In the last several local elections an expressed desire for fiscal responsibility and the preservation of local governmental control has come to the forefront of voter concern. There are several so called “do-gooder” groups who plan to go into villages, fire districts, water districts, and sanitation districts, that they do not live in or support with their tax dollars, with the express purpose of eliminating these local entities regardless of what residents prefer. At the same time, state officials from New York City want to raid the surpluses these entities have so they can continue to feed their reckless spending habits.
Local officeholders, who embraced tax and spend policies without regard to the negative financial consequences to be inflicted on future generations, were voted out of office. Some that survived will be voted out next time or they will not run for office again. Officeholders who have made it easier for outsiders to eliminate villages, fire districts, water districts, and sanitation districts, have been voted out of office. But the state law that allows outsiders easy pickings on local governments is still in effect. The Long Island Progressive Coalition is gearing up for action. So the fight continues.
Right now, the larger the government, the worse fiscal shape the government is in. The federal government is simply printing money out of thin air, which cheapens the value of the dollar and substantially increases the price of food and energy. Why is the price of gasoline higher now than it was during the summer driving season? Why, when we are in a great recession of 10 percent unemployment and 18 percent underemployment, are food prices rising rapidly?
Our state government is running out of cash. So state officials from New York City plan to take over our local governments and special districts and raid our surplus funds to balance state book. Make no mistake about it, that’s what state officials from New York City want to do to us. They have already robbed our school aid, road repair aid, and general local government aid. How much more do we want them to take?
Over a century ago, Teddy Roosevelt led the charge of session from Tammany Hall of Flushing Queens to create the County of Nassau. Now the new Tammany Hall of New York City is trying to dismantle Nassau County one tax dollar at a time. I trust the “Teddy Boy” and “Rough Rider” in us all will not allow this fiscal theft to continue or let progressives take away our local governmental control.
Edward W. Powers
New Hyde Park
