Friday, November 30, 2007

Back from Short Hiatus

Catching up on a few things before starting to post.
Coming up....

Who are the future of the Nassau Republicans and are they nuts?

Super-secret and poorly attended local elections are less than two weeks away. What's up for grabs?

Joe Belesi: No Class.

Teammurray getting their raises.

And much more.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

A "Heartfelt Appreciation" From Schmitt and Dunne? Hardly.

A friend of this blog and outstanding candidate John Clark caught this little copy and paste job from Schmitt and Dunne.
You can really tell when a politician cares because they take the time to do things personally. Seems Schmitt and Dunne typed out the same exact post-election "Thank You" letters to the Anton Newspapers.
Oh wait... they didn't.
Nothing says "Heartfelt" like a form letter.
Great Job Guys!

From the Massapequan Observer...
"I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation to the voters of the 12th Legislative District for re-electing me as County Legislator. It is an honor to serve as your representative in the Legislature.
In the coming years, our county and communities will continue to face great challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with leaders of both parties to return this county to the principles of fiscal conservatism by encouraging the passing of my proposed legislation to freeze property reassessment for five years and discouraging the continuation of excessive county spending practices.
I also look forward to working with elected officials, community leaders and residents to preserve the suburban character of our neighborhoods. Together, we must stop the forces of urbanization that threaten our quality of life.
Once again, thank you for affording me the privilege of serving you in the County Legislature.
Legislator Peter J. Schmitt, L.D. 12
Minority Leader"

From the Levittown Tribune.....
"I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation to the voters of the 15th Legislative District for re-electing me as County Legislator. It is an honor to serve as your representative in the Legislature.
In the coming years, our county and communities will continue to face great challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with leaders from both parties to return this county to the principles of fiscal conservatism by encouraging the passing of my proposed legislation to freeze property reassessment for five years and discouraging the continuation of excessive county spending practices.
I also look forward to working with elected officials, community leaders and residents to preserve the suburban character of our neighborhoods. Together, we must stop the forces of urbanization that threaten our quality of life.
Once again, thank you for affording me the privilege of serving you in the County Legislature.
Legislator Dennis Dunne, Sr., L.D. 15"

You'd think they would be embarrassed by this.. but they are not.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Murray and Company Spend Whopping 8 minutes Discussing Special Districts

Boy, they really want to tackle this problem.
From our friends at the Community Alliance....
"8 minutes. That's all it took to kill off the last remnants of democracy at Hempstead Town Hall yesterday, where marauding Murray and the robber-barons that call themselves a Town Board turned "oversight" into "overlooked," as the supposed "review" of the special taxing district budgets became no more than a mockery.


8 minutes. Yes, that's more time than the Town clowns have spent looking over the shoulders of the special district commissioners in the last 100 years, but less time than the stalwarts of one-party drool take in bestowing citations upon Boy Scouts and basketball teams.

8 minutes. Barely enough time to summon the media, issue a Murraygram, or pose with Bernie Kerik for a photo op.

8 minutes. The Town’s equivalent of what it takes to reach political orgasm. Who would think the Town of Hempstead would devote even that much time to millions of taxpayer dollars, most of which are being flushed down the toilet at the water districts, or thrown out with the trash -- along with the Democrats' lawn signs -- by the sanitary districts.

The review of the local taxing authorities by the Hempstead Town Board amounted to little more than the Supervisor's query to the stunned audience, "Any questions?" Sure, we all read the proposed special taxing district budgets online. What more is there to know? Who are we to question?

But wait a minute -- or 8. Didn't Kate Murray win re-election by a resounding 68% of the vote? [Then again, Stalin used to pull down 100% of the vote.] Let's be honest here. This is not a mandate to Murray, so much as it is an acknowledgment that the Borg has total control over the goons who slither from under the floorboards and vote as they are told. As for the rest of us who certainly knew better? Tuesday's pathetic turnout by the electorate gives new meaning to the term, "silent majority."

Yes, it took but 8 minutes for democracy to fall in the Town of Hempstead, and but a moment's time for the Mondelloids to unfurl their "Mission Accomplished" banner, as if there is something to be proud of in proclaiming from the podium that what the people want in Elmont, in Oceanside, in Franklin Square, and in West Hempstead -- among other hovels that pass for hamlets in the Town's unincorporated areas -- doesn't amount to a room full of GOP committeemen.

