Land Use And Politics Trotta Wins Conservative Line

Politics as Usual?

GOP County Legislators Win Write-In Race for Conservative Line

By Jerry Cimisi

It’s been common for the Conservative Party to cross endorse Republicans in general elections, as their political views are often similar. While being a minority party, the SuffolkLegislator Rob Trotta County Conservative Party (the largest conservative party in New York State) has a large enough base that its support could very well make the difference in a close election. But this year, when Suffolk Country Legislator Republican Rob Trotta also sought the endorsement of the Suffolk County Conservative Party in his bid for re-election, the Conservatives had their own candidate in mind, Richard Lanese, who works in the Suffolk County Comptroller’s Office.

Of course the Suffolk County Conservative Party has the right to field its own candidates, but, according to Trotta, the Conservatives are more interested in a certain benefactor’s donations than any conservative core values, and were even in fact endorsing Democrats in some races, certainly not a common occurrence on the political landscape.  

As Trotta sees it, the Conservative Party’s shift in this election revolves around the donations of developer Jerry Wolkoff and the sewer system he needs to connect to the county’s Southwest Sewer District for his 450-acre. 9,000-unit Heartland development in Brentwood, on the site of the old Pilgrim State Hospital. This would be the largest development on Long Island since Levittown made suburbia famous after World War II.

Wolkoff bought the site from New York State in 2002. It is estimated it will be a $4 billion project that will be completed over three decades. (Wolkoff may be planning a very long life; he is 82.) Heartland is also planned for a million square feet of retail space, three million square feet of office space—totaling, along with the residential units, 15.5 million square feet of development.

But Wolkoff is at odds with how much the county wants him to pay to join the sewer district. And it is what has resulted from this conflict that Trotta sees as a corruption of the political process, asserting that Wolkoff has made donations to parties and politicians who will back Wolkoff’s assertion of what he should be paying.

“He should be paying $50 million for this hookup. He wants to pays $20 million. So he’s been donating to Democrats and Conservatives in particular who see things his way. He made a donation to the Conservative Party three weeks before the primary [June 25].”

Without the Conservative endorsement, Republican Trotta ran a write-in campaign in the primary for the Conservative line, and went door to door in his district, talking to as many voters as he could. “They were shocked. They didn’t know this was going on.”

The result: The Conservative candidate Lanese had 77 votes in the primary, while there were 115 write-in votes to be counted July 8, well after election night. Trotta contended those write-in votes were all his. He wasn’t the only one who believed that. In a conversation with Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine a few days after the election, Romaine had no doubt that the write-in vote would easily make Trotta a candidate on the Conservative line. 

This indeed was the case. When the Suffolk County Board of Elections gave its official tally on July 8, Trotta has won the Conservative line, 262-88. Two other GOP county legislators had also entered the primary with a write-in campaign for the Conservative line: Kevin McCaffrey and Anthony Piccirillo; they too were successful. McCaffrey’s tally was 186-146; Piccirillo won 186-146. He also won the Independence line, 65-39.

Brookhaven Supervisor Romaine related that even prior to this election, the Suffolk County Conservative Party has been divided into “factions”—between present Chairman Frank Tinari and party member Kenneth Auerbach.

In fact, a party procedural situation had wound up in New York State Supreme Court.

Here’s what happened: During a September 2018 meeting of the Suffolk Conservative Party County Committee, Frank Tinari, party chair, motioned to dispense with a roll call to determine if a quorum was present (a quarter of the membership of the committee was need for a quorum); Tinari decided it was apparent from the sign in sheets that more than a quarter of the membership was present. Auerbach and others objected to dispensing with the roll call. Tinari took a vote on his motion and it was carried.

The party then proceeded to its official business, among which was the election of officers, with Tinari elected to continue as party chairman. Auerbach and others took the matter to court, contesting what had occurred at the meeting, resting their case on what they saw as procedural irregularities.

Earlier this year the court decided that Tinari’s election should be overturned. Yet this past April, the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division overturned that decision. Tinari was once again in charge.

Frank Tinari is an attorney, the founding partner of Tinari, O’Connell and Osborn, LLP, in Central Islip. He previously worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Tinari succeeded former Suffolk Conservative Party Chair Ed Walsh, a correction’s lieutenant at the county jail, who in 2016 was found guilty of being paid ($80,000 worth) while not actually only the job; he was instead golfing, gambling at Foxwoods and tending to party politics while on the taxpayer’s dime.

As of press time, Tinari did not return messages left for him at his office asking about Legislator Trotta’s allegations.

