Spin Cycle
News, views and commentary on Long Island, state and national politics
At Nassau cop hearing, fight over questions, not answers
Monday's hearing on County Executive Edward Mangano’s plan to downgrade four of Nassau’s eight police precincts into “community policing centers” had several dramatic moments that had nothing to do with the reorganization plan.
Take for instance, when Legis. Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin) said he wanted to question acting Police Commissioner Thomas Dale, who had spent a long career on the New...
Schimel, Dems push 'microstamping'
Photo credit: Newsday / Alejandra Villa
A Long Island legislator joined with families of gun violence victims Tuesday to try to generate support for “microstamping,” which involves stamping a unique code on a cartridge when it is fired.
The push comes as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed shuttering the state’s pistol and revolver ballistic identification database, known as CoBIS. He said it costs too much and has solved too few...
State and teacher unions near deadline on evaluations
In an upstate interview, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo reasserted his intent to impose a teacher-evaluation system if there is no agreement on one with education unions this week.
Early details are here....
In Suffolk: Trio seeks to quash their jobs' term-limits
Rick Brand reports Monday on a fascinating lawsuit by Suffolk's District Attorney Thomas Spota, Clerk Judith Pascale and Sheriff Vincent DeMarco claiming that because of the state-government aspects of their jobs those posts aren't subject to the county's term-limits law.
Will it succeed?
Should it?
Click here for details....
Debate mounts over top exec pay for state service providers
Debate over sky-high salaries at state-funded nonprofits entered a new phase last week as the state Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, chaired by Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), elicited comments on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s reform proposals.
Several who testified, including representatives from two major law firms, protested that Cuomo’s move against instances of excess...
N.Y.'s Cuomo looks to steer clear of another D.C. melee
As with the national debt crisis last fall, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is trying to steer clear of another Washington issue – whether to mandate that employers provide health insurance coverage for contraception.
“The issues that pose government policy against the church are especially difficult for all of us, especially for those of us who happen to be Catholic,” Cuomo said in a radio interview....
PBA labels Mangano's Nassau-paid robocalls 'scare tactic'
When County Executive Edward Mangano robocalled all Nassau residents last week to say he chose to reorganize the police department rather than raise taxes 19 percent, Democrats said his numbers were wrong while PBA president James Carver said “This is the most offensive scare tactic I have seen.”
Mangano aide Brian Nevin retorted, “Phone calls were the cheapest, most effective way to inform...
Déjà vu: How federal birth-control uproar echoed New York's
Ten years ago, Cardinal Edward Egan, then New York’s archbishop, stormed Albany to protest legislation that would require health insurance to cover birth control prescriptions. “This is humbug,” Egan said, calling the move anti-Catholic – a complaint echoed last week by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan about the Obama administration rule requiring employers to cover contraception.
Interestingly,...
Half-dozen Suffolk sheriff's aides spared the $$ ax
Ex-Suffolk Executive Steve Levy’s former secretary -- whose new job in the sheriff’s office was cut by county lawmakers from the budget -- has had her post spared just before her layoff was to take place at month’s end.
Dixie Lee Gunter’s $54,000-a-year spot as a neighborhood aide was one of six sheriff's department jobs restored by lawmakers under an emergency resolution put forward by County...
Suffolk: Ex-Leg. blasts election 'outreach' post for Assemb.'s kin
The daughter of Assemb. Philip Ramos (D-Central Islip) has gotten a promotion to a job at the Suffolk board of elections that pays $133,000 a year — more than double her old salary — a move a critic says smacks of a political deal.
Kristina Vasquez, an eight year board employee, has been promoted from a $51,322 a year job as elections clerk to Hispanic outreach coordinator at the board --...
