Governor George Pataki came to Manhasset last Friday to bring some help to the victims of the World Trade Center attack. He signed an executive order, which will permit homeowners to defer their school taxes, which would have been due in October or November until January 2002.

In introducing the governor at Mary Jane Davies Green, State Senator Michael Balboni said that he was happy to be in Manhasset but sad for the reason the governor came--because Manhasset had been so hard hit in the disaster. Senator Balboni had visited Ground Zero with Governor Pataki and spoken to policemen, firefighters and construction workers who were still on the scene two weeks after the tragedy. "In order to survive something like this," he said, "you need three things--faith, the support of your neighbors and a strong leader. We have that strong leader, hands down"

Governor Pataki said, "We'll get through this, hugging each other. We will be strong across America. We're not going to forget the sacrifices that have been made. Standing behind me is a group of heroes. We are so proud of our firefighters, emergency medical technicians and police." The governor was standing before a line of firefighters from the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department and the Plandome Fire Department. "My father was a firefighter in my hometown of Peekskill," he went on, "and I know he would have been there if he was still alive. It's not just those who responded to the scene, but those who manned their stations to free them to go."

The governor said that New York has already promised to give free tuition at New York State colleges and universities to the children of those who perished and of those who came to help. He said that he had come to Manhasset to "help in some small way with economic problems resulting from the tragedy." He said that the burden of the suspension of the tax payments won't fall on the localities because the state will assume the burden.

"We are still standing tall," he concluded. "We will never allow evil barbarians to break our spirit or our will." The small crowd in attendance gave him enthusiastic applause.

Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli told the governor, a friend of many years, that it was a privilege to have him visit his district, but "I wish it was for a different reason." He applauded Governor Pataki's "generous heart and generous spirit." He said that he had attended a funeral Mass in Rockville Centre and that under the most difficult of circumstances, "the governor was eloquent. He found the words." He promised the governor that the Legislature will move quickly to provide funding to undergird the executive order.

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Rich Guardino, who was said to have had the original idea of extending tax relief help to the victims, said that under current state law the towns have no flexibility to prevent people from incurring penalties for late payment of taxes. "This is important legislation," he said.

Governor Pataki then signed the executive order and presented official pens to the officials around him. There was one pen left and he turned to a little boy in a Georgetown lacrosse shirt who was watching the events closely. He handed him the last pen, so Ricky Buhr Jr. has a historic souvenir.