The following appeared in Thursday’s Daily News
Jews and Muslims will have a tougher time burying the dead before sundown because a slash in state funds will delay issuing death certificates, the city's chief medical examiner warned Wednesday.
The coroner's office is facing a 27% cut in state aid, leading the agency to propose 300 layoffs, about half the staff.
The result will be a slowdown in releasing bodies and issuing death certificates – and "respecting the religious beliefs of the dead," said Chief Charles Hirsh during a City Council hearing.
Jews and Muslims must be buried before sundown within a day of their death, according to their faiths.
Pardon me for being blunt but why should those of us who do not believe in ancient superstitions about the dead by forced to subsidize a convenience for those who do, especially when the economy is causing real hardships for people?
Why doesn’t the City propose that those who really care about the exact time a body is buried be allowed to pay an expediting fee so that the death certificate for their loved one is issued quickly enough to satisfy their needs?
By the way, the News is not even accurate regarding the superstitions. According to Jewish law, it is preferable, not required that the dead by buried within three days and there are even times (the Sabbath and holidays) when burial must be delayed.