The Dissembling of CSEA Local830 President Jerry Laricchiuta

What is right, standing up for your Union members who elected you or covering for your political party bosses?
On Friday, Nassau County CSEA President Laricchiuta spoke at St. John's University which hosted a forum on the union-busting in Wisconsin. There, Republican Laricchiuta said "We find ourselves under attack by those in our party, mostly over to the far right."

"They have convinced many people in this country that the reason for the economic crisis is the pensions and benefits and salaries that public workers have fought for over the years... It's without merit. And yet they've got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attack labor and they're going to take it."

Laricchiuta is saying "they" and "far right" republicans are going after unions.

In February, Laricchiuta wrote an op-ed which was published in Newsday and many of the local weekly papers. There too he stated "Accusations by various groups and individuals that paint the county worker as the No. 1 reason why the county has fallen into this financial abyss, are wrong and baseless."

When it comes to the attacks on union workers in Nassau County, it isn't some "far right" republican group or any mysterious cabal, it is Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt. Both REPUBLICANS, just like Jerry.

Why didn't Laricchiuta just come out and say "Mangano and Schmitt have been maligning union workers"?

He does say "...the main message here is that the anger and venom being spewed today at the county worker are wrong and misdirected." But as the leader of almost 10,000 County Workers, he conceals the culprits to the detriment of the members. Why not let the workers know exactly who is attacking them. Be honest, it isn't some mysteroius, shadowy group or fringe individuals, it is the republican county executive and republican Legislature Presiding Officer. It certainly NOT the Democrats but Jerry in his dissembling tries to protect his fellow republicans as we head into the fall elections. The same people attacking his union members now, have gone hat in hand in the past to get endorsements and campaign contributions. Is Jerry going to endorse Schmitt and his republican rubber stamps in this years elections? He'll have a hard case to make to his members when they know without a doubt that Schmitt and the republicans are the ones attacking them.

It was Mangano, not "various groups" that demanded $60million in labor concessions and then threatened layoffs AND breaking the union contracts.

It's Mangano who has said “The costs related to our work costs have simply become too great for our taxpayers to fund through the real property taxes that are collected.”

And Schmitt who said "Nobody who works for private industry has some of these benefits and receives some of these benefits.”

Jerry Laricchuita needs to defend his workers against the clear union-busting Mangano and Schmitt are attempting with breaking the contracts. The Union Leaders in Wisonsin have not been afraid to name names and Laricchuita should follow their lead.

Mangano Takes to the Airwaves to Look Ridiculous

At 4am this commerical popped up on tv. It was a cheesy looking ad with lots of erroneous information. It was Ed Mangano (paying out if his campaign funds) taking an unnamed swipe at NIFA and touting some of his "accomplishments."
It's funny to hear him say he is protecting Nassau from "Propety Tax" increases. Of course he has to preface "Tax Increase" with the word "Property" because Mangano raised $60million in fees, shifted millions in tax burdens to school districts and tried to INCREASE the county SALES tax.
When he's pushing that broom at the end, you might wish that was the extent of his job responsibilities after what he has done to Nassau in a single year.

Mangano and NIFA: A Modern Day Scorpion and the Frog

The main crux of Mangano's lawsuit against NIFA is that NIFA is unconstitutional. He is arguing that a NIFA takeover violates the NYS Constitution.
Now keep in mind that NIFA was created to pull Nassau County from the brink of financial disaster caused by then Legislator Ed Mangano and Peter Schmitt.
Mangano and Schmitt voted for the creation of NIFA.
Mangano and Schmitt greedily accepted the money that NIFA could offer to fix Nassau's mess.
Mangano and Schmitt charged around Nassau during the 2009 elections practically calling NIFA reports that criticized Tom Suozzi the gospel.
Now that NIFA isn't a useful election tool, Mangano and Schmitt no longer have use for them.
Experts aren't siding with Mangano on this and the attorney for NIFA counters "A municipality can hardly claim that its domain has been invaded by legislation it asked the state to enact."

This situation brings to mind the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog.

"One day a scorpion arrived at the bank of a river he wanted to cross, but there was no bridge. He asked a frog that was sitting nearby if he would take him across the river on his back. The frog refused and said, 'I will not, because you will sting me.'

"The scorpion replied, 'It would be foolish for me to sting you because then we would both drown.'

"The frog saw the logic in the scorpion's words, and agreed to carry the scorpion across. But when they were halfway across the river the scorpion stung the frog. The stunned frog asked, 'Why did you sting me? Now we will both die!'

"The scorpion replied, 'Because I'm a scorpion … and that's what scorpions do.'"

And if Other Republicans Say This About You.....

