Chris's Picks for Wantagh Board of Education

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely the opinion of the writer based on my fair assessment of the candidates and issues in contention for election to office on May 17.

All three candidates are personally well known to me. I have worked with each of them in various school district functions over as many as 12 years.  Each is an upstanding, dedicated and hard-working community leader in his own right.  Two of these three candidates will be elected to the Wantagh Board of Education on Tuesday, and one will not elected.  Making the call on these endorsements is difficult for me in the extreme, almost to the point I would rather punt than make this call.  However, I have a self-imposed sense of duty to publish my opinion, here.

Mitch Zerner

I put forth my determination as a partisan, and in the case of the Wantagh Board of Education race, I have been and presently am actively campaigning for the candidate who will receive my top endorsement for election, Mitch Zerner.  I have known and worked with Mitch for 10 years, on school budget matters primarily. 

This year (2010-11) Mitch chaired the Cost Reduction Subcommittee of the Budget Advisory Committee, on which I served.  Mitch also served as a member of the Finance Subcommittee of the Budget Advisory Committee, which I chaired.  I am fully confident of Mitch’s deep understanding, sound grasp, and intelligent facilitation of the school budget, school district finances, and the cost drivers and opportunities to better manage the district’s spending without hurting student programs or the sound, basic educational mission of the schools.

I consider the election of Mitch Zerner to the Wantagh Board of Education of paramount
importance to the success of school district as the political and financial firestorm presently raging in NY State continues to threaten the district’s basic financial health.

For “bullet” voters, I endorse Mitch Zerner to receive your bullet vote.

Michael Soethout

It is a certainty there will be two people elected on Tuesday, and it is also a fact that some people are not “bullet” voters, but will avail themselves of casting their two votes for the school board.  Mr. Soethout prefers an advocacy role for himself, and has established contacts in the State government with will prove useful to the district if he is elected. 

I regard Mr. Soethout as the potential balance person on the school board, similar to the role I described for Ms. Phillips in Seaford.

If you are not a “bullet” voter, then I endorse Michael Soethout to receive your second vote.

Michael Cucci

As is the case in Seaford, the most effective way, in my opinion, to effect structural, sustainable changes in the organization and spending habits of the Wantagh School District is to replace the incumbent who, for a dozen years, has participated in disproportionate tax hikes and spending that has not been metered in accordance with either the prior growth or current reductions in state aid, on the one hand, and, the presently declining enrollment on the other hand.  I regretably have to tag Michael Cucci to be turned out of office on Tuesday.

Wantagh is in desperate need of change.  The organization and structure must change. The sensitivity and reality of taxation must change. The unguided spending must change in proportion to revenue and most importantly, in proportion to enrollment. 

The biggest proportional shift, however, is the amount of money that is actually spent in the classrooms of Wantagh compared to what is spent on administrative positions and salaries, overall.

 The above endorsements represent my own opinion.  If you disagree, please reply and state your opinion.  If you find yourself in agreement withme, your confirming opinion would also be welcome, if not here, then definitely in the voting booth on Tuesday.