It's hard to understand. Five local people have more power over our pocketbooks than does the president of the United States, but most people don't even know their names! I'm talking of course, about members of the Massapequa School Board. On election day, uninformed folks don't bother to vote, and that gives the few who do vote, a lot of power.

Among citizens who recognize their civic responsibility and actually go to the polls, are large numbers of teachers. Also the spouses of the teachers usually vote, as well as their children over the age of 18. Good friends from the PTA can also be counted on and the result is quite predictable. Many school boards have members who are or formerly were teachers, together with spouses of teachers and yes, PTA members.

Why do I say that school board membership is so important to our pocketbooks? Simply because in Massapequa, 80 percent or more of our $156 million school budget is spent on salaries and benefits. And it was the five people on the board who negotiated all the labor contracts with school employees.

Until last year, the president of the Massapequa School Board was a retired teacher who had long been a member of their union. Now, another longtime member stepped up to the presidency. He is married to a teacher in this district.

A long period of labor peace prevailed under their leadership. Contract after contract was negotiated and quietly signed. And now the top salary for a Massapequa classroom teacher is $115,280 and in September, that figure will be $119,394. Pension and other benefits add 25 or 30 percent to the cost and dozens of ways exist under the contract to supplement one's income.

A March 24 article in Newsday documented quite clearly the very liberal spending policies of the Massapequa School Board. For each of the school districts on Long Island, numbers were published of school administrators who are paid more than $110,000 a year. Massapequa has 59, much more than in most other districts. In fact, in all of Long Island, only one district has more: Brentwood has 62 - but Brentwood has 16,463 students, we have 8,259.

The contract with the teachers' union mentioned above, expires at the end of coming 2008-2009 school year. The May 20 election will be for two seats on the school board and there are seven candidates running. Two of the candidates are married to teachers.

In my view, this election is particularly important because the two candidates whom we elect will be directly involved in writing the new teachers' contract. Like the sun coming up in the morning, unions always ask for increases. What salaries will the board agree to in the next contract? What impact will that have on our taxes?

James E. Stubenrauch