(Long Island, NY) Did you hear about the study released by the Long Island Index that shows Long Islanders paying 50 percent more property taxes while getting far less satisfaction for the money?
I had to laugh when I read the stats, which include a figure as low as 36 percent in the “I find it easy to get help from my elected bozo” department. 36 percent? There must be an error in there somewhere, that figure is far too high to be realistic.
According to published reports, Long Island has 439 “units of local government”. Chances are Long Islanders are pissed at every single one of them for one reason or another. From the Southampton police sex bribe scandal to the misappropriation of fire department funds, the level of graft is ridiculous. Long Island should just give up already,tear down all the LI signage and change the name to “Chicago Junior”. At least visitors will understand what they’re in for.
One way to cut down on the wastefulness of Long Island government is to consolidate and combine redundant departments, offices, and districts, but precious few people are willing to risk cutting their political throats in the interest of ending the excess. I’d love to be proven wrong on this one. Go ahead. Shout me down.
There are some sane voices who want to do these things, but unfortunately, getting there is going to take more money. Surprise, surprise. One suggestion for a $750,000 study on reducing the layers of government on Long Island sounds suspiciously like more graft. It might actually be the one decent thing to do, but when your property taxes are 50 percent higher than in areas such as Northern Virginia counties, the idea of paying for more anything is about as attractive as giving a Selden fire commissioner a blank check.
Of course, some snarky Long Islanders will say, “If Nothern Virginia is such a taxpayer’s paradise, why don’t you just shut up and move there already?”
You know something? It’s a thought. But I can’t afford to move just now. You see, my taxes are due.
