In her letter to the editor in the Oct. 21 edition of the Williston Times, Randi Rothstein of Rolsyn Height’s asks for someone to explain to her the opposition to the Town of North Hempstead’s proposal to buy out the Roslyn Heights pool and tennis courts. I’ll try.
The opposition is twofold: First, taxpayers are opposed because the project is clearly for the benefit of the local residents of Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights, not for Town of North Hempstead residents as a whole. The agitation for the project comes from a tiny fraction of residents within those communities. There is zero interest from the outside. No one outside Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights wants the project. It’s unneeded. If a vote of town residents were held on the project, as it should be, it would be voted down by a wide margin. No one who is being honest can deny that. The pool/tennis club is not needed or wanted by town residents as a whole.
So one reason for opposition is because this is not an appropriate Town of North Hempstead project. It is a local project, that should be handled/financed locally by the residents of Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights, just like the residents of other communities within the Town of North Hempstead handle such projects themselves, locally, via special assessment districts, for instance. Town of North Hempstead taxpayers as a whole should not be dragged into a local Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights project.
In her letter, Ms. Rothstein reiterates the mantra that the project won’t cost the taxpayers anything; it will be “tax neutral.” Unfortunately, but typical to form for the project’s supporters, she provides no figures to back that claim. For good reason. There are none. In this regard, Kaiman has refused to provide any figures for the acquisition and renovation costs required for the project. None.
For good reason. He’s aware, even if Ms. Rothstein is not, that once he provides any remotely plausible figures, it will be apparent to all, including even the dimmest of the project’s supporters, that the project will not be self supporting, as supporters claim. That in fact it will have to be subsidized by taxpayers throughout the Town of North Hempstead. This for the benefit of a tiny group in Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights.
That’s the second reason for opposition. It’s not tax neutral.
In this regard, if Kaiman had the figures on his side, he would have released then. He doesn’t so he won’t. Rather, he and Dwyer want to use our tax money to buy themselves votes in Roslyn Country Club and Roslyn Heights. Think of it as Obama lite. Not trillions of wasted taxpayer money, just millions.
The proposal should be dropped. Otherwise it should be put to a vote of Roslyn Country Club/Roslyn Heights residents. In the meantime, taxpayers should respond to Kaiman and Dwyer’s duplicity concerning the project by voting them both out of office, whether it goes forward or not.
John O’Kelly
East Williston
