Suffolk County GOP Rising Star

In the absence of political leadership the same old political process has once again left us unsatisfied and disillusioned. At times like this it is the responsibility of those who can to stand up and lead. Conventional politicians have served for years and even our local representatives play the same old politics that we complain about in Washington.


As the candidates, policies and representatives in many cases remain detached from the young voters that they so long to herd off to vote in oft low turnout elections that are consistently right down to the wire.  


John Panicola's candidacy is one new voice for generations of Long Islanders and particularly his hometown Huntington residents.


 "20- to 30-somethings see the same names on the ballot year after year and have become disenfranchised from local government,"said Panicola. "It's seems to keep them from potentially becoming involved and shaping the community for themselves."


The 33 year old former Marine, Panicola is considerably frustrated with the same old politics and the lack of leadership. Currently working as a bartender as well as an Adelphi University student; Panicola is in the thick of discussion between both students by day and the common man at night. His down to earth personality along with his innate leadership and first class USMC training serves as a strong resume that does lack any previous political service.


The Republican candidate may be one of the old men on the Adelphi campus, but on the contrary sees his candidacy as part of a youth movement in Long Island politics. Running for Town Board in Huntington this upcoming election, Panicola is truly an inspiring American story that will be closely followed by this blog.



Check in on the blog soon for updates on John Panicola and his candidacy including a more in depth profile, interview and some audio/visual first hand material! 

Long Island Murderer Must be Brought to Justice

It is common knowledge by now that Long Island is in the midst of a Serial Killer(s).

Police have reported that they are getting closer by the day with new leads and evidence constantly emerging.

Out of respect for the events this post is not meant to report the events that took place, plenty of other news sources have covered this in depth.

This is only to urge the community to remain vigilant, travel accompanied whenever possible (especially women at night) and to report any suspicious behavior or information that could potentially be useful to the authorities.

Suffolk County Exec Stepping Down

Steve Levy has served for two terms as the Suffolk County Executive. He has been the leader of the County Republican party and he had been widely expected to run for and be elected to a third term. He had already raised around $ 4 Million for the upcoming election and there seemed to be nothing or no one who could get in his way.

However, last week that officially changed.

Levy had been marred for nearly 16 months with an investigation into his finances from the District Attorney Thomas Spota. Details of which have remained relatively under wraps, but nevertheless speculation has ensued. This speculation came to ahead on March 31st with official announcements from both Levy and Spota.

A deal has been reached between Levy and Spota that seemed to many much like a "plea bargain."
Levy would be allowed to complete his term and further investigation into his fundraising would cease.

In turn, Levy would then step down at the end of his term and not run for public office in the next election. The $ 4 million in his campaign coffers would also be turned over to the DA.

The reason for allowing him to finish his term has a great deal to do with Levy's strong record and the instability that an investigation and a possible interim County Exec would bring to these already harsh economic times. With his experience and good work over the past two terms it was decided best for all parties and the county as a whole to cut this unconventional deal.

                       (Photo Courtesy of Stevy Levy's County Executive Website)

Republicans have mixed feelings on the matter. Their leader has been exposed as engaging in less than admirable financing, but this does not reflect the actions of the party as a whole. Regardless of the indiscretion, the Republican party does not look to suffer much, if at all from this incident.

What will suffer?

The legacy of County Executive Steve Levy and the $4 million that his supporters had already pledged for the next election season.

Representatives Peter King and Carolyn McCarthy: Long Island's Most Powerful Politicians

(Photo of Rep. Peter King(R) courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org)

Long Island has two juggernaut politicians in the House of Representatives. One has been immersed in controversy, the other has not been in the spotlight, but to some people she is just as controversial.

Representative Peter King of  NY's 3rd district: Central Nassau and Suffolk is the Chairmen of the Committee on Homeland Security and a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

King's campaign financing is available here.

Over the past few months, King has fallen out of favor with a portion of the American public because of his controversial hearings on Islam.

