The Nassau County Democratic Party Committee plans to nominate Freeport trustee Debra Mule for the 5th Legislative District seat
Claude Solnik
Long Island Business News
2150 Smithtown Ave.
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7348
Home > LI Confidential > Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
Nassau Democrats face a crowded four-candidate primary in September for the 5th Legislative District seat being vacated by Laura Curran, who is running for county executive.
The Nassau Democratic Committee plans to nominate Freeport trustee Debra Mulé for the seat at its nominating convention on May 31, said party chairman Jay Jacobs.
Mulé, who served on the Freeport school board from 2006 through her election to the village’s board of trustees in 2015, said her campaign would focus on cleaning up corruption in local politics and fixing the county’s property tax assessment system.
“We all know the county is a mess and it is time to end the corruption and incompetence,” she said. “My experience as a school board member and Freeport Village trustee will be an asset to the district.”
Mulé faces a crowded field of candidates, including Anthony Miller, vice president of the Freeport school board; Jack McCloy, a Baldwin activist who unsuccessfully challenged Curran for the seat in 2013; and George Siberon, executive director of the nonprofit Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association.
Siberon, who announced his candidacy Thursday, is running on a ticket with County Comptroller George Maragos, who is challenging Curran of Baldwin and Assemb. Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) for the Democratic nomination for county executive.
Siberon of Baldwin pledged to bring “integrity” back to the legislature and said he would focus on the county’s heroin epidemic and increasing state funding for local schools.
ADVERTISEMENT | ADVERTISE ON NEWSDAY
“I am tired of hearing of our elected officials being indicted, and our communities losing faith and trust in government,” said Siberon, who served as executive director of the county Youth Board during the administration of former County Executive Thomas Suozzi.
Miller, who has served on the school board since 2012, touted his experience advocating for the community on the local, state and federal levels.
“I believe my service to the community, both as an active community member and as an elected official have prepared me well for the job,” Miller said.
McCloy, who announced his candidacy last month, is a member of the Baldwin and Baldwin Oaks civic associations.
McCloy did not respond to a request for comment Friday, but his campaign website says he would reform the county’s red-light camera program and oppose utility fee hikes.
Nassau Republicans on Thursday nominated Kathleen Spatz, president of the South Hempstead Civic Association, as their candidate in the 5th District.
The district encompasses Baldwin, Freeport and parts of Merrick, Baldwin Harbor and South Hempstead.
No comments:
Post a Comment