Long-running NYC Republican website Urban Elephants had this to say about the NIFA takeover:

"A state financial control board set up to oversee Nassau County's finances has seized control of the county for failing to balance its budget, a humiliating rebuff to the newly elected GOP County Executive and GOP-controlled County Legislature.

If you can't cut a budget enough to balance it, you're not competent to govern."

NIFA Breaks News to Mangano and Schmitt: 'You're Our Parents!"

After spending a few weeks calling NIFA "unelected", "unaccountable", etc, etc, NIFA responds to the Mangano/Schmitt lawsuit against them and says "A municipality can hardly claim that its domain has been invaded by legislation it asked the state to enact."
Yup, that's right.
Eleven years ago, Schmitt and Mangano in the Legislature voted to create NIFA to pull them out of the fiscal mess they created back then.
So, CONGRATULATIONS to Momma Mangano and Papa Schmitt. You can't disown your own kid.

Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt Unhinged and Dangerous

Peter Schmitt has real issues he needs to deal with. He gets far too angry and turns beet red too often at Legislature meetings.
Now he has turned his anger on the members of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) and it's just very violent.
The Long Island Press reports that when Schmitt was talking about his conspiracy theories about NIFA to the Press he said "I’m just going to enjoy hitting them on the side of the head with a baseball bat.”
What kind of man is Schmitt (or lack of man) that he needs to say that?
It's not like he used a simple metaphor like "I'm going to beat them over the head with their conflicts of interest."
He stepped over the line by ratcheting up the violent imagery.
But then again, we should expect that from someone who a Federal Prosecutor once called "very unspohisticated" and "naive."

And of course Schmitt is unapologetic for his comments. "I will not reply to Yaturo’s rambling statement because she’s already had her chance and she struck out.”

Mangano Changes His Story on the NIFA Conspiracy

It's amazing that Mangano can just plain lie about things he said that are documented quite well. In a new statement about NIFA released on his Facebook page, Mangano tries to back off from his and Peter Schmitts conspiracy theory about NIFA.
Mangano says "My supporters and the media should know that I am not concerned whether NIFA is politically motivated or bipartisan."

But just a little sampling of his comments immediately following the control period announcement show Mangano was all in on NIFA being a grand conspiracy against him.

"(Residents) should question (NIFA’s) motivations,” Mangano said. “It’s to discredit the administration,” - Levittown Patch

"At today’s Long Island Association Executive Breakfast....
Mangano suggested some members of the NIFA control board should be changed because their motivations are purely political." Long Island Business News

"This is just a game to have us boxed in to raising real property taxes, a political game so they can say ‘Ed Mangano and the Tea Party came to office with reform and were unable to accomplish it’,” WCBS 880

And it's even ON VIDEO!!!!


Perhaps Mangano realizes that he sounds less dignified when he spins conspiracy tales like Schmitt.
Mangano does go on to say "What concerns me is that the architects of Nassau's budget mess are now acting as its watchdog."

Really? Is that why Mangano wanted to "PARTNER with NIFA"??
"If the unions don't work with us to achieve real savings, the county executive will partner with NIFA to protect taxpayers, a Mangano aide said in a statement."

Sorry Ed, you can't re-write your own words.

Mangano Fundraising on NIFA Woes

Just when you thought you couldn't get any more cynical about politics.
Accidental County Executive Ed Mangano vows to fight for Nassau County Taxpayers against the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) take-over of Nassau County finances.
While he is doing that, he wouldn't mind if you donated to his campaign.
That's right, while Nassau's finances are being taken over by a Control Board, Mangano has taken this opportunity to raise some cash for himself. (maybe he wants to go out to eat some more)
So what if the Bond Rating for the county is downgraded?
Who cares if the reputation of the county is made worse by Mangano's ineptitude!
It's all okay 'cause Mangano has money in his campaign account.

I was at a local forum and on the table was a piece of paper signed by Mangano. Mangano was there along with Peter Schmitt to lie to the folks about NIFA.
The handout has a color heading that reads "URGENT: ED MANGANO IS FIGHTING NIFA'S TAX HIKES and he needs your help!"
Now just as an FYI, NIFA can't raise your taxes but that is for another post.
The rest of the handout is the standard line Mangano has been spewing for the past week.
Then all the way at the bottom after his signature is a "P.S." asking for a donation.
Now this this says "Help Ed Mangano stop NIFA's tax hike."
Exactly how in the world would a campaign contribution help his fight?
Isn't it the County as an entity suing NIFA? It's not Mangano personally suing them.
Here is Ed Mangano using a terrible situation for Nassau to make some money for himself.
The bigger problem here is that Mangano was at this forum as his offical capacity as County Executive and he is handing out flyers asking for campaign contributions. Unfortnately someone will be suckered into donating thinking the money is going to help "fight NIFA."
Something seems very unethical about this.

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