(The following is a hypothetical theory.)

First, they came for our water district and we said nothing. Then they came for our fire district and we said nothing. Then they came for our school district and someone said, "You can't take our school district, it's for the children." They took it anyway. Then they came for our village and someone said, "This is a Home Rule state, you can't do that." They took it anyway.

After all of our districts and villages were gone, someone said, "Let's rename the County of Nassau the City of Nassau." Someone then said, "That means that our property taxes will be lowered to the amounts paid by property owners in the City of New York." Then someone in the County Executive's office said, "Oh no, you must be mistaken, this is an exercise in the consolidation of power and patronage and the destruction of home rule. We need all the property taxes we currently collect in the County of Nassau, so we can lard up the new and improved, further from the people bureaucracy of the new City of Nassau."

Edward W. Powers