Tidbits missed due to internet outage: Redistricting case, county court cross-endorsement and political branding

 This blog's internet went out on Tuesday and despite many visits from and calls to Optimum, it is working only sporadically now. 

While the internet was out, some interesting Nassau political tidbits occurred.

Redistricting:  

First there was an update in the Democrat challenge to the Republican-approved new boundaries for the Nassau's 19  legislative districts.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Randy Sue Marber, a Democrat cross-endorsed in 2020, recused herself from hearing the case filed late by former Democratic legislator David Mejias on behalf of 20 Nassau voters (all but one Democrats). The suit alleges, among other things, that the new lines create districts favorable to Republicans.

Republicans deny the charges, contending the new boundaries create "fair-fight" districts.

Currently, the legislature consists of seven Democrats and 12 Republicans.

Looks like the lawsuit has now been assigned to Felice Muraca, a Conservative judge who won his county court seat in 2015 running on the Conservative, Republican and Independence ballot lines without cross endorsement from the Democrats.

Muraca also was an assistant district attorney under the late Republican District Attorney Denis Dillon.

Papers in the case are to be submitted Sept. 7 to Muraca, serving as an acting Supreme Court justice.

From Muraca's former law firm through Linked In

County Court

Both Republican and Democratic parties last week agreed to cross-endorse Republican Joe Girardi of Syosset for County Court judge this November, essentially guaranteeing his win.

The County Court opening occurred when Republican County Court judge William O'Brien of Syosset retired.

Girardi, a former Valley Stream Republican committeeman, was appointed to the District Court in Oyster Bay by former Republican County Executive Ed Mangano in 2015. He was elected that November, running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party lines, without Democratic cross-endorsement.

Girardi is a former Queens Assistant District Attorney and former Oyster Bay Town deputy attorney.

Political branding

A political uproar erupted last week after Newsday reported that  Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman had posted a sign with his name larger than the sign for the late philanthropist and musician Harry Chapin at the county-owned Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park.

Many people were incensed that Blakeman has put his name back on county signs and other Nassau County public properties after his predecessor Democrat County Executive Laura Curran made a point of removing politicians' names from such venues.

Legislative Democrats were so incensed that they filed a bill calling for the immediate removal of elected officials' names from county signs and barring them from putting their names on new ones, Newsday reports. The actual bill was not available. 

Update: A copy of the bill was received and is attached to the bottom of this item.

But it's not just Republicans who have a tradition of putting their names on public property.

As a commenter on this blog noted last week, referring to former Democratic County Executive Tom Suozzi: "Suozzi started this trend. He put his name on everything, (including the theatre) and even had his face made in bronze and put on the 9/11 memorial."

The 9/11 memorial? Former Republican George Bush visited for the ground-breaking in 2002, after Suozzi took office as county executive. The memorial opened in 2007 after some construction delays. It was funded half with donations and half with matching taxpayer funds.

Didn't remember Suozzi's face in bronze but it's there. Here's a photo from Newsday:

From Newsday. Credit Howard Schnapps

Here is a copy of the bill sponsored by all seven Democratic legislators:











 


 

 


 

 



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