8 minutes for every Town of Hempstead special taxing district budget to be rubber-stamped. 8 minutes to drive a deadly stake through the very heart of democracy. Frankly, we're surprised it took that long.

In a Town, as in a nation, governed by fear and intimidation, where dissent is taunted as disloyalty, to mock Murray and her ilk of the shallow gene pool is to court exile in the Gulag.

Then again, with the official designation of "blight" in Baldwin, "blight" in West Hempstead, and coming soon, "blight" in Elmont -- not to mention the undesignated and unofficial blight elsewhere in Hempstead Town (just a study waiting for a Victorian-style street lamp) - a few years in the vast wastelands of Siberia is looking pretty good right about now.

Democracy? You've got a better shot at representative government under Musharaff in Pakistan than you do under Murray in Hempstead Town. A government of the people? Don't tell Abe Lincoln, but "by the people" and "for the people" have drawn their last breath in America's largest township.

Democracy dies on the Hempstead Plain. The Eulogy was brief. The remains to be forever interred in the bowels of Town Hall at 1 Washington Street.

In lieu of voting, we hope you sent flowers."

Monday, November 12, 2007

Mejias to be Declared Winner... Belesi Wil Not Concede

After all the votes are counted and machines recanvassed, Legisaltor Dave Mejias will shortly be declared the winner in Nassau by just over 200 votes. Belesi refuses to concede.
How far will Mondello try to take this?

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sign Stealer Guardino Connected

From Newsday's Matthew Chayes....

"The Republican party political machine runs in the blood of 20-year-old Peter Guardino.

His grandfather, Joseph Colby, became a State Supreme Court justice after serving decades ago as the town supervisor of Oyster Bay. Guardino's father, A. Peter Guardino, was the town's deputy commissioner of human resources and later its labor director. The younger Guardino is a Republican committeeman in Oyster Bay, according to the Republican commissioner at the Nassau County Board of Elections, John DeGrace.

And early Tuesday morning, the scion found himself accused of practicing politics by other means: engaging in a dirty tricks campaign to steal hundreds of campaign signs belonging largely to Democrats.

Guardino makes $41,509 a year working for the Oyster Bay town parks department as an "Equipment Operator 1," according to Phyllis Barry, a town spokeswoman. Barry said Guardino began working for the town in January 2006. She said she did know if any disciplinary action would be taken against Guardino in light of the arrest.

Guardino, of Chestnut Avenue in North Massapequa, was arrested Election Day morning on misdemeanor stolen-property charges after Nassau police officers found about 220 of the signs from different political races in his Chevrolet pickup truck, police say.

Hours earlier, two plainclothes officers said they saw Guardino's truck pull into a Plainview McDonald's with its headlights off at 4 a.m., then saw him yank a Democratic party sign off the restaurant's lawn, police say. Guardino is scheduled to answer the charge in First District Court in Hempstead next week, authorities said.

Before they arrested him, they spent five hours investigating whether Guardino was authorized to remove the signs.

Detectives visited the Plainview Diner on Old Country Road, asking the manager whether an $80 sign for the Nassau County Legislature's presiding officer, Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), was on diner property before Election Day and whether it was there the morning of Election Day, according to John Papavasilopoulos, the diner's owner.

"We said it wasn't there in the morning," said Papavasilopoulos, who stressed in an interview with Newsday that he supports candidates of all parties and never asked for Guardino to be arrested.

Approached Thursday afternoon outside his Massapequa home, Guardino declined to comment on the charges, referring inquiries to his attorney, whom he declined to name. No attorney for Guardino could be identified."

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

New Presiding Officer is NOT Peter Schmitt

It's Diane Yaturo!!!
Congratulations Presiding Officer Yaturo.
Thank you Judy Jacobs for your incredible leadership.


Why Republican Rhetoric Did Not Work

Every year the republicans trot out an ill-conceived issue to run on. This year was re-assessment and in the final month drivers licences for illegals.
I took a sample of past election results of 2003 the last off-year election. In 2003 there was a county-wide candidate for the Assessors race and that brought voters out. Four years later with no county-wide race, both Democratic and republican candidates saw some big drop-offs in numbers. The Nassau GOP can't say that any of thier issues impacted the races because in some cases the republican drop-off was greater than Democrats. In the end, the percentages were pretty much the same from 4 years ago.
3rd LD
- 2003
Ciotti (R) …….5604
DeAngelis (D)…….4430
2007
Ciotti (R).......5,337

