I taken aback when I read last week’s letter supporting Councilwoman Anna Kaplan’s reelection. She is exactly what’s wrong with North Hempstead and why people are fleeing Long Island. The authors pointed out she spearheaded the new “senior housing” that “Manhasset desperately needs.” She voted to replace greenspace with high density housing, which the area homeowners overwhelmingly oppose (no surprise). What the authors didn’t mention is that this is yet another Section 8 housing project. Because North Hempstead government has been packing these into a minority pocket, HUD has given clearance for a formal complaint. The letter also lauded her work in the “renovation” of Whitney Pond Park. Apparently Kaplan is destroying the park in order to save it: the town paid a fortune for a new pool liner while filling in the diving pool with concrete, infuriating the neighborhood. The broken dock sits half in the water hidden by overgrowth, near busted benches. The pond, once beautiful when the county ran it, has filled with silt and weeds under town control. It should be renamed “Kaplan Swamp.”
Where Kaplan has been effective is in increasing her own pay and our taxes. In addition to her salary increase, she also got increases for her staff (plural). She has successfully robbed Peter to pay Paul, and collected a commission along the way. When does all this “good government” translate into taxpayer savings? With leadership like hers, we can expect ever increasing taxes to pay for North Hempstead to become the 6th borough.
Manhasset doesn’t need another lavish spender; we need a public servant dedicated to preserving our suburban quality of life. I’m voting for Mary Kay Barket, and so are my neighbors.
Martin Dekom