As Chairmen of the Committee on Homeland Security, King has asserted it is both in his jurisdiction and with the best intentions of the American people for him to hold these hearings. He has stood by claims that Muslims are being recruited as terrorists in America.

He is walking quite a fine line however. Past support of the terrorist group the IRA in Northern Ireland creates a confusing track record for the Representative. While he has openly supported a terrorist organization in the past, he is to many classifying an entire religion as potential terrorists.

Criticism from Russell Simmons as well as many others, both Democrat and Republican, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Jewish have expressed an outrage at singling out a religion as a threat. During the hearing Representative Keith Ellison, the only Muslim member of the House of Representatives emotionally broke down at what he compared to a religious persecution.

While King has been immersed in both controversy and praise for his actions, he has a strong hold on his  constituency and has become a major player in national politics. For better or worse (probably better) King will likely remain the Congressperson for the 3rd district for years to come. While this hearing has brought plenty of publicity to King, he has served his district for years and has earned both the respect of his community and the seniority that he has amassed.



                                             
(Photo of Rep. Carolyn McCarthy(D) courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org)

Representative Carolyn McCarthy of NY's 4th district comprised of Western-Central Nassau County is a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Financial Services. She also serves as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.

McCarthy's campaign financing is available here.

While McCarthy has not been in the National News too much of late, it has not been for a lack of trying.
McCarthy pushed gun control legislation in the house in mid January. She was one of if not the strongest proponents of gun control. Along with NYC Mayor Bloomberg as well as Senators Schumer and Gillabrand, McCarthy has been an extremely vocal presence in the gun control debate.

This dedication to curbing gun violence stems from McCarthy's personal experience with gun violence. She was a survivor of the LIRR massacre at Merillon Station at which her husband was murdered and her son suffered severe injuries. In response to her personal experience, she entered politics and was elected on a strong platform that included major gun control reforms.

McCarthy has served her community for over 10 years and has been moving up the ranks of seniority within the House. Though she has not been as controversial as Rep. King as of late, McCarthy is a fearless proponent of gun control that members of the National Rifle Association would consider a top political opposition.

NIFA takeover Blocked, For Now

 NIFA (Nassau Interim Finance Authority) has been blocked in its attempted takeover of county finances by a judge.

                          Photo highlighting Nassau County
                         (Courtesy of craignow.blogspot.com )
            
County Executive Mangano and the county's attorneys had argued that NIFA had breached the state Constitution. Whether right or just lucky, the courts agreed and ordered a stay on the takeover. The Justice Arthur Diamond gave an extension for the county to submit a new budget proposal, and said that the overall ruling would come in advance of March 31st.

This move would almost ensure the County retains control over its finances throughout the length of the trial, though it does little to provide clues as to what the overall ruling may be.

On January 26th NIFA had "seized" the counties finances in response to a deficit of $176 million. With the  election of Mangano over Suozzi in the November elections, there was instant tension.

The clash of political parties were fundamental, with Mangano campaigning on and undertaking an immediate "Tax Revolt" that swept in with Tea Party momentum.

                                              Photo of County Exec. Edward Mangano
                                                  (Courtesy of LongIslandPress.com)

There was an immediate repeal of the Home Energy Tax, a move that was seen as "antagonistic" by NIFA. While this immediately saved taxpayers $38 million a year, it dug the county deeper into debt without a way to pay it off, as Mangano had promised to and did prevent an increase of property tax. This dedication to no taxes is admirable, but amidst a financial crisis there has to be something, anything done to handle tough financial issues.

While the story trended as big news at the onset, there seemed to be little interest regarding the potential seizure of the county's funds by a "big brother" type state authority. This blog isn't about defending one politician or condemning another, but in reality it's become pretty clear to everyone that this has spiraled into a partisan battle, very similar to the way that politics are playing out in Albany, across the country and especially in Washington D.C.

 There are clearly issues with the economy at all levels, and the vast range of conflicting agendas have caused major rifts in more places than just Nassau County. While Wisconsin's "union busting" is the hot news topic, don't forget about what's happening here right now on the Island.