I am beside myself with worry and disappointment after the January 12, 2023, Town of North Hempstead Board meeting. During the public comment portion of the meeting many residents rose to express their concerns about our new scandal-plagued Representative George Santos. These residents are rightly concerned about the Town’s ability to effectively advocate on their behalf to the federal government now with Mr. Santos as our Representative in Congress. I was shocked and disturbed by Supervisor DeSena and Councilman Adhami’s attempts to stifle residents’ concerns by limiting their remarks to “Town business”. I am here to tell you that Congressman Santos is very much a matter of concern for the Town, despite what they may want you to believe.
The Town of North Hempstead is situated entirely within New York’s 3rd Congressional District, and Mr. Santos is our one and only elected official in the U.S. House of Representatives. Our state, county, city, town, and village officials rely heavily on our congressperson for help on a whole host of critically important issues, such as securing federal funds for schools, road repairs and maintenance, environmental clean-ups, and disaster relief, to name a few. Residents often require assistance from their congressperson to navigate our complex federal bureaucracy, like Veterans’ Affairs, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, and many other federal agencies. Unfortunately, even before taking office Mr. Santos lost all faith and trust from the very constituents and elected officials he is supposed to represent.
For anyone who might still be seeking assistance from Mr. Santos, I am afraid they may not get it. Many constituent calls are going unanswered, and the voicemail is often full. Mr. Santos has been running away from the press, and may soon be running from the Nassau County DA, the Queens County DA, the NYS Attorney General, the Eastern District of New York, the Federal Election Commission, and the House Ethics Committee. With all this chaos surrounding him, how can he possibly find the time to give our residents the attention they deserve, or build the trust and skills it takes to deliver results for them?
Mr. Santos, please spare yourself and the rest of us any further embarrassment, do the right thing and resign immediately. We need someone in Congress who will truly represent us, fight effectively for us on the issues, continue to deliver federal grants for ongoing projects, and secure funding for the future of the 3rd Congressional District.
— Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte
