In the Herald's June 16 cover story, Tom Suozzi is quoted as saying that:

1. "We have some very serious problems that people are facing, especially here in Nassau"-----and yet while campaigning for governor he's spent much more time in New York's other 61 counties (combined) than here in Nassau.

2. He's "going after waste, fraud and abuse"-----yet he's accepted over $100,000 in salary checks while being an absentee-county executive. Sounds like "waste, fraud and abuse" to me.

3. "I am running to serve the people I serve now." I'd say he's been running to serve his own personal career ambitions.

4. He's "running" a $2.4 billion government." Not really; he's mainly been "running" all over the state.

5. "I am a chief executive." No; he's been more of a full-time gubernatorial candidate.

If Tom Suozzi (and many other office-holders running for higher offices) had any integrity, he'd refuse to accept the salary he's being paid for a job he's not really doing, or at least donate it to charity.

Richard Siegelman
Plainview resident