Curran corrects her campaign's "peanuts" blunder

                                                                                     
                                                                                 

Laura Curran news conference in North Bellmore responding to "peanuts" comment

Finally.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a first-term Democrat running for re-election this November, today rectified a campaign team oversight from last week.

Curran held a news conference calling on the Republican-controlled county legislature to approve her plan to give direct  $375 cash payments in federal Cares Act money to each of about 400,000 county households.

That $375 "is not peanuts," Curran said.

And she introduced potential recipients, who said what the payments would mean to them.

This was in response to Bruce Blakeman, Curran's Republican opponent, who issued a video campaign commercial a week ago dismissing the $375 payments as  "peanuts." 

 Curran's campaign team last week distributed a video of people criticizing Blakeman's comment.

The video was made to look like "man in the street" interviews (or, in more politically correct terms, person-in-the-street interviews) done by newspapers and TV news for decades to illustrate the opinions of the average person.

Typically, newspapers and tv reports give the name of the person talking in these interviews and what community they're from.

But the campaign video did not identify the speakers or how they happened to be talking about Curran's proposed $375 payment.

That was a mistake. Who were these people?

Because a viewer could conclude the campaign simply videotaped county employees or paid campaign workers who have a vested interest in supporting their boss's plan.

This has often happened at past Nassau political events. A crowd of supporters who appear to be spontaneously cheering a candidate speech are actually the spouses of government employees or behind- the-scenes political party workers.

In comparison, at her news conference today, Curran introduced Cheri Gimpleman of North Bellmore as a  local kindergarten teacher for 38 years who is now retired.

The retired teacher said, "As a homeowner there is always something going wrong in the house, and there is always a need for fixing and to have a little extra income. So this would mean a lot.."

She added that it would provide an emotional boost as well.

"The emotional part of it along with the financial part is very important," she said. "I really do appreciate it."

Curran then introduced Carter Ward, who she described as a Hempstead resident and U.S. Navy veteran.

Ward said, "Some people call it peanuts. Some people may call it pennies. You must have millions of dollars if you call it pennies. When I find a penny, I put it in a jar with 99 more waiting to be a dollar."

"I appreciate it." 

Neither one is employed by the county or are paid campaign workers, Curran staff said when asked.

Curran also introduced John Durso, but everyone knows Durso -- president of the Long Island Federation of Labor.

Durso said the $375 payment "is a terrific opportunity to restart our economy." He repeated what Curran had said -- that 66 cents of every dollar spent in Nassau stays in Nassau.

Curran called for the county legislature to cut short its summer break to come back and pass her plan, introduced in late July. The next meeting of county legislature committees is Sept. 13, with the full legislature not scheduled to meet until Sept. 27.

"This legislation cannot wait another day," Curran said.

Here is the campaign video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmTYGUjYPlc