‘The Anti-Wall Street Journal?’

In The New York Sun’s criticism of the Wall Street Journal for a downbeat perspective on the president’s plan to allow young workers to invest part of their Social Security money in personal investment accounts, you say the relevant comparison is not between rates of return on 401(k) plans and professionally managed pension plans, but between the returns on 401(k) plans – 6.35%,and a projected rate of return for young workers under the current system – 1% or 2% [“The Anti-Wall Street Journal?” Editorial, December 2, 2004].

This might be correct if one were advising participants on investment returns. Social Security is funded through a combination of investments and taxation, but it is not a financial instrument like stocks or bonds in which people can freely choose to participate.

It is a social insurance program created to provide an economic floor for those years of a person’s life when earnings would ordinarily be lowest. Any investments which support such a fund must be the most safe and conservative, and therefore, under the laws of the market, should be expected to provide a low rate of return. A low rate that is safe and assured is better than a high rate that is speculative and unsafe.

To look at Social Security as a personal investment fund is to misunderstand the nature and purpose of the program. It is a collective enterprise for the public good. The Republican Party has fought against Social Security since its inception, and now sees an opportunity to privatize and destroy it.

ALEXANDER GOLDSTEIN
Brooklyn

‘Fix the Death Penalty’

Kudos to Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan Jr. for his tough stance on the death penalty in New York. [“Fix the Death Penalty,” Opinion, December 6, 2004]. It is refreshing to see a Republican district attorney in New York City, especially one who is unafraid to seek the death penalty where appropriate.

Mr. Donovan’s decision to “hand over” the case of Ronell Wilson, who murdered two NYPD detectives, was truly appropriate considering the heinous nature of Wilson’s crimes. If a career criminal who assassinated two detectives does not deserve the death penalty, who does?

I can only hope that when the elders of the moribund New York State GOP look for future statewide candidates for attorney general or governor, they cast an eye to the southernmost county in the state. There they will find a dedicated public servant with a conservative philosophy that is all too rare in this city.

ROBERT A. MORETTI
Staten Island

‘Gifted Students Under Fire’

Andrew Wolf criticizes the schools and recommends giving “academically advanced children” the services they need [“Gifted Students Under Fire,” Opinion, November 30, 2004]. But he is still just not getting it.

He writes about the “good old days” during the 1960s when there were classes for “gifted” students. Back then, those children might have been reading “Swann’s Way,” working on projects in theoretical physics, learning calculus, or discussing the poetry of Sylvia Plath.

Over the years, I saw the label “bright” deteriorate to include children who were reading only slightly above grade level. In any event, what purpose would it serve to group classes homogeneously when teacher-directed lessons for whole class instruction are no longer allowed? The teacher’s role has been diminished to facilitator and students sit in heterogeneous groups when they are discussing strategies and sharing solutions to mathematical word problems.

During the reading block, children are given a baggie that contains leveled books that have been selected especially for them. One student can read “Bridge to Terabithia” while a child next to him reads “Flat Stanley.”

There is no competition or peer pressure to perform at the top of the class. Students are monitored with frequent assessments and individual portfolios are kept to promote improvement. If there is a Ken Jennings in a school, he will excel in any class designation. I can assure you he did not acquire his knowledge from only school.

The times have changed. The teacher is no longer the single inspiration for education. There are many mediums for learning. Students can watch “The History Channel” and go online to yahooligans.com where a search engine will provide hits for any topic of interest. Bookstores are filled with materials that have activities for enrichment. Only in a traditional school environment does homogeneous grouping even make any sense. So what’s the big deal if classes are now grouped heterogeneously? It doesn’t really matter.

MARJORIE J. LEVINE
Manhattan

Bloomberg and the U.N.

Where is Sheldon Silver on the current debate for extending “benefits” to the United Nations in its desire to expand its New York City facilities [“Mayor Runs Into Obstacles,” Meghan Clyne, Page One, December 6, 2004]? Thus far, I have not read any press release from his office or press conference held by the Assembly speaker on this most critical issue facing the taxpayers of New York City who continue to subsidize those who blatantly disregard parking regulations and refuse to pay their way here in New York City.

BERNARD WEILL
Brooklyn

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