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                                                                                     State Attorney General Letitia James issued a "cease and desist" order today  to an organization that calls itself a group of ordinary, honest citizens seeking answers to apparent voting irregularities. James' office accused the organization of going door-to-door to “confront voters,” falsely claiming to be election workers and suggesting voters were guilty of felony election fraud. Newsday reports James' letter to the NY Citizens Audit Civic Fund ordered the group to end any “voter deception and intimidation” or face state and federal charges. The letter comes after breathless complaints from Board of Election officials as well as Nassau and Suffolk political leaders that peop...

It is more than likely that the Nassau legislature tomorrow, Monday, will approve a new 13-year labor agreement between the Civil Service Employees Association, the county's largest union, and the administration of Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman. After all, union members voted overwhelmingly last month to ratify the new deal -- 79 percent in favor; 21 percent against -- after working without a contract since the end of 2017. Still the legislature's office of budget review was obligated report on the deal before the vote. On Friday, OLBR released a very complicated 14 - page financial analysis. The report was lost in the the hubbub over the release of Blakeman's proposed 2024 budget Friday. The main takeaway is that union members agreed to pay higher health insurance co-pays and deductibles under a new New York State Health Insurance Plan, called  Excelsior, in return for salary increases averaging nearly 25 percent over the 13 years, a signing bonus of $3,000, r...

Legislators Debra Mule, Delia De-Riggi Whitton, Siela Bynoe, Carrie Solages, Arnold Drucker  Nassau Democratic legislators today demanded that Republican Bruce Blakeman deliver an "immediate" tax cut of $128 million in his forthcoming budget -- the tax cut that he promised while campaigning against Democrat incumbent Laura Curran for county executive two years ago. Bruce Blakeman   By county charter, Blakeman, who defeated Curran, must submit his 2024 proposed county budget to the legislature by Friday. The Democrats cited Blakeman campaign literature in Sept. 2021 in which he said he would cut taxes by over $128 million in a single year. "However, despite inheriting significant budget surpluses and robust reserves," they said in a press release, Blakeman's 2023 budget "included no tax cut." That's not true. Blakeman cut a $35 million property tax increase that Curran had put into this year's budget as part of her multi-year plan. The multi-yea...

                                                                                The Democratic primary for Nassau's South Shore 4th Congressional District just got a little less crowded. Former Olympic skating champion Sarah Hughes has tweeted that she will not run for the Congressional seat after all, which brightens the chances of everyone else in the race. Not only does Hughes decision leave more breathing room for the most active Democratic 4th District candidates: State Sen. Kevin Thomas of Levittown  and former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen of Rockville Centre,but it also eases t...

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Nassau Democrats were apparently more active in the dog days of August and early September than Nassau Republicans; Many Republicans are actually out of town this week. Suozzi reunion First there was the Suozzi alumni party last night. Remember that former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a former Glen Cove Mayor and most recently, a former District 3 U.S. Congressman, invited all his former staffers from Glen Cove, Nassau County and Washington D.C. to a reunion last night.   Many people saw the party as an indication that Suozzi was gearing up to run again for his old District 3 Congressional seat. Suozzi did not seek re-election last year, deciding instead to challenge Democrat Kathy Hochul for governor. But Hochul defeated Suozzi in the Democratic primary while Republican George Santos, who has admitted lying about his background and finances, won Suozzi's old District 3 seat. Suozzi reunion organizer Ellen Caplan on Tuesday denied the party was a fundraiser.  S...

 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 ...