We laugh at the familiar saying, "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" because we realize that we must tolerate taxes as a necessary evil. However, there is nothing funny about taxes when they are unreasonably squandered. That is the problem with the proposed new Jericho firehouse. At a time when Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi has just announced a 19.4 percent property tax increase, Jericho residents in effect are being asked to pay a special tax for a new firehouse.

The estimated cost of the new firehouse is up to $10 million, or over $1,000 per household, and as any homeowner knows, the ultimate cost of construction usually exceeds the budgeted estimate significantly. Presumably, most residents would not have a problem paying that tax if they were assured that the new firehouse was necessary for our safety. But there is no evidence that the location of the proposed firehouse, right across the street from the present firehouse on Broadway, would do so either by reducing the time it would take to arrive at a location within the hamlet, or in any other manner. Furthermore, there is no indication that the two current firehouses have been failing to provide adequate protection for the community.

Jericho is a small place. Do any towns the same size as Jericho have three firehouses? Do they even have two firehouses? Most importantly, do the firehouses in other towns have a gym, bar area, library, or catering area? All of those items are included in the plans for the new firehouse, which sounds more like a playhouse. Justification for the new firehouse is that it would encourage volunteers to spend more time at the firehouse. Where do these 87 volunteers live and work? Do they reside or work sufficiently close to the proposed firehouse that they could all be expected to spend substantially more time there? Is there any evidence that the current response time of volunteers has been inadequate? Do we want volunteers responding to emergencies after drinking alcohol in the bar area? Do we need funds diverted from the Public Library for the private library? If asked, would residents agree to pay for free gym memberships for volunteers?

In essence, Jericho residents are being asked to pay for a community center, but it seems that nobody has really asked residents if they want a community center. To make matters worse, after paying for and building the community center, it appears that only voluntary firemen will be allowed to become members. Will anyone be allowed to use the catering hall? Will the gym be available to all residents?

Whoever is responsible for the expenditure of the firehouse funds, whether it is Chief David Ginzburg or some other fire department personnel, there are many questions that have not been answered. Surely there is no legitimate reason why they would want to act secretly. In short, haste makes waste, and the public has the right to know more about the proposed firehouse and its need before its plans are implemented.

Jeffrey Delott