When Jerry Wolkoff, the veteran developer who has been in real estate for more than sixty years, was asked if it were true he had been donating to officials favorable to his side of the matter in the price of a sewer hookup for Heartland, he said, with a laugh, “It wouldn’t make much sense to help people who are against me.”

Last year Wolkoff applied for a fifty percent reduction in the fees the county was asking him to pay, which would reportedly save him $12 million dollars. The country was not amenable.

According to Wolkoff, “About twelve or fourteen years ago I saw down with Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and reached an agreement that when Heartland was completed—remember, that’s thirty years down the line—it would be using 1.6 million gallons of water a day.” 

But the Suffolk County Sewer district contends that when completed Heartland would be using 2.5 million gallons a day.

Wolkoff debated the reality of that estimate. “The truth is, I could see, sixteen years ago, it wouldn’t even reach that level I’d first projected. Look how technology with toilets and washing machine has improved. It used to take five gallons to flush a toilet; now it’s one and a quarter.”

Wolkoff is seeking to pay half of the original $15 dollar a gallon hook up fee—with good reason, he asserts. “It’s been customary that if you bring in more than just residential, if you bring in office and retail, as I will be doing, the rate will be reduced. And now, over the years, the county has gone from $15 a gallon to $30.

“They say I’m asking the taxpayers to pick up the difference. With the taxes Heartland will pay to the county, the county will be making money on me. I want to create a community that provides housing, restaurants, stores and recreation that you don’t have to get into a car to reach. You hear these politicians, they say they’re leaving Long Island after they retire. So you expect them to have your back? I intend to be here.”

In February 2019 Wolkoff filed a $15 million lawsuit against Suffolk County over its refusal to let him hook up Heartland to the South West Sewer District at a rate less than the District demands.

In relation to the long time span the project will take to complete, Wolkoff said, “I probably won’t be here when it’s done, but I’m definitely going to be around to get it going. People say I’m just in it for the money. At this point in my life I don’t need the money. But I enjoy what I’m doing. Long Island needs something like this. You can have people living in a more convenient way, without have to get into a car for their daily needs.”

Incidentally, if you try to get more information about the Suffolk County Conservative Party, when you click on any of the topics on its home page, you are warned: “Firefox detected a potential security threat and did not continue to scconservatives.org. If you visit this site, attackers could try to steal information like your passwords, emails, or credit card details.”

Jerry Cimisi, winner of several awards from the Press Club of Long for investigative and science reporting, has covered Long Island news for the past thirty years. 

Pedestrian Killed In Hit-And-Run In St. James

Suffolk County Police today arrested a man for leaving the scene following a motor vehicle crash that killed a male pedestrian in St. James.

Michael McDermott was jogging on the shoulder of the southbound lane of Lake Avenue, north of Oak Street, when he was struck by a southbound 2014 Nissan sedan at 12:21 p.m. The driver, Keith Clancy, fled the scene in the Nissan. McDermott, 37, of Smithtown was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Police located Clancy driving the Nissan eastbound on the Long Island Expressway. He was pulled over by a Seventh Precinct officer near exit 69 in Manorville at approximately 12:49 p.m.

Clancy, 32, of Mattituck, was arrested and charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. He is being held overnight at the Seventh Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip in the morning.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555. All calls will be kept confidential. 

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.     

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - Releasing Balloons Is Devastating To Environment

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

“One balloon released is one too many,” says Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker.

Thus she is sponsoring a bill to amend current county law which allows the release of up to 25 helium filled balloons—and change that number to zero. There would be no release in Suffolk of helium-filled balloons or balloons otherwise filled with “lighter-than-air-gas.” 

“The beaches in my legislative district, that includes the coastline from Mount Sinai to Wading River, are greatly impacted by environmental pollution, in particular plastics and balloons. It’s time we take responsibility for keeping our oceans clean and become better stewards of our environment,” says Ms. Anker, among the strong environmentalists on the 18-member Suffolk Legislature.

A Mount Sinai resident, she cites findings documenting released balloons having “devastating effects on sea life.” Her resolution notes that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has determined that “balloon debris can be easily mistaken for food and ingested by animals, and balloons with ribbons can entangle wildlife. Balloon debris can also have an economic impact on communities by contributing to dirty beaches, and can cause power outages when entangled with power lines.”

The bill will come before the legislature next week. If it passes and is then signed by County Executive Steve Bellone, fines for releasing a balloon in Suffolk would start at $500 for the first violation, $750 for the second and $1,000 for the third and any additional violations.

