For Mangano, the Buck Stops Somewhere Else

Lie #2 is a combo. During the campaign, Mangano took a shot at all the "patronage" under CE Suozzi and Mangano pledged to make cuts, "...Ed Mangano is dedicated to shrinking Nassau County’s bloated patronage system."
Mangano decried the high salaries and how these positions are filled "....the current county executive doubled the size of exempt patronage positions. These positions are highly paid, appointed, and unregulated by civil service exams, many receiving over $100,000 a year...
...these politically motivated appointments are a drain on Nassau County’s resources."

So, how exactly does former (read: defeated) Judge Carnell Foskey fit into all this?
Well, he was appointed to be Parks Commissioner.
Does it matter that he has NO experience running a park system?
Of course not, this is a PATRONAGE job with a salary of $136,000.
What makes it odder is that instead of being replaced, former Commissioner Jose Lopez becomes Foskey's Deputy and keeps his salary of $136,00.
So Mangano ADDS an inexperienced political insider for a high salary and keeps the former commissioner on for the same salary.
This looks like the experienced Lopez will be doing the work and Foskey will be getting a pay check.
Exactly how is that "shrinking the patronage system?"

The second half of this lie is Mangano pledging to cut salaries. How was the Foskey hire a cut?
But there is more....
Three years ago, a commission recommended salary increases for the County Executive, Comptroller, County Clerk and District Attorney. The County Executive salary increased to $174,614.
Mangano opposed the raise and voted against it.
But since January of this year, Mangano has been cashing that pay check happily.
If Mangano was opposed to the raise and says he has "....county payroll by $22 million", why isn't he taking it to the next logical step?
Why doesn't Managno put his money where his mouth is and have the legislature pass a bill that would cut the County Executive salary back to pre-2007?
Managno is laughing all the way to the bank.

Mondello, Schmitt and Patronage Jobs, Oh My!

Celeste Hadrick writes over at Newsday's Spin Cycle about Chairman Joe's bid to get his son-in law jobs.
"State and Nassau Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello denied any involvement in getting his son-in-law a job in 2005 at the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, as reported here last week.
But Mondello acknowledged to Newsday that he did recommend son-in-law Christopher Ostuni to Peter Schmitt, the Nassau legislature’s minority leader, for the vacant position of minority counsel.
Ostuni, 31, started Feb. 8 for a salary of 107,000, officials said. His predecessor, Joseph Nocella, who earned $105,000, left Dec. 7.
“Peter was talking to me and asked if I knew any young bright lawyers that I thought could do the job. I absolutely recommended Chris,” Mondello said. “I like the kid. He’s a very fine lawyer.”
Mondello said his son-in-law, who declined comment, had been Lizza Construction’s in-house counsel after leaving the Waterfront Commission and before joining the county."

The best part is that Mondello got Minority Leader Peter Schmitt to give his son-in-law a County job with a $2,000 increase over the previous person.
This is the SAME EXACT Peter Schmitt who is bitching an moaning about increased spending in the County.
Then again, while he complains about increased spending, Schmitt wants to more than double his own salary.