LI Democrats still circling Hempstead's federal funds

Long Island Democrats have yet to accept the fact that the federal government awarded millions of dollars more in coronavirus assistance to Republican Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin than Democratic Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.


Ever since it was announced in April that Hempstead Town was getting $133 million for its 770,000 residents while Nassau would receive $103 million for its 582,000 people living outside of the town, Democrats have asked, cajoled, threatened and demanded that Clavin "share" the money with Curran.


First, Nassau's Democratic state senators "suggested" in a letter to Clavin that he turn over the money to villages in their districts, allocated with their help, of course.

Then  U.S.  Reps. Tom Suozzi of Glen Cove and Kathleen Rice of Garden City, both Democrats,  personally called Clavin and forcefully demanded he give the federal dollars to Curran.

Next, Long Island's Democratic Assembly members sent a letter to Clavin, "respectfully" requesting that he distribute the money to the county, villages and small businesses.

Last month, Rice and State Sen. Kevin Thomas appeared in front of Hempstead Town Hall to demand State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli monitor Hempstead's spending of the federal funds. Thomas said he wanted "transparency and accountability."

Oddly, "transparency and accountability" didn't bother Thomas when voted to allow Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo carte blanche authority to spend $4 billion in federal aide without the usually required oversight by the state comptroller.

Coincidentally, all of the Democrats demanding Hempstead's money are running for re-election in November.
 
It never seemed to occur to any of them that perhaps Hempstead Town Comptroller John Mastromarino, who has years of municipal finance experience, crafted a better application for federal funds than Nassau Comptroller Jack Schnirman, the former Long Beach city manager who left the city with a multi-million dollar budget hole, or Curran's financial people, who have yet to develop the longterm financial acumen or reputation of a Mastromarino.

Hempstead officials have told Newsday that all funding requests are  reviewed by an outside law firm and advisory committee of town and local officials. Clavin also holds a weekly call with village mayors. And all allocations must be approved by the Republican-controlled Town board.

Now Democrats are badgering Clavin again.

Sources say Curran has asked Clavin for $50 million of Hempstead's money, with at least a portion going to help school districts outside of the town.

Newsday reported earlier this month that a Curran spokesman said the county had spent 100 percent of its federal funding: $95 million on payroll for health and safety employees, $12.9 million on diverted personnel or services, $898,800 to improve telework systems and $1.2 million on public health, which adds up to about $110 million.

Sources also say that DiNapoli's office has written to Clavin wanting to examine his spending of the federal dollars at the request of "colleagues" in Albany.

So far, sources say, Clavin's answer has been no.



But would anybody be surprised if Cuomo, who has been demanding President Trump and Long Island's congress members direct more federal money to New York, should turn to Hempstead next?