Democratic Candidates Say Lee Zeldin's Record Is Bad News For LI

There was a unified message at Tuesday’s CD #1 Congressional Candidates Forum, that message was Lee Zeldin’s record is so bad for Long Island that he has got to go.

On stage looking to challenge Zeldin from the Democratic line in November was Nancy Goroff, Perry Gershon, Bridget Fleming and Greg Fischer. The forum, hosted by the Smithtown Democratic Action Committee, was moderated by its chairperson Jan Singer.  

Over 100 people attended the forum held at the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown. Attendees were provided  with unfettered access to candidates who answered questions asked by Ms. Singer before they mingled with the audience making their case for election.

Former congressional candidate Dave Calone opened the meeting by speaking about the importance of working together to elect a Democrat. “The whole country knows what we have known for some time, that Lee Zeldin is not just Donald Trump’s apprentice, he is his accomplice. He is his accomplice in covering up the lies, he is his accomplice in bringing to the American people a feeling that we are not in this together. He is his accomplice when it comes to covering up his abuse of power. And now the whole country knows about Lee Zeldin and they are  watching us. They want us to unseat Lee Zeldin. ‘We get what we work for not what we wish for’.”

The four candidates committed to supporting the Democratic nominee in November. They were unanimous in their support for health care supporting a public option for health care, eliminating surprise medical health care costs and the need to address suicide and mental health issues.

While issues took front and center the sense that Lee Zeldin is not only not representing the needs and concerns of CD #1 voters but rather hurting constituents.

Bridget Fleming called Zeldin out for not forcefully fighting for Tom Suozzi and Peter King’s plan to amend the SALT tax legislation which would raise the cap from $10,000 to $20,000. According to the candidate this would have helped the middle class on Long Island who are feeling the pinch from Trump’s policies. “Lee Zeldin should have been a loud voice in fighting to keep the Army Corp of Engineers and their equipment here on Long Island rather than moving them to Florida near Mar A Lago.”

They questioned Zeldin’s commitment to Veterans. Saying that despite the tremendous number of veterans in CD 1 and the many issues they face in health care, mental health care, women’s veteran services and problems at the VA Hospital in Northport, he willingly gave up his position on the Veterans Committee preferring to use his time defending Trump.  

Perry Gershon said the country is at a crossroad and cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin, who put their interests before ours.  He claims Lee Zeldin is being silent on issues hurting constituents but is  Donald Trump’s #1 proponent for expunging impeachment from records. “That’s not being a congressman. There are real issues including the Army Corp of Engineers relocating dredging equipment from Long Island to Mar a Lago and Lee Zeldin is saying nothing. Stony Brook Hospital is losing $21.2 million in federal funding and Lee Zeldin is silent.”  

Nancy Goroff sees climate change as a significant issue for Long Island. Goroff, a scientist, emphasized science, facts and collaboration as the keys to finding a solution and devising a plan for dealing with it. She is not a single issue candidate.She pointed out that while Lee Zeldin is defending Trump, he is ignoring the people in CD #1 who are hurting economically. She pointed to the cost of student debt, not only for students but for parents, many of whom are seniors who took loans for their kids. 

A question on gun violence showed that all the candidates support background checks and all commended NYS for its gun policies. Greg Fischer gave the most comprehnsive answer to the gun violence question. Greg’s position included background checks but also included requiring gun owners to have insurance, opposing any federal law that would force states to have reciprocity, marking ammunition and supporting biometric technology to make weapons safer.

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP - What can be done in Suffolk to counter rising sea levels?

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

 The Suffolk County Legislature last week unanimously passed a measure establishing a Coastal Resiliency and Sea Level Rise Task Force. It would be composed of 21 members—some from the county government, a member from each of Suffolk’s ten towns and state and federal government representatives, among others.

Legislator Al Krupski, a Cutchogue Democrat, who introduced the measure with Rudy Sunderman, a Shirley Republican, said “we immediately need to get together” on the important issue.

The bill begins by noting that “sea level rise has led to accelerated coastal erosion worldwide and is of particular concern to Long Island, with threats of destruction to Suffolk County’s 980 miles of coastline….One of the county’s main draws to tourism is its many beaches and waterfront properties, which would be ruined by coastal erosion if these environmental changes are not addressed.”

