After his successful run for county comptroller, Howard Weitzman is still scratching his head in wonder at two major revelations that might fit into a primer of What I Learned About Nassau County. First, that practically every decision made in Nassau County in the past has been highly politicized and second, campaign volunteers that sign on and work tirelessly "aren't in it for anything, except better government." Mr. Weitzman notes that since civil service employees primarily staff the comptroller's office, there are few appointments that come with the job.

He learned that people can be generous with their time and money, because they want Nassau County to function efficiently and effectively. He says, "I would be invited to speak at a community center and when I arrived, there would be a handful of people there. But, then one person would come forward and sign up to help and then bring others on board. It was just amazing."

It all began with a handful of Great Neck supporters who brought their professional expertise to the table and assisted Mr. Weitzman in developing a strategy to build name recognition, to hone his message and to carefully maximize the resources of money and people to target "persuadable Republican areas." And he had the added pleasure of working closely with his son, Matthew, who delayed his own post-college plans to serve as his father's campaign manager.

And now, after a week away to rest from an arduous campaign, Mr. Weitzman is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. He says, "I believe it would be a disservice to the voters of Nassau County, who clearly want a change, to have NIFA take control of the finances without giving the new administration a shot ... We need to question everything so that fundamental changes can be made instead of nibbling around the edges. We need to look at the big picture."

He thinks that Tom Suozzi is also committed to professional management techniques and practices and that talented people will be recruited to fill appointments. He says, "We have to clean our own house first. We have to find real savings and eliminate duplication of services. We must address all of the issues of reassessment, develop a balanced, workable budget and deal with the Nassau County Medical Center debacle. It's going to be a challenge."

But Mr. Weitzman is eager to take on the challenge. And from his experience, crisscrossing the county, talking with people from all walks of life, many of whom are dependent on the county for basic services, his belief in the common sense, wisdom and patience of the residents has been reaffirmed. "They deserve our best efforts to correct this mess that has spun out of control for many years."