' Right To Know' Bill Would Force Construction Dollar Outlays
Meetings To Be Open Hit Record, Bank Says
Assemblyman Martin Ginsberg
this week said he has filed a
' ' Right to Know" bill which makes
it public policy for all governmental
bodies, agencies, and entities
to conduct their deliberations
openly with no secrecy of
any kind.
" I have received complaints,"
the Assemblyman continued,
" from constituents, newspaper
reporters and others, concerning
runarounds or even refusals when
they sought information, much of
it of importance to no one other
than the person seeking it. This
is wrong and my bill will put a
stop to this kind of nonsense."
Under the Ginsberg Bill, all
meetings of any legislative, executive,
administrative or advisory
bodies of the state, counties,
townships, cities, villages, incorporated
towns, school districts,
school boards and all
other municipal corporations,
boards, bureaus, committees or
commissions, as well as any subsidiary
bodies which are supported
in whole or in part by tax
revenues or which spend tax r e venues,
shall be public meetings.
The only exception t o this
would be meetings involving personnel
or collective bargaining
between civil service employees
and the public body by which
they are employed, the state Parole
Board, and meetings at which
the acquisition of real estate is
being considered. Li addition,
Grand Jury and Petit Jury deliberations
would continue to be
exempted.
The Ginsberg Bill does not
prevent a school board from
hearing a student disciplinary
case at a closed session, nor
does it prevent a public body
from holding a closed session
to consider matters involving
performance or ethics.
League Of Women Voters To Review
Town Zoning And Planning
The League of Women Voters
of the Town of Oyster Bay will
hold a meeting on Wednesday,
January 24, 8: 30 p. m. at the
home of Miss Dagmar Dippell, 4
John Street, Massapequa.
The group will review a previous
League study of zoning and
planning in the Town of Oyster
Bay, and a brief analysis of what
has transpired in the Town's
preparation for their Master Plan
during the past two years.
AH women are welcome.
ALBANY,
By A l e x Rankin
Some people, many of them
titled and otherwise respectable,
have from time to time expressed
the wish that New York City
perhaps somehow could be sawed
off, allowed to drift out to sea
and sort of disappear in the fog.
Most of these people, it must
be admitted, come from somewhere
in the state other than
New York City.
Many more people, while not
expressing this wish in such blunt
words, have made a tidy living
from playing the politically
profitable angles of it as if it
were all they believed in.
This can be seen in the fact
that the state Legislature in
Albany has historically been divided,
noi along party lines, but
a- long upstate- downstate interests.
Party politics in the
Legislature have, in fact, served
as a cloth to cover this deeper
and more essential key to state
politics.
And now the Fun Person has a
plan which proves thi. s.
The Fun Person is, of course,
John V, Lindsay, the mayor of
Fur: City. And he has a budget
problem this year. He is abour
$ 400 million short.
He has a solution. U should be
noted that this solution came in
a " Christmas letter" to
Governor Rockefeller. In the past
these letters have said what the
city will be asking for in the
coming Legislative session.
Lindsay wants to drastically
change the way state aid is given
out to local governments. This
state aid comes from taxpayers
all over the state.
In short, his plan would give
more money from taxpayers all
over the state to New York City.
Since 1947 this money has been
given out on a population basis,
so many dollars for every person
in a given locality. It begins by
noting how much money there is
to be given out to every locality,
and then is apportioned out on
a formula based on population.
Lindsay's idea is to change all
this and base it on the amount of
money a particular locality
spends of local tax resources.
Right away the first serious
flaw pops up. Given the nature
of government, that is that it
ALWAYS spends more instead
of less than it previously did,
it will encourage mis trend instead
of reversing it. To reverse
it means lower taxes.
If the amount a city such as,
say, Elmira, Rome, Kingston or
Oswego receives in state aid is
based on how much that city
spends, then that city will'be
thinking up ways to spend more
money so that it can get even
more in state aid.
At the present time the only
way these cities can do this is
to encourage a population explosion.
Mayor Lindsay, of course, does
not worry about this. He is not
worried about Suffolk, St.
Lawrence or Orange Counties.
New York City already has an
annual budget bigger than the
state government itself. This
year's state budget is $ 4- 0
billion. New York City's is on
the order of $ 5.4 billion.
Lindsay did not say where the
money is coming from,
the nature of Christmas letters.
One writes them to Santa Claus
and that is it. He did point out
in the letter that it would
the state would have to come up
with another $ 310 billion.
