Letter: Nassau needs fiscal solutions
Christopher Wright, right, addresses a meeting of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) while Chairman Ronald Stack, center, listens during a meeting in Uniondale. (March 22, 2012) Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
More good news for Nassau County's taxpayers: The Nassau Interim Finance Authority just declared that Nassau has a "continuing fiscal crisis" [NIFA extends wage freeze," News, March 23].
Over the past three administrations, both Democratic and Republican, the county has gone from one crisis to the next. Every time another fiscal crisis emerges, the chief executive puts together some chewing gum and bailing wire plan to get out of the immediate crisis. And he hopes and prays that he will not have to go through another -- at least not until after the next election.
The typical response over the past 15 or so years to "balance" the budget has been to sell or attempt to sell some county asset. The latest idea is for the county to make a deal with a private investor and a private operator for its sewer system.
Our sewers are an essential service for residents in a densely populated suburb. The system investor would no doubt want a return commensurate with similar investments -- a return that we as captive users of the system will have to ensure they will earn.
This willy-nilly approach to get costs in line is totally unacceptable. A formal, comprehensive plan needs to be established and implemented. A good start would be for County Executive Edward Mangano and the legislature to look at the suggestions made in the review by Grant Thornton, at the request of NIFA.
Barry S. Del Mastro, Elmont
