Government By Diversion In Nassau County
Infrastructure crumbling. "Main Street" desolate. Our young workforce and college grads fleeing. Budget deficits looming. Brownfields getting browner. Open space and parkland growing smaller.
So what is it that Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and his GOP cohorts in the Nassau County Legislature concern themselves with?
The great issues of the day: Long Island as the 51st State, and dropping the required calorie count at Nassau's fast food restaurants.
Is it us, or are they simply trying to keep our already deficient focus away from the real issues that plague America's oldest suburb?
The 51st State? Been there. Discussed that. Deep-sixed the idea long ago as not viable. [The key element in the argument -- money, and keeping more of it on LI -- falls by the wayside when one examines, historically, what happens to the tax dollars that never actually leave the region, ala school districts and special districts. Bang for our buck? Yeah, right. Lower taxes because these districts are home grown? Nah. We waste it close to home nearly as proficiently as they do in Albany.]
And weren't these folks the proponents of less goverment, not more? Add to our woes as 51st State a new, dysfunctional legislature, and a governor (Peter King, perhaps?) of our very own. [Alert the border patrol!]
But enough of sovereignty for Nassau and Suffolk. It's the calorie count, stupid!
No need for the calories in our Big Macs to be displayed at the local MacDonald's. In fact, since we have absolutely nothing better to do, let's repeal the existing County law, as it may conflict with coming Federal legislation. Repeal the law? Really?
Even Peter Schmitt, who, by all accounts, should start counting those calories, must know that the Federal law would pre-empt, or supercede, local law, obviating the need for repeal. And, in the interim, would keeping a keen eye on calories, if not waistlines, be such a bad idea?
But nooooooooooooo. From the sublime to the ridiculous to the completely outrageous -- the Shinnecock Indian tribe running a casino at the Coliseum -- Nassau's three-ring circus (Mondello-Managno-Murray) rivals Ringling Brothers for the greatest sideshow on earth, where, through the politics of delusion, deceiving is believing.
Step right up, ladies, gentlemen, and, were there any left on Long Island, children of all ages...
You're right. In both Nassau and Town of Hempstead you see a consistent failure to take on the tough problems. In Mangano's case, I have a theory that the day he won the election the most suprised person in Nassau County was actually, well, Ed Mangano. As a result, you do get a sense of someone who's doing things on pretty much of an ad hoc basis, and lacking any kind of integrated policy plan. Don't know where it all goes, but needless to say, I'm still waiting for that "tax revolt" I thought we were supposed to be getting.
ReplyDeleteAs for Peter King as governor, all I can say is God help us if that ever happened.