“Lead, follow or get out of the way.” Those were the words of Thomas Paine, author of the pamphlet “Common Sense” that helped spark our American Revolution. They work today, too.
Hope breeds success, and we are glad that the 2009 Long Island Econonomic Survey and Opinion Poll by Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck and Company and Dowling College reports local businesses are more optimistic than last year, with their greatest concerns still being taxes, affordable housing and health insurance costs.
As we fight our way out of a recession, we need to support our new County Executive Ed Mangano, elected in a surprise grassroots upset made possible by many local organizations working together. His plans include several common sense initiatives that ought to work, if we all try our hardest.
For example, investing in green technology could bring jobs to Long Island and help clean up the environment, a win-win situation.
We hope his vision for better support of returning veterans who, like his father, gave so much for our country, includes a “gold card” they can use to receive treatment at any health care facility. This would require support from all levels of government, and we have found that getting everyone in the same room ends the finger-pointing and passing of the buck and starts the results. Our local state Assemblyman David McDonough has already spearheaded a state program that informs veterans of all the rights and resources available to them.
Preventive health care is important for all of us, and in the long run saves dollars. We hope the national initiative to reform health care can come to something good.
Some say the U.S. remains in the best position to lead the world economy, despite the bust of 2008, because we are the best adapted to the globalization of business. However, education is important here. The quality of our schools will determine whether future generations succeed. Class size is key, and we are counting on parents to continue to defend limits on class size.
Consolidation of services and group purchasing can save dollars for the schools, the town, the county and the state, but vigilance by taxpayers is still needed. Sunshine laws that promote citizen access to the budget books must be defended.
Your community newspaper, its website and its Facebook page can be a vehicle for good citizenship. We count on our readers to send us their news and views and use us as a bulletin board and newsletter for their organizations and causes. One small notice can spark a revolution of change for the better. It has happened many times over the years, and it can happen again today.