this guy has too many jobs and performs all of the poorly or not at all. vote him out and do notforget the mud and worse he inflicted on his former friend thomas gargiulo as reported in newsday.
Kevin McCaffrey to represent Suffolk's 14th Legislative District & fails to tell nassau otb employees, members of teamsters local 707, of their rights pursuant to ny elec law 3-110
Kevin McCaffrey, Republican incumbent candidate for Suffolk County Legislature District 14, poses for a portrait at his office in Lindenhurst on August 19, 2019. Photo Credit: James Escher
Kevin McCaffrey has been a budget watchdog in his three terms. The Lindenhurst Republican says borrowing must be cut, especially for operating
expenses, and he wants more savings from county labor contracts, saying he pushed for worker contributions to health care well before that was agreed to this year.
expenses, and he wants more savings from county labor contracts, saying he pushed for worker contributions to health care well before that was agreed to this year.
McCaffrey, 65, supports walkable downtowns, rental housing and extra density to achieve affordability as keys to revitalizing communities like Lindenhurst. He favors giving towns property the county takes over for nonpayment of taxes if
used for affordable housing.
used for affordable housing.
Challenger Thomas Gargiulo, 61, of Babylon Village, works for Babylon Town as a program monitor for its youth centers. A Conservative Party member running on the Democratic line, he's concerned about quality-of-life issues, saying residents sometimes fear walking streets at night, but he could not pinpoint which streets.
At least one employee of Nassau County Off-Track Betting is questioning whether the head of his employee union, a member-elect of the Suffolk County Legislature, should have a say in Suffolk OTB business.
Suffolk, Nassau OTB probe ethics conflict
by David Winzelberg
Published: November 24th, 2013
At least one employee of Nassau County Off-Track Betting is questioning whether the head of his employee union, a member-elect of the Suffolk County Legislature, should have a say in Suffolk OTB business.
Teamsters Local 707 President Kevin McCaffery, whose union represents about 200 Nassau OTB workers, was elected earlier this month to serve as a Suffolk legislator representing the 14th District. In a letter last week, Nassau OTB cashier Jackson Leeds alerted the Suffolk County Ethics Board to McCaffery’s possible conflict of interest.
“As a Suffolk County legislator, his duties are to the people of Suffolk County,” Leeds wrote. “He cannot simultaneously represent the interests of employees of Nassau OTB, a Nassau County public benefit corporation.”
McCaffery told LIBN he doesn’t think the two counties’ OTBs are in competition with each other and he doesn’t see his role as union leader for Nassau OTB workers as a conflict with issues surrounding Suffolk OTB.
“If anything, I have the background of dealing with Nassau OTB, which gives me more insight on the subject than any other legislator out there,” McCaffery said.
When asked if the legislator-elect’s union job appeared to be a conflict of interest, Nassau OTB chief Joseph Cairo said, “If you really want to stretch it. But I don’t see anything that’s apparent to me.”
Cairo added that he’ll instruct the Nassau agency’s counsel to review the situation.
Leeds, a 10-year veteran of Nassau OTB, complained that both union officials and county OTB management have been too focused on the 1,000 video lottery terminals planned for each county’s OTB and they’re not paying enough attention to current operations.
“They never worked behind a window,” Leeds told LIBN. “They’re out of touch with the bettors of Nassau County.”
Internet wagering and dwindling handles – the overall money being wagered – have prompted a consolidation in Nassau OTB’s operations in recent years; there were 15 betting offices in Nassau in 2003, and now there are eight. Suffolk OTB, which has seven branch offices, filed for bankruptcy last year.
These days, according to some analysts, OTB offices exist largely for political patronage – another reason, according to Leeds, that the Nassau union chief shouldn’t mix one business with the other.
“Union leaders should not be politicians,” he said. “OTBs are run by politicians. Being political and doing public good aren’t always incompatible, but they often are.”
This isn’t the first time a Long Island legislator’s OTB ties have become an issue.
In May 2000, Gregory Peterson, then-president of the Nassau OTB, sued to prevent Nassau County Leg. Roger Corbin from voting on appointments to the Nassau OTB’s board of directors. Because Corbin was employed as a branch manager for New York City OTB and a member of Teamsters Local 858, which then represented all employees of Nassau OTB, Peterson alleged Corbin’s legislative role posed a conflict of interest.
A New York Supreme Court judge issued an injunction preventing Corbin from voting on OTB appointments, but Corbin appealed and the lower court’s decision was reversed. The Nassau County Board of Ethics also chimed in, determining by a 3-2 vote that voting on OTB appointments didn’t create a conflict because Corbin didn’t influence policy or engage in labor negotiations.
With McCaffery, some observers say it’s best to proceed with caution.
Anthony Figliola, vice president of Uniondale-based government relations firm Empire Government Strategies, said the legislator-elect may want to recuse himself from any votes concerning Suffolk OTB until the Suffolk County Ethics Board offers an opinion.
“OTB is a political football,” Figliola said. “It’s better to stay out of it, especially if you want to get things done in the Legislature.”
David Winzelberg
Reporter
Conservative Tom Gargiulo suspends campaign for Suffolk legislative seat
Tom Gargiulo has suspended his campaign for the Suffolk County Legislature's 14th District seat. Photo Credit: Ed Betz
A Conservative Party candidate for the Suffolk County Legislature who lost his own party's ballot in last month's primary election has suspended his campaign, even though his name will stay on the Democratic ballot line in November.
Tom Gargiulo was designated as candidate for the 14th District as part of a Democratic-Conservative cross-endorsement deal to take on incumbent GOP Legis. Kevin McCaffrey, who had the minor party line in the past. McCaffrey waged a Conservative write-in campaign, winning the June 25 contest 186-146.
Gargiulo’s decision to suspend his campaign came to light after Rich Schaffer, the Suffolk County Democractic chairman, sent an email to party members last week announcing the cancellation of a $150-a-head Gargiulo fundraiser set for July 11 in Lindenhurst.
Schaffer said Gargiulo re-evaluated his campaign after the primary loss diminished his chances of winning on just the Democratic line.
Gargiulo was upset about the harshness of the political attacks during the primary especially on the issue of abortion, which he opposes because of his Catholic faith.
“It really hurt, and it was hard for me,” said Gargiulo, a retired teacher who is active in church work. He said he plans to send a letter to Conservative voters to make clear his stand.
McCaffrey said he has “no regrets” about his campaign, adding that Gargiulo — by accepting the Democratic ballot line — “had to expect some of the splatter” from the party’s liberal stands on such issues as late-term abortion and voting rights for felons.
“I never really wanted to campaign against Tom,” said McCaffrey, who has known Gargiulo for 30 years. “I’m just glad it came to this happy ending.”
He also said the move lets Democrats redirect resources to other tight races like the 8th District, where Republican aide Anthony Piccirillo also won his write-in bid against incumbent Legis. William Lindsay III (D-Oakdale).
Although he faces only token opposition, McCaffrey said he will keep knocking on doors.
“I may not out wear out another pair of shoes," he said, "but I’ll still be at the doors because that’s where you hear unfiltered what's on the minds of regular people.”
Gargiulo noted he also still has the Independence Party ballot line and he expects friends to vote for him.
“You never know,” he said.
McCaffrey is a tough but sensible fiscal voice.
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