Ditching dates on food hurts buyers

Removing sell-by dates from groceries will not benefit consumers, who will lose yet another tool for getting the most for their money ["Bill would drop ‘sell-by,' " News, June 5]. It will not lead to less food waste. It will simply transfer the food and monetary losses from sellers and producers to consumers.

Retailers will be free to sell goods that are past their prime and manufacturers will not have to take back outdated goods. Consumers, who will have no way of knowing which goods are freshest, will end up wasting food and money when they find the items to be subpar and have to throw them out at home.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that removing sell-by dates is good for consumers.

Heidi Reichel, Huntington

Save tax breaks for smaller firms

We are glad to see another national brand arrive on Long Island ["Bass Pro Shops planning LI store," LI Business, May 30]. Bass Pro Shops is a great addition. But making tax breaks a condition to build the store is getting tiring.

Multimillion-dollar corporations do not need tax breaks to be profitable. Since Bass Pro Shops are a destination and will generate additional tax revenue for Nassau County, doesn't it follow that the store will make profits for the corporation?

Save the tax breaks for small startups, companies that really need the tax breaks, and don't increase taxes for homeowners in 2027. I am tired of big corporations crying poverty while homeowners are squeezed tighter every year.

Michelle Urso, West Babylon

State auto reforms need enforcement

The State Legislature's auto insurance reforms raise more questions than they answered ["Reforms aim to drive down insurance costs," LI Business, June 7].

Touting the reforms as being without any additional state spending indicates there still won't be any increase in enforcement. This is a miss. Enforcement of road and traffic regulations has already been lacking, and it is a factor in many of the unstaged accidents that happen, contributing to the higher insurance rates that Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to rein in.

Staged accidents are a significant driver of fraud. How many of those fraudsters are actually caught and prosecuted? Probably a low percentage. Strengthening penalties against fraudsters isn't enough, when many aren't caught.

These reforms should have required insurance companies to offer discounts for having a dashcam in a vehicle. They would provide a lot of firsthand accident information, including cause. Most insurance companies don't offer those discounts.

Other "reforms" are questionable. I don't see how requiring a jury to determine who caused a crash will cut down on legal expenses. Let's fix this.

Denis O'Driscoll, Westbury

Send expert workers to tough CPS cases

I agree with Jeffrey L. Reynolds' statement that many Child Protective Services caseworkers "are new to the field" [“Can we prevent another child tragedy?," Opinion, June 5]. There may lie the issue.

Who wouldn't be intimidated by a parent or legal guardian who may be bullying them? After all, they bully their kids, so they're probably going to bully anyone questioning their parenting.

As a state-licensed clinical social worker, I've been thinking about this since the Thomas Valva case. Why not save the extreme cases for more experienced professionals such as retired cops along with more seasoned social workers to approach these intimidating parents?

Kathleen Malsky, Manorville

School board races require open facts

I am concerned about the difficulty voters face in making informed choices about candidates in school board elections ["LI school board winners," Our Towns, May 20]. It is hard to find significant information about the candidates.

While parent-teacher association websites may provide links to biographies, they often highlight only professional accomplishments and community involvement without offering meaningful insight into their positions on issues.

School boards strongly influence curriculum, budgeting, staffing, student services, unrestricted access to educational resources, use of AI, and the direction of our schools, all of which have a lasting impact.

School districts should require candidates to communicate their priorities and vision. Besides linking this information on the district homepage, question-and-answer forums should be held to allow candidates to introduce themselves. This familiarization is important even when candidates run unopposed.

Campaign materials need to be easily available through multiple access points. Transparency benefits everyone and ensures that voters make knowledgeable decisions about the future of our schools and community.

Robin Rizzo, Hewlett