Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you bitter or disenfranchised? Are you tired of feeling powerless? Are you sick and tired of escalating taxes, the high price of gas, the high price for a postage stamp? Well, you are not alone. We all are in the same boat. Therefore, the question becomes what do you do about it? You take the appropriate action.

Our trust in leadership has been seriously eroded on both the national and the local level. On the local level, we are fortunate to have the choice of standing behind a new superintendent, Mr. Charles Cardillo and assistant superintendent, Dr. Shine, as well as a revamped and responsive board of education. Not only have they worked diligently, they have born the burden of frequently making the hard decisions. Their short- and long-term planning reflects the expertise of professionals in the fields of education and business.

When honorable leadership emerges, it takes wisdom and faith to begin to trust again. We are fortunate to find such leadership in our schools today and they deserve our support.

The Manhasset community is standing at a crossroads. We can choose to support excellence or we can choose mediocrity. As Manhasset residents, the choice should be clear. A "Yes" vote on May 16 reflects an ability to grasp the salient point.

Fliers containing information or expertly spun, so-called "Facts," by "Vote No" proponents are specifically crafted to feed distrust and defeat any budget other than contingency. Voting for contingency is not a strategy for maintaining excellence in education. Operating on contingency budgets year after year is analogous to allowing termites to eat away at our homes for years and erodes our community's foundation. Staying off contingency will cost the average household approximately $20 more a month. Twenty dollars a month is a small price to pay when so much is at stake.

It is incumbent upon all voters to understand that a "No" vote will not restore proposed cuts. Regrettably, those no-win decisions have already been made. A "No" vote will not affect teacher's contracts in any way. That is a separate process. A "No" vote will not control property taxes. Action to control property taxes takes place in a different venue.

So instead, take the appropriate action. Show your understanding of what the issues are by acting appropriately and wisely. Educate yourself and join the grassroots campaigns to change the current systems by applying pressure to our elected officials on the county and state levels.

But on a local level we need to understand where, realistically, we can be effective. We need to cooperatively and constructively work together to keep our Manhasset community foundations strong. Trust this leadership, vote in our best interests and take the appropriate action by casting a "Yes" vote on May 16!

Brenda R. Bailey