PAGE 6 FARMINGDALE OBSERVER DECEMBER 12, 1968
EDITORIAL
The Junior Senator from New York, Charles E. Good-ell,
whom Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller appointed to
fill the unexpired term of the Jate Senator Robert Kennedy,
not only is carrying out " the ideals and aims of
Kennedy as he had even before him while he served
in Congress . . . but he firmly believes in the free
enterprise system . . . in fiscal integrity . . . in
remission of taxes to business . . . to private capital
in solving problems of housing of getting people off
welfare roles. This young dynamic and compassionate
young Senator, a Jimmy Stewart Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington type will add much to the Nixon administration.
Although some Republicans say he is not a ' team
man'. This may be true he often voted cosponsored bills
with Democratic Congressmen. His Congressional record
was excellent for the type of legislation he introduced
and supported. This young man has always been whole
heartedly on the side of humanity, and also for
fiscal integrity. Goodell is great and Rockefeller showed
great insight and wisdom in selecting this upstate New
Yorker whom most of us on Long Island did not know.
He is carrying on the ideal of the late Senator Kennedy
in civil rights; on war against hunger; on equal
employment opportunity; on human renewal priorities;
on civil disorders . . . on community service officer
corps . . . on election reform . . . on manpower
training . . . on equal pay for women . . . on
foreign aid . . . on independence . . . on community
action . . . and to think before this hardly anyone
on Long Island even knew his last name and certainly
not his first—( it's Charlie), and believe me we all have
a friend in Washington in the Junior Senator of New
York. A Liberal Republican for whom we should all
be proud. And You Conservative Republicans can be, too— c
this boy really believes in the free enterprise system and fiscal
integrity.
Fiscal Responsibility and the Sales Tax.
We are whole heartedly in favor of the Sales Tax
for Nassau County. There was no choice. It had to be.
One can not advocate more service as we do and then
shrug off fiscal responsibility. It is necessary to pay
for what we receive. Here we are in one of the
wealthiest areas in the United States in the Town of
Oyster Bay in Nassau County. We need cultural centers
in Nassau County we need art; reference library; an
historical museum and ; we need music; we need
better highways, the transportation needs are great on
the Long Island Railroad and the Long Island Expressway
is a joke— we all know that is the
largest parking area in the world as we go bumper to
bumper to Manhattan ( and there should be a way to
by- pass Manhattan Island and go through Staten Island
via Verazzano Bridge to Connecticut to New England and
out to Montauk Point.)
We have always stood four square for a broader tax
base. It is a rise in real property owners taxes about
which we are concerned. Real estate is not a measure
of one's ability to pay. A. Terry Weathers, our distinguished
Trustee of the Farmingdale Board of education
who has a New York State and national reputation
for understanding equitable financing of quality public
school education has taught us much. It is far more
important to put the tax burden on those who have the
ability to pay. Take the example of an elderly couple
who have paid off their home and educated their children.
Their income is limited, but their property might
be spacious. This elderly couple should not be penalized
now by having the tax load all based on the amount
of the assessed valuation of the home they live in and
the grounds around the home. They should not be forced
into moving into an apartment house away from the
treasured memories of their life together and the raising
of their children. The tax burden should not be put on
property owners. It should be on those who can spend
money on new cars, on department stores. These people
are going to buy regardless. A sales tax will not
s'. ilTle our business economy on Long Island. These same
people like to shop in Manhattan. There is a sales
tax there, too.
Bravo for Nassau County Executive Eugene Nickerson
and lor the Board of Supervisors for taking the courageous
route and levying a sales tax. Bravo for our Senators
and Congressmen and our President Elect Richard Nixon
for believing in the free enterprise system. There
is more hope on its way for business and industry—
I listened closely to Senator Goodell at the Executive
Breakfast at the Villa Victor before the Long Island
Association. This young man may believe in welfare . . .
in housing for the underprivileged, but he has plans to
help business and industry who assume the burden with
Lix relief. He firmly believes in the free enterprise
system as do we: *
To think that as former Assemblyman Edwin J. Fehr-enbach
was castigated for his stand for fiscal integrity
on the Sales Tax. He had the vision, he had the
understanding. He was on the right road now his stand
p completely vindicated. We have to realize that if we
do want services and we do— we must pay for them. Put
the taxpayer on a broad tax base— put it on the basis of
the ability to pay and we all will be prosperous and
give to those in need just when we should never turn
our backs.
ALBANY OPEN LINE
By Alex Rankin
Things do not look good
for state taxpayers next
year.
Despite all the campaign
promises, the state faces the
very real possibility of a $ 7
billion state budget.