The move to flatly prohibit the release of balloons began in Suffolk in February with the East Hampton Town Board voting 5-to-0 to bar any balloon releases. “Balloons waste natural resources, litter our communities, pollute our waterways and kill wildlife,” says the East Hampton ban. 

The Southampton Town Board followed last month with all members present passing a complete ban “intended to reduce the negative impact that balloons have on the environment by discouraging the intentional release of balloons in the Town of Southampton.”

A spark plug behind the East Hampton, Southampton and Suffolk County actions is Susan Faith McGraw Keber, a dedicated environmentalist and member of the East Hampton Town Trustees. The Trustees have been, as their website notes, “stewards of public lands and waterways since 1661. We are one of the oldest bodies of government in our country.” The elected panel created in colonial times predates balloons—but not concern for the environment.

Ms. Keber of Northwest Woods spoke to other East Hampton officials about the need for a town measure—Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc sponsored East Hampton’s resolution—and then went to Southampton and conferred with officials there and also met with county officials.

The Suffolk County law on balloons which would be amended took form in 2005 when

Legislator Lynne Nowick of St. James received a letter from some elementary school students about helium-filled balloons falling into waterways and being mistaken for jellyfish by sea animals which ingested the balloons and died. They noted that Connecticut, because of this issue, banned mass balloon releases and they suggested the same sort of thing be done in Suffolk. 

Ms. Nowick studied the issue, found that balloons represented the most common form of floating garbage within 200 miles from shore and, indeed, regularly kill marine life, especially turtles. She introduced the bill that became current county law which would continue as law although zeroing out any balloon releases if the Anker bill is enacted. Ms. Nowick was term-limited as a Suffolk legislator and is now a Smithtown Town councilwoman.

An entity called The Balloon Council, a balloon industry group based in New Jersey, tried to stop the Suffolk measure but the legislature stood up to it. The Balloon Council has described itself as “Affirming America’s Ongoing Love Affair with Balloons.” It is now in retreat stating conspicuously on its website (www.theballoon council.org) that “balloons should not be released.” This is keeping, it says, with what it labels “Smart Balloon Practices.” Between 2012 and 2017, the Associated Press has reported, The Balloon Council spent more than $1 million “lobbying against balloon regulations nationwide.”

             The website (www.balloonsblow.org) of the organization Balloons Blow, based in Florida, is loaded with suggestions as substitutes for releasing balloons. “There are many safe, fun, and eye-catching alternatives to balloons for parties, memorials, fundraisers, and more!” it says. “As we become more aware of our personal impacts on the environment, people are ditching single-use, wasteful products for earth-friendly, reusable and exciting alternatives.”

Considering how deadly a balloon released into the environment can be, “one released balloon” is indeed “one too many.”

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.   

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - NYS Comptroller's LI Economic Snapshot

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is just out with a report that describes itself as an “economic snapshot” of this area. Some of the information we know of but a lot we don’t.

Who, for example, is familiar with the fact that the village with the smallest population in New York State is “the tiny village of Dering Harbor [on Shelter Island] with 11 residents.” Or who knew that Hempstead “with nearly 56,000” is the state’s “most populated village?” 

I knew property taxes in neighboring Nassau County were high but the report terms the “median property tax bill in Nassau…particularly high: $14,872” in contrast with the “state median tax bill of $8,081.” Meanwhile, the median property tax bill in Suffolk is $8,556.

Why is the Nassau tax bill sky-high? Some 70% of property taxes go for schools, but the number of schoolchildren all over Long Island has declined. Does it have to do with corruption in Nassau government as exemplified by the recent convictions of ex-Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, his wife, his former top aide, and other Nassau officials?

Exacerbating the tax bite now is the big cut in deductibility of local and state taxes on federal tax returns. “Long Islanders face some of the highest tax burdens in the state. The recent federal tax law caps the deductibility of state and local taxes, making the burden even higher for many taxpayers,” the report notes. 

Then there’s the “fiscal stress” for governments. “Long Island has higher levels of fiscal stress compared with other regions in the state. Both Nassau and Suffolk Counties are in significant fiscal stress,” it says. The term “significant fiscal stress” is the most extreme level given by the comptroller for governments and school districts in financial difficulty.

A main issue in the contest for county executive this year in Suffolk between incumbent Steve Bellone and County Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr. is the charge leveled by Mr. Kennedy that Mr. Bellone is guilty of fiscal mismanagement which Bellone spokespeople deny.

As for Suffolk’s population, the African-American percentage is reported as 8% and the Latino population is now very substantial, 19%, which is “equal to the state percentage.” 

