An Apology when it's due...actually it's LONG Overdue

So, back to business hmm? Yes I think so.

While It's still fresh in my mind, I wanted to send a huge apology for saying that Ryan Strome shouldn't have been picked at number 5. I advocated a lot of guys ahead of him and even advocated trading down for multiple firsts.

While I personally want to see Strome repeat his amazing point total again in the OHL (I live in a perpetual baseball mindset where a great season from a prospect in the minors can eventually go horribly horribly wrong), I was wrong for ever doubting that Strome would be a huge piece...I put more faith in the 4 guys picked ahead of him (I hate the hockey hell that Jonathan Huberdeau will be subjected to in FLA). For that I Apologize.

No, I will not show, again, the sick goal that Strome came up with at the Islanders Blue and White Scrimmage. Personally, if he did that in an actual game, as a rookie, the opposing team would probably send someone after him next game...but that's just paranoia.

Anyway, Strome is excited to be a part of the future here, is one hell of a player, and the recipient of a huge apology on my part.

Final Rebuttal & Last Political Post Here.

I just posted the email that seemingly everyone who's voiced displeasure with the NCDC got se my last post).


Below is my final rebuttal that I have yet to send in email form seeing as It may not actually be read:

This direct mailer is a sad, sad joke. You've thrown out the ability for your Legislative Candidates to say "I helped put 2600 jobs into Nassau County" because of opposition to a plan that was made between Ed Mangano and Charles Wang.

This is not solely about the New York Islanders...it should be about maintaining a quality of life that includes a professional Hockey Franchise with a proud history and building into something great. If that quality of life can be maintained by another Tanger Outlet and possibly a Casino, then I guess you're in the clear.  

Make no mistake, these actions have and will piss off a large number of voters if the Islanders do in fact leave in 2015 when their Lease with the Coliseum expires. But people won't wait until then...their retribution will likely be felt in November and in 2013, when you SHOULD be able to beat Ed Mangano with your hands tied and blindfolded. The opposition because of your misguided talking point about giving a billionaire a new toy is ridiculous. 

What sort of concessions are made to bring in a strip mall or a Mall like Roosevelt Fields? You have to give to get. When Charles Wang wanted to self finance the Lighthouse Project, there wasn't NEARLY this vehement opposition or for that matter vehement support, Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead and Garden City were allowed to steamroll it out of existence with no problem.  

In the horse trading of politics, and especially in revitalization efforts at the City and County levels, you have to give to get. The time of not giving much to get a lot (The LHP era) is long, long gone. 

The Deal with Mangano stinks, and yes you have a talking point of the tax increases being not far apart...but the revenues that can happen, no matter the size...are better than nothing and better than another Tanger. It's a bad deal, but it's better than no deal at all. 

This is my last piece on this matter on this blog. I'll still tweet about it. But, my next piece will be about what I started this blog about. 


I still plan on sending Comptroller DiNapoli a letter akin to what I wrote Jacobs, but knowing the political game, it'll be for naught as I'll get a form email about this being a county issue...

Nassau Democrats just lost the Jobs argument.

The Response I got from the NCDC as follows:

