The NY Times identifies another absolute necessity we've all decided to pay for in the state budget, courtesy of Nassau Assemb. Harvey Weisenberg:
A grant of $5000 to the Long Beach Polar Bear Club, which sponsors an annual wintertime cold-water swim in the Atlantic for the hale-and-hearty. Harvey explains:
“ 'It’s a tradition down here,' Mr. Weisenberg said. The money helps the club purchase sweatshirts, Mr. Weisenberg said, which are then sold to raise money for charity. 'Last year we generated almost $300,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation,' he said."
Here's an idea: Next year, give $295,000 to Make-a-Wish, reinvest $5000 in a new inventory of sweatshirts to be used the following year, make the whole thing self-supporting, and let the rest of us give money to charities we care about instead of being forced to subsidize causes Harvey cares about -- including, especially, the cause of making Harvey look like a grand fellow in his district by doling out everyone else's money.
In fact -- here's a link to the Long Beach Polar Bear Club, if you want to donate yourself voluntarily, instead of being forced to through Harvey's earmark.
Comments (2)
Here's an idea, stop letting people who aren't even going in the water from filling up garbage bags with sweatshirts, and then having none left for the people actually participating.
What about earmarks for other areas of Harvey's gerrymandered district? I live in Hewlett and we get bubkis.