This is Lee Tu’s second go at Jon Kaiman, the four-term North Hempstead supervisor.
Tu has proven himself an exuberant, enthusiastic, affable campaigner, but from the last time to this, he has few ideas to offer about a vision for North Hempstead, or even what he would do to preserve the quality of life here now, against the formidable challenges local governments everywhere confront.
Tu, who got his degree in accounting and finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business and now works as a director of administration at Cornick, Garber & Sandler, an accounting firm based in Manhattan, has not held an elected office since high school.
The president of the Albertson Republican Club in North Hempstead, he seems more interested in campaigning and glad-handing than in actually governing.
His message – which follows the script of Republicans everywhere – blasts what he claims is a 40 percent increase in taxes over the past eight years (a debatable figure), debt level (the debt of the town, New York’s 7th largest municipality includes all the sub-municipalities, as well as its ongoing liabilities from the Sumotomo landfill judgment). Tu dredges up the building department scandal from five years ago and doesn’t seem to like the fact the building department is actually scrutinizing documentation now before it issues a permit rather than let builders and residents get away with projects that are not up to code or violate zoning.
But he has never articulated a vision of what North Hempstead should be, or where the town should be going.
And except for the implicit promise to have pleasant get-togethers at town council meetings, it is not clear how he would govern – at one point he suggests, rather naively, that complex issues can be solved by simply sitting down together, but in another instance, concerning property that was used as a public park but now is outside the town’s authority, he says it is simply a matter of cutting red tape and using eminent domain, if necessary to make the two-acre parcel as a public park; in another instance, concerning flooding in an area between the Village of Mineola and Carle Place, he says, “Force them. Don’t wait. Don’t be reactive, be proactive. Call them out on it… don’t just wait for it…. Government waits forever. Let’s have solutions, push for solutions.”
But in the matter of the Roslyn Country Club (the name of a community, not a country club), he blasts the town for pursuing various options in order to save 10 1/2 acres of open space, save an important facility that underpins that community (which is named Roslyn Country Club) so that it is revenue neutral for town.
But as Kaiman has learned in his four terms as supervisor, getting all the people behind you is like the quest for the Holy Grail. Governing requires listening, to be sure, but it also requires the ability to assess, devise the best plan, and then make your best judgment, because you will never satisfy all the people all the time, most of whom choose not to actually inform themselves of facts. But it is more than that: moving from a policy or an idea to actual programs requires realism and the ability to work with partners, whether they be in other levels of government, or in local organizations, the private sector or interest groups.
In his eight years as supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, Jon Kaiman has been a bold and visionary leader of the town of North Hempstead, gifted with the intellectual capacity and diverse experience in public service to appreciate nuanced solutions to complex problems, who has implemented ground-breaking innovations to our suburban community, at a time when many have described suburbia as an aging relic, incapable of generating the economic development necessary to stop spiraling increases in taxes to support a quality of life based on low-density neighborhoods.
And though criticized for being forceful (he would say passionate) when you think about it, he gives people unlimited time at the podium, and he has clearly reshaped programs and policies to reflect comments.
Kaiman has never shirked from the bold vision or the hard task, who has brought ground-breaking innovations to our suburban community. He has achieved results on a grand scale.
At a time when most in government are looking to do the least, to minimalize and shrink, how many towns would have even attempted, let alone contemplated, a 311 system, or a Project Independence? Or the pharmaceutical recycling program that keeps harmful drugs and narcotics out of the water supply and the food chain, or implementing recycling at schools throughout the district, instilling lifelong behaviors of 30,000 students and their families.
Under his administration, building codes have been introduced to foster conservation and better control carbon emissions that pollute our air and contribute at a local level to addressing global warming.
He has put North Hempstead on the map culturally, giving the town’s support to the first Gold Coast International Film Festival – that truly was a bold gesture, planting seeds for a new source of economic development. The Business and Tourism Development Corporation that he formed has held seminars and workshops to help small businesses and local governments be more successful in these trying times, such as giving municipalities a most cost-effective way to bond projects through the town.
Parks and recreation in communities throughout the country – particularly Nassau County which intends to shutter museums – are suffering serious neglect, but our town’s parks are vibrant and wonderful, and the town continues to offer festivals and cultural events that add to the quality of our lives.
It is easier to gripe and complain (especially when you are trying to unseat the incumbent), but look around and compare. What we have here in North Hempstead has propelled our town second in the nation on Money’s List of 100 Best Places to Retire, and among the top 25 as being one of the best places for healthy living.
I respect Kaiman for tackling the hard issues, like trying to bring affordable housing that would enable seniors to continue to live in their homes and provide access for young families, and now, trying to figure a way to make fire and ambulance service better.
That involves confronting the issues, which draw passions on all sides, not ignoring them because they are controversial. The difference is the mark of a leader who appreciates the role, the responsibility, and the possibilities of government.
