Elmont Online

What do you do about a public official that has betrayed the public trust? Many times, the official resigns in public disgrace after a news story that uncovers the scandal. Others quietly leave and are never heard of again. Some continue in office thinking that nobody will ever find out. In Elmont, we have an elected school official that continues to project themselves as a guardian of our taxpayer dollars. The fact is, however, this Trustee broke the trust between the community and our public education system. Many throughout Elmont were rightfully angry when they looked at posters in store windows and the words integrity, honesty and commitment flew off the page at them of a flier by a School Trustee running for re-election. The power of the words this Trustee used on the flier gave the air of someone who is beyond reproach. If rumors are accurate, there appears to show another set of circumstances.

What would you say if you were to find out that taxpayers in Elmont, Stewart Manor, South Floral Park and parts of North Valley Stream, were subsidizing a sweetheart Cadillac health insurance policy utilized by district employees and negotiated through union representation by one of our School Trustees? What is even more shocking is the fact that this trustee actually voted on the insurance program negotiated. Thus, in effect, voting as an official Trustee on their personal health insurance policy.  Those jaws probably need to be closed now.

It is a well known fact that this Trustee has been covered by that very Elmont School District health insurance program. This program is offered to employees and is paid for by the taxpayers. As an aside, School Trustees can receive health insurance if they pay for it. State Senators and Assemblymembers should stop this practice immediately.

As we all know, School Trustees are not compensated for their service as it is voluntary. It is public service. Not serve yourself.

The facts are that this taxpayer subsidized health insurance program, even with a premium paid for by the Trustee, is a sweetheart deal that I believe thousands of Elmont residents would love to utilize. Can someone tell us when enrollment is open?

That in and of itself is reason for the Trustee to start answering questions.  But there’s more.

The problem with this situation is that the Trustee did not pay their premiums on time. In fact, it is well known that the Trustee was carried for free for months as they did not bother to even pay it. Again, another aside, it is well known that other Trustees still owe the School District money for unpaid premiums. A collection agency should be hired by the district to recoup these funds immediately.

Hundreds of Elmont, Stewart Manor, South Floral Park and North Valley Stream residents are unemployed and can barely making ends meet. Some are in such desperate measure that they can’t even afford COBRA payments to continue their health insurance after their employment ends.

Rules are rules. If you don’t pay your phone bill it’s shut off. If you don’t pay your light bill, it’s shut off. And, like the rules state, if you don’t pay the health premium, you lose your health care. This Trustee thumbed their nose at the community and carried on with free health care. And we paid the bill. It’s arrogant.

So, where does this leave us? What we have here is a public servant, with their nose in the trough, utilizing health care coverage and arrogantly not even paying for it. The Trustee, by all accounts, was strongly warned by district officials that they were putting the district into a very serious situation by their actions.

The Trustee finally paid for the insurance, after they were chased down by the bill collectors- in this case school district officials.

Now, let’s examine the re-election flier a little more closely, the Trustee says “I want to continue to be a part of a board that uses its policy making authority to develop a policy of fiscal conservatism that will enable the district to be prepared to confidently address future educational and fiscal issues..”

Make you sick to your stomach?

By the way, this is the same School Trustee with one of the poorest attendance records on the board. And, a Trustee who is absent from school activities and has no presence in our High School buildings.

Again, it’s called arrogance.

Taxpayers must wonder why the official paper of the school district, the now defunct Elmont Herald, didn’t rip the mask over this charade going on underneath their noses for so long. Maybe there was a conflict? Nah, couldn’t be.

It is a well known fact that Board President Michael Jaime has no tolerance for shenanigans of this type. In fact, Jaime he is well known to be uncomfortable with the sweetheart health insurance arrangement.  The question is now will he demand true accountability to the taxpayers by the Trustee. Out in the open. In the sunlight of public discussion. One hopes so.

This matter is a serious one and by the Trustee’s own re-election flier, a boasts of their work on the School Board Audit Committee is used as a symbol of fiscal prudence. One wonders if the audit committee was going to cite the Trustee for an egregious violation of the public trust.  Don’t hold your breath. The School Board must take clear action immediately. This is a breach of public trust.