Opinion

Costly kiddo


I remember being sent similar figures by a friend when my daughter was born (“Cost of Having a Kid Tops 240G,” Aug. 15).

She celebrated her third birthday this week, and by my estimate, it will cost my wife and I at least $350,000, not including college or private school.

For the first three years of day care, we’ve already spent $64,000. Add to that this year at $18,000 and next year at $16,000 and for day care alone we will have spent $98,000. Where can I sign up for the $240,000 plan?

Lee Presser, Manhattan

Pot platform

I applaud Comptroller John Liu’s statement that New York City’s misguided war on marijuana has failed (“Liu: Gra$$ Is Greener for Apple,” Aug. 15).

Its enforcement has damaged far too many lives, especially in minority communities.

Liu is correct that regulating marijuana would keep thousands of New Yorkers out of the criminal-justice system, offer relief to those suffering from a wide range of painful medical conditions and make our streets safer by sapping the dangerous underground market that targets our children.

Marijuana-reform legislation is long overdue in New York state. It’s time for Dean Skelos to exercise some leadership in the state Senate and pass such legislation already approved by the Assembly. The obstinacy of the Senate leadership on this issue is a disgrace.

Robert Eisenstadt, Manhattan

Fund-raising tip

My grandchildren would come in every school year with magazine subscriptions to sell (“The Trouble With Kids Fund-Raising,” Naomi Schaefer Riley, PostOpinion, Aug. 12).

I suggest people do what I do: I don’t need another magazine, so I take a subscription from each and, instead of having the magazine come to me, I have it sent to the VA Hospital library, which could always use another one, even duplicates.

That way, the $10 or $15 each grandchild gets goes to a very worthy cause and I don’t get overloaded with magazines.

George Covel, Shushan, NY

Lefty movies

Gov. Cuomo’s spending half a billion dollars on the film industry is not to create new jobs — it is to influence the film industry to produce products favorable to liberal Democrats (“Box Office Loser,” Editorial, Aug. 11).

Democrats understand the impact of pro-liberal films on voters. Likewise, the Democratic push for more aid for education has nothing to do with our kids. It is to allow larger salary increases for teachers and influence them to support the liberal agenda.

Democrats understand the impact of teachers, the media, community organizers and environmentalists on public opinion, and they keep funneling them as much money as possible to buy their allegiance.

Peter Hess, Albany

Judge and jury

Kathryn Freed is just another example of a busybody activist judge who is convinced that a law degree and judge’s robe make her an expert on everything (“Judges Run Amok,” Editorial, Aug. 15).

There are far too many of these people sitting on the bench who feel they should not only interpret the law, but in some cases legislate and enforce it as well. Thankfully, there is an appeals process that is able to negate the work of these jurists before too much damage is done.

Peter Kelly, Hazlet, NJ