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«* r — to Editorials • Viewpoints • Comments i In Our Opinion •3 S Hie Nassau County Executive race holds the focal point in next Tuesday's general election with no less than seven ballot positions for the candidates, including one non-candidate, John R. Dunne, who can't get off the ballot but would like to. It would be easy for voters to get tost in the hodge-podge. This race should prove to be very close with Republican Francis T. Purcell leading in all the pre-election polls over Democrat Irwin J. Landes and incumbent County Executive Ralph G. Caso, running on an independent line. We don't think Caso has a chance and Landes could win if too many Republican votes are arawn away from Purcell to the Caso column. We give the nod to Purcell. Democratic District Attorney Denis E. Dillon is on three lines on the ballot to only one for Republican Gregory P. Peterson. With the combined Democratic, Liberal and Conservative vote, Dillon should be re- elected. In the race for County Comptroller, our focal 10th Dist. Democratic Assemblyman Lewis J. Yevoli is seeking to unseat Republican-Conservative M. Hallsted Christ, the incumbent. While Yevoli has been a fiery legislator, we're not sure of bis credentials for Comp- troller. We'll have to stay with Christ. In the Town of Oyster Bay we have to stay with the incumbent candidates for Supervisor and Councilman. Supervisor Joseph Colby has proven to be a leader in the fight for home rule over federal domination in local zoning matters. Without that resolve we could soon be fighting inner-city type problems. Couneilmen Joseph J. Saladino, Kenneth S. Diamond and Howard T. Hogan, Jr. have in their years on the Town Board shown their concern for Farminfcdale's problems and have always been willing to help solve them where the town is con- cerned. 'Tommy\ Hogan is a native of Farmingdale and \Joe\ Saladino a next door neighbor. While \Ken\ Diamond can't be considered as a resident or neighbor, he always seems to be in Farmingdale for local events and always with an open ear toward local needs. Our Town Clerk Ann R. Ocker is another Farmingdale native and has Farmingdale interests at heart. We would like to see her re-elected. CD fl M PN T From Congressman Jerome A. Ambro From Our Readers Dear Editor: Apathy and frustration are strangulating the life lines of our future. As parents and adults we must be concerned about the needs of children everywhere. Since 1946, UNICEF has responded to the basic needs and problems of children, primarily in developing countries. UNICEF is currently aiding projects in 100 countries UNICEF is currently aiding projects iftJOO countries, with a child popaHBon of nearly 850 million. What does this mean? [Continued on page 51 3U| e Jfartnitigbak fast 'YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER\ -Established 1920- 51 Heisser Lane, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735 Telephone: CHapel 54131 - 6170 Editor/Manager Robert J. Stanrett Steven Vid I every Hi liiy PrfcrtngCb.lMr Preside*; Steven VH, Secretary-Treasarer COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY MEMBER. Thii MI^X, »iu not be liable §4, New York PrCSS ASSOC •> tmn.XVMruc io any adrtxiiam* be- 9«** »• coat of Oar *pace <xc«pied by By-fon.d Article* ft COIUM* pa* the sot* opamioM of the writer* * do c ~- u,r '* TO - wl — * ** Amerkan Newspaper Benrel Second CUtt PO*UK« at Fararioedale SCntatiVC Po« t Office. ^^ SUBSCRIPTION RATE: lYBAftfMt National Editorial Assoc. J Just hours after the vote, there was a gathering of the most unlikely sorts in the House chamber of the Capitol early one morning last week. It was the only type of development that could have brought them all together. The news was just too exciting to go undiscussed. Earlier, the House had voted 342-44 to institute live television coverage of floor debates, nor- mally dull, technical, uninspiring affairs. All of that is about to change, however, under the magnetic, intoxicating aim of the television cameras. There is already a run on blue shirts at Washington haberdasheries. The medium will bring out the best, and some of the worst, in this institution and the thoughts of it brought them all back to the chamber! The brilliant, per- centive James Madison, first of 16 Presidents who served in the House, appropriately drifted in fust John Randolph, an early Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and one of the most flamboyant and fiery orators ever to take to the floor, arrived next The others soon got there. Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, John Calhoun, Speaker Henry Clay, barely glancing at Daniel Webster who walked in right behind him. One of the most colorful and interesting, John Quincy Adams, \Old Man Eloquence,\ was one of the last to enter. He sat down near the spot where in 1848 be collapsed and died after 17 years of distinguished service following his Presidency. They had invited one more, not a former Member of Congress, but their spiritual leader, the inspiration for all of them. He arrived last. Patrick Henry, the \Son of Thunder,\ stormed into the House chamber, his eyes blazing with excitement at the thoughts of what live TV coverage of the Virginia House of Burgesses could have meant in those bleak days before the Revolution when Tory sentiment ran so high in the country. Out of deference, the others stood up when Henry arrived. The debate began shortly. The Energy Crisis, Panama Canal, Welfare Reform, Mid-East policy, Abortion, Congressional Ethics. It was stirring, exciting, witty and bitterly sarcastic at times. If the cameras had been run- ning, the give-and-take would have stirred the nation, would have improved the public per- The have recorded liver/, illuminating debates, fiery but logical Sorely this is a standard by which the present and future membership of the House will have to be Judged. Maybe we can ttve up to it We certainty should try. Among the more important measures passed by the Legislature this year is a new law which provides a 15-year exemption for property valuation increases which would otherwise be incurred for the in- stallation of solar home heating units. I I have been advocating this concept for several years because there are numerous advantages to solar heating. First, it provides long- term savings and, as conventional energy prices increase, homes will have higher resale value. Energy is conserved and the systems are ecologically safe and clean. With energy costs increasing almost daily, solar energy has become an increasingly attractive and competitive alternative energy source for heating our homes. Many manufacturers have entered the solar energy field and a list may be obtained by writing to the National Solar Heating and Cooling Information Center, P.O. Box 1807, Rockville, Maryland, 20850. In order to provide homeowners with some guidelines for choosing solar equipment, the Federal Office of Consumer Affairs and the Federal Energy Administration offer a booklet entitled, \Buying Solar.\ This may be obtained for $1.85 by writing to the U.S. Govern- ment Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 90402. Ask for Stock 041-018- 00120-4. The Solar Energy Industries Association also has an interesting book available for $1.70 caHed\In the Bank or Up the Chimney?\ This literature helps the homeowner to conduct a survey of the home and also gives valuable tips on saving energy. To order this informative book, write to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, and ask for Stock 10234)00-00297. A S0fp3tBf COMMENTS I have shared some of my mail with you in past months to give you an idea of the types of comments, questions and problems mat cross my desk on a daily basis. This week, I'd like to tell you about a heart- breaking letter I received recently. It's heartbreaking because mere is no immediate solution to the resident's immediate and pressing problem: \Am writing to you about my school tax, and do hope you will be able to do something about it. I live alone, am over 81 years young, and not able to work anymore ... my school taxes are $1,267.11. My children are out of school over forty-five years. \Why do we older people still have to worry where the next slice of bread is coming from? We have struggled all our lives, and now most of us have to give up our homes, for which we have worked so bard ... Can't we older people be exempt from school taxes... All I ask is help the older people.\ I responded that the Town is working to help older people by amending its ordinances to meet the housing and financial needs of Oyster Bay's senior citizens. I responded that we've worked hard to hold the line on Town taxes. But I also had to respond that I have no immediate control over school taxes or methods of taxation for educational purposes. I'm sure you've read or heard it said that school district taxes, on the average, account for 57% of the homeowners tax hill. That another 29% offsets certain county and state costs, 9% goes to special districts and 5% goes to the Town. I'm pleased that the Town tax for 1978 will not increase and that spending will actually decrease. But, if you're like me, you wish that more could be done. The average increase in school district taxes for 1977-78 is a little over 63 cents; for 76-77U was 79 cents and the year before it was $1.07. W(rtingashaj^asweCantoholdmelme<»T<)wntaxes--that5%of your overall tax bill - is very important, but other levels of govern- ment such as individual school districts and the State Legislature have a clear requirement to cut costs to taxpayers. A school tax exemption for older residents may not prove to be feasible, but some action is in order to prevent further necessity for letters such as the one I've noted above. The State's method of school taxation is being challenged by the eourt and the Legislature has been grappling with the issue of educational taxation for some time. I promised the resident, as I now promise you, that I'll support any measure offered by the Legislature that.off era a new means of school district financing that is equitable and does not adversely affect the rights of local school districts, or the prerogatives of locally elected school board members. Editor's Note: The above school tax figures do not apply to Far- mingdale, where school Uses have decreased in the Tobay portion for the last two years.
