the fuel
adjustment clause, specifically involving a December 1980
increase of approximately 12%.
At this juncture it appears the courts will decide the fuel
adjustment question. Senator Johnson has urged that the
judicial process be expedited and that the decision be granted
in favor of the consumer. "As an alternative solution, I'm
pressing for the several proposals before the State
Legislature to severely limit the use of the fuel adjustment
clause. Additionally, I favor a bill to allow fuel adjustment
increases to be taken as a deduction on personal income tax,
and a proposal for a restructuring of the PSC to provide
elected members to replace those now appointed. In this
way, I believe the decisions will be more pro-consumer. I
support all of these proposals because I believe the time has
come to make utility companies as responsive to customers
as they historically have been to stockholders!" concluded
Senator Johnson.
Legislation co-sponsored by Senator Marino to require a
deposit-and-return system for beverage containers sold in
the state was supported by 81 percent of those returning
questionnaires while 57.7 percent favored a tax surcharge on
alcohol to pay for alcohol and drug abuse programs.
On other alcohol-related issues, 74.3 percent favored
setting back bar closings from 4 a.m. to an earlier hour as a
means of reducing early morning drunk driving incidents
and 76 percent favored raising the current legal drinking age
from 18 to 19 as a means of keeping alcohol out of high
schools.
Other courses of action favored by Marino's constituents
include a "Homestead Exemption" allowing homeowners a
25 percent discount on property taxes to blunt the impact of
full value assessment (85.1 percent in favor); revision of the
state aid to education formula to reflect regional costs
instead of the statewide average now used (72.5 percent in
favor); increasing the Job Development Authority's loan
fund for small businesses (56.3 percent in favor); and use of a
sliding scale property tax reduction for senior citizens based
on income (75.4 percent in favor). ;
Courses of action opposed by a majority of those answering
the questionnaire include Medicaid funding of abortions for
the poor (48.4 percent opposed, 47.6 percent in favor, 4
percent offering no opinion); increasing the basic welfare
grant (57.9 percent opposed); and commemorating Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s birthday (January 15) as a legal holiday
(58.1 percent opposed).
"These questionnaire results clearly indicate that crime
and the fear of victimization is every bit as real a problem in
suburban areas as it is in our cities," Senator Marino
concluded. "As chairman of the Senate Committee on Crime
and Correction, I share the view, so of ten expressed in these
completed questionnaires, that our criminal justice system
should impose meaningful and consistent penalties and will
continue to work for the laws necessary to acheive that end.
"Last session, we made significant progress in revising
penalties for alcohol-related driving offenses through enact­ment
of a series of new laws. That is just one example of an
overall and continuing effort to revise state laws with out­dated
or inconsistent penalty provisions.
"I am extremely grateful to all residents of the 5th
Senatorial District who took the time to share their views
with me by responding to my legislative questionnaire."
Lease 23 Acres
At Mitchel Field
The Nassau Board of Supervisors today approved the lease
of 23 acres at Mitchel Field for construction of three high
technology plants which will eventually generate some 900
jobs and $240,000 in annual rentals for the County, it was
announced by Presiding Supervisor Thomas S. Gulotta.
Gulotta noted that the county also would receive more than
$270,000 annually in realty taxes when the land parcels
involved are returned to the tax rolls.'
"The Board is extremely pleased to support this latest
advance in the development of commerce and industry at
Mitchel Field," Gulotta declared. "We believe the type of
industry being attracted here will be completely acceptable
to the community, ana we join in welcoming these firms to
our county."
SEE PAGE 6 FOR JIMMY'S 4th ANNUAL
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