“Long Island is generally prosperous,” says the report, with the “median household income in 2017” $105,744 in Nassau and $92,838 in Suffolk, “both significantly higher than the state median of $62,765.” But “disparity of income is fairly wide” with “the villages of Hempstead and Greenport having median incomes below $60,000.”

The “median value” of a home in Suffolk is $379,400 compared to $293,000 for the state. In the Town of East Hampton, it’s a whopping $807,500, “highest for any of Long Island’s towns.” Despite the high cost of housing, the “homeownership rate” for Nassau and Suffolk is 72%, “much higher than the 48% statewide rate.” It’s further noted that the “high home prices can prove a source of financial strain.” Oh, yes. 

Despite development in the population boom of the last several decades that has given “much of the region…urban and suburban characteristics, agriculture remains an important part of Long Island’s economy and its culture. In fact, Suffolk County has the highest value for agricultural crops of any county in New York State…with production centered on nursery, greenhouse and sod products; vegetables; fruits; poultry and eggs and aquaculture, e.g., fish, clams. Since its start in 1973, Long Island’s wine industry has grown dramatically.”

“Health care is the largest private sector employer on Long Island,” says the report, “accounting for nearly 17% of private-sector jobs, 193,000.” Treating illness has become Long Island’s biggest industry. What does this signify?

There are issues regarding the “network of aquifers beneath the island”—its sole source of potable water. “Concerns have been raised about their recharge rates and contamination from pollution sources” says the report about the aquifers. Instead of treating and then recharging wastewater back into them to replenish the underground water table, most wastewater is sent (all of it in Nassau) through outfall pipes out to bays, the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean.

The drive for development is continuing. The report cites “the Ronkonkoma Hub” project in which “1,450 apartments and 545,000 square feet of retail space” is to be built. There are also plans for a project “nearby…in the Town of Islip” to feature “a 7,500-seat arena and 6,000-seat soccer stadium as part of a $1.1 billion development” which will also include “offices, a convention center and medical facilities.” Although these projects “and many others may add to Long Island’s economic opportunities, they could also contribute to heavy traffic congestion and may put more pressure on already high housing costs.”

The report concludes: “Despite these challenges, Long Island continues to be a desirable place to live, work and raise a family…”

Comptroller DiNapoli, a Long Islander from the village of Great Neck Plaza, comments that the report is “meant to provide useful information.” This it does.

Karl Grossman is a veteran investigative reporter and columnist, the winner of numerous awards for his work and a member of the L.I. Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a professor of journalism at SUNY/College at Old Westbury and the author of six books.   

Theater Review – by Jeb Ladouceur – “Angel’s Mice and Men”

 Theater Review – by Jeb Ladouceur – “Angel’s Mice and Men”

The following interview took place in Smithtown, L.I. on June 30, 2019: 
_____________________________________________________ 

Jeb L:  First of all, Cindi, congratulations on the forthcoming debut of your new one-act play, ”Angel’s Mice and Men.” You must be excited. 

Ms. Braff:  I am beyond excited.  We have a great cast and crew, and they are really bringing this play to life. There is nothing more thrilling for a playwright than to watch your words on paper transform into staged performance. 

Jeb L:  I’m intrigued by your title. Why the allusion to “Of Mice and Men”? Are you a Steinbeck fan? 

Ms. Braff:  Loneliness is one of the primary themes in Steinbeck’s classic novella. I remember reading it in high school and being deeply affected by the characters and their lonely lives. 

Jeb L:  So the theme of Loneliness has stayed with you through the years, and finally you’ve found the characters who embody it. That must have been a powerful impression. 

Ms. Braff:  In “Angel’s Mice and Men,” every character in the play is dealing with loneliness. In one scene Angel, the protagonist, who is a young widow, says, “…I haven’t felt this alone, I don’t know, I guess ever.” Steele, the romantic interest, responds, “For me, loneliness comes as regularly as the full moon, or as irregularly as the rain.” Mrs. Bloom, widowed twice, is an aging Jewish grandmother, who is estranged from her children and grandchildren and suffering greatly from the loss of her loved ones.  Gina, Angel’s younger sister, is trying to put her loneliness to an end by placing a classified ad in the personals in hopes of finding a mate. 

Jeb L:  Does your play result in any sort of solution to the loneliness experienced by Angel and the others? 

