Mangano has MORE Plans to Raise Taxes

From the NY Post:

That's the depressing message coming from Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, who's reportedly pushing for a hike in the county's sales tax, perhaps by a quarter of a point.

That would bump the local rate from 8.625 percent to 8.875 percent -- tying New York City for the highest levy in the state (and that's saying something).

If that happens, it would stab Nassau residents in the back. After all, they dumped the prior county exec, Tom Suozzi, precisely because they were sick of high taxes -- and Mangano ran on a staunch anti-tax platform"

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/tax_first_cut_maybe_zqccCRvzB4miwh4ny4XIMN#ixzz175ksUjQk

The Ever-Vague Peter Schmitt

In a Newsday article about Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman's call for an additional $30million cut from the County budget, Souzzi is on board with that plan to save Nassau County finances "If the economy stays like it is now, maybe the county won't be in trouble, but I'm not willing to take that chance because it could get worse"
Legisaltor Dave Mejias takes the bold step of putting his cards on the table "There has to be more cuts, and everything is on the table, youth board programs to parks. And I'm not for raising property taxes above the 3.9 percent already called for."
Minority Leader Peter Schmitt?
Well, he takes the easy way "I would look for ways to work with the county executive to eliminate his onerous tax increase."
Could be a little more specific, Peter?
You are the Minority Leader who wants to be the Presiding Officer. Surely you can offer up an idea or at least draw a line in the sand. Can't you?

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.

Peter Schmitt Just Phones it In

Peter Schmitt is a bombastic liar with a provincial mind-set that blocks out any fact that may seek to enlighten him. His discourse is crude and he is an embarassment in government.
Now I'm going to tell you how I REALLY feel.
Schmitt being the leader of the republican minority in the Nassau County Legislature has had the opportunity to respond each year to County Executive Tom Suozzi's State of the County address.
I'm going to go further into Schmitts response this year in another post. In this post I will compare this years response to last years response. See if you notice anything...

2007: "This is the 6th occasion I have given the Republican response to County Executive Suozzi’s State of the County Address. Once again, I listened, as you have, to ambitious plans, visionary ideas, and bold new initiatives from Tom Suozzi.

2008: "This is the 7th occasion I have given the Republican response to County Executive Suozzi’s State of the County Address. Once again, I listened, as you have, to ambitious plans, conceptual ideas, and bold new initiatives from Tom Suozzi.

2007: "We believe, as Republicans, that spending has spiraled out of control in this County and like your household we cannot spend more than we take in and, yet, we find that the County Executive proposes to raise taxes approximately 3.9% to cover the deficit as projected by the County Comptroller. All this from a man who didn’t want to be County Executive last year. He wanted to be Governor."

2008: "We believe, as Republicans, that spending has spiraled out of control in this County and like your household we cannot spend more than we take in and, yet, we find that the County Executive plans to raise taxes at least 3.9% to cover the deficit as projected by the County Comptroller."


2007: "Every day, like you, I frequent local merchants in Nassau County. I am constantly being stopped and asked as to what can be done about taxes and about the continuing reassessment of our residential properties. As Republican Legislators we have constantly called for the reassessment of Nassau County to be slowed. It is not necessary to reassess everyone’s property every year. The results are too onerous and the county is forcing the most vulnerable of our citizens; our senior citizens and young families out of their homes. Again I say, this problem has to be addressed now and from the County Executive we hear continued silence."

2008: "Every day, like you, I frequent local merchants in Nassau County. I am constantly being stopped and asked as to what can be done about taxes and about the continuing reassessment of our residential properties. Republican Legislators have constantly called for the reassessment of Nassau County to be slowed. It is not necessary to reassess everyone’s property every year. The results are too onerous and the county is forcing the most vulnerable of our citizens; our senior citizens and young families out of their homes. Again I say, this problem has to be addressed now and from the County Executive we hear continued silence."

2007: "The County Executive needs to reset his priorities to resolving every day problems of you, our taxpayers. He needs to be creative and find ways to reduce spending, and reduce property taxes. He needs to talk with other levels of government, not undertake costly studies that go nowhere. He needs to transfer services which are overlapping. He needs to DO HIS JOB. He needs to find new and fresh ideas for reducing the level of crime and gang violence in our County, thereby insuring the safety of our citizens and children. He needs to stop declaring that all answers to our every day problems can only be solved by the active participation of the state and federal governments and pay more attention to the problems that you and I encounter each day. Traffic, roads that are in deteriorating conditions, our county infrastructure, and most of all, the level of health care this county offers its residents at the Nassau County University Medical Center.

2008: "The County Executive needs to reset his priorities to resolving every day problems of you, our taxpayers, before his term expires next year. He needs to be creative and find ways to reduce spending, and reduce property taxes. He needs to talk with other levels of government, not undertake costly studies and chair State Commissions that go nowhere. He needs to transfer services which are overlapping. He needs to find new and fresh ideas for reducing the level of crime and gang violence in our County, thereby insuring the safety of our citizens and children. He needs to stop declaring that all answers to our every day problems can only be solved by the active participation of the state and federal governments and pay more attention to the problems that you and I encounter each day. Traffic, roads that are in deteriorating conditions, our county infrastructure, and most of all, the threatening deficit facing a health care system this county offers its residents."