Mirza (D).......3,967

Ciotti Down 267
Democrat Down 463

8th LD - 2003
Muscarella …….8449
DeFelice (D)…….3127
2007

Muscarella (R).......7,633
Uhl (D).......2,347

Muscarella Down 816
Democrat Down 780

9th LD - 2003
Nicollelo (R)…….8494
Tamares (D)…….3822
2007
Nicolello (R).......6,974

Sokol (D).......2,870

Nicolello down 1520
Democrat down 952

12th LD - 2003
Schmitt (R).......9241
Rennhack (D).......3754
2007
Schmitt (R).......8,783
Rennhack (D).......2,712

Schmitt down 458
Democrat down 1042

13th LD -2003
Gonsalves (R)....... 7613
Zimmerman (D).......5075
2007
Gonsalves (R).......6,979

Rossi (D)......3,656

Gonsalves down 634
Democrat down 1419

15th LD - 2003
Dunne (R)……7749
Clark (D)…….3614
2007
Dunne (R).......7,295

Clark (D).......2,841

Dunne down 454
Democrat down 773

16th LD - 2003
Jacobs (D).......9550
Doyle (R).......4464
2007
Jacobs (D).......7,267

Girardi (R).......4,340

Jacobs down 2283
Republican down 124

17th LD - 2003
Mangano (R)....... 8348
Burns-Gleason (D)....... 3789
2007
Mangano (R).......7,352

Guarglia (D).......2,403

Mangano down 996
Democrat down 1386

Historical Numbers for the 14th LD Mejias Re-Election

The 14th LD is a republican district. That can't be argued. Even after the redistricting, the 14th is still overwhelmingly republican. Just by voter registraion, Mejias should have been clobbered each time he ran. That didn't happen and I don't doubt that Dave Mejias was re-elected and the Dems are still in control of the legislature.

I've posted some numbers of past races to compare to what we are seeing last night.

1999 is the year that the Democrats swept into control of the Legislature. It was a massacre for republicans but republican incumbant Sal Pontillo survived with a healthy margin of victory of over 1000 votes.
Pontillo (R) 5,994
Gorman (D)4,927
Styne (I) 258

2001 Tom Suozzi headed the Democratic ticket and Dave Mejias in his first run comes within under 600 votes of beating Pontillo.
Pontillo (R) - 7,574
Mejias (D) - 7,019

2003 with County Assessor at the top of the ticket, Mejias beats a candidate with massive name recognition. Mejias wins by 381 votes.
Mejias (D) 6,106 - 52%
Carman (R) 5,725 - 48%

2005 Souzzi up for re-election and PBA along with republicans spend alot of money to unseat Mejias but he takes the win.
Mejias (D) 7,587 - 51.36%
Sabellico (R) 7,184 - 48.64%

2007 an off-off year election with no top of the ticket county-wide still sees Mejias win in a district where his party affiliation is in the minority. The numbers tightened up this year but the republicans out-did themselves throwing money into the race. The Belesi people went sign crazy putting Belesi signs deep into the 12th LD and over in the 15th LD.
DAVID L MEJIAS (D).......6,182
JOSEPH V BELESI (R).......5,960

Mondello Suffering from Delusions

Mondello tells the New York Times “While the results are still coming in, it is clear that New York’s Republican Party has come a long way in the past 12 months,”

How is losing two special elections in Nassau, a party switch from Westchester, losing the Town of Islip and just keeping the status-quo in the Nassau Legislature coming a long way?????

Town of Hempstead Election Results

Winners in Red.

SUPERVISOR TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
KATE MURRAY (R)......66,043
KEVIN GORMAN (D).......30,729

TWN OF HEMP COUNCILMEMBER 2ND DST
N SCOTT BANKS (D).......5,455
EDWARD A AMBROSINO(R).......10,035

TWN OF HEMP COUNCILMEMBER 3RD DST
JAMES DARCY(R).......10,314
GARY M CARLTON(D).......5,104

TWN OF HEMP COUNCILMEMBER 5TH DST
ROBERT S YOUNG(D).......6,906
ANGELINA M CULLIN (R).......12,199

TOWN CLERK TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
MARK A BONILLA (R).......59,560
STEPHEN E TURMAN(D).......32,771

RECEIVER OF TAXES TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
DONALD X CLAVIN JR (R).......61,201
GEOFFREY N PRIME(D).......32,067

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Town of Oyster Bay Election Results

Winners in Red.

