Letters

Election Day is November 5—less than 100 days from now. This is an important election year for local elected positions at the county and town level. Our county government is at a crossroads: We need to elect leaders who will bring fiscal solvency and results.

I am proud to stand with Suffolk County executive candidate John Kennedy and work to get out our message to voters.

I am running for Suffolk County legislator for the South Fork and Shelter Island. I bring to the table common sense and know-how as a former town supervisor and councilwoman, with 14 years of dedicated service to the community, working at the executive and legislative level of Southampton Town government.

I have demonstrated time and time again that I stand up for the taxpayers and can make the difficult decisions. I also have shown that I can reach across party lines to work for the common good, and that I truly care about people from all walks of life.

The most critical priority is restoring fiscal sanity to county government, and to move Suffolk County forward toward a brighter future. Under the current Democratic administration, there is a negative outlook predicted by bond rating agencies due to years of fiscal mismanagement and political budgeting. It is mind-boggling that the Bellone administration claims to be “protecting the taxpayer” and “protecting the environment”!

Did you know?:

• Suffolk County’s bond rating is now just one grade above junk bond status! Over $300 million has been borrowed by the Democratic majority in the legislature to pay pension costs! The county’s accumulated debt is over $2 billion. All that borrowing means that tax revenue goes to pay down debt rather than fixing roads, maintaining parks and providing other public services.

• Taxes and fees have been raised by over $200 million since Steve Bellone was elected county executive, with rubber-stamp Democrat county legislators voting yes to every fee, tax and spending increase. Rather than cutting spending, fees were created and raised—alarm fees, red-light camera fees, mortgage recording fees, park fees, vehicle registration fees and more!

• Year after year, the $3 billion county budget is unbalanced, meaning we continue to spend much more than we are bringing in.

• A state appellate court for a second time has ruled that a $29.4 million diversion from the Drinking Water Protection Program was illegal. All told, Suffolk County has borrowed over $171 million from clean water environmental funds, and now the taxpayers have to pay it all back!

On Election Day, I hope to earn your vote of confidence for the office of Suffolk County legislator, from Legislative District 2. For more info, visit www.LindaKabotForSuffolk.com.

Linda A. Kabot QuogueMs. Kabot holds the Republican, Conservative and Libertarian lines for the November 5 general election ballot—Ed.