What needs to happen for LI to weather a rocky economy

Jettison the nursing home in Suffolk County. Consolidate two North Shore police districts in Nassau County. Then stand up even more sacred cows - and methodically gore them all.

Because that's what needs to happen if Nassau and Suffolk, and municipalities across the nation, are going to make it through the economic squeeze without goring the rest of us.

The goal of both county executives is to mitigate - if not eliminate - an increase in the county portion of the property tax even though it's a small part of the overall tax bill.

The top elected officials in Nassau and Suffolk are considering these and other moves to raise quick cash. But not every proposal circulating through the region makes sense.

Nassau is considering selling off more than $100 million in guaranteed, 30-year rent revenue in return for a fraction of its value. That would help next year's budget, but not the more challenging ones to follow.

Still, the proposed fire sale is one more in a growing list of indicators that county's finances are in trouble.

Even in Suffolk, however, where the fiscal picture is better, it is not unreasonable for County Executive Steve Levy to want to rid the county budget of an expensive nursing home. It will give Suffolk a one-shot boost in revenue and multiyear savings (although I, too, have quibbles about some of Levy's projections).

It's worth noting that Nassau, back in 1997, as it was weathering an earlier fiscal storm, made the same move. The county didn't sell off its public hospital, health care clinics and nursing home, however.

Instead, the facilities were sold to a public-benefit corporation for $1. Some Suffolk legislators want that county's nursing home to go to a public benefit corporation too.

While Levy wants to get rid of the Foley Nursing Home, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano wants to consolidate two North Shore police precincts. That's not unreasonable, either, especially since the police department is losing administrative positions that it does not intend to replace.

Much has been made - mostly by Democrats - of Republican Mangano's political clumsiness because they first learned of his plans in Newsday. The criticism is no surprise, since Democrats run North Hempstead, which would lose a precinct house to Republican-run Oyster Bay.

But, politics aside, the proposal makes sense. And Mangano, instead of shrinking back, ought to push forward to some realistic compromise that would make it stick.

Reorganizing Nassau's governmental infrastructure is one way to get repeating savings. Which is what the county needs - rather than floating the idea of selling off a portion of rental income from 99-year leases at Mitchel Field, some of the most valuable real estate in the county.

Still, the counties are on the right track. In years past, politicians sat on tax increases to help tame the electorate. Because no tax increase usually equated to no trouble gaining re-election.

That's still the case. But in this recession, there's a new wrinkle. Property owners are finding it increasingly difficult to absorb new and increased taxes. Too many are holding on for dear life to remain property owners.

On Long Island, the rate of new foreclosures took a dip recently. But the number of Nassau and Suffolk residents who reached the point of actually losing their homes at the end of the foreclosure process went up.

It's getting harder and harder for many local residents to stay in the middle class, even as municipalities and other taxing entities are finding it increasingly difficult to build sturdy budgets.

Something's got to give. And that should include patronage employees unqualified to do their jobs.

Still, a nursing home and precinct house today could help save services tomorrow.