RSS 2.0 FeedApril 8, 2011, Cover Stories, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Democrats cry foul
Funding distribution discussed.
The Nassau County minority Democratic Caucus took to the steps of the Legislative building on Monday to decry what its says is uneven funding distribution to youth agencies, saying that Republican districts were receiving fewer funding reductions to their youth programs due to county budget cuts than Democratic districts.
“I am deeply troubled by the inequities contained in [Mr.] Mangano’s cuts,” said county Legislator Kevan Abrahams [LD1]. The cuts hit hardest in communities that are within legislative districts represented by Democrats, he said.
Legislator Denenberg told the crowd that red light cameras – first introduced two years during the Suozzi Administration to generate income to keep youth programs solvent against potentially crippling cuts – are supposed to fund the youth programs, and to cut the funding to youth programs could be deemed illegal.
Under federal law, he said it is illegal to discriminate by race, religion and/or political affiliation.
But North Bellmore resident Katie Grilli-Robles, press secretary to County Executive Ed Mangano, bristled at Mr. Denenberg’s insertion of race or political affiliation into the dialog. “That is a divisive statement that is inflammatory and meant only to garner attention to himself,” she told The Leader.
She said that the lists of youth programs in both Democrat- and Republican-held districts reflect primarily the same cuts across the board. “We added the numbers up for both districts and couldn’t believe they were claiming their districts were being shortchanged,” she said.
Mr. Abrahams supplied information that said 83% of youth cuts were in Democratic districts, in contrast to less than 10% of cuts in Republican districts.
More red light cameras coming?
She said that Mr. Mangano had been in Albany last week and, with the help of Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., was able to get more red light cameras for the county. The revenue for those red light cameras would in fact be used to restore any cuts being made to youth programs.
She added that the county executive was also able to get funds restored to keep the MTA running until the end of the year.
She said the county was waiting to hear final word on the state Legislature’s approval for the red light cameras. “We’re waiting for approval by April 15 to get the red light cameras and fully restore the cuts being made to the Youth Board,” she said.
State Assemblyman Charles Lavine, sponsor to obtain 50 more red light cameras for the county (the state Senate passed its version for 50 more cameras on March 2) told The Leader he doesn’t know why Mr. Mangano is speaking of an April 15 deadline.
“While I have a fighting chance in the Assembly to get the camera legislation passed, it could take all session, which ends June 20,” he said.
Mr. Lavine, an original sponsor of the first red light camera legislation that brought cameras to the county, added that any emphasis on new cameras would have to take the view that the cameras are helping save lives in the county.
“I have to persuade my colleagues that the need for more cameras is to save lives in Nassau County, not that the county needs more money for youth programs,” he said. Any other strategy than saving lives, he said, complicates the issue.
Existing red lights already budgeted
Tedd Levy, director of Freeport Pride, told The Leader the county sent a letter saying Freeport Pride would see a 15% reduction in funding, “about $54,000,” said Mr. Levy. “But there was a revision to the letter and we were told they [the county] would finalize plans on April 16. The county said there could be new red light cameras that would make up the difference.”
But Mr. Levy added that “there is [already] sufficient money in the red light camera program to fund youth board programs. These funds are supposed to be used solely for this purpose. That’s the law and they must adhere to it.”
Linda Leonard, executive director of the Long Island Crisis Center, also received a letter. She said a letter from the county, that arrived on a Tuesday, said that funding had been cut, and the center had until Thursday, two days later, to submit a new budget proposal.
Ms. Leonard also said the county quickly rescinded the request, suggesting that perhaps the county had learned it may get the new red light cameras.
“But youth programs shouldn’t be held hostage to red light cameras,” she said. There was $29 million budgeted into the 2011 budget that is a dedicated revenue source from the red light camera revenue first realized two years ago during the Suozzi Administration, she continued. “Why would the county send such a letter telling of budget cuts if there was already $29 million available for youth programs?” she asked.
Barry Wilansky, executive director of the Tempo Group, asked similar questions: “Where is the money from the tobacco settlement that was supposed to fund youth programs? Where is the money from search-and-seizure operations from drug arrests that was supposed to help with youth programs?”
He called the latest round of cuts to youth programs “profoundly sad.”
The Democratic caucus suggested other possible remedies for Republicans to restore youth funding, saying the county executive could apply his $2 million mail budget toward restoring some youth cuts.
Mr. Levy said, “The whole committment to youth services is not there. We serve about 600-700 Freeporters a year. This reduction means our capacity to serve will be less.”
-Laura Schofer contributed to this story.