Ms. Braff:  Yes. Just as “Of Mice and Men,” has a theme of companionship and how necessary that is for people’s survival, the four diverse characters in my play also find comfort and camaraderie in each other. Additionally, in Steinbeck’s work the mouse serves as a powerful metaphor for what will happen to George and Lennie’s dream, and is a foreshadowing device for a future event. In my play, the mouse is a metaphor for fear as well. Steinbeck took the name of his novella from the lines, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men…” from the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns, meaning that though we may make plans, life has an agenda of its own for us. This is a theme in my play as well, so the name just seemed to fit.  

Jeb L:  When did you first come up with the idea for a full-length, one-act play, and what prompted the format? 

Ms. Braff:  I originally wrote the play between 1992 and 1994 but spent last summer revamping it from a two-act play into a long one-act, which seems to be the preferred 21^st century structure. I wrote it in response to a New York Times article astutely stating that so much of modern theatre was just about four people sitting around a room being rude to each other, and I thought, how about writing a play about four people being good to each other?  

Jeb L:  You’ve chosen the marvelous TracyLynn Conner as your protagonist. The great Jeffrey Sanzel of Theatre Three has called her a director’s dream. Do you concur? 

Ms. Braff:  By all means, though in a sense, one actually doesn’t have to direct TracyLynn at all. She is a natural-born actress who does her homework well. When I do give her an occasional suggestion, she always responds with, “Thank you for that.” TracyLynn is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is professional, hardworking, committed to her craft, and a team player. 

Jeb L:  Tell us something about the venue where your play will be staged. 

Ms. Braff:  The venue was selected by NYSUMMERFEST Theater Festival, and it is the perfect hall for this play. It’s a 99-seat theater, and the view of the stage from any seat is amazing. The intimate venue allows the audience to feel the full impact of live theater, because they really are up close and personal with the characters. The acoustics are great as well. This allows the actors to perform without microphones, once again, making the whole experience very real. This creates a superb emotional impact for not only the audience, but for the actors as well. I must tell you, it was after reading Tennessee William’s Glass Menagerie as a junior at Calhoun High School in Merrick  that I decided I wanted to be a playwright when I grew up. I was thrilled to learn that in 1979, one of Williams’ new works at the time, “Greve Coeur,” was produced at the Hudson Guild Theater. What an honor to grace the same space Tennessee Williams once set foot upon!

 Jeb L:  Your husband TJ is a literary fellow; to what extent, if any, is he involved in the creation and staging of “Angel’s Mice and Men”? 

Ms. Braff:  He read the play … loved it … and insisted that it get produced, always being more than generous with both his emotional and financial support. TJ is really gracious and he allows our home to become a rehearsal space every Monday and Wednesday evening. Furthermore, he’s our self-appointed caterer, making sure there’s food and beverages for the entire cast and crew. 

Jeb L:  What’s next from the pen of playwright Cindi Sansone-Braff? Are there any more self-help books on the horizon? 

Ms. Braff:  I am finishing up the last of my Long Island trilogy of plays, which includes “Angel’s Mice and Men,” “Phantom Pain,” and “The Karma Bums.”  “The Karma Bums” is a comedy that addresses all things spiritual and metaphysical. It’s set in Northport in “The House of Karma,” a New Age mini-mart, a phenomenal place where the here and hereafter meet, mingle, and merge on an everyday basis. As for my next non-fiction book, it is a memoir titled: “Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic.”

Jeb L:  Sounds interesting. We look forward to your newest production at New York’s Hudson Guild Theatre on July 30, July 31, and August 3. Break a leg, my friend. 

Ms. Braff:  Thank you, Jeb. I think E.B. White must have had you in mind when he wrote, “It’s rare that someone comes along who is a true friend and a fine writer.” For sure, you’re both!
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CINDI SANSONE-BRAFF has a BFA in theatre from UCONN. She is an award-winning playwright / director, and the author of two spiritual self-help books, “Grant Me a Higher Love,” and “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships.” Her full-length music drama, “Beethoven’s Promethean Concerto in C Minor,” was produced in 2017 at the BACCA Arts Center. Ms. Braff lives in Patchogue with her author husband TJ Clemente. TRACYLYNN CONNER (Angel Ventura) TracyLynn Conner is thrilled to be starring in the lead role of Angel in this original play. She has recently been featured in “Bridges of Madison County” (Francesca), “The Addams Family” (Morticia), “Nine” (Claudia), and “Curtains” (Georgia). Other favorite roles include: “Amadeus” (Constanze), “West Side Story” (Maria), “The Children’s Hour” (Karen), and the Annual Festival of One-Act Plays at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson. 

JEB LADOUCEUR is a syndicated theater and book reviewer. His critiques appear regularly in a number of leading Long Island newspapers and online publications. He is the author of 12 published novels in the thriller genre.