He is finding better ways to deliver the benefits of government – especially local government – in the most cost-effective way, using technology in some instances, consolidation in others, and facilitating cooperation in still others.
Kaiman’s Office of Intermunicipal Cooperation is a model for how to extract the best of the personalized service of local government with the economies of scale of a bigger government, and stands as the antidote to those like Gov. Cuomo and former County Executive Tom Suozzi who seek to consolidate local governments out of existence.
Kaiman has done all of this while still putting our town’s finances on strong footing – something that is virtually miraculous in these tough times. In fact, the finances of the town have never been healthier – we’ve received the highest bond rating in town history.
Governing North Hempstead is complex, with 64 incorporated villages and 60 school and special districts (all of their debt goes through the town, which is a key reason why the town seems to have a high debt load). We are the 7th largest municipality in the state. In fact, if North Hempstead were a city, we would be third largest after New York City and Buffalo.
The town has a responsibility for oversight for all of these municipalities under its control, their budgets and bonding.
It seems as if Kaiman is a victim of a perverse attitude that has gripped this country – Tea Party circles, especially – that intelligence and experience are somehow liabilities, and an attitude that is so insular, you cannot appreciate what you have because you don’t bother to know what is beyond.
Tu, who has never held elected office at any level, wants to catapult himself to the chief executive officer of a town as large, diverse, complex as ours. At the league debate, Tu was asked about his lack of experience and his answer was telling:
“In retrospect I was offered a commissioner level job at county, but it is against my philosophy to take patronage, but maybe I should have, to have that experience. That’s not what I am about. Dialogue is what makes me different. I don’t usually talk, I do more listening…. It’s about listening, leadership, management. They’ve got to personify who you are as well.”
But governing is more than listening.
Kaiman has proved that he is a leader who understands what government is about, the difference government makes in people’s lives.
In his closing statement, Kaiman, who spent years in county government before running for supervisor noted, that in the eight years as Supervisor, “I’ve done a lot so it is ironic to be told to be proactive.” And picking up on how Tu said he would handle a flooding problem between the Village of Mineola and Carle Place, he said, “that we should blast a mayor, or Carle Place, when a sump in Mineola was the cause of flooding. Maybe we need to wait for the Village of Mineola, maybe we need to work together. There is a lot of stake, when you are dealing with millions of dollars to maintain the infrastructure – ambulance, fire, parks, housing authority. These issues are complicated, and yet simple, how we move forward, get things done, how we balance the equation.
“You need to understand guidelines of law,” he said, “where money will come, you need to understand government, not just say things to impress people. The reason we have gotten $50-60 million in grants, the reason we have Project Independence, have started a local soup kitchen, is that I understand how things work. Experience matters. Most people see they [the Town Council members] do a good job, even if they occasionally disagree or vote against an issue. This is a government that works, and I hope people will continue to support us.”
Bosworth For Reelection As Nassau County Legislator
Judi Bosworth, the two-term incumbent Legislator for the 10th district, has spent an entire career working closely with the community – on the school board, with the senior center and CLASP Children’s Center. She has been an ardent supporter of the policies and services that make our life better here – coming through with funding to clean up Udall’s Pond, finally getting the county to repave Cutter Mill Road and upcoming repaving of Middle Neck Road, money for Strathmore Park, hosting local seminars on tax exemptions, property assessment, mammograms, car seat safety checks). She has been a staunch advocate for constituents, approachable, hardworking, compassionate.
When she says, as she did at the League of Women Voters debate, “We’re helping hundreds of people navigate the often frustrating channels of government, bringing many county services back to district. I am so proud to be able to work with people in 10th LD, and to advocate for them,” Bosworth has the record to back up the claim. She takes it as a point of pride that during the recent Tropical Storm Irene, an e-mail went out in Plandome: “If you don’t have power, call Judi Bosworth.”
“The phone was ringing off the hook, and I welcomed that,” she said. “I had the opportunity to reach out to LIPA when they couldn’t. That was an example of local governments working together – county, town, villages – with LIPA. I have devoted my entire adult life to serving the public, something I do with passion and determination.”
But there is so much more that. She has been a tenacious fighter on behalf of her constituents – to preserve Long Island Bus service for the Great Neck Peninsula and for disabled riders, to keep the Sixth Precinct open and available, to block the blatant power-grabbing gerrymandered redistricting created in secret and pushed by the Rovian Nassau County Attorney John Ciampoli with the express purpose of making Great Neck peninsula politically impotent by splitting it in two.
She takes thoughtful, studied, well articulated and well reasoned stands such as on the county budget, the assessment problem (which the way Republicans have fixed it, will make us pay in hurtful ways through our school taxes) and the irrational $2.2 million special election for the Nassau Coliseum Bond. In contrast to the tired cliche used against Democrats of “tax and spend,” it is Bosworth and the Democratic (now) minority on the Legislature which has offered a balanced budget with no tax increases that fills the $350 million budget gap without extracting $150 million in givebacks and layoffs from police and other county workers.