Meanwhile, “without any policies in place on the county-level, many local municipalities are struggling to combat the accelerated erosion and sea level rise.”

“A task force should be created,” it states, “to develop regional coastal resiliency policies to assist municipalities when making decisions that could affect Suffolk’s coastline in the future.”

Although waters surrounding Long Island rose by four inches in the past 40 years, if climate change continues as it has been going, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation projects that in the next 40 years a rise by 11 to 30 inches can be expected. 

This would be a threat to every low-lying parts of Suffolk—and there are many.

The task force would be chaired by the head of the legislature’s s Public Works, Transportation and Energy Committee. It would include the legislature’s presiding officer; the county executive; the county’s commissioner of public works, “one representative from each of the ten Suffolk County towns;” a representative from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and also one from the state’s Department of State (which has shoreline responsibilities). And it would include, too, a representative from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County; from the Peconic Estuary Program; The Nature Conservancy; and the state Department of Transportation.

The task force “shall hold regular meetings”—at least ten times over the course of a 12-month period, and “issue a written report after a comprehensive study on the challenges facing the county with respect to sea level rise.”

This report would be submitted to each of the 18 members of the Suffolk County Legislature, the legislature’s clerk, and county executive “within one year of the effective date of this resolution, for review, consideration and appropriate action.”

What can be done in Suffolk to counter rising sea levels? 

“A mix” of actions will likely be urged, said Mr. Krupski, who has long experience with shoreline issues. He is a fourth-generation Suffolk farmer first elected in 1985 to the Southold Town Board of Trustees—which has jurisdiction over the town’s waterfront—and served on the board for 20 years, the last 14 as its president. He then became a town board member until being sworn in as a Suffolk legislator in 2013. 

In some areas, elevation of structures and roads would probably be recommended. In some areas, moving back from the shoreline would likely be outlined.

Places in Suffolk “are so different,” he said. Thus “we need local persons” to consider what can be done, why each Suffolk town will have a representative on the task force.

But needed as well are representatives from other levels of government and other entities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said diplomatically, may not be “as flexible as local governments” in its approach to coastal matters. The Corps has long pushed for building hard structures along the shore. Still, it is critical that “we all work together,” said Mr. Krupski.

Further, the task force will consider what people in Suffolk affected by storms that cause flooding should do in the immediate time period after they hit. 

As to the main cause of climate change and consequent sea level rise, this will not be a target of this specific task force. But, said Mr. Krupski, for him it’s clear that it’s a “fossil fuel problem.” And Suffolk County, he said, must do its part in a transition from fossil fuels to green renewable energy technologies—led by solar and wind—power sources that do not emit greenhouse gases and cause global warming and sea level rise.

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: 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'

Theater Review: ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’

Produced by: Theatre Three – Port Jefferson

Reviewed by: Jeb Ladouceur 

   

It’s perhaps fair to say that most of us have, at one time or another, heard at least a passing reference to the Old Testament Biblical story of a boy named Joseph (no … not Mary’s husband … a much earlier Joseph). Furthermore, we might recall a few things that are said to have made this boy special: first, he was one of Jacob’s twelve sons … second, Joseph’s brothers were so envious of him that they sold him to a Gypsy-like group, and he wound up a slave in Egypt … and thirdly, the issue triggering this nasty treatment by the jealous brothers was Joseph’s ‘coat of many colors,’ symbolic of Jacob’s preference for the visionary youngster.

Also, it is probably sufficient for this review to point out that matters in Egypt ultimately became complicated for Joseph (who was an interpreter of dreams) and when his master’s wife made a pass at the fetching lad, things really hit the fan!

‘Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ was the earliest Andrew Lloyd Webber - Tim Rice show ever performed on Broadway (it opened at the Royale Theatre in 1982) but it seemed, for a while, that the ‘big leagues’ dramatic debut would never take place at all. The musical, which failed to win a backer in 1966, had been staged in London, Brooklyn, Philadelphia … even Connecticut … and during that time, it was billed as a sort of follow-up, though not an actual sequel, to ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ which had been written by Lloyd Webber and Rice while they waited for lightning to strike with ‘Joseph.’

