Readers Write: Mangano, Maragos have earned re-election votes

The Island Now

This year’s county executive race is heating up with former executive Thomas R. Suozzi seeking to make a return after his defeat to county Executive Ed Mangano in 2009, along with his rubber stamp mate Howard Weitzman. 

Both Mangano and Maragos entered office in 2010 after defeating Suozzi and Weitzman. They entered office when there was uncertainty with the direction the county was going in, and both Mangano and Maragos answered the call. 

Currently, the county’s structural deficit is half of what is was in 2009 when Howard Weitzman left office, and spending is down by $200,000,000 under the Mangano administration. 

The achievements both Mangano and Maragos achieved in bipartisan accolade resulted in Gov. Cuomo awarding Nassau County with a $5 million award for its cost-cutting initiatives. 

Even under the NIFA prescribed presentation method, the county is expected to end 2012 with a negative $85.5 million result, which is a 54 percent improvement compared to the negative $184.3 million recorded in 2009, the final year of the previous administration, and down from the negative $173.4 million in 2011. 

The reason why the county has a surplus today is in part to significant spending reductions. Impressive and worthy of re-election.

A zebra cannot change its stripes, and we all know what will happen if Suozzi and Weitzman are re-elected: high taxes with no end in sight. 

If they are re-elected expect the energy tax to make a comeback along with the fast-food tax proposed under the Suozzi administration. 

Mangano and Maragos are working to fix the fiscal problems. I believe in electing them a second time and I leave voters with this: bond ratings agencies are not rating current financial status, but looking at future status down the road. 

This November re-elect Nassau County Executive Mangano and Comptroller Maragos.  

Scott D. Diamond

Mineola

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