In contrast, her opponent, Republican Elizabeth Berney, has never shown the slightest interest in local politics and has shown little inclination to serve constituents on the hands-on, one-to-one level at which county, town and local government functions.
The two-time candidate to topple Congressman Gary Ackerman, Berney’s big issue has been Israel and national politics – the basis for her support in the Great Neck community. But Israel is as remote as Siberia as an issue for a county Legislator.
Why run for County office? As Berney admits, she was recruited by the Republican party to run for this county office, and so she is (but I don’t doubt that she will be back next year in a third try against Ackerman for Congress). Her entire platform is to cut taxes – a sweeping, knee-jerk bit of sloganeering that is without substance since she does not say how she would cut taxes.
This is in a large part because Berney does not have a clue how County government, or local government for that matter, works. Berney has shown that she would be another rubberstamp for County Executive Mangano and Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt, who have demonstrated very clearly their inability to make local government function effectively.
Anna Kaplan For Town Council
In the match up for the seat on the town council being vacated by Kitty Poons, Anna Kaplan, the Democratic candidate, has the temperment, the skills and the right motivation over the Republican Jeffrey Bass.
Kaplan has elected office experience, serving on the Great Neck Library board, which has been no easy matter, where she distinguished herself as being intelligent, hard-working, well prepared, articulate and able to absorb what people say and develop policy that most effectively addresses divergent ideas.
She is currently on the town’s Board of Zoning Appeals, giving her the town perspective on a very fundamental level.
Jeff Bass, the Republican candidate who is a trustee of the Village of Great Neck, is running again for a town position. Last year, he ran for Receiver of Taxes with a stated objective of abolishing the office – a campaign that demonstrated that he had no comprehension of the office he sought and no respect for the organization of town government. In a nutshell, his entire platform was based on something that he would not actually have the authority to do.
This year, Bass says he is running to be a “check and balance” on town government – presumably, to be the opposition against a Democratic regime. Except that he is also stumps for election of his Republican colleague Lee Tu as supervisor, with whom I would expect, he shares ideological view and whose policies he would support, thereby becoming the rubber stamp and not the check and balance. It’s all in perspective. But like Tu and the other Republicans running for town and county office, Bass does not articulate a positive vision. His vision is one of negativity, of regression, of narrow isolation rather than a global view. If he is the one to represent Great Neck on the council, he would be the obstructionist, and relish the role.
His position is summed up in his words, “A system of checks and balances that should be in place, by virtue of being a Democratic supervisor and town Council, doesn’t exist. The town council has been relegated as a rubber stamp. I am running to change that.”
Contrast that with how Anna Kaplan describes her desire to become councilwoman: “I know you would be one of the people affected by your council. The town council is your first visit to the government. I believe in this administration. I do know there are certain things that don’t work as smoothly as possible. You have my word, that if elected, I will do my best that you are served well, and when you go to a building department, they will help you, and if not, will take it upon myself to make sure the lines of communication are open.”
Berman Deserves Re-election As Receiver Of Taxes
Of all the positions, receiver of taxes has the least to do with ideology and policy and the most to do with pure administration. The receiver of taxes has the boo-hiss title, but the incumbent, Charles Berman, Democrat, comes with the most experience and understanding of what the role is: to serve taxpayers and make the extraction of payment as efficient and painless as possible.
His opponent, Republican Jane Cintrella admits she was recruited to run for the office. An auditor and management consultant by profession, she has some of the attributes for the office but admits that she sees her role as coming in and doing an audit in order to figure out what improvements – who to eliminate – she would make. She has no particular interest in this position, except that is the position she was recruited to run for.
The difference between the two is summed up by Berman’s example of what he does: “We offer online bill payment, but a lot weren’t taking advantage… I signed up 18,000 (20 percent increase), negotiated terms from 2 ½ to 2 percent, and reduced the fee for online checks, which will go down again…. That’s why I am running, because I can help people. We offer seminars on fighting property tax. Everybody has to challenge their assessment under the new system [which penalizes homeowners assessed n the $340,00-$440,000 range]. That’s why you don’t have a machine collecting taxes, why you have a tax receiver who understands the system and how to help people.”
Elizabeth Kase Has Chance To Make History As County Court Judge
Among the many reasons to support Elizabeth Kase for County Court judge, besides the fact she grew up in Great Neck, is her extensive background in criminal law involving sex crimes, domestic violence, narcotics and white collar crime which she would bring as Judge for a criminal court, but more significantly, that she would be only the third woman on the court. As the two most recent women appointees to the Supreme Court have shown, life experience and perspective do actually matter, and this court should have that benefit, as well.
Kase’s election would be historic in another context: her father, John Kase, is currently a judge on the court, so this would be a first, possibly in the nation, of a father-daughter serving on the same court at the same time.
The best reason to elect her is her qualifications, her experience, her intelligence, her skill at articulating issues, and her work ethic.
