Reflections on Blakeman inauguration

                                                                                     

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman at his inauguration Monday

Body cams

There was a massive police presence at Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman's inauguration at the Cradle of Aviation on Monday:

Police on horseback; a police helicopter hovering overhead; Emergency Rescue Vehicles; dozen of marked and undercover police cars with lights flashing.

But that really isn't anything new.

Blakeman is known to be a police buff.

In 1996, at the first inauguration of the then new county legislature, in which Blakeman was the presiding officer,  there were police snipers stationed with long guns on the roof of the Nassau Community College building where the ceremony was held. 

What was new on  Monday was that all the county police appeared to be wearing body cameras, according to people who attended the event.

Progressives and members of minority communities had long urged Nassau police to wear body cameras, particularly after the death of George Floyd and subsequent demands for police reform.

The county's Superior Officers Association and Detectives Association had agreed to wear body cameras (for a $3,000 a year stipend) in new contracts negotiated by then Democratic County Executive Laura Curran.

But the county's largest police union -- the Police Benevolent Association -- voted down a new deal in December 2020  that included a body camera requirement.

However, the union negotiated a separate memorandum of understanding with Curran, approved by the legislature last June, specifically to mandate body cameras (again for a $3,000 a year stipend.)

The deal called for "full implementation" of the program "no later than Dec. 31, 2021."

Looks like they met the deadline.

Oddly Curran did not seem to stress her successful implementation of a body camera program during her losing re-election campaign -- an issue that should have brought her more progressive votes.

Bipartisanship

Republican Blakeman had both Democrats and Republicans on the dias for his inauguration, including former Democratic County Executive Thomas Suozzi, now a U.S. Congressman who is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor,  Democratic Senior Hempstead Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby and former Republican U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato, who continues to appear almost everywhere at age 84.

From left to right; Back row: U.S. congressman Democrat Thomas Suozzi, Nassau Presiding Officer Republican Richard Nicolello, (almost hidden from view) New York State Comptroller Democrat Thomas DiNapoli, Former U.S. Congressman Republican Peter King, former U.S. Sen. Republican Alfonse D'Amato; Longtime benefactor David Mack; First row (U.S. congressman Republican Andrew Garbarino, Nassau Republican Chairman Joseph Cairo, County Executive Republican Bruce Blakeman, moderator at the lectern, Republican County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and Republican County Clerk Maureen O'Connell. Hidden behind Phillips is Democratic Town Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby.

 

A number of county legislators also showed up but only one was a Democrat: Legis. Arnold Drucker of Plainview.

Masks or no masks

With Covid-19 cases rising to new highs, Nassau Democrats and some news organizations stressed the dangers of an indoor inauguration, especially with Blakeman's decree that neither masks nor vaccinations would be required.

William Biamonte, chief of staff for Democratic legislators, gave essentially the same statement before and after the event:

“At a time when Long Island’s positivity rate continues to soar, it would have been most prudent to postpone this ceremonial gathering in the interest of preventing a potential super-spreader event. However, the County Executive chose to proceed, and we hope that everyone who attended took every possible precaution to protect themselves and others.”

Newsday quoted experts about the need for masks.

But experts actually are divided on whether masks prevent transmission. The latest advice is that cloth masks don't work while N95 masks probably do.

Meanwhile the vaccinated and unvaccinated are testing positive. So are the masked and unmasked.

Nobody seemed to raise objections to other recent inaugurations: North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Donaldson, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney, Suffolk legislature inauguration where a Republican majority was sworn.

Only Blakeman drew complaints; maybe because he is the only one who made a point of it.

He announced before the ceremony that he would not enforce Gov. Kathy Hochul's mandate that masks be worn indoors. Half of the county executives in New York also have said they will not endorse the mandate. 

It may have more to do with politics than science: Hochul is a Democrat while while many of the objectors are Republican.

Blakeman addressed the issue at his inauguration:

"Starting today Nassau is normal again. We have seen the ravages of the Covid- 19 pandemic but we can no longer be afraid. Yes, we still have challenges but  but they are manageable."

He essentially said economic and mental health risks must be weighted against the benefits of government-imposed mandates.

Government, he said, "should not act in a heavy handed way by curtailing important Constitutional rights such as the right of a patient and their physician to make important health care decisions."

He added, "Reason and common sense must supplant hysteria. For that reason I will not enforce the state mandate in this county for masks and I will lobby Albany to keep our kids in school and not force them to wear masks."

That phrase drew loud applause.

But Blakeman, during his campaign, said he would issue an executive order banning schools from mandating masks for children. He criticized Curran for saying she didn't have the authority to do that.

His facebook supporters already are asking about the promised executive order.

Thank you's.

Blakeman, newly elected County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and re-elected County Clerk Maureen O'Connell thanked their families and supporters. And all three thanked Republican County Chairman Joseph Cairo for helping them win.

They also should thank Democratic President Joe Biden.

After a series of policy blunders, Biden's popularity cratered before the election, particularly among independent voters, helping to create the red wave that rolled across Long Island in November.

Curran, who lost by a little over 2,000 votes, is not happy with Biden after her loss.

In an interview with Fox News over the weekend, Curran said, "Unfortunately, my party, the Democratic Party, just conveys weakness right now. It almost feels like elder abuse with what's going on with President Biden. He has a hard time putting a sentence together. I think everyone gets nervous listening to him talk, he's going to mess up...I think its going to be a bloodbath for the Democrats in the midterms."

Here is the link:

https://www.foxnews.com/media/ousted-democratic-county-executive-warns-bloodbath

Senior Singer

While Joe Biden is raising eyebrows at age 79, longtime singer Vicki Imbarrato is causing jaws to drop in her 80s.

Imbarrato is the widow of Anthony Imbarrato, former law partner of former longtime Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello.

Vicki Imbarrato has been singing at Republican inaugurations since the 1980s.

That's why some old-timers' jaws dropped when she strolled on-stage at Blakeman's inauguration to sing the finale "God Bless America."

She looked great and sang great. She had been a singer in the 1950s on the radio and TV quiz show "Name That Tune" when she met her husband.

God bless.

Vicki Imbarrato sings at Blakeman inauguration