2007: "If Mr. Suozzi can be inspired by these challenges and recommits himself to improving the quality of life for all our residents he will have our Republican support.
Thank You and Good Night."

2008: "If Mr. Suozzi can be inspired by the every day challenges you and I encounter daily, if he can downsize and scale back his ambitions and recommit himself to improving the quality of life, for the remainder of his term in office, for all residents, he will have our Republican support.
Thank you and good night."

Schmitt cribbed most of his response from last years. He throws in a little current events and calls it a night.

Tomorrow on the Blog: Schmitt copies his own words but doesn't read them.
Wednesday on the Blog: Schmitt didn't even listen to Souzzis speech.

Stay Classy, Peter Schmitt

Leave it to Schmitt to use a tragedy for political purposes.
The saturday before the newly renovated Theodore Roosevelt Courthouse re-opening ceremony, a mother killed her three children in New Cassel. Schmitt takes this horrible event and does what he does.
Here is the story in Newsday "The courthouse ceremony yesterday coincides with the 106th anniversary of the original grand opening on Feb. 27, 1902. But Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) said Suozzi should have postponed the event following the killing of three children, allegedly by their mother, this past weekend.
Schmitt, who spoke briefly at the ceremony, said afterward that he had felt "very uncomfortable" at the event. "It certainly should have been postponed until after the funerals are over, until after the reports are in and we get an idea of exactly what happened," he said."

And postpone this why?
One thing has nothing to do with the other but Schmitt feigns concern and uses it as a back-handed swipe at Suozzi.
Schmitt should be ashamed at himself for trying to politicize a tragedy. Then again, he's done it before.
Schmitt dragged a young woman forward to testify in public about he abuse at the hands of a county employee. Schmitt didn't care that the young woman was in tears. Schmitt just wanted to "get" Suozzi. The young woman filed a lawsuit against Schmitt saying he "deliberately and publicly disseminated the painfully embarrassing, shocking and stigmatizing details of her assaults at a legislative hearing to advance partisan political interests."

Peter Schmitt has no shame.

Full of Schmitt

Schmitt raises some rightous indignation on News12 about the PROPOSED raises for the County Executive, Assessor, DA, and Clerk.
Schmitt practically screams at Scott Feldman "You don't try and sneak it in the middle of the night without any public scrutiny or without any public debate or public discussion. He should know better."
What the hell is Schmitt talking about????
Seriously.
Nothing is being "snuck in" because Schmitt as a legislator has to READ the budget proposal and then VOTE yes or no.
Schmitt is just plain LYING when he says there won't be "public debate or public discussion."
That is what the LEGISLATURE will be doing before they vote in the budget proposal.
I'm going to try to help Schmitt here...
Step 1. Suozzi sends budget proposal to the Legislature.
Step 2. The Legislature (which includes Schmitt) will read the budget.
Step 3. The Legislature (again which includes Schmitt) will have a public hearing on the budget.
Step 4. The Legislature (still including Schmitt) will VOTE on the budget.

No where in there is Suozzi sneaking in raises "in the middle of the night" or "without any public scrutiny or without any public debate or public discussion."

It is up to the LEGISLATURE to approve or deny the raises.
That is how it works.
To use Schmitts own words, Schmitt "should know better."

Schmitt is hoping that he can fool Nassau residents into thinking that the raises are a done deal and no one can object to them.
Why does Schmitt think Nassau residents are stupid?

Here is the video of a red-faced Schmitt doing a great job of looking like a bufoon.

More on the "Horse's Ass Controversy

More on the "Horse's Ass Controversy:"

In the May 2nd, 2003 "Legislative Minority Report," Pete tries once again to make an issue out of non-issue. One would think that there are more pressing issues in the county but for Pete, it's politics before people. Pete continues to fabricate the description of the horse in question. Pete keeps saying that the flag is painted on the "hindquarters of the horse" when it is the whole horse painted in red,white and blue with a field of stars. The sad attempt to politicize the patriotic design of a 9 year old girl is beyond the pale. Once again, we ask Pete Schmitt to go face to face with the 9 year old designer and tell her to her face that she is wrong and that she is not patriotic. Then Pete can go to the artist that painted the horse who is a vietnam vet and tell him to his face that he is wrong and unpatriotic. In his April "Report" Schmitt said the horse was "...shamelessly emblazoned with the American Flag..." We expect Pete and the rest of his cohorts to not "shamelessly" use the American flag on their political mailings and posters. We would like to welcome everyone down to Mineola to see the horses and let us know if they are offended. Everyone we've spoken to like the horses and don't see what the problem is.