- up anotb
Under the present head- count
system New York City gets $ 99.8
million, or about 40 percent ot
all stare aid to local governments,
about 40 percent of the
state's population is there. Under
' 1, Pun Formula, the city would
get an additional $ 319.8 mil.. on,
or about 65 percent of all state
aid.
Which brines up another point.
Governor Rockefeller :.; ays
there will be a $ 500 to $ 600
million budget deficit this year,
a problem which has already
emerged as the major topic of the
1968 Legislative session, primarily
because all state Senators
and Assemblymen are up for reelection
this year. Obviously, no
one wants to be accused of raising
taxes in an election year.
There are signs already that
they may do it anyway.
Sometime within the next few
days, the Fun Person will fly
to Albany to formally present his
plan.
And then there will be a lot of
Legislators who will suddenly
begin day- dreaming about New
York City slowly drifting off
somewhere else.
Under terms of the Ginsberg
Bill, a public body at the beginning
of each calendar or fiscal
year, must prepare a make available
a schedule of all its regular
meetings for the year and must
list the times and places of the
meetings. The public body must
also supply notices of all regular
meetings to newspapers, radio,
television and other news media.
In cases where a change in the
regular meeting date must be
made, at least ten days notice of
the new meeting date must be
given.
Anyone found guilty of violating
the provisions of the act shall
be punished by a fine of not more
than $ 100, or by imprisonment for
not more than 30 days or by both
fine and imprisonment.
The Assemblyman said his bill
is similar in intent to a bill approved
by the General Assembly
of the State of Illinois on July
24, 1967.
Park Permits
Valid Til New
Ones Arrive
Nassau County Public Works
Commissioner Herbert J. Simins
assured holders of expiring two
year 1966- 67 County park permits
that the permits will be
valid until the new two year
1968- 69 cards are mailed out.
Mailings to the more than 140,000
permit holders affected are expected
to start in a few weeks.
" We have received many calls
from residents holding the 1966-
67 permits, which are blue in
color, asking whether they are
still good for admission to the
parks", Simins said. " They are
and so, of course, are the orange
1967- 68 permits held by 125,000
other people which are good for
another year."
Simins pointed out that there
are three categories of individuals
who must fill our applications:
those who have moved
from one Nassau address to another
during 1966 or 1967, those
applying for the first time such
as new residents and diose who
held permits issued prior to 1962
but allowed them to lapse and thus
did not benefit from the system
of automatical renewals instituted
in 1964.
Individuals falling into rJiese
three categories may obtain permit
applications by telephoning
!\ 9- 9600 extension 211. Ail
major County parks also have applications
and permits on hand.
Permits are available to ail
Nassau resident? without charge
but are not required for children
under IS.
PTA News
The cafeteria program will be
the subject of the Albans Avenue
PT mooting on Wednesday, January
17 at 8: 30 p. m. Mrs. John
T. Hallahan, new cafeteria manager
of District # 22 will conduct
a toftr of the kitchen and speak
on how the food is prepared,
and obtained.
Despite the carryover effect
of 1966\ s mortgage credit
squeeze, Long Island finished
1967 with the highest dollar
amount of planned construction
in its history, according to the
Franklin National Bank.
Subtracting ttie" effect of higher
material and labor costs, however,
would leave 1965 as the
record year.
The bank estimated total outlays
for both home building and
nonresidential construction in
the 12- month period at $ 456
million, up $ 10 million from the
previous record set in 1965.
New nonresidential projects
rose 10 percent last year with
The John H. West P. T. A. is
sponsoring E30ING at the John
H. West School on Thursday,
January 25, at 8: 30 p. m.
Donation is $ 1: 00.
A Walt DisneyCartoon Festival
will be presented by the Albany
Avenue School PTA on Saturday,
January 20 at the Albany Avenue
School. Showings are scheduled
for 11 a. m. and 1 p. m.
Admission is 25 cents.
Church Group
Off To Poconos
A weekend in the Poconos is
on tap for the Senior Young
P e o p l e of Calvary Baptist
Church, 803 County Line Road,
Amityville this weekend, January
12- 14.
" A Relevant Mission in a Restless
Age" is the title of the
filmtrip to be presented on Sunday
evening, January 14 at 7 W
pjn .
the largest gains in store and
utility construction. New plant
building fell 30 percent following
a record level in 1966.
Homebuilding during both 1967
and 1966 was affected by 1% 6' s
mortgage credit " crunch," the
bank said. " While mortgage
money became easier this year,
it wasn't until last spring that
builders began filing plans for
new homes." Nassau County
bettered 1966' s 3,860 dwelling
units by about 100 according to
Franklin.
