Officials no-shows at talk on Nassau fiscal outlook

Celeste Hadrick on Long Island; Rick Brand on Long Island; Melissa Mansfield in Albany

June 23, 2008

NASSAU OUTLOOK

No-shows for MIFA meeting

With the economy slowing and consumers reeling, Nassau faces one of its toughest budget years since it nearly went bankrupt nine years ago.

But the only Nassau official to show up last week for the release of a monitoring panel's report on the county's fiscal outlook was County Executive Thomas Suozzi, with several aides. And he arrived 15 minutes late for the public meeting of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.

Looking at the empty seats, Suozzi asked, "Is Diane coming?" referring to Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove). "Where's Peter?" he asked, meaning Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa). "They were invited," responded a NIFA staffer.

Although former Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) was a regular at all NIFA meetings, Yatauro said she understood last week's session "was more for the general public." She said she always participates in private "leaders" meetings of Suozzi, Yatauro, Schmitt and NIFA chairman Ronald Stack. "I take my NIFA responsibility most seriously," she said. Schmitt's office said he attends only the leaders' meetings.

County Comptroller Howard Weitzman and the legislature's budget review director, Eric Naughton, also did not show. Weitzman could not be reached; Naughton's staff said he had been at an out-of-office conference that day. - Celeste Hadrick on Long Island

SUFFOLK GOP

Comeback for Powell?

Former Suffolk GOP chief John Powell, who helped launch George Pataki's tenure as governor but later ran afoul of the law, has begun reappearing on the political circuit, at least at the grassroots level. He was spotted on school election night last month with Joseph LoSchiavo and Brett Houdek, winners in the Patchogue-Medford board race. Powell, reached later, confirmed his help in the campaign. Suffolk's former wunderkind, 47, now in the paving business, was guest speaker at the Great South Bay Republican Club a few weeks ago. He demurred when asked if he is looking to return to politics. He added, "You're about the 450th person who has asked me that question."

- Rick Brand on Long Island

THE PATERSON WATCH

More than half of New Yorkers have a favorable opinion of Gov. David A. Paterson, according to Siena Research Institute poll results released last week. His favorable/unfavorable rating increased from 48-17 percent last month to 57-17, with the remainder undecided.

Surveyed in March, just after Paterson was sworn in, New Yorkers gave him a 58 percent favorable rating.

Despite the high marks, 46 percent of voters believe the state is headed in the wrong direction - the highest percentage saying that since October 2006.

"While it has been a tale of two states, now even a plurality of New York City voters say the state is headed in the wrong direction," said poll spokesman Steven Greenberg. "Only African-American and Jewish voters think the state is on the right track."

The poll also asked about a hypothetical 2010 gubernatorial election between Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Paterson leads in a primary 43 to 31 percent, yet trails Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a hypothetical head-to-head election matchup, 45 to 34 percent.

- Melissa Mansfield in Albany

TODAY ON THE BLOG

More than half of the new voting machines the state's delivered so far to the Nassau Board of Elections are defective, county officials say. Republican Elections Commissioner John DeGrace and Democratic Commissioner William Biamonte sent a joint letter to the state Board of Elections last week complaining that 44 of the 71 new handicapped-accessible ballot-marking devices don't work properly, even though the state supposedly tested and certified them. They warned that the 62 percent defect rate doesn't bode well for the board's full order of 450 machines, which cost about $1,200 each. [CORRECTION: Because of incorrect information supplied to Newsday, the cost of Nassau's new voting machines was incorrect in a story Monday. The machines cost about $12,000 each. (A15 ALL 06/25/08)] One new machine must be available for handicapped voters at each polling place by this year's local primary election. By next year, all of New York's old lever voting machines must be replaced to comply with federal law. "It is unconscionable to require an electorate of more than 860,000 voters to utilize a 'technologically' based voting machine without adequate and fair testing of the system," the Nassau commissioners wrote.

- Celeste Hadrick on Long Island

NAKED AMBITION

Which was the most fevered lunge for self-promotion by a power player? Vote at newsday.com/spincycle.

1. Susan Rice, adviser to Barack Obama, warning that John McCain would "give us a stupid approach to the war on terrorism for four more years."

2. Fred Dalton Thompson, acting as campaign surrogate for McCain, saying of Obama: "He has come up as a typical young man in a hurry."

3. Thomas Suozzi, Nassau County executive, championing a property tax cap by donning a cap with the number 74 - the percentage of New Yorkers found in a poll to favor the idea.

Last week's "winner" (Results not scientific): E.D. Hill of Fox News, who drew 57.9 percent for suggesting a fist bump between Obama and his wife might be hit by pundits as a "terrorist fist jab."