There is a two-faced fallacy in North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman saying we need more parks, and that transferring 250 acres of existing county parks to North Hempstead will achieve this. It will not, as we already have use of these parks as county residents. What this does achieve, however, is to transfer long term operating and maintenance costs from a county tax base to a much more limited tax base of the unincorporated parts of North Hempstead, as the incorporated parts do not pay into the towns tax base for this purpose. The worst is that of the 250 acres involved, over 95 percent are in the incorporated northern area of the town: only one small ball field is in Herricks, and a Veterans Memorial in Carle Place, below the expressway. A few short term grants are only a tossed bone that will not cover long-term O&M costs, which we will now bear. Kaiman is continuing his predecessor's penchant for shafting the politically less connected lower part of "his" town, yet we will bear the burden. The town's short term finances are in better shape than the county's. And Souzzi especially likes this arrangement because even with our yearly massive county property value tax assessment burden, he needs to raise taxes 5 percent. He has reduced his parks staff to bare bones, yet continues to support a top heavy and bloated management full of appointees. Hence all the park county vehicles reported in Newsday. So, then, what do we need a County Parks Commissioner and deputies for? Newsday has barely scratched the surface of the foul quid quo pro, politics below the surface.

Stephen Cipot