Any and all of Meredith Whitney’s recommendations would improve employment and New York state tax revenues (“State of Denial,” PostScript, June 9).
These are pro-growth recommendations that are now working in states that are growing much faster than New York, including Texas, Florida and North Dakota. None of these proven ideas will be seriously considered by New York’s politicians until it’s too late and the tax base is permanently eroded.
Steve Korn, Cortlandt Manor
Doctors opt out
Dr. Marc Seigel suggests a handful of important questions to ask your doctor, insurance agent, employer and others about the ways ObamaCare will change your life (“ObamaCare: Talk to Your Doctor Now,” PostScript, June 9).
Many physicians and surgeons are moving toward direct-pay independent practices. They have grown tired of third-party management and have opted out of Medicare, Medicaid and third-party insurance payers. You get direct attention from them, without third-party interference.
As ObamaCare sets in, we will see physicians searching for better ways to serve their patients, freed from top-down management by “Medicrats.”
So ask your doctor: “Would you consider moving to a cash-only practice?”
Dave Racer, St. Paul, Minn.
Pookie’s spotlight
I am offended that Phil Mushnick has maligned the great name of “Pooki” (“NPR’s Radio Daze,” June 9)
Although we all know how unusual it was for a lion to be hanging out in Soupy Sales’ suburban neighborhood — any lion who can pop up at the kitchen window can also speak — Pooki or “Pookie” was Soupy’s longtime puppet sidekick, from the wilds of Detroit to the boulevards of LA and, of course, the Broadway byways of our collective youths.
James H. Burns, Valley Stream
Taken for a ride
After her appointment in 2010, City College President Lisa Coico lived in Manhattan for approximately 10 months before moving to Westchester where she has resided for 2 1/2 years (“CUNY and SUNY Bigs Get Chauffeurs as Tuition Soars,” June 9).
Dr. Coico is obliged to meet with public officials, alumni and community groups, and to attend fund-raising events with potential donors on behalf of the college. These events frequently occur outside the office at the start of a workday or on evenings or weekends.
Tuition at CUNY is not “soaring,” but among the nation’s lowest and most affordable. Nearly six out of 10 full-time undergraduates attend CUNY tuition free, thanks to federal and state financial aid, scholarships and CUNY-funded assistance. Small annual tuition increases allow students to manage costs and graduate with little or no debt.
Michael Arena, University Director for Communications, CUNY, Manhattan
School stance
Anthony Weiner proved why he stands out in this year’s Democratic mayoral primary field (“Weiner’s Class Act,” Editorial, June 10).
He is the only candidate more concerned about what is best for the citizens of the city, while all the others put the concerns of the United Federation of Teachers and the municipal unions — two entrenched special interests out to bankrupt the city — at the forefront of their political agenda.
Perry Newman, Manhattan