Is Waterboarding Torture?

Only When The Water Board Consists Of Special District Commissioners

Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 11, is election day (yes, yet another election day here on Long Island) in most of the water and fire districts.

Polling places and times vary from district to district.

Call your local water district (check your water bill for the phone number) and fire department for election times and locations.

Even if a water or fire district commissioner is running unopposed, YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT! [Yes, you do have the right to write in your own name, or that of anyone otherwise eligible for the post.]

A strong showing at the polls lets the commissioners know that you are watching, and tells our elected officials that we are concerned about how -- and in some cases, why -- these special taxing districts are being operated.

Remember, torture by water board (among others) will continue, until you show that you care!
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Newsday Editorial:

Special districts vote
Let them know you are watching

Yes, Virginia, there are elections in December. But don't expect any presents. 'Tis the season when taxpayers are reminded that it is better to give - and keep on giving - to the expensive-to-operate and often unnecessary special districts. But passing up a visit to the ballot box because of the holiday rush would send the wrong message.

Tomorrow there are 64 special elections in Nassau County for those hidden municipal governments that deliver fire, water, park, pollution control and sanitary services. In Suffolk, there are about 90 special elections, mostly fire district contests, along with a handful involving ambulance and water districts. Combined, these districts have budgets of several hundred million dollars, but the turnout is usually so pitiful that only a handful of voters select the people who will spend their money. Chunks of it are spent on duplicate administrative costs and designer benefits packages for usually well-connected officers and employees. A few audits in Nassau have shown mismanagement and other reports conclude that the same services could be provided at lower cost through consolidation.

Voting is one way of letting these districts know that someone is watching to see who is naughty or nice.

Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc.