Blakeman expands Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Nassau

                                                                          

Is Republican Conservative Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman shifting left?

On Monday, county legislative committees approved a Blakeman plan to use $1.24 million in federal pandemic aid to greatly expand Nassau's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program.

Some $515,000 will pay for staff salaries and benefits, including a new assistant to the director and part-time coordinators in the office, established in the health department by former Democratic County Executive Laura Curran in 2019.

Deputy County Executive Anissa Moore told legislators the remaining funds will pay to move the DEI program to 40 Main Street in Hempstead, to purchase equipment and supplies and to train the entire county workforce in diversity, equity and inclusion while working closer to the community.

The office will also work with the Antisemitic task force, the Black and Jewish coalition, the Anti-bias task force, the LGBTQ coalition, the new disability committee and others, she said.

All of this is funded through the next four years.

"We believe it is going to unite all of us in moving the county forward," Moore said.

 

From the County funding resolution

Sounds good, right?

But DEI is controversial.

Progressive Democrats say diversity, equity and inclusion for all races and genders are core values for a democracy. They support the program

Many conservative Republicans consider the DEI programs are a pretense to adopt divisive identity politics. They oppose it.

Blakeman ran last year as a conservative Republican, blasting Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul for her mask mandates, and promising to fight the masking of school children.

The Long Island Loud Majority, which sponsored car and track caravans for former President Donald Trump in 2020, in January rallied in support of Blakeman, who also has opposed bail reform while backing police initiatives.

Even today, Blakeman held a news conference to complain about Albany's new concealed gun carry law. 

"Although we think this law is arbitrary, capricious and unconstitutional," he said, "We are going to do our best to administer this law until there is a final adjudication with the litigation that is ongoing as to whether or not this law is constitutional."

Blakeman at new conference today about concealed carry law

But like the DEI expansion, Blakeman has made some moves that shook his conservative base.

He appointed a new county health commissioner, who supported mask mandates, child covid vaccination and Hochul in her previous job, upset parents complained on Blakeman's Facebook page.

Blakeman responded that Commissioner Irina Gelman understood his position on mask mandates.

Then Republicans were surprised to learn that Blakeman had hired Greg Kalnitsky in February as a deputy county attorney for $130,000 a year. 

Kalnitsky had served as acting Long Beach corporation counsel after Long Beach City Manager Jack Schnirman, a Democrat elected Nassau Comptroller, and former corporation counsel Rob Agostisi departed the Democratic-controlled city. Kalnitsky was there during federal and state probes into excessive payouts to former and current employees.

Former Nassau DA Madeline Singas' corruption bureau chief slammed Kalnitsky for suggesting to the city counsel -- then headed by Anissa Moore --that Singas had violated professional ethics during her probe of the payouts. Bureau chief Christine Maloney noted in a letter that Kalnitsky himself could be called for a witness in the investigation.

Neither probe resulted in criminal charges.

In 2020, with independent Democrats taking charge in Long Beach, Kalnitsky left to become city attorney in Glen Cove, then controlled by establishment Democrats.

When Republicans won a majority in Glen Cove last November, they replaced Kalnitsky, who landed at the county.

Yes, Blakeman has made some left turns in the past. 

Most notable was his endorsement of Democrat Laura Gillen over incumbent Republican Anthony Santino for Hempstead  Town Supervisor in 2017.

But many thought his endorsement was prompted more by internal Republican party conflicts than support for Gillen, who is now seeking to run for Congress.

Raising questions now is a campaign fundraiser that Blakeman held on Monday night at an East Norwich steakhouse even though he doesn't run for re-election until 2025.

Could Blakeman be trying to broaden his political support for a possible run against Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is up for election next year?

But, that's still just gossip at this point.

Kirsten Gillibrand Credit: Yuki Iwamura//AFP via Getty images