But strike it finally did, and subsequently ‘Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ garnered a slew of Tony nominations before closing in September, 1983 after boasting a respectable 747 performances. Of course, we all know what happened then. Following boffo productions of ‘Cats,’ ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘Evita,’ etc. The New York Timesappropriately saw fit to label Lloyd Webber, “…the most commercially successful composer in history”.

I have never considered it the drama critic’s proper function to spell out a play’s plot in detail; to do so, it seems to me, deprives actors and audiences alike of their respective right to surprise, and be surprised. Suffice it to say that Theatre Three, under the direction of Maestro Jeffrey Sanzel, has brought to the venerable 160-year-old mainstage in Port Jefferson, a cast so huge and worthy of the mesmerizing ‘Joseph’ account that collectively they simply take one’s breath away. Numbers alone don’t begin to tell the story, but I counted more than twenty featured players … and almost as many members of the impressive children’s choir!

Kudos to them all, but a special note of congratulations goes to C.J. Russo in the title role. There are some actors who seem born to lead their thespian colleagues by the sheer power of their surefooted onstage presense and projection. One such is Russo. He is well cast as ‘Joseph.’ Another sublimely blessed actor is the wonderful ‘Narrator,’ Sari Feldman. It is the Narrator, after all, who controls the pace of any live stage show where such a performer is required, as in ‘Our Town,’-(Stage Manager); ‘Henry V,’-(Chorus); ‘The Glass Menagerie’-(Tom Wingfield)…etc. Feldman handles this assignment about as well as any dramatic chronicler I’ve seen.

In the final analysis, it is the interpretation and rendering of the music that makes or breaks an ambitious lyrical production like this one. Accordingly, one would be remiss if failing to recognize Theatre Three Musical Director, Gregory Franz, and Choreographer, Jean P. Sorbera. From first to last they are in full command of ‘Joseph’s’ diverse, harmonious song styles that range from Country to Calypso. The toe-tapping score makes for pleasant listening, and all the numbers are equally easy on the eyes. 

‘Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ is a colorful extravaganza not to be missed, so call the box office at 631 928-9100. This super-show runs thru March 21^st.

Award-winning writer, Jeb Ladouceur is the author of a dozen novels, and his theater and book reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. His recent hit, THE GHOSTWRITERS, explores the bizarre relationship between the late Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Ladouceur’s topical thriller, THE SOUTHWICK INCIDENT, was introduced at the Smithtown Library on May 21st. The book involves a radicalized Yale student and his CIA pursuers. Mr. Ladouceur’s revealing website is www.JebsBooks.com

Campaign Finance Board Meets And Elects Smithtown Resident Chair

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.  – The board tasked with creating a system to publicly fund campaigns for certain Suffolk County offices met on February 13 and elected Lisa Scott chairperson. 

Lisa Scott, president of the Suffolk County League of Women Voters, was elected to lead the three-member Suffolk County Campaign Finance Board, which also includes retired County Court Judge Jack Toomey and Adrian Fassett, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc. 

Lisa Scott, center, was elected to serve as chair of the Suffolk County Campaign Finance Board, which also includes Adrian Fassett, left, and Jack Toomey, right. “Now that all three members of the Suffolk County Campaign Finance Board have been appointed and our first meeting held, we will work diligently to ensure that our fellow citizens in Suffolk County and those wishing to be candidates for public office are served transparently, responsibly and fairly as we build the rules and staff required in the Suffolk County Charter Law,” Scott said. 

Scott, a Democrat, was appointed by the Suffolk County Legislature’s Majority Leader and Toomey, a Republican, was appointed by the legislature’s Minority Leader. Fassett, who is unaffiliated with any political party, was appointed by the County Executive. 

At their meeting the board members also discussed their next steps, including hiring an executive director, as they seek to make the system operational for the 2021 county legislature election. Under the new system, participating candidates running for a county legislator seat can receive up to $50,000 in 4-to-1 matching funds for small donations – $250 or less – from voters who live in the legislative district in which the candidate is running.

“Creating a program for public funding of elections from scratch is an important and historic undertaking, and I know the highly qualified and impressive people who make up this board are up for the task,” said Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Rob Calarco, who sponsored the county legislation establishing a Fair Elections Matching Fund to provide for public campaign financing. “The Fair Elections Matching Fund will reduce the influence of big money interests in our politics by empowering small donors who actually live in our communities. This program will help make elections more competitive and elected officials more accountable to their constituents.”

