Sample Letters
Here are some samples as to how you could format your letter, or what topics you could over. Please feel free to use your own language and ideas.
SANITATION DISTRICTS
Dear Honorable ________:
I have a great deal of appreciation for what sanitation workers do, and I believe that they ought to be fairly compensated for dealing with the very important job of waste disposal. That said, what really agitates me are the existence of corrupt sanitation districts throughout Nassau County that seem content to tax unfairly and pay exorbitant salaries for positions that hard-working town employees are paid far less to do.
I have been reading news articles about the absurd wasteful spending practices by these sanitation districts and I am appalled. How can our elected officials stand idly by and allow us to be taxed without recourse? What’s more, these districts don’t even make it clear where my tax dollars are spent, and whether it’s really going to making keeping my neighborhood clean, or going towards full-time health benefits for a commissioner’s nephew who works a couple of days a week.
As my local elected offical, I urge you to help us, and make sure my tax dollars aren’t being taken out with the trash!
SANITATION DISTRICTS
Dear Honorable ________:
I always thought that the concept of corrupt, backwards and wasteful sanitation service providers was the stuff of urban legend- that was, until I moved to Nassau County.
Here, we have a “special sanitation districts” that have the uncanny ability to raise my taxes whenever they wish, and are held accountable by NO ONE for the services they may, or may not provide.
In an age where every political candidate on both sides of the aisle claims to be a proponent of transparent, efficient government, why isn’t more being done to eliminate these wasteful districts? How can those in power sit idly by when these districts act like miniature kingdoms and pick our pockets without recourse?
In these troubled economic times, one of the easier ways to limit the burden on us would be to simply tell these corrupt coalitions of people that we will not tolerate their piracy any longer. As my local elected offical, I humbly ask for your support on this issue.
SEWER DISTRICTS
Dear Honorable ________:
I realize that a great many people take the services that are provided by their sewers for granted. Many people don’t realize how much of their modern comforts they actually owe to having an effective sewer system. But, what even more people don’t realize is that in Nassau County, about 15% of the sewers countywide are actually not operated by the county- but by the same antiquated “special districts” that I have been hearing about in the news lately.
While I am aware of the horrific wasteful spending habits of water and sanitation districts, I was shocked when I recently heard that there are parts of the county that suffer from yet another level of taxation that is redundant, unnecessary, and corrupt.
It’s become clear that Nassau County is infested with layers of “government” that we simply do not need. The commissioners of these districts have the authority to act like monarchs over these districts, and tax us at their discretion.As my local elected offical, I urge you to help usand get rid of all of these unwanted taxes. The economy is bad enough as it is.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS AS A WHOLE
Dear Honorable ________:
In a time where the Governor’s 2009 budget includes taxes on all sorts of things, and we are cutting programs for those in need across the state, we should look to our own backyards for one of the easiest ways to lower our sky-high property tax bills for the coming year.
Nassau County, more so than any other place in the state, is littered with “special taxing districts”- which, as you may have already noticed- are oftentimes redundant, wasteful and unregulated water, sewer or sanitation commissions that can tax and spend at will, and line their pockets with your hard earned tax dollars.
A novel idea for those who represent us in Albany would be to pass legislation to eliminate these districts, or, at the very least, let the towns absorb the responsibility for the “services” these often corrupt districts provide. This way, you can regulate services that were previously unregulated, and state legislators can actually deliver on the campaign promise to bring transparency and accountability to our local governments.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS AS A WHOLE
Dear Honorable ________:
I’ve recently begun to finally pay attention to all of these “special taxing districts,” that have been in the news lately- mostly because due to the economy I've been forced to pay more attention to my spending. With that said, I am completely shocked by exactly how much of your tax bill they take up. In some places in Nassau County, it’s simply unbelievable!
I think if more people realized that their sewer, sanitation, water, and other services are often provided by corrupt, unregulated loosely organized groups that pay their “employees” exorbitant salaries for part-time jobs, that there would be a public outcry for the dissolution of these groups.
I can only imagine the massive amount of tax relief that would result in the elimination, or at least consolidation, of these districts. When you think about it, why can’t these services simply be consolidated into the towns or counties? Don’t they provide these services in other places? It simply doesn’t make sense to me.
As my elected offical, I would be happy to hear from you about this issue, and how we can alter the system so that my hard-earned tax dollars are spend more responsibly.
WATER DISTRICTS
Dear Honorable ________:
Whenever I look at my tax bill, I am simply appalled by all of the additional charges and fees that I have to pay because of the existence of my local water district. I have lived in my neighborhood for years, and I rarely ever see a representative from this district, and I honestly am not sure what kind of services they provide that Nassau County, or the town, does not. Their existence only becomes apparent to me when a fee for their “services” appears on my tax bill.
Until recently, I merely accepted this as a fact of life, and part of a property tax structure that I was too busy to pay attention to. But then I heard about some of the absurd perks, corrupt practices and wasteful spending that are associated with these districts. It completely unacceptable that the commissioners of some of these districts receive such high salaries for doing so little work, taxing without regulation, and holding bogus elections.
I truly hope that with this new climate of “change” in government that someone takes the initiative to get rid of these districts. As my elected offical, I hope you take my concerns to heart. My taxes are high enough as it is.
For more information, contact Andrew Calderaro, Project Director, at 516-541-1006 x 13 or email Andrew@lipc.org.
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