The recent proposals by County Executive Thomas Suozzi have left many young people on Long Island both angered and dismayed. Instead of working to cut spending and grossly overpaid public servants in Nassau County, the Democratic County Executive has instead decided to place the burden of the fiscal situation not on himself and his colleagues in the county, but on the taxpayers. Regardless of who may be responsible for the current financial deficit, the people of this great county did not cause the problem and should not be forced to pay for it.

Instead of a 19.4 percent property tax increase, in addition to other related costs we will soon see in Nassau County, Suozzi and the Legislative Majority should work to cut their own staffs and limit the salaries of those who they do employ. There is no rational explanation for someone employed by any municipality, regardless of placement within an office, to justify the salaries of those on Suozzi's payroll, regardless of political persuasion.

The proposal to increase the county's property taxes by nearly 20 percent, in addition to cutting youth programs across Nassau County will have damaging effects. Those ages 18-30, the political base of Suozzi, faced with college debt, rent, or a mortgage will be unable to continue to reside and raise a family in the county where they were raised. Many will be forced to take refuge in the five boroughs, upstate, or in other locations.

The Suozzi Tax is compounded by the vast amount of people who will lose their jobs as a result of the Suozzi budget. During a recession, it is negligent to lay off so many workers, in addition to increasing their taxes. They will not be able to afford their homes or to support their families. Some may say the jobs lost will be of those who are politically connected and they will be able to easily find new employment. Granted, some of those jobs lost will be of the politically connected; however, most will not be. Most will be those jobs held by civil service employees; hard-working mothers and fathers who have been working the same job for years, providing a stable household income and who are depending on a retirement system to ensure them security through old age.

Christopher Bastardi

President, West End Young Republicans