Two weeks ago, I offered an observation that there is something politically curious about Ralph Suozzi's re-election as mayor, with an overwhelming majority of Democratic votes, followed almost immediately by a city council vote, without any public discussion, to turn over Glen Cove's $52 million sewage treatment plant to Nassau County as part of a plan devised by the county executive, Ralph's first cousin.

Evidently, my letter touched a nerve because I received a call - before this paper even hit all the newsstands - from a very angry, unnamed politician whom I have known for nearly 20 years. To sum it up in a word, he did the same thing that has distinguished the Bush people - he accused me of "disloyalty." Disloyalty for what? For questioning a plan that has never been fully explained? Is that what we owe politicians who we've supported - a green light to do anything they want without questioning the wisdom or motives behind it?

A week or so later, in the Jan. 4 edition of Newsday, an article entitled "Questions About Sewer Plan" appeared, declaring, "[d]espite many unanswered questions, a Nassau County legislative committee has approved the first step in County Executive Thomas Suozzi's plan to consolidate three local sewer systems into the county system." Sadly, the article fails to question why both city and county politicians seem hell-bent on this county takeover that no one seems to adequately understand. Right now, the only thing the public can see is that Ralph Suozzi looks like he's returning a political favor for his re-election, and Diane Yatauro, the county legislature's presiding officer who owes her entire political career to Tom Suozzi, is spearheading the county's approval of the yet-to-be-fully explained multi-million dollar asset turnover.

But, what truly stands out in the Newsday report is a statement attributed to the legislature's Republican Minority Leader, Peter Schmitt of Massapequa. That statement is vintage Schmitt, who is notable for his opposition to anything Democratic. Despite a current uproar in Glen Cove over the city's proposed turnover of this valuable asset which may have the potential of making millions of dollars in profits for the city, Mr. Schmitt nevertheless calls it a "thinly disguised attempt to bail out financially strapped Glen Cove, [County Executive] Suozzi's hometown and political base."

You just can't make this stuff up. The Democrats, headed by the two Suozzis and Yatauro, are working furiously to bestow what may be a huge financial benefit to the county at the expense of Glen Cove's taxpayers, while the Republicans, headed by Schmitt, are calling it a bailout of Glen Cove. By his remarks, Mr. Schmitt has now put all of the county's voters on notice. Somebody's going to pay for this. It may be Glen Cove's taxpayers or it may be the county's taxpayers. But, who knows? The politicians aren't explaining what they're up to here.

All this brings to mind the 1994 movie, Dumb and Dumber, the cross-country adventures of two incredibly stupid friends. The movie had other working titles: Dumb Happens and Misled and Uninformed (the original script title). You can take your pick on which title best suits this situation.

One thing's for sure, however. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, this is the government you voted for. If you didn't vote, this is the government you got.

Michael A. Levy