PARCnassau

Park Advocacy & Recreation Council of Nassau. A coalition of 150 park advocacy and/or user groups with a combined membership of over 250,000 county residents.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Tweedle-dum & Tweedle-dee

Tweedle-dum & Tweedle-Dee PARCnassau endorses Adam Haber for County Executive by Bruce Piel Many years ago when chatting with a neighbor and friend who was heavily involved in a minority party in Nassau, I lamented that I could see little or no difference between the two major parties, Republican or Democrat. He responded, they are just Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. They are self serving. patronage happy and given to half truths and even lying when it suits their purpose. They are ruled by committee chairman whose only aim is to win elections and control the subsequent patronage. In 2000 we began PARCnassau to give voice to Nassau County Park users and taxpayers who care about their park system for recreation in many forms. Tom Gulotta had just halved the number of annual employees from 1600 to 800 and the neglect of parks was beginning to show. Normally when choosing a new County Executive, we only have one candidate's record in that office to evaluate whether to vote one way or the other. This year, however both “major” candidates have had a term of office as county executive and can be evaluated when determining your vote. In our opinion both Tom Suozzi and Ed Mangano and their administrations have proven disastrous for county parks and preserves. Between the two, annual employees in the parks system, have declined to a few hundred and the parks look it. Mr. Suozzi is noted for his observation that “Government is not qualified to run a park system”. (If not government, then who?) Mr. Mangano boasts he doesn’t raise taxes but both he and Mr. Suozzi raised fees over and over. Bottom Line you the taxpayer pay more and more through existing taxes and increasing fees for recreation that should be free or low cost. Privatization of our park sysem is rampant from both candidates. Suozzi gave away 13 parks and allowed private day camps in a number of parks. His administration entertained turning Cedar Creek Park into a privately owned facility with an amusement park and go-cart track until the community rose up and had that proposal killed. Mangano is giving away athletic fields in Bay Park and Mitchel Field to private interests. He is also allowing private operators to build and operate Tennis Courts in Christopher Morley and Eisenhower Parks. The ultimate betrayal is allowing the building of a Private pool behind the Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park. He also tried to destroy neighborhood ball leagues by taking away their ball fields and raising their fees. Some of these ideas should be built and operated by county employees without private operators walking away with a profit on county residents. Enough! Neither Mr. Suozzi or Mr. Mangano and their political appointees are qualified to run county parks. Let’s give Adam Haber a chance to do right by parks and park users. PARCnassau urges all registered democrats to vote for Adam Haber in the primary and all voters to vote for him in the General Election. It’s time to return Nassau County Parks to the people that paid to acquire, develop and maintain those public facilities. Please support our parks by supporting Adam Haber for County Executive.