New York Islanders: Why You Should Vote "Yes" on August 1

The New York Islanders have been on Long Island since 1972, but are now in danger of moving. Their fate could be decided on a simple vote that will take place on Monday, August 1.

It seems like this vote could come down to a couple hundred votes. This vote is very important for not only the Islanders, but for all of Nassau County. People say that it will raise taxes and be a burden in the future. This is simply not true.

Without a new Coliseum, Nassau County, and possibly most of Long Island, could be affected in a negative way. No money will come into the county. Local businesses will be forced to shut down because of money loss. Taxes will rise higher then ever.

And what is the county left with? An empty arena in the middle of nowhere that could have been a huge boost to the local economy.

The Nassau Coliseum generated more then 2,000 paychecks last year. If the new arena is passed, it's estimated that it could generate 3,000-plus paychecks annually. I can't see how the county could afford to lose these jobs. It just doesn't make sense to me that people will vote "no" just because they don't bother to read the facts.

Just starting to build the new arena would be a huge boost. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of construction jobs would be created. In addition to that, 3,000 permanent jobs would be created.

New businesses will open up around the area and money would start to come into the county. Also, with a minor league ballpark, this would create yearly income for the county.

People say that the $58 tax is very high. Think about this though. With gas prices high and tickets very high in price for events in New York City, it would cost much more then $58 for a family to go to an event in the city. Wouldn't it be easier to go five minutes away and do something?

I can only hope that people realize that if the Coliseum goes, so does 2,000-plus jobs and upwards of $104 million per year. If it passes, there would be 1,000-plus construction jobs, 3,000-plus permanent jobs and generate $1.2 billion!

I can't see how anybody wouldn't want that. Also, we could see 200-plus events per year, around 50 more that the current building has. Along with the minor league baseball games we'll see even more events annually.

I can only hope people see this for what it is which is a tremendous improvement. I hope that people care about their future and even their children's future. I know I wouldn't want my children growing up in a place that is struggling.

Also, I would hate to see the Islanders leave. They're on the rise and are improving every game. The fans are loyal.

In the end, it's your decision. Vote, "No," and continue to go down hill. Or, vote, "Yes," and rebuild the area and make it a place to be proud of and a place people want to go to.

A "Yes" vote is not only a vote for the Islanders, it's a vote for all of Nassau County.