A p a r t m e n t construction—
mostly the two- and three- story
garden type building— rose 45
percent during 1967, the bank
reported.
Petito Calls For Freeze
On Town Hiring
Town Supervisor Michael N.
Petito has called for a freeze
on all new hiring by the Town.
The recommendation by the Supervisor
was the latest in a
series what he termed proposals
aimed at lowering the cost
of operating Town government.
In recommending the freeze on
new hiring the Supervisor pointed
out that the proposal was in keeping
with his two- year policy of
administering the Town Budget
on a day- to- day basis under the
Suburban Town Law. He said
he was hopeful that the Town
Board would support his suggestion
since it would stop haphazard
hiring practices.
" This recommendation will not
affect any of our normal governmental
functions or services that
we are now providing," Petito
stated. ' It will prevent, however,
a sudden rash of seasonal hiring!
Meanwhile, Councilman Ralph
J. Marino, board majority leader,
welcomed the supervisor to the
job freeze team " which the board
has been operating since the first
of the year."
Marino said the supervisor's
recent announcement of the job
freeze was a repetition of the
position the board had taken in
adopting its 1968 budget.
" We are very gratified that
the supervisor has seen fit to
go along with the board's position
for a change," said Marino. " We
have been trying to economize all
along by conserving in the areas
of salaries, purchasing and personnel."
Marino explained that since the
budget presented by the supervisor
was drastically pared,
economy has been the town
board's by- word for several
weeks prior to the effective
January 1 starting date of the
1968 budget.
He added that, wherever possible,
cuts have been made, and
reminded the supervisor that the
board has to approve all salary
increases or new personnel.
^ • • ^ •
Plain- edge Tale
By Gene Catalano
Plainedge High School
Starting this year, Plainedge
High School students will no longer
have mid- term exams. This
nev. policy is intended to shift
more weight and importance on
the daily effort that each student
makes in class. It also has the
obvious advantage that it's one
less test for pupils to take and
one less for teachers to mark.
In place of Mid- Term Week
there will be regularly scheduled
classes, except for January
25, which is Regents Examination
Day for those in certain
science and math courses.
The day will also be used by
teachers for conferences with
students and parents. All other
students will have the day off
from school.
Tomorrow is the last day
Plainedge seniors may pay their
first deposit for die Senior C lass
Trip to Washington, in May.
The 1968 Yearbook, Pathways,
has a few surprises in store, ac-
Set Dates For Adult
Education Registration
Registration for Adult Education
classes in District 22 will
take place at the Farmingdale
Senior High School on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday. Janu. i > 15,
and 17 from 7 to 9 p. m.
65 courses of various types
will be offered including French
on the Junior High level, the
art of Italian cooking, ceramics,
rapid writing, tool and die making
and < Charm for the Modern Woman*.
Walter J. Sullivan, Director of
the program, urged taxpayers
take advantage of one or more
offerings in the program.
cording to it's editor- in- chief,
Elaine Schwartz The theme for
the yearbook will not be " the
seasons" as it usually is every
year, but something which will
relate dii ectlj to the senior-yet,
Elaine . annot reveal th-them
, : e cover design, but
she does say. " II it comes outas
planned, ::".' be a very good year-book."
'
Pla.
Ventures, w
nuall;,,
in June. T
that Vent ;
tain sorr
within it:;
e stab I
pen and i...
in- chief o:
junior C
main in rj
year, toe
Belated
Plainedge
Jones (< i
Calder ( cla
married
Church.
technolog
lege at nil
becoming ai
Manager,
tive seen
Lighting
Plained
ceive a let
uate, Mii
work in
it imnx-
I did a tu o
on psyche- k
another du
station. 1
s literary magazine,
b is published an-
- ci to come out
the first year
will probably con-tve
photography
along with the
ork done wit.
year's edito: -
ires, Plainedg.
oner, will re-
I apacity for nexi
Farmingdale OBSERVER, Thursday, January 11, 1968
filiations tc
- tes Trevoi
j ' 63) and Mauieer
of ' 64), who wei
Maria Regin.
is studying auK
Farmingdale Col-
, in preparation ti
iutomobile Servi <
ireen is an execu-
. or the Long Islam
also glad to re-rom
a ' 67 grad-vder,
" I'm doinj
and am enjoying
On January 5^
special prog ran:
music, along wid
jockey from ttu
Iso do two regular
one- hour shows a week."
The radio station is WCVF-am
at Fredonia ( where he is attending
college).
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