SUPERVISOR TOWN OF OYSTER BAY
JOHN VENDITTO (R).......32,166
JOSEPH M TERINO JR (D).......15,083

COUNCIL MEMBER TWN OF OYSTER BAY
JOSEPH D MUSCARELLA (R).......29,435
ANTHONY D MACAGNONE (R).......28,333
KEITH A SCALIA (D).......17,464
ROSE MARIE WALKER (R).......28,087
CAROL A GORDON (D).......16,580
JAY S CHERLIN (D).......16,213

TOWN CLERK TWN OF OYSTER BAY
STEVEN L LABRIOLA (R).......30,026
MATTHEW T MENG (D).......15,692

RECEIVER OF TAXES TWN OF OYSTER BAY
MARIE F MCCORMACK (D).......18,332
JAMES J STEFANICH (R).......27,640




Nassau County Legislature Election Results

UPDATE: for 2008 election results please go here.

The ED's counted are 100% but the republicans won't concede the 14th LD.
Winners are in Red

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 1ST DISTRICT
KEVAN M ABRAHAMS (D).......4,283
DARREN R BRYANT (R)...... 828

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 2ND DISTRICT
ROGER H CORBIN (D)......3,619
DARROL A LOPEZ (R).......1,076

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 3RD DISTRICT
ALI A MIRZA (D).......3,967
JOHN J CIOTTI (R).......5,337

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 4TH DISTRICT
DENISE A FORD (D,R,I,C,W).......9,859

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 5TH DISTRICT
JOSEPH K SCANNELL (D)......5,225
CHRISTIAN BROWNE (R).......4,204

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 6TH DISTRICT
FRANCIS X BECKER JR (R).......6,870
OMAR G JORGE (D).......3,026

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 7TH DISTRICT
JEFFREY W TOBACK (D)......4,861
HOWARD J KOPEL (R).......4,165

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 8TH DISTRICT
MICHAEL A UHL (D).......2,347
VINCENT T MUSCARELLA (R).......7,633

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 9TH DISTRICT
RICHARD J NICOLELLO (R).......6,974
ERIC M SOKOL (D).......2,870

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 10TH DISTRICT
JUDI BOSWORTH (D).......6,273
HARRY A DEMELL (R).......2,801

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 11TH DISTRICT
WAYNE WINK (D).......6,088
LEE TU (R).......3,360

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 12TH DISTRICT
PETER J SCHMITT (R).......8,783
JOHN E RENNHACK (D).......2,712

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 13TH DISTRICT
JOHN J ROSSI (D)......3,656
NORMA L GONSALVES (R).......6,979

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 14TH DISTRICT
DAVID L MEJIAS (D).......6,182
JOSEPH V BELESI (R).......5,960

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 15TH DISTRICT
JOHN M CLARK (D).......2,841
DENNIS DUNNE SR (R).......7,295

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 16TH DISTRICT
JUDITH A JACOBS (D).......7,267
JOSEPH B GIRARDI (R).......4,340

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 17TH DISTRICT
EDWARD P MANGANO (R).......7,352
NICHOLAS M GUARIGLIA (D).......2,403

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 18TH DISTRICT
DIANE V YATAURO (D).......6,549
ELIZABETH A FAUGHNAN (R)....... 5,032

COUNTY LEGISLATOR 19TH DISTRICT
DAVID W DENENBERG (D).......7,449
JOHN P PODOLSKI (R).......3,120

Arrested Sign Stealer on News12

Here is their story...

Belesi Won't Concede

Even with a re-canvassing and Schmitt's hopeful comments on News12 that an election worker somehow transposed numbers, Mejias pulled out a win.
It's close and the reps spent an ungodly amount of money on a intellectually weak candidate but the seat is still Democratic.

Schmitt Breaking Election Law

It looks like Schmitt is electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place.
Big no-no.
But we know that Schmitt doesn't worry much about the law.


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

No Live-Blogging Tonight

Gonna be at Dem HQ tonight.

Republican hack Peter Guardino Arrested with 220 Stolen Signs

Here is the full story I mentioned this morning. This schmuck is a commiteeman from my area. I wonder how many of my signs were in his truck...

From Newsday:

Man charged in theft of 220 campaign signs
BY WILLIAM MURPHY
6:29 PM EST, November 6, 2007

A man whose pick-up truck was stacked with 220 political signs from a variety of Democratic candidates was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with possession of stolen property, Nassau County police said.

Peter Guardino, 20, of North Massapequa, was given a desk appearance and released after being charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, police said.

