Opinion: Time To Look To The Future

The votes are in and have been counted. The Commack community has spoken. Regardless of whether you agree with the result we must all respect and accept it. This is what democracy is all about. My hat is off to the Commack community for coming out to vote and voicing their opinion. Although, less than 5,000 voters turned out, it was still a few hundred more than last year. A respectable showing considering the inclement weather. I also offer my congratulations to Ms. Guber on her victory, as well as to Mr. Fusco for a valiant effort.

It is now time to look to the future. I would hope that the community can now put their differences behind them and work together for the common good of us all.  I ask everyone to please respect each other. I urge people to stay informed and become and remain involved in what’s happening in the school district, especially the actions of the board. It is in the community’s interests to insist that the board’s focus be on instilling more fiscal responsibility within the district. After all, it is our money that’s being spent and we all suffer when its squandered.

Priority in the use of the taxpayer’s funds must go towards maintaining the classes, programs, clubs and teachers, needed for the district to provide a quality education for the children. Everything else should be secondary. The community should not expect or accept anything less. This means the board and district employees must give due consideration to the economy and the taxpayers at contract time. The district simply cannot continue to spend more money than it has and all should take heed of the swelling ranks of unemployed teachers out there, as well as the multi-million dollar budget deficits being faced by both Suffolk and Nassau counties. It’s a dire situation which shows why the District cannot maintain its past rate of spending... or it too will ultimately find itself in the same quagmire of debt.

Finally, now the budget vote and board election is over, the Commack community should shift its focus from the home front to Albany. The inequity in the amount of money that Long Islanders pay to the state compared to the funding for education it receives back must be rectified. The state aid per pupil for Long Island is $4,440 – 27% lower than the statewide average of $6,087. This inequity has gone on too long.  

Write the Governor, your congressman, senator and other politicians and urge them to lobby for reforms to the state’s educational funding so that Long Island receives its fair share. 

I sincerely wish the district, the board and above all of our community the best for the future.