Clavin mailer features Schumer

                                                                                    

Democrats have complained for decades about the many, many, many mailers issued by Hempstead Town, which has been under Republican control for more than 100 years, except from 2018 through 2019 when Democrat Laura Gillen was supervisor with a Republican-majority on the town board.

The mailers inevitably feature photographs of the incumbent Republican elected officials touting their recent accomplishments. Democrats gripe that the mailings are political; Republicans counter that they provide important information to town residents.

But Democrats can't complain about an April four-page "ecology update."

Featured in the front page with Republican Supervisor Don Clavin is Chuck Schumer, a Democratic U.S. senator from New York who also serves as the senate majority leader.

The two are pictured clinking water bottles.

Clavin praises Schumer for securing $5 million in federal funds to help Hempstead clean up its water supply.

Democrats, of course, won't say anything negative about Schumer for appearing in the Republican newsletter.

But on background they grouse about Schumer's penchant for publicity. And they also blame Schumer for Hempstead receiving $133 million in federal Cares Act funds in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 -- the only town in the country to received covid money. It was $30 million more than granted to Nassau County, then headed by Democrat County Executive Laura Curran.

A quirk in the Cares Act funding formula allowed Hempstead, with nearly 800,000 residents, to be eligible for funds. Town comptroller John Mastromarino, with decades of experience in municipal finance, knew out to ferret out such quirks.

Curran and Democratic state officials demanded Clavin share the money. But after town Republicans quietly allocated the funds without notice,  Democrats declared war on the town.

Curran, former U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice and four Democratic state senators demanded an "immediate investigation" by  the U.S. Treasury and its Inspector General of Hempstead's use of the federal funds, citing lack of transparency and delays.

That was more than two years ago.

Nothing happened.

Then Curran was defeated by Republican Bruce Blakeman in 2021, Rice decided against running for re-election last year and three of the four Democratic state senators who signed the letter are now out of office.

But Schumer is still there, re-elected to another six year term last year. Seems like he knows how to play the political game.