Two plainclothes officers saw the pick-up, with its headlights off, drive into a fast-food parking lot on Old Country Road in Plainview about 4:05 a.m., police said.

Guardino got out of the vehicle and pulled a political sign from a grassy area, police said, and officers then approached him and saw the other signs in the truck.

Police said they established that one of the signs had been taken from the Plainview Diner. They arrested Guardino about 9 a.m. after the management of the diner filed a formal complaint that no one was authorized to remove a sign for Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), the presiding officer of the legislature, from the diner's property, police said. The value of the sign was put at $80.

Guardino could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sign Stealer Caught and Arrested

More info to come but as of right now, a republican operative who also works for one of the towns has been arrested and charged.

The Election Day Goons Are Out

As of 3am this morning, I had 100+ signs all over the district. At 714am, most of them were gone. Incredibly, republican signs right next to whee mine were are still there.
What are the republicans in the Massapequas so scared of?

The Goons are congregating at Paddy's Loft on Hicksville Road right now.

VOTE!

Today is election day and it is important to exercise your right as a citizen to choose who you want to represent you.

With that said, locally we need to return all the Democratic Legislators. The slim majority we have now is all that stands between us and bankruptcy for the county. Peter Schmitt and the republican candidates support plans that will make matters worse not better.
I am running against Peter Schmitt in a very uphill race because the truth about his plans need to be told. Nassau County can't afford Peter Schmitt.

Legislator Dave Mejias needs your support in the 14th LD to make sure that Joe Belesi the Peter Schmitt puppet doesn't ruin the county.

Legislator Diane Yaturo will defeat TOBAY council-woman Beth Faughnan. And then Faughnan needs to lose in TOBAY in 2 years.

Elsewhere, please cast your ballots for great candidates for legislature Omar Jorge, Mike Uhl, Ali Mirza, John Rossi and John Clark.

In Oyster bay, it's time we had real government and not wishy-washy, finger in the wind "leaders" like John Venditto. Joe Terino and his team are the future.

In Hempstead, just throw the corrupt bums out. Kate Murray is part of a system that bleeds taxpayers dry while lining the pockets of politically-connected friends and family.

Judges? I know Ed Dane and he is a Judge we need on the bench.
Rhonda Fischer? Don't vote for her. She's part of the republican machine.

It's raining out but get out there and vote. The future of our great county depends on it.

I'll have updates during the day when I can get in front of a computer.

John

Monday, November 05, 2007

Mejias Files Complaint with DA Against Schmitt

From Newsday Spin Cycle's Dan Janison:

"
Democratic Nassau Legis. David Mejias, in a letter dated Oct. 21 from his law office, complains to Democratic District Attorney Kathleen Rice and to the county ethics board that Republicans had a county employee photograph him and other Democrats specifically to place the images in attack mailings.

The complaint is directed at Minority Leader Peter Schmitt's deployment of county photographer Michael Tamborino on Sept. 24 when the Legislature was in session. "On Oct. 10, 2007," he states, "the pictures taken during that legislative session were used in partisan political literature/propaganda," Mejias says.

One ad displays a photo of a nut and bolt, with the proclamation "this is a machine product." It is juxtaposed with a photo of the gesturing Mejias and the punchline: "So is this." Another piece uses the same purportedly county-provided photo and accuses Mejias of "playing politics and costing property taxpayers a fortune." Both were included as exhibits in Mejias' complaints.

Mejias, a recent resident of Farmingdale, faces Republican challenger Joseph Belesi at the polls tomorrow in a widely-watched race. There was no immediate response from Schmitt's office.

"Peter J. Schmitt may believe that his use of Michael Tamborino, a county employee, during working hours (and using a county-woned camera and film) for the advancement of his partisan political beliefs is appropriate and proper," Mejias wrote. "Clearly, it is not." He cites a section of local law barring use of county resources in furtherance of professional or political interests.

To the board, Mejias requests public censure for Schmitt, a forfeit of pay and a fine."


Newsday Endorses Me (John Rennhack) for Legislature

12TH DISTRICT

Republican Peter Schmitt, 57, of Massapequa, has taken to his role as minority leader of the legislature with vigor. Perhaps too much vigor. While the job is to lead the loyal opposition, Schmitt has too often been an obstructionist, reflexively rejecting anything the Democratic majority proposed. He stands for everything that we found disappointing about the old, sclerotic Republican Party.


