Senate changes take power from people

The recent legislative amendments to impose a stringent 60-day time frame for the collection of citizens' signatures to initiate a vote to consolidate special taxing districts would have a disempowering effect on local residents ["Bill would gum up consolidation law," Editorial, May 12].

The State Senate's passage of this legislation works to undo the initial intent of former Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's New NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act. The legislature's attempt to shrink the timeline for the collection of 10 percent of town residents' signatures would not put power in the hands of the people; it would do just the opposite.

The real problem here is that it is not solely up to residents to make the changes necessary; we need government to step up and do the right thing as well. This means that lawmakers must realize that Nassau County residents pay property taxes that are more than 75 percent higher than the national average.

Why would legislators choose to undo a law that was put in place to protect residents from high taxes, a law that gives us the opportunity to save money at a time when we so desperately need a break here on Long Island?

Serena Liguori, Massapequa

Editor's note: The writer is the Government Efficiency Project coordinator for the Long Island Progressive Coalition, a community organization.