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Letter: Revoke pensions of public servants

The State Capitol Building of New York is

The State Capitol Building of New York is shown in Albany on April 17, 2013. The parliamentary building was built between 1867 and 1899. Credit: AP / Arno Burgi

After reading "Guilt doesn't end pensions" [News, Aug. 6], about payments to felons, including former politicians, I want to include other publicly paid felons in this category.

The former superintendent of schools from Roslyn collects his pension despite having been convicted of grand larceny.

As a retired teacher and a veteran of the armed forces, I find this a gross theft of public funds by people who have violated the public trust and are now, despite incarceration, collecting monies that they are not entitled to under any commonsense interpretation of right and wrong.

When I was in the service, if you were convicted in a military court of an offense that called for a dishonorable discharge, then you lost your rank, benefits and any pension you would have been entitled to after retirement. This should be the case for any public servant. Do the time in prison and take the consequences -- not do the time and get paid for it!

Nicholas Dallis, Smithtown

