I am rather reticent to send a letter to the editor of our local paper regarding the election in East Hills to be held March 15 for two trustees.
However I think it is important to add my perspective to this election because I have seen it go from polite and respectful to a bit nasty and quite disrespectful.
Our East Hills is made up of young and old, new to the neighborhood and those who have enjoyed it for decades.
Some have returned to the area to raise their family in a wonderful, safe environment with a gorgeous park and pool, steady taxes and a quality lifestyle that seems so hard to achieve on Long Island.
I think it is important for me to express how our neighborhood, always nice, has truly evolved into a special place 25 miles from midtown Manhattan.
I have been a volunteer and involved to some degree with three mayors and multiple trustees over 33 years.
Our local government is a shining example of how an extremely competent team, led by an extraordinary mayor, works well to bring a high quality of life to an area that is populated by an educated and demanding homeowner body.
The skills involved to make our Village run smoothly, hold the line on taxes, provide excellent services, and in general make life as pleasant as it can be for the population is huge and I feel that many of our neighbors do not realize the work and skillset involved to accomplish this.
Again our neighborhood is filled with educated and dedicated residents who also get involved and get things accomplished to everyone’s benefit which is terrific.
Two trustees running for reelection, Manny Zuckerman and Clara Pomerantz, have dedicated tremendous personal time and huge efforts to help improve daily life in the village.
Their resumes are out there for the public to view They are being attacked by two perfectly nice residents who want their jobs in a series of peculiar falsehoods and silly criticisms that are not only incorrect but rather insulting to all of us.
I have read the email blasts being sent out which lately border on true vitriol and I scratch my head wondering if these folks live in the same neighborhood that I do.
Constant misinformation does not make misinformation the truth but I imagine that if attacks and falsehoods are repeated often enough and loud enough some people may listen.
Therein lies my desire to write this letter.
Our local government is an excellent, smooth running, cohesive group that has created a success for the neighborhood.
I am not sure why there is any desire to fix something that works really well. Let me also comment that it isn’t easy to run a village government nor is it easy to keep making things better.
It is easy to always attack and complain and I invite all of my neighbors to attend some Board meetings and see how well this group involves themselves in residents’ issues and problems.
There is a sincere desire to help everyone. I gather that perhaps the attacks against the current administration have gotten so nasty because it is very difficult to attack a successful group, isn’t it.
Let me remind our neighbors that our taxes, which provide wonderful snow plowing services, terrific garbage pickup, road repaving, kids events, and our wonderful park, have not gone up for six years.
I, for one, am very grateful for that. I love that my garbage is picked up at the back of my house three times a week, that I have not been stuck at my house because of snow, that the village addresses potholes and standing water issues along with my favorite of traffic and safety.
I love the concerts, the fact that leaves are cleaned up on Glen Cove Road to make sure our neighborhood looks great even though that is a County responsibility and they refuse to do it. I can go on and on.
That all reflects a job well done.
The latest attack is against our legal counsel and his salary.
The last time I checked his was not a volunteer job and he has skillfully and competently done a wonderful job for our village over the course of many years.
I would guess he is underpaid. Again our taxes haven’t gone up a cent so obviously our Mayor and the current trustees know how to create and follow a strict budget.
Election day is March 15, just two weeks away.
I, for one, will vote for both Manny Zuckerman and Clara Pomerantz for trustees because i know what they have accomplished for all of us.
I do not have to make a choice based on promises. I have the facts in front of me. I encourage my neighbors, young and old, new to the neighborhood and those, like me, who have been around for a while, to support those folks who have supported us and our beautiful East Hills.
They have truly earned our vote and if they want the stress and huge time commitment to make my life a little better, then they have earned our vote and our support.
Steven Kafka
East Hills
