Nassau County cannot be proud that a federal court judge has deemed it necessary to appoint a special master to oversee the county’s food stamp, Medicaid and other public assistance programs.
This comes on the heels of NIFA being appointed to oversee the county’s finances.
One of the wealthiest counties in the nation that couldn’t balance its own books has failed in its responsibility to provide services for the poorest of its poor. Social service advocates charge that the county repeatedly violated state and federal deadlines on processing aid requests.
There is a 30-day deadline to process requests for food stamps or SNAP benefits as they are now called, and the 45-day deadline to process Medicaid applications.
If you have children to feed, even 30 days can seem like an eternity. The same is true for the time it takes for approval to qualify for Medicaid.
Grace Moran, a Rockville Centre attorney, will work on a pro-bono basis with the Nassau Department of Social Service to get the department in line with the federal regulations.
This didn’t happen overnight.
The Central Islip-based Empire Justice Center and Manhattan-based National Center for Economic Justice filed a lawsuit against the county in 2010. Since then the county has spent thousands of dollars defending the indefensible.
The advocates accused the county of failing to notify up to 43 percent of food stamp applicants of their approval status by the 30-day federal deadline and said 37 percent of Medicaid applications were delayed.
In a statement, Nassau Social Services Commissioner John E. Imhof wrote, “We truly welcome the court’s appointment of a special master.”
Are you kidding, Mr. Imhof?
That’s like a drunk driver thanking the cop for pulling him over. Aren’t you just a little embarrassed?
There are families that had to go to the food pantries because your agency didn’t do its job and poor people who had to go to the hospital emergency room when they got sick because that’s the only alternative for people without health insurance or Medicaid.
Democratic Nassau County executive candidate Thomas Suozzi called the county’s handling of social services, “gross mismanagement.” Adam Haber, his opponent in next week’s Democratic county executive primary, said the services were only “afterthoughts” for Suozzi and County Executive Edward Mangano.
Mangano claims the problems started during Suozzi’s tenure. But, even if that’s true, he had four years to deal with it and didn’t.
According to the state, 68,600 Nassau residents receive food stamps, and 182,000 residents are enrolled in Medicaid. We trust that Moran will see that they are treated better in the future.
