Get more involved

To the Editor:

In the town I live in, Oceanside, I understand there are around 32,000 residents. I am guessing that at least 8,000 are registered to vote. Yet when there are school, Fire Department, sanitation — let alone local, state and federal — elections, the turnout is dismal. I have attended the local Town of Hempstead meetings and there are more town officials representing the different departments than there are residents in attendance.

I see a town which is inundated with barber shops, large pharmacies with low-end merchandise and quick-stop delis. There should be more unique retail shops and perhaps a higher-quality supermarket.  

I look at Rockville Centre’s downtown area and I remember the days of bowling alleys and movie theaters that were once here. I question why we OK enlarging homes and adding condos while there is no increase in infrastructure.

When schools let out or a temporary road emergency condition arises, why can’t our high-salaried patrol officers direct some traffic to end bottlenecks? We have a school superintendent making over $280,000, teachers who got increased benefits during this recession, sanitation workers making over $200,000 (I question why we even need our own sanitation district). There are perhaps other pet peeves that other residents have, but apathy will only stop our getting relief.

Vote, learn the issues, attend meetings, read the Herald: be part of making our community better. Heck, it may even help raise your property values and lower taxes and other governmental expenses. Perhaps we can make our local meetings a conduit to our county, state and federal government. Maybe we can have a live website to exchange ideas with a bigger voice and end the duplications in our layers of governmental control.  

D. Wittman

Oceanside