LongIslandNEWS.info

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was joined on Thursday, January 13, 2011 by Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt and Comptroller George Maragos to announce the Legislature will hold hearings on the Taxpayer Relief Act which empowers County Executive Mangano to order labor savings for 2012 should the County’s labor unions fail to finalize givebacks over the coming weeks.  While the Republican Legislative Majority passed a balanced budget for 2011, budgets for 2012 and beyond will not be balanced unless County Executive Mangano and the Legislature rein in the costly, entitlement-laden labor contracts negotiated by former County Executive Tom Suozzi.

“While county public employees are competent, hard-working people who provide important services, our residents can no longer afford the high costs associated with our labor force,” said County Executive Edward P. Mangano.  “Nassau families and seniors already pay the second highest property taxes in the nation and they are at a breaking point.  Because our taxpayers need protection, I urge the Legislature to pass the Taxpayer Relief Act as quickly as possible.  For 2012, there will be voluntary concessions, ordered concessions or employees will be laid off.” 

No one, including the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA), has the authority to reopen labor contracts with the unions.  Under the law, current labor contracts can only be opened through mutual agreements with the unions or through the authority that will be granted to the County Executive by a Taxpayer Relief Act.

“Recent quotes attributed to union leaders have unfortunately put this county in greater fiscal jeopardy.  If union negotiations have indeed ended, as some unions have publicly stated, and they are not willing to participate in a savings negotiation, then there may be no choice but to empower the County Executive to pursue this avenue of fiscal givebacks,” stated Presiding Officer Schmitt. 

The only reasonable and responsible solution is to restructure the county labor contracts that are currently threatening Nassau’s future fiscal stability.  Recognizing the inability of residents to pay for these contracts, County Executive Mangano has sought labor savings since September 2010 through negotiations with the County’s labor unions. 

“At a time when private-sector unemployment is high and foreclosures in Nassau top 7,100 homes, it is not fair for Nassau’s public-sector employees to be immune while private sector families bear all the sacrifice,” said Mangano.  “Rather than face ordered labor savings from the Taxpayer Relief Act, Nassau’s public employee unions should do the right thing and agree to renegotiate their contracts.  If they do not, I am fully prepared to enforce the concessions the county needs.”

Since taking office, County Executive Mangano and the Republican Legislative Majority have made significant strides toward fixing Nassau’s finances and protecting taxpayers.  Inheriting a 2010 budget deficit of $133 million from former County Executive Suozzi, Mangano cut wasteful spending and closed the year with a surplus through the use of strong financial management practices.  In October 2010, the Republican Legislative Majority adopted Mangano’s 2011 No Property Tax Increase County Budget that cuts $148 million in spending while achieving $40 million in labor savings through the elimination of 125 non-patrol police positions and more than 300 other county workforce positions.  As a result of these actions, the number of budgeted employees has dropped by 400 positions, from 8,810 in 2010 to 8,410 in 2011, bringing the total number of employees to the lowest level since the 1950s.  In December 2010, Mangano announced an additional $15 million in labor savings, for a total of $55 million, for 2011 through the implementation of a hiring freeze for 210 non-essential personnel.  The County is operating with 610 fewer employees in 2011.

A couple of years ago I went to Mulcahys in Wantagh to see Bret Michaels. Radio station WBAB hit us all over the head with enough promos and hoopla to convince me to purchase tickets. The crowd was, well, sparse. Flash forward to May 1, 2008 and no one there that night could have predicted the turnout this past Thursday. It was crammed tight, so much so I overheard a girl proclaim” I don’t get why there is this many people here….Bret Michaels is like 50,000 years old!” But packed into the Wantagh bar with a vacuum tight seal on these lost 80’s souls, Bret and his band hit the stage in all their cowboy hat wearing glory.

Who is Bret Michaels? The front man for the once popular Poison in the height of 80’s hair metal. He’s the star of one of VH1’s most popular shows Rock of Love (ROL) Season 1 and 2. Michaels is also featured in the game Guitar Hero III, and on the very night he played our local venue, he was on their TV screens as a contestant on the show “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.”

As I stood in the rain waiting my turn to get checked off the list for the sold out performance I spot Big John. ROL fans know him as the loveable bodyguard/sidekick/babysitter to Bret and the ROL girls. It’s easy to see how he got the name “Big” John because the man is massive! Not too surprisingly the ladies aren’t as intimidated for he’s the ticket to V.I.P. heaven for fallen angels. Although he looks like a mush to me, I think later on that night the stage hand didn’t think so after I witnessed Big John get irritated with him, turning the guy into a jerky little cage mouse.

The crowd was an eclectic group of old timers, ex-high school dirt bags turned 30ish, and weave obsessed booby exhibitionists stylized after the ROL girlies. Not to disappoint there was debauchery the ROL way … bandana fashioned fools, drunken wannabes in search of poles, and a bathroom catfight or two. Fellow Massapequa rocker Michelle Molloy confessed after the show” I’m getting too old for this.”

When the Bret Michaels Band (B.M.B) hit the stage they announce, “Look at all the boobies!” And they were dead right; the ratio of women to men had to be 70/30. Big John then takes the mic to deliver the every popular line “Whatsa goin’ on?” and then there was Bret……………and Bret’s hat. The actual appearance of the top of that man’s head is one of life’s great mysteries. He opened with “Talk Dirty to Me” and then caught me off guard with “Sweet Home Alabama.” He was just adorable on stage, full of energy and loving every minute of it. Why wouldn’t he? He had shrieking girls lusting for him, flying bras and a sea of cleavage.

He was a well-oiled machine, his voice on target and his smile wide and bright. He connected will us all, and tried to smile at each girl in front of him, I think I got one too! As he jumped back and forth onstage like a rabbit in heat, the look on his face said he was having as much fun reliving the glory days as we were.

He did perform songs from the new album coming out “Rock My World” and closed with “Nothing But a Good Time.”

TCB Mama

"Taking Care of Business" (in a Flash)  with Mama
"TCB Mama"