For many years Nassau County bus service was run by the MA.

Recently Nassau County eliminated the county run bus service. Now it is known as Nassau Inter County Express, or NICE. Nassau sold off the system as a cost savings measure since the service was mismanaged and was losing money. So instead of fixing the problem they cut their losses. Now a private commercial company is in charge of the surface mass transit system.

Talking to several people that ride the bus, they all tell me how the service has gone down hill. The company is moving bus stops around into very inconvenient locations and have even eliminated stops. They also said that the buses do not even run on schedule any longer and some routes have been cut.

Now according to Newsday Nassau County wants to sell off the sewer system to commercial company for $750 million to help offset a deficit of $3 billion.  I will address that in a bit.

Now if the county gets it's way and the sewer system goes to a private company how will the effect the citizens of Nassau County?  What are they going to do, install flush meters on the toilets so we get charged for each time we push the handle?  Of what about a surcharge on each square of toilet paper used or bought?  If that is the case then I'll run a garden hose into the bathroom and make a bidet out of it and instead of push the flush handle I'd just fill a bucket and pour water in that way.

As far as the deficit the county is grossly mismanaged in every department.  Salaries for many are outlandish.  As an example a lot of the professors at the county college work only a few hours a week and get paid full time salaries which many are in the six digits with benefits to boot.  And a lot of them work at other colleges at the same time getting yet another salary or two.  I knew a professor there that used to complain that his $250,000 year salary was just not enough to live on.

The Nassau County police are the second highest paid police department in the country with Suffolk being the highest.  I'm not saying that the police should not get paid, but the second highest pay?  There is a lot of trimming that needs to be done there.  I've seen radio cars behind some building with the officer in it asleep way too many times.  And they are getting paid what?  Now don;t get me wrong, the NCPD overall is a great department and do a lot of good work.  But they are highly over paid.
 
Even in my own town I've seen them in an offshoot of the parking lot from my former company out of sight fast asleep.

I look around and see road crews everywhere.  Many times I see one person working while five or six are just standing there.  I'd like to get paid just to stand.

And the county executive wants to cut services and raise taxes and we pay some of the highest property taxes in the country.

No wonder I want to get off of Long Island and out of New York.

'till next time