In regards to the letter that appeared in the July 4 edition titled: "Equal Transportation for All Levittown Students" and written by Susan Handel, I am just forced to write a response.

First off, I do not deny for a moment that there are people out there who look to do harm to young children. And I do not doubt Ms. Handel's concern for her child, but it does not do her cause any good to go on and use hearsay to rile her readers' passions about this problem. I can try to understand your plight, but as someone who has not had children I am getting a little tired of picking up the tab for others who think nothing of adding more money to an already bloated school budget. If all the helicopter parents out there are that concerned about the safety of their children, maybe they should make arrangements in their busy lives to car pool their children to school just like it was done years ago and stop looking for others to foot the bill. Now, if we are talking about safety issues, why aren't there any parents up in arms about the fact that seatbelts are not required in school buses? What's next? Armed escorts?

Ms. Handel, the more services you demand out of the school district comes from homeowners, the more you tax them, the more they will leave, only to be replaced by whom?, renters? This is a vicious cycle that starts from well-meaning parents who want more and more, which doesn't necessarily mean better and better. The taxes go up so both parents are required to work leaving no one at home to bring little Johnny to school.

There is a host of problems that never get addressed by people like Ms. Handel.

- I don't see many parents protesting the fact that there is a sizeable number of children attending the Levittown Public School system who reside in outside school districts.

- I would like to know why I must pay taxes for children to go to summer school. It would seem to me to be a great incentive for the parents to get more involved with their children's schoolwork during the school year if they were required to pay for summer school.

- I would like to know why a once-closed school, Summit Lane, was reopened for problem children (some of whom are over 18). Seems to me that was the reason that GEDs were started.

- I would like to know why concerned parents aren't troubled by the fact that on any given night, their children can be found congregating around the various greens drinking, using drugs and having sex.

The solutions must be, let's throw more money around.

It never ceases to amaze me; use the catch-phrase, "for the children" and everyone is expected to jump hoops. From the past ideas of having a "much-needed" indoor swimming pool facility to a lighted "field of dreams," the many methods of spending someone else's money just keep flowing. How about this for a novel idea, you choose to have children, you foot the bill.

And, for those who think I don't like children, for years I coached, without salary, the Long Beach High School hockey team. I love kids, it's their parents with their screwed-up priorities I have no patience for.

Paul Newman