Missed Our Spring Dinner? Here's what Chairman Jacobs had to say.

I want to speak this evening about where we are, a bit about how we got here, and, most importantly, where we’re going.  I think a lot of voters woke up on the day after the 2009 election both shocked and surprised.  I’m pretty sure that Ed Mangano woke up that morning feeling the same way.  I know I did.

But it’s about a year and a half later and now the voters are getting to see the real consequences of their vote that Tuesday in November.  And that reminds me of the story of Ed Mangano, who, with the NIFA takeover swirling about him, took a walk down his block to clear his head.

Half way down the block he comes upon a little girl carrying a basket.  Curious, Mangano asks the girl; “what’s in the basket?”

She replies, “brand new, day old, baby kittens,” and she opens the basket to show him.

“How nice, Mangano replies, “what kind are they?”

The little girl says, “Why, they’re Republican kittens.”

Mangano smiles, pats the little girl on the head and continues on.

Three weeks later, Presiding Officer, Peter Schmitt is visiting Mangano and they decide to take a short walk.  They come upon the little girl carrying the same basket.  Mangano turns to Schmitt, and says “watch this, Peter, you’ll love it.”

Mangano greets the little girl and says “how are the kittens doing?” and she replies, “fine.”  

Then, smirking, he nudges Schmitt with his elbow and asks the little girl, “And can you tell us what kind of kittens they are? He asks.

She replies, “Well, they’re Democratic kittens.”

Perplexed, Mangano says, “But – three weeks ago I saw you and  - you said that they were Republicans!”

“I know,” the little girl replies, “but that was the day after they were born, and now their eyes are open.”

 Nassau voters will be going into the 2011 election with their eyes open – wide open.  They’ve had the chance to see the world of Republican machine mismanagement and cronyism in all of its glory.

For ten years, Republicans had run for office, against incumbent Democrats with the simple mantra that Democrats were wasting their money, taxing them unnecessarily, and failing to cure an Assessment debacle that they promised was easy to solve – if only Republicans were back in power.

For ten years, Republicans ignored 13 bond rating upgrades, ignored the workforce reductions, consolidation and efficiencies.  While taxes in Republican controlled towns went up every other year – never in an election year, of course, they ignored the fact that the County’s portion of everyone’s property tax bill actually went down.

For ten years, Democrats balanced the budget and ran the government under the oversight of a Republican-led Nassau Interim Finance Authority that, while it had comments and, at times, criticisms of budget projections, never felt the necessity to take control of the County’s finances.

And then, in 2009, after years of selling their wares, Ed Mangano and the Republicans finally got their way.  And Nassau voters got to see what Republican government would actually bring them.  

And what did voters get?  Republicans repealed the Home Energy Tax that would have cost homeowners less than $1.75 a week, and the County lost $45 million a year in revenue.  Republicans promised that the money wasn’t needed and all that they had to do was cut the waste and patronage jobs from Suozzi’s budget.  But, low and behold, those wasteful patronage jobs, like Weapons of Mass Destruction just weren’t there when the Republicans rode into town.

They promised to fix everyone’s property taxes by simply reforming the Assessment System.  They botched the reform and Assessment is in even worse shape now, and the County’s newest idea of a fix: pass the tax refund payments off to the schools, towns and villages.  Even though the County made the mess – let someone else pay the tab – at the cost of hundreds of dollars per homeowner in school and town property tax increases.

And, we’ve seen how well Republicans actually run government.  From the Hempstead Town Cemetery where workers, coincidentally Republican Committeemen, bury bodies in the wrong graves, and when caught, only get promoted directly into Ed Mangano’s Community Relation’s office.  Hopefully they’ll do a better job with live bodies then they did with the dead ones.

To the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter, a $7 million Republican patronage pit where Party Boss Joe Mondello and Kate Murray place their closest friends and allies to abuse helpless cats and dogs.  With nine of these workers, coincidentally Republican committee people, each making over $100,000 a year, with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever, Hempstead Town wins the award for the most costly run Animal Shelter in the state – wasting taxpayer money, but worse, demonstrating the real costs and harm of Republican mismanagement.

And let’s not forget Ed Mangano’s first days in office.  While Peter Schmitt was ramming through a 47% Pay increase for himself and the other Republican leaders in a Legislative Majority that ran on the Tax Revolt line, promising to cut spending, Ed was signing off on a fleet of brand new gas guzzling Chevy Tahoes for every one of his aides and department heads – undoing the Suozzi Administration’s earliest policy which had taken virtually all cars away.

But who made out really well?  Ed Mangano’s former law firm which was awarded numerous contracts, nearly a million dollars worth, not the least of which was to restudy once again, the already studied and restudied Lighthouse/Coliseum Project that Republicans have stalled to death while grasping for better ideas to utilize that languishing space.

And, what idea did these geniuses come up with to preserve the Suburban Character of the neighborhood that was so important to them?  A gambling casino – just yards away from two of our most important local institutions – Nassau Community College and Hofstra University.  Throw in prostitution and I think the Republicans have hit a home run!

But the icing on the cake has to go to Ed Mangano who waved the NIFA report over his head as gospel during the election, but within less than a year has managed his first bond rating downgrade and the first State take-over in our history by that same control board he now condemns!  

And, Ed’s resonse?  Blame the predecessor who left you a balanced budget with a surplus.  Blame the unions who had already given concessions – that you, yourself, signed off on as a Legislator, blame the Legislative Democrats for refusing to borrow more money.  And, finally, blame NIFA itself, accusing its members of being unethical and unfair.  And then, against everyone’s advice, sue them in court, unsuccessfully, to stop the takeover - wasting even more millions in taxpayer money.  What a glorious achievement!

Yes, this November, voters will cast their votes with their eyes wide open.  

But Democrats need to do more than remind voters of where the Republicans have stumbled and failed.  Democrats need to define a vision that sees opportunity in today’s challenges.  

You can’t tell me that Nassau County – one of the largest, richest, most beautiful, diverse counties in the country is destined for a future of permanent decline because today’s County Government can’t find a way out;

You can’t tell me that this is the best it’s going to be – because this is the best that we’ve got.  We all know that we can do better.

Time and experience has proven that voters move to the Democrats when they’re ready to solve their problems.

Democrats have gotten our fiscal house in order before and Democrats can do it again.

Democrats know that growth – smart growth – that creates jobs and revenue is the best way to solve Nassau’s problems;

Democrats know that we can summon the smarts and strength to re-engineer the way we deliver services in this county.

And Democrats know that we can and must work together to figure out how to house our next generation work force, create vibrant downtowns and build a world-class sports complex to keep the Islanders in their Nassau home.

Bill Clinton’s words can well be applied to preserving our Suburban way of life when he reminded us: “If you want to live like a Republican – you’d better vote Democratic.

That is what the 2011 Election is all about.  And, with your help and your support we will not fail.