Information on contacting our legislators

[Wantagh Parent]

Please post information related to contacting our political representatives in this thread.

[parentinwantagh]

To all of the parents lets all take our energy and come together for the community. If anyone has any ideas regarding raising money for our schools, ie. writing letters, making phone calls, etc. We are all ears.

Lets show our children just how important they are to us and how we come together as a community in difficult times!

Thank you in advance from the community and from our children.

[parentinwantagh]

Although I believe we should wait until Tuesday to find out the legalities on receiving donations and conducting fund-raisers for our school I found this interesting.

www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin/admin105.shtml

I remember playing donkey basketball when I was in high school. It was a great way to bring the facility and children together. I also remember having a "carnival" type day on school grounds.

[taxed2death]

It would be helpful at Tuesdays meeting if a "1 sheet" was handed out with a list of all politicians to contact both locally and state levels, as well as bulleted facts so that everyone in the community can have the info they need for a masssive letter campaign. The facts need to include cost per pupil, # of students, avg home tax, % of tax revenue generated by community commerce vs other surrounding towns, and any other relevant comparisons to surrounding communties that will help state our case.
A flyer with this info should also be distributed in every backpack and posted in King Kullen and all local stores. Perhaps students can make signs and put them around schools and town urging people to "HELP Wantagh".

[makeitright]

to taxed2death, can you to take this project on? I think it's great. I do remember a letter from Mr. Wolinsky going home with such information years ago.

[parentinwantagh]

taxed2death, if you have any information I would love to work with you to have something ready for Tuesday.

makeitright, maybe you can do some investigating and share any information you find.

[taxed2death]

Unfortunately I do not have access to the information, particularly on a holiday weekend. I was requesting that the BOE or Administration provide the facts at the budget meeting so that we all have the "accurate facts" to write to our legislatures. I hope that this is happening as we speak as well as at this evenings meeting. If I had this information I would have been happy to post as well as put flyers in all my neighbors doors.

[apple5]

Hi, what about a fundraiser that would bring the older generation of wantagh, and the younger generation together. How about a "movie in the park," and use one of the schools to host it. Just a thought.

[taxed2death]

Apple5 wrote: Hi, what about a fundraiser that would bring the older generation of wantagh, and the younger generation together. How about a "movie in the park," and use one of the schools to host it. Just a thought

In response, I do appreciate your thinking, I had been thinking of that as well as a positive and larger venue event to help bring in sizeable funding compared to some of the traditional fundraisers. This would involve permits, insurance and some complicated logistics, not to mention timing, however I do not think those challenges should stop us from pursuing these type of venues. As you mentioned, this is a fundraiser that brings "all" of the community together not just the parents of schoolage children and that is important to keep in mind at a time when our community has been divided, one step in changing the direction of thinking, while a win win for all. I think we need to get past Tuesdays vote, and then no matter what the outcome we need to have immediate meetings to generate ideas and form task forces to ;ut these type of ideas into motion, we can not afford to put off these ideas until Nov BAC. The energy and passion is hear now and we should not postpone. Whoever on this board is in a position to make this happen, please do your best to get a meeting on the calendar before the end of the month so that action plans can be put into place. Thank you!

[taxed2death]

Below is a contact list of our government reps. As we wait to find out the impact of this years budget vote, we need to work as a community toward solutions for next year. Letter writing to our representatives is an important component that we need to do in MASS. I would also like to start pulling together clear concise facts so that each letter can be personalized, yet fact based. There is lots of info on this board, however can you please post facts under this section, and when using numbers, state source. Once we pull together these facts, we need EVERYONE (YES's and NO's) to tell all their neighbors and start writing and emailing on a REGULAR basis.
Governor David A Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-8390
Website: (note: no .com) Contact the Governor sectionon left navigation
ny.gov/governor

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo
5550 Merrick Rd, Room 205
Massapequa, NY 11758
516-882-0630
senatorfuschillo.com
[e-mail]

Albany Office:
Charles Fuschillo
Room 915 LOB
Albany, NY 12247
518-455-3341

Assemblyman David G. McDonough
404 Bedford Avenue
Bellmore,NY 11710
516-409-2070
Fax[phone]
[e-mail]

District (most of Wantagh)
Legislator Dennis Dunne
516-571-6215
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]


Legislator David Denenberg (small section of Wantagh)
516-571-6219
Fax[phone]
[e-mail]

[voteno]

two years ago the BAC made a recommendation that the BOE enlist the help of the public to lobby our legislators for additional funding. as with most of the BAC's recs, it went ignored.

[sally]

Jun 19, 2008 13:35:23 GMT -5 @voteno said:

two years ago the BAC made a recommendation that the BOE enlist the help of the public to lobby our legislators for additional funding. as with most of the BAC's recs, it went ignored.

.

Your comment is so far from the truth.As a member of the BAC for the past 10 years,we always tried as a committee to do this and as for myself I personally brought it to the PTA meetings at Wantagh El.It is the public that has continually ignored the call and they chose not to do it.So STOP placing blame and move on.We all need to work together to get things done.The board always encouraged us to bring it to others and if you chose to ignore it that was your decision.We can no longer try to force feed this community,everyone must do their fair share!Everyone can start by writing hand written letters to the legislatures listed above.We deserve our fair share.Thank You ;D

[taxed2death]

Jun 19, 2008 13:35:23 GMT -5 @voteno said:

two years ago the BAC made a recommendation that the BOE enlist the help of the public to lobby our legislators for additional funding. as with most of the BAC's recs, it went ignored.

It feels like you have given up before we have even started. Our legislators have told us that they do not receive enough letters from their community. They can not show up in Albany with 2 letters and expect to make a case for us. They need to walk in with sacks of letters like an old movie, it maybe cliche, but it's how it works. Volume is what speaks. Also continuity. We need to letter write on a regular basis, not just once. Email and write to All representatives untill they get sick of listening to us. Nobody can fairly say that as a community we have put up a good effort, we have been apathetic. It's very easy to complain, but now we need to get past the emotions and the complaining and do something productive. Just do it!

[voteno]

sally,
with all due respect i am not wrong. i sat on the committee that made this recommendation and to date there has been no call i am aware of from the BOE for the public to write letters. i have not given up..i have written letters. i have no desire to fight with you or anyone else,but when you all talk about moving on and working together ..it has to start somewhere... and that somewhere is the BOE enlisting the help of the community.