Is it a mandate?

[Justwanttowatch]

Would less than 400 votes constitute a mandate for change? If there is radical change in the county government half the voters will feel disenfranchised. Could be a problem in two years?

I saw Newt Ginrich on Sunday talk shows; he said the Republican Party was going to be the party of alternatives, not opposition. I really think that would be the way to go, do you agree?

[Unregistered Guest]

The Budget is broke and it only gets worse! How can it be fixed without MAJOR CHANGES? Everything must be examined and cut! Services must be cut! The Budget must reflect the reality of today economy.

Nassau County loses $100,000,000 plus interest on ASSESSMENT. Over $1 Billion has been borrowed to pay for Tax Grievences. Over $100,000,000 was wasted 6 years ago to Re-Assess the entire County. Bring in out of state Property Assessors did not fix the problem.

Cutting a $100 million dollars from the County Budget could be the start of Property Tax Relief.

[Unregisteredknklnlk]

The Budget is broke and it only gets worse! How can it be fixed without MAJOR CHANGES? Everything must be examined and cut! Services must be cut! The Budget must reflect the reality of today economy.

Nassau County loses $100,000,000 plus interest on ASSESSMENT. Over $1 Billion has been borrowed to pay for Tax Grievences. Over $100,000,000 was wasted 6 years ago to Re-Assess the entire County. Bring in out of state Property Assessors did not fix the problem.

Cutting a $100 million dollars from the County Budget could be the start of Property Tax Relief.

But it should not stop there. Move on the special districts, the school districts. This is a total reform of the tax structure as we know it. County, Local and schools. Then there is real reform!

[Unregistered cruse]

But it should not stop there. Move on the special districts, the school districts. This is a total reform of the tax structure as we know it. County, Local and schools. Then there is real reform!

Sorry, But wishful thinking, Nassau County has no say or control when it comes to special district taxes or school taxes.

[School Districts]

If we don't seriously do something about the school districts, then all we are doing is pissing in the wind. I support quality education and I support teacher salaries. Neither of these need to suffer. But the boondogle has GOT to come to an end! We need a minimum 5% REDUCTION in school taxes. We the citizens who are paying are the ones who should be running the system and not self-interests. The following must be implemented:

* Outside audit of school districts by private entities and firms earn a portion of the monies saved.
* Transparency and freedom for scrutiny of financials by tax paying citizens in the district.
* CUT administrators to a bare minimum and cap salaries.
* Taxpaying citizens have right to remove an administrator by majority vote.
* Reduce number of assistant principles to levels existing 30 years ago.
* District employees contribute a portion of pay to benefits in line with the rest of us.
* Leave districts separate, but consolidate legal services and purchasing through the county in a centralized manner.

Yes... we need accountability. THEY work for US. This is way overdue. We must assert ourselves or we will continue to be ripped off. Any other ideas please add to the list.

[Unregistered Guest]

If we don't seriously do something about the school districts, then all we are doing is pissing in the wind. I support quality education and I support teacher salaries. Neither of these need to suffer. But the boondogle has GOT to come to an end! We need a minimum 5% REDUCTION in school taxes. We the citizens who are paying are the ones who should be running the system and not self-interests. The following must be implemented:

* Outside audit of school districts by private entities and firms earn a portion of the monies saved.
* Transparency and freedom for scrutiny of financials by tax paying citizens in the district.
* CUT administrators to a bare minimum and cap salaries.
* Taxpaying citizens have right to remove an administrator by majority vote.
* Reduce number of assistant principles to levels existing 30 years ago.
* District employees contribute a portion of pay to benefits in line with the rest of us.
* Leave districts separate, but consolidate legal services and purchasing through the county in a centralized manner.

Yes... we need accountability. THEY work for US. This is way overdue. We must assert ourselves or we will continue to be ripped off. Any other ideas please add to the list.

You run for School Board, NYS Assembly, or Senate. The County has enough problems for the County Executive to work on. If Souzzi focused more on County Government instead of State and Specials Districts.

Nassau County has over $1,000,000,000 debt.
Assessment Office costs $25,000,000 a year and another $100,000,000 in Tax Rebates.

These are important issues to work on for the County Executive. Nassau County has no control over Towns, Cities, Villages, School Districts, and most Special Districts. They have Elected Representatives. You should run or start petition drives to consolidate these districts.

[Unreg School Districts 2]

We need to have those who register for public schools bring their tax bill. If you don't pay taxes, then you can't register your children for free. And, no voting for school budgets without a tax bill.

[Professor Von Drake]

School Districts require massive state legislation to be changed in structure.

Fire Departments require massive state legislation to be changed in structure.

Assessment requires massive overhaul of the State Equalization Rate regulations to be changed in structure.

Remember, assessment IS NOT YOUR TAX BILL!!!! Look at it this way, the Towns, Villages, County and all other taxing entities are like one giant 'baker'. The bake a pie called Tax Levy. Basically, they determine the size of the pie.

Assessment is the process by which the pie is cut, determing the size of your slice. If the pie were made smaller, the size of your slice, proportionally, would remain the same, however the cost of that slice would be less.

For example, the TOH has a 17+ million tax levy in 2009. 12+ million of that was the responsibility of Class I property, or single family homes. If you want your slice of the pie to be less, then you have to make sure the tax levy is less.

There are other ways to make assessment fairer, but unfortunately, they are just too simple for government to grasp and understand.

[Siskell and Ebert]

We need to have those who register for public schools bring their tax bill. If you don't pay taxes, then you can't register your children for free. And, no voting for school budgets without a tax bill.

How stupid is this recommendation?

What about people who rent houses or apartments? While they are indirectly paying the properties taxes through rent, they certainly don't have a tax bill receipt to show for it.

Voting contingent upon showing a tax bill would be an unconstitutional act and would most likely several Federal and State statutes. It would the same as a poll tax. Besides, there are only for tax bills a year - 2 from the Town for municipal taxes and 2 from the Town for school taxes. What would you do with all the voters who forget their tax receipts on election day?

[Mr. Ed]

A candidate unknown beyond his own legislatve district, with a few hundred thousand dollars and only one line on the ballot, defeats an incumbent with a household name, newsday and cablevision on his team, a few million dollars and three lines. Look at the results in the towns and among the secure legislative districts, because this was not an anti-incumbent vote either. It was as clear a mandate as the GOP could have hoped for.

[YouKnowWho in VS]

I thought a MANdate was a good time on a friday night in the village?

[Roger-n-Kenny]

I thought a MANdate was a good time on a friday night in the village?
Hmmm... maybe that was the kind of MANdate that had Bogsted all fired up at a recent cons meeting?

[Levittowner Rep]

If I thought I could get into kenny's pants, I'd switch from rep to con.