There was a lot of hollering
last February when
Governor Rockefeller showed
everyone a $ 5.5 billion budget
with a record- breaking increase
of $ 800 million over
the previous year.
To get a $ 7 billion budget
next year spending would
have to be increased $ 1.5
billion— almost double this
year's increase.
Conclusion?
Someone is going to have
to pay a lot of taxes this
year.
Guess who.
This picture unfolded recently
after Governor Rockefeller
announced the results
of a month of closed- door
hearings between his budget
staff and all departments
of state governments.
The governor said his department
heads were asking
for a total of $ 1.5 billion
more than they got this
year.
Now normally one can
take a statement like that
with a grain of salt. Between
now and January 15, when
Rockefeller must present
his budget to the legislature,
it could be expected
that the governor would cut
some of the fat out.
But a sentence buried in
Rockefeller's press release
went largely unnoticed.
" Governor Rockefeller
stressed that the departmental
budget requests only
apply to current programs
under existing law," said
the press release.
That means that in order
to cut back, someone is
going to have to do the
unthinkable— unmandate a
mandate.
Of the total increase, $ 972
million is for state aid to
local governments and
schools, $ 500 million for
state operations and $ 83
million for capital construction.
Getting a little closer to
the fat, $ 736 million of the
total comes from the state
education department. And
of that, $ 500 million is in
state aid to schools, most
of it because of enrollment
increases.
Everyone agrees that the
legislature will be under
its strongest pressure from
those who want to raise the
state aid to education above
the current $ 760 per pupil.
" fiiis year the big push for
an increase was from the
Long Island and lower Hudson
Valley counties. They
are expected to push even
harder next year.
Rockefeller " stressed" in
his statement that the $ 1.5
billion figure did not include
any increases in state
aid to education.
It also did not include salaries
and fringe benefits for
state employees because
they have yet to. be negotiated.
While the legislature is
busy writing a stricter Taylor
Law next year, it also
might take a look at salary
negotiations.
This year some Legislators
were upset because
they were made into rubber
stamps — the governor negotiates
with employees and
signs a contract and the
legislature can do nothing
but pay the bill.
Letters
TO THE
EDITOR
Dear Editor:
Will you, please, help us
find our daughter? My
wife, Ruth, and I are directing
this plea to you and
to the ten thousand other
newspapers in the cities,
towns, and hamlets of this
country.
Seemingly, Liz has disappeared
like a breath of air
on a winter's day.
But, surely there is a
simple explanation. Was
she abducted? Did she run
away from home? Is she
dead? Or is she alive and,
perhaps, in your town?
You can help us. Ruth and
I are begging you to help
us find an answer to our
torment— to help us end the
long nightmare of these
past eight months — by releasing
our story and Liz's
picture in your paper.
The Lord willing, someone
in your area may have
seen her.
With sincere gratitude,
Norman and Ruth Ernstein
Dear Editor:
The lights were being
dimmed on a half empty
house and we were settling
back to see an amateur
production of the " Miracle
Worker" at the Farming-dale
High School.
We were more than pleas-
/ antly surprized to sit for the
next two hours enthralled
lN watching a well- directed and
beautifully acted drama unfold.
The youngsters performed
with authority and
knowledge of their parts.
I commend the performances
of Marilyn Cantor as
Annie Sullivan, Joanne Rom
as Helen Keller and Cliff
Scheer as Captain Keller.
There will be two more
performances, Friday and
Saturday evenings December
13 and 14. It would be nice
for these young people to
play to a full house.
George Weisbrod
Dear Editor:
The Kiwanis Club of Mas-sapequa
has adopted a policy
of inviting returning servicemen
to attend a meeting of
our club to be honored for
the time they have just
spent in serving their country.
We need your assistance
in getting the names of these
returning men. Will you and
your readers please be
good enough to forward
names and addresses of
these men to John Beato at
254 North Maple Street, or
call 541- 8318. J o h n H ue y er
I I
Our daughter, Elizabeth
Lurene ( Liz) Ernstein, was
two months short of her
fifteenth birthday when she
vanished without a trace
last March 18.
She was last seen walking
home from school along a
lonely tree- lined street amid
the orange groves of suburban
Redlands. In her arms,
she carried a blue notebook
and a red algebra textbook.
Since then, law enforcement
agencies, family members,
and friends have spent
countless hours tracking
down hundreds of tentative
leads. But to no avail. Not
one single, slender clue has
brightened all our efforts.
^ armtttBfoale < § bMtwt
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Farmingdale Public Library-The Observer 1968