Democrat John Rennhack, 37, of North Massapequa, is a television broadcast satellite manager who wants to use technology to open up legislative operations to the public. And he would push Nassau to go green. Both are worthy ideas. But his anti-Republican rhetoric as an outsider and Web site operator has, unfortunately, sometimes been over the top. He needs to reject the hyper-partisanship that has characterized his opponent. With that caveat, Newsday endorses Rennhack.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Venditto Ignores Residents in Syosset

From Guest Blogger Keith Scalia, Candidate for Oyster Bay Town Council....

Over the past several years, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto and the Town Board have approved the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars on preventing the Taubman group from building a mall on the former Cerro Wire site. As recently as last week, Supervisor Venditto stated that he "won't be intimidated" by developers that are "corporate America profiteers" and "money-grabbers" that intend "bully" him. Moreover, www.venditto.com states that Supervisor Venditto will "continue to oppose development that erodes the unique character and quality of life we enjoy in our communities." While the supervisor and town board have done their due diligence for the residents of Birchwood, they have been inattentive and thoughtless in another community that lies a half mile from the Cerro Wire site.

The Syosset Mobile Home Park is a peaceful, close knit community of seventy families that consists of senior citizens, veterans, young families, and children. It has had a quiet history in the Town of Oyster Bay for over eighty years. On April 2, 2007 the park was sold to a developer, STP Associates, LLC., and the residents were devastated and blindsided by the sale. STP Associates, LLC has indicated that they would like to close down the park in order to develop the parcel and advised residents to take their homes and get off their land. Unfortunately, many of the residents' homes cannot be moved for a number of reasons. Moreover, residents will receive no compensation should they leave their homes behind. The residents of the community have invested their life savings into purchasing, furnishing and refurbishing their homes and are now facing the reality of their families becoming homeless or dependent upon public assistance.

Supervisor Venditto and the town board have turned a blind eye on the hundreds of residents that live in the Syosset Mobile Home Park. Abusive tactics by STP Associates has forced some residents to make the dreadful and unthinkable decision of abandoning their homes. Town Code has not been enforced and countless phone calls to the TOB Building Department regarding demolition of homes without proper permits have been ignored and unreturned by officials. Moreover, sewer lines remain uncapped and exposed creating a number of health issues for the remaining families.

When it has come to preventing development at the Cerro Wire site, Councilman Chris Coschignano has stated that "equality of life is the paramount issue" and "the Town Board held firm to protect it." However, when it comes to protecting the quality of life for the residents of the Syosset Mobile Home Park, Supervisor Venditto and the town board has stated that they need to "remain neutral." If Supervisor Venditto is the "hardworking, creative and dedicated leader" and "great proponent of family and community" that he claims to be, he must attend to the pressing needs of this great community with the same vigor that he has done with the Birchwood community.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Venditto Opponent Terino Gets Newsday Endorsement

Newsday points out Vendittos lack of a spine...

"
After 10 years of slow motion on crucial development issues, it's time for change

Republican John Venditto has been supervisor of Oyster Bay Town for the past 10 years and in that time, he says, he is proud that he's done things "the Oyster Bay way." By that, he means that change has come incrementally, in a manner designed not to change the suburban nature of the town. Venditto, 58, of Massapequa, has vehemently opposed such projects as the Avalon housing development in Oyster Bay village, the multi-use project proposed by Charles Wang for Plainview and the luxury mall proposed by the Taubman company in Syosset. He has, in fact, fought repeated court orders to allow the mall to proceed. In all three cases, he says the projects are too dense for the town's character. And in all three cases, he has sided with the traditional NIMBY opposition to anything new.

Venditto says he recognizes the need for change and has supported senior and now next-generation housing proposals. But his accomplishments are tiny compared to the problem. He also says he's straightened out the town's finances in his years in office, and championed more environment and open-space programs. For that he deserves credit.

His opponent, Democrat Joseph Terino, 38, of Syosset, is a former Nassau assistant district attorney now in private practice. He's critical of Venditto for his slow pace and lack of creative thinking about problems such as affordable housing and redevelopment of downtown areas like Hicksville. While he thought the Avalon project was too dense as proposed, he says the only way to lower taxes in the town is through intelligent planning and redevelopment. He says he would accept the court order on the Taubman project but negotiate for less density. Venditto laughs at this, saying Terino will never achieve the reduction in the size of the mall he claims.

Venditto has been too complacent on the big issues facing the town. Terino promises a more dynamic but still sensible approach to growth and redevelopment. It's time for a change in Oyster Bay. Newsday endorses Terino.