Here at the NCDC, we don't think it's right for local government to subsidize private profit with taxpayer dollars. That's why we oppose Ed Mangano's plan to finance a new Nassau Coliseum by borrowing $400 million from local communities. Let's make one thing clear: There's a difference between supporting the Islanders and supporting bad fiscal policy. As the Daily News explains in this well-thought editorial, Mangano's plan for the Coliseum would lavish profit on Islanders owner Charles Wang while eating up millions of dollars in taxpayer funds every year for the next 30 years. That's not the kind of policy we can endorse in the middle of a recession. Charles Wang is a billionaire. Nassau County is over a billion dollars in debt. He can afford to build a new Coliseum. We can't. Agree or disagree, we hope you'll make your voice heard on August 1. Nassau County Exec Edward Mangano's $400 mil gift to billionaire Charles Wang is bad for taxpayers NY Daily News July 25, 2011 Why should the voters of Nassau reject County Executive Edward Mangano's plan to borrow $400 million to build a new arena for the National Hockey League's Islanders? Because, according to the Islanders' own figures, the deal would be a bonanza for team owner Charles Wang while saddling taxpayers with huge risks. Why else should voters reject Mangano's scheme at the polls Aug. 1? Because, according to the county's Office of Legislative Budget Review, a new Nassau Coliseum would produce too little revenue to spare taxpayers from having to subsidize Wang's profits. As with so much of Mangano's pig-in-a-poke proposal, the financial projections are as squishy as they come - one more reason for voters to be wary. That said, let's do a runthrough. Sunnily, the Islanders foresee an astonishing 73% rise in attendance, producing $229 million in annual gross revenue. Multiply that $229 million figure by the 30-year life of the bond issue that Mangano is proposing, and you get a stupefying $6.9 billion. Just the .9 part is more - actually, a lot more - than the $768 million in total debt service the county expects to incur on the arena. That being the case, the county would be much better off passing on Wang's promise of a cut of the action and requiring him to raise private financing - assuming private lenders would give him money at a reasonable rate. If not, why should the public? The legislative office is far less optimistic than Wang. It projects, perhaps, a 14% jump in attendance, an amount that would require the Islanders to pay the county only $14 million a year - which is, oh, just $12 million a year less than the county would have to pay on the bonds. The office also predicts that the county would reap more than $3 million in sales tax from coliseum business - but this number is to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Almost every dollar that Nassau residents spend at the coliseum would be offset by a dollar that they do not spend elsewhere. Result: As tax collections would go up at the coliseum, the county would lose money elsewhere. The bottom line is that, while on the hook to repay the bonds even if Wang goes bankrupt, and being obligated to pay for heavy upkeep of the building, every taxpayer would have the privilege of spending $20 or so a year in order to enable Wang to enjoy gross annual revenues, by his own calculation, of $229 million. Absurd.

What the Party has quite Stupidly forgotten is that this is not Charles Wang's play thing. Yes, as the owner of the new buildings most Active Tennant for 6 months a year, the Owners of the New York Islanders (and there will be many after Wang, lets face it, sports teams change hands a lot these days). However, the Coliseum would fill the COUNTY'S Coffers with funds. Unemployment as of April was a little over 6% in Nassau county. much better than many other areas in the NYC-Metro area, but why is adding 2,000 jobs an issue?


Would Nassau Dems be this vehemently against things if this deal were struck between Tom Suozzi and Charles wang or would they do the right thing, swallow the poisoned pill and at least have a deal. 


Sometimes in politics having a deal, even a raw one, is better than no deal at all. 


Nassau Dems just lost the "We should be creating jobs" argument in their quest for regaining the Legislative Majority, and will lose it again in 2 years if "NO" wins Next Monday. As a Democrat, a realist, and someone wh thinks this whole thing should've been co-ordinated better....this simply saddens me to no end.

Checking in

Been a while Since I've been on here, been busy running a campaign in Westchester. will be jotting down thoughts on Bridgeport soon though.

Expect more content soon. I promise.

An Impassioned Plea to Jay Jacobs in the final days...

Jay Jacobs
Chairman
Nassau County Democratic Committee
One Old Country Road, Suite 430
Carle Place, NY 11541

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

I am a long-time New York Islanders fan, a Westchester County resident and Democrat. Over the last few weeks, I have been saddened with the political games that Nassau County Legislative Democrats have played with their staunch opposition to the newly proposed arena to replace Nassau Coliseum. As much as gaining political favor is useful for the next County Executive race, this is NOT the way to attack Ed Mangano. Putting the future of Long Island’s sole professional and Major league team in jeopardy is exactly the opposite of productive. 

Knowing that this deal is far from ideal in regards to political capital, let’s instead look at through an economic lens. The price tag is steep, but the long term benefits of the new arena are much greater than what is there now. If the County contracts to local and union contracting firms you are pump-priming money back into the county economy. Local workers spend at local retail and eateries, that generates more taxable income; all that BEFORE the new arena is even completed. Add this project with local and union contracting to building the Belmont Casino, and that’s even more money that stays in the county. Instead of scaring residents with a sixteen dollar per year tax increase, why not highlight these benefits? Add in all the benefits that a new arena brings (concerts, WWE, trade shows, revenues from parking that are shared between Wang and County…you eventually can pay down $350 million).

I realize that this sounds naïve, but this is a Keynesian model to generate revenues and multiply out economic recovery for the county, especially since the county’s finances are under the State’s control. Be willing to horse trade, attack Mangano other ways and recruit a candidate that can beat him. The Islanders, their fans and history should not be pawns in this game.

Do you and our fellow Nassau Democrats want to lose a team and history, for political points that will cause problems in 2013?


Sincerely,
Matt Clausen

To Any reader in Nassau and Suffolk or even the City...feel free to use this letter and sub in what you'd like.