Letters to the Editor: Lynbrook, East Rockaway

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Questions town clerk’s appointment

To the Editor:
The Town of Hempstead Board voted on Aug. 27 to appoint a town clerk, two months before the regularly scheduled election for the position. Since the election is so close, common sense would dictate using the acting town clerk (who has already worked in the clerk’s office) to handle matters for the rest of the year.
But, of course, we are talking about the Town of Hempstead Board.
Take the expression “good government is good politics.” In Hempstead, the expression is reversed. Decisions are made not in the best interests of the residents, but only for the convenience of the majority political party. Appointing the Republican candidate for clerk as the town clerk is nothing but a naked exercise of political power. Whether the appointment is considered illegal, inappropriate, morally corrupt, presents the wrong appearance or simply smacks of bad taste is irrelevant to the board. The public’s wishes about the ill-advised appointment simply do not matter. Public hearings are seen as an inconvenience to be tolerated as little as possible.
The politico-centric governing philosophy of Hempstead’s government is almost refreshing in its candor. At least we understand that our town government is only interested in its own self-preservation. In spite of changing demographics, which have given the Town of Hempstead a Democratic voting majority in terms of party registration, and in spite of the general decay of town services, as is seen graphically in the lack of road maintenance, the board pretends that this is 1960 and acts accordingly.
Genuine democracy may well have been thwarted two weeks ago by the town, as it is most days. The remedies remain the same: the ballot box and the courthouse.
David Stonehill
Town of Hempstead Democratic
Committee Law Chair
Merrick

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