Nassau spending on law firms; Mets parking fees

Nassau needs to get lawyers to solve this

Nassau County has a staff of 61 attorneys, yet County Executive Bruce Blakeman feels that the county can’t handle the cases that need extra muscle [“Nassau spending $20M on private law firms,” News, Feb. 23].

Wouldn’t it be more prudent to increase the size and expertise of the in-house attorney pool rather than spend extreme amounts of taxpayer dollars on outside counsel?

Firms are chosen that have donated to Blakeman and the county Republican Party, which is a huge conflict of interest. The use of the competitive bidding process, as required by county policy, is being bypassed.

Instead of hiring the most qualified firms, Nassau County is awarding contracts to those who have padded the GOP’s campaign pockets. This is the definition of government fraud and waste. How is this legal?

— Christine Gietschier, Westbury

For 15 years, I served as counsel in various positions for the Northeast Region of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Our office was responsible for nearly all legal work arising out of bank failures in various locales. We handled much in-house, but we also utilized law firms for thousands of matters, some complex.

We followed procedures that ensured that fees and expenses were minimized. Hourly rates and expenses were negotiated up front. Bills were carefully reviewed and often reduced after review. Work was awarded on merit, not cronyism.

It appears that Nassau County has not always adhered to existing law in awarding legal work. It needs to not just follow existing law, but it also needs to strengthen its processes.

— Howard J. Herman, Great Neck

With Bruce Blakeman’s tripled spending apart from procurement rules for outside lawyers, it appears we may have found some of the waste and fraud in government that President Donald Trump and ally Elon Musk are looking for.

— Paul Landaw, Bellerose Terrace

Baseball a pastime? No, it’s a luxury item

The article about the Mets’ parking fees highlights a broader issue plaguing the Mets franchise: the systematic pricing out of everyday fans “Some fans to get a parking break,” Sports, Feb. 21]. While season-ticket holders will pay “only” $25 for parking, down from $40, let’s remember that parking cost $18 in 2009, when the stadium debuted.

What’s particularly frustrating is owner Steve Cohen’s apparent puzzlement over record-low attendance [“Bothered by low attendance,” Sports, Feb. 19].

The answer is simple: Baseball is becoming a luxury rather than the accessible family pastime it should be. Besides parking, add in tickets, food, and beverages, and a family outing becomes prohibitively expensive for many loyal fans.

Offering discounts exclusively to season-ticket holders while ignoring the vast majority of the fan base who attend games occasionally is especially tone-deaf. Not everyone can commit to a season-ticket package, but that shouldn’t mean they’re penalized with even higher prices.

The Mets are choosing to maximize revenue at the expense of building and maintaining a passionate fan base. Cohen may be puzzled by empty seats, but fans aren’t — we simply can’t afford to fill them anymore.

— Michael Scaturro, Garden City South

My wife and I are lifelong Mets fans and are super happy that Steve Cohen owns our beloved team. But consider this: The last time we attended a Mets game, two years ago, our seats with reasonably good views — not great but not nosebleed, either — cost over $100 apiece, and a couple of hot dogs and beers, with the parking, cost us a total of about $300. Does Cohen get this?

— Doug Otto, Massapequa

This 63-year-old lifetime Mets fan hasn’t gone to a game in two years because of the constant barrage of loud sounds and repetitive music. I had to wear earplugs to the last game I attended. I don’t get it. It’s a baseball game, not a Metallica concert. I truly miss going to games, but now I’m happy to stay home with the three TV announcers and a mute button for those darn commercials.

— David Goldberg, Port Washington

I love the game as much as anybody, but there comes a point when it is clear it’s not only about the game but about how much the club can make off the game.

It’s a shame that the ultra-wealthy don’t seem to understand how fans feel about the game’s high prices.

— Don Rector, Central Islip

Steve Cohen pays players millions of dollars a year, and he earns multimillions per year. Almost all of us fans earn barely a fraction of that.

Here’s the bottom line: We cannot afford to go to the games!

— John Wolf, Levittown