Participating legislature candidates must agree to limit their total spending to $100,000 and not accept more than $1,500 from any individual. Starting in 2023, participating candidates running for County Executive could receive as much as $1 million and must limit their spending to $2 million. The funding comes from profits Suffolk OTB generates through the operation of Jake’s 58 video lottery terminals.

Suffolk Closeup -Suffolk County Has 560 Farms Generating $5.7 Billion In Revenue

SUFFOLK CLOSEUP

By Karl Grossman

Farming on Long Island deserves to be greatly appreciated.

Among public officials from Long Island who very much do appreciate agriculture here—and throughout the state—is New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The former state assemblyman from Great Neck Plaza last year issued a laudatory report on agriculture. 

Mr. DiNapoli noted in it that Suffolk County remains a top agricultural county in the state, Number Four, with $225.6 million in annual total sales in 2017. (It was only led by the upstate counties of Wyoming with $307.5 million; Cayuga with $287.5 million; and Genesee with $234.9 million.)

His report lists 560 farms in Suffolk County out of 35,537 in New York and state farm produce generating $5.7 billion in revenue in 2017.

“Agriculture is an essential part of New York’s economy,” DiNapoli said in comments accompanying the report that’s available online. It’s titled “A Profile in Agriculture in New York State” and is at  https://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/economic/agriculture-report-2019.pdf

The report declares: “While the total number of farms and acreage declined from 2007 to 2017, their overall economic impact increased as net farm income grew by more than 20 percent. In addition, the number of certified organic farms increased by over 60 percent from 2012 to 2017. New York ranks as a national leader for a variety of agricultural commodities….New York is the [nation’s] third largest producer of wine…The state has created a variety of policy initiatives to address challenges facing New York farmers, including efforts to limit state and local taxes on agricultural land, farmland protection initiatives, capital investment funds for new farmers, and financial incentives for schools that use locally sourced food.”

Suffolk for many years was the top agricultural county in New York State in value of its annual produce. But being Number Four is still very good.

And considering the development pressures that have existed on Long Island, the continuation of a thriving agricultural industry is especially notable. It is a testament to the actions of people.

First of all, there are the hardworking farmers of Long Island, the men and women who are committed to doing the tough, essential work. 

Then there’s the county’s Farmland Preservation Program, launched in 1974 by Suffolk County Executive John V. N. Klein, a former Smithtown Town supervisor, a first-in-the-nation program based on the brilliant concept of saving farms through the sale of development rights. Farmers are given the monetary difference between what their land is valued in agriculture and what they could get for it if they sold it off for a housing subdivision. In return, the land remains in agriculture in perpetuity.

Then there’s been the ingenuity of those in agriculture and especially of Louisa and Alex Hargrave who started a vineyard in Cutchogue in 1973 leading to now scores of vineyards and wineries, a prosperous Long Island wine industry and a world-class product, and a leap in diversifying agriculture here.

Then there’s the Community Preservation Fund, brilliant, too, started in 1998, spearheaded by State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. of Sag Harbor, and covering the East End towns. It is based on a real estate transfer tax of 2% on most transactions.

And there’s the “public appreciation” of Long Island farmers, as notes Rob Carpenter, director of the Long Island Farm Bureau. Important has been people purchasing local produce from farm stands, the beginning over the last decade of a “farm-to-to-table” program of restaurants emphasizing the serving of local farm produce, and stores including supermarkets stressing the sale of local produce.

It’s not just produce that farms generate. As the Farm Bureau’s website notes: “Today’s farming activities also help to preserve wildlife habitats and the natural aesthetic beauty of our fair island. Long Island farmland provides an important buffer against urban sprawl, protects the water supply and helps maintain the traditional rural character of the wonderful East End of Long Island.” As an “economic force,” agriculture employs “well over 10,000 people in the region, with a multiplier effect that generates jobs for tens of thousands more. Long Island agriculture is a billion-dollar-a-year industry and generates billions of dollars more for the Island’s largest industry, tourism, travel and hospitality….Long Island agriculture provides the scenic vistas desired by our visitors and close proximity to farm markets, where visitors and year ‘round residents enjoy the advantage of locally produced fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, flowers, herbs, specialty products, ornamental horticultural products, and the best varieties of wine from local wineries.”

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.