Nassau Dems, civic activists call on Birnbaum to resign
Nassau Democrats were joined by civic activists
at a rally on May 19, 2014, to call for the resignation of Legis. Ellen
Birnbaum over accusations that she made racially derogatory comments.
(Credit: News 12 Long Island)
New Cassel community center
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Freshman lawmaker Ellen Birnbaum, of Great Neck, attended her first legislative meeting since her comments about African-Americans came to light last week.
Beforehand, about 100 officials and protesters held a rally in front of the legislative building in Mineola. During the legislative session, a dozen more people spoke in opposition to the remarks -- some directly addressing Birnbaum, who remained silent.
Michael Moore, 48, who is an African-American from Baldwin, told Birnbaum: "Live in these shoes, and try to have to explain to your children and your grandchildren that these are 'just words' and that [the speaker] 'didn't mean it.' "
Birnbaum, a former Town of North Hempstead intergovernmental director, has apologized and called her comments "insensitive." But she has refused to resign from her elected post, which pays $39,500 a year.
In an interview Monday, she said she'd "work every day to build bridges with the African-American community."
At the rally, legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said Birnbaum's comments on April 30 regarding the town's Yes We Can Community Center in New Cassel -- a predominantly African-American hamlet -- will be a constant "distraction" to her ability to serve constituents. The center has had revenue and membership issues.
His calls for her to resign were echoed by North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth, who once held Birnbaum's legislative seat, and by Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs.
"You cannot say these things about a particular community and expect that an apology will simply wash it away," said Abrahams, who last week stripped Birnbaum of committee assignments and removed her from the Democrats' caucus.
Former Nassau Legis. Robert Troiano, a North Hempstead official, read an account of Birnbaum's remarks, which he said came from a "collective recollection" of people who heard them directly. She was speaking to staff attorneys and was overheard by an aide to Legis. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury).
"She said, 'Why would anyone want to go there?' Then . . . she added, 'It's a bad neighborhood,' and 'It's a ghetto' and . . . 'It's full of those black people,' " Troiano said Monday.
"She then . . . whispered, 'Come on, who from the rest of the town is going to go there? After all, mostly black people live there,' " Troiano continued. "She later added, 'All they want to do is play basketball.' "
Asked about Troiano's account, Birnbaum said, "Those are not my words." She added, "I did not use 'ghetto.' "
Birnbaum said she had referred to the community center not meeting revenue projections and "observed that kids play basketball there." She said she had referred to the racial makeup of New Cassel, but when asked in the interview to repeat her exact words, she said she could not remember.
But Jacobs said Nassau Democrats would send mailings to residents of her legislative district to ensure they know her comments.
"I just feel everybody will be best served if she resigns," Jacobs said.
During the meeting, Annette Dennis of the Nassau National Action Network branch told Birnbaum: "You demonstrate a lack of respect for the black community. Therefore we feel you should not be allowed to represent anyone in the Nassau County Legislature."
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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.
HI-
Thanks for
the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy,
if you give me a mailing address.
Claude
Solnik
(631)
913-4244
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.”
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Judge declines to toss convictions of 3 officials in Nassau
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In 2012, jurors convicted former Democratic Nassau County legislators Roger Corbin and Patrick Williams, along with Neville Mullings, who had led the North Hempstead Community Development Agency.
They found Corbin guilty of receiving a bribe and official misconduct, and Williams guilty on two counts of conspiracy. Jurors convicted Mullings on two counts each of conspiracy and official misconduct.
The panel acquitted the three of other charges from a 2010 indictment, when authorities said they steered a redevelopment project to a certain developer in exchange for $400,000 in bribes and other payments.
In his decision Tuesday, Acting State Supreme Court Justice Alan Honorof rejected arguments from defense attorneys, among them that the guilty verdicts were against the weight of evidence, and the trial was unfair because a lying witness' testimony wasn't thrown out.
Among other arguments, they said the court's instructions to jurors weren't sufficient, the prosecution's opening and closing statements were unduly prejudicial, and part of the jury's verdict was "repugnant as a matter of law."
But Honorof disagreed, saying, in part, that evidence from the more than six-month trial supported the convictions, "both in the eyes of this court and in the eyes of the jury."
Shams Tarek, a spokesman for Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice, said Thursday that a sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22.
"Now that the court has rejected the defendants' baseless challenges to the verdict, they can be held accountable for their crimes, which violated not only the law but the public trust," Rice said in a prepared statement.
Tarek said Rice's office still is considering how to handle 17 other charges from the case that ended in a separate mistrial after a juror asked to be excused because of pain from a medical condition. He said those counts haven't been dismissed.
Authorities said Corbin now faces up to 15 years in prison, and the judge could sentence both Williams and Mullings to up to 4 years in prison.
Attorney Fred Brewington, who represented Mullings at trial and submitted a defense motion for Mullings and Williams, declined to comment Thursday.
Williams' trial attorney couldn't be reached.
Attorney Kenneth St. Bernard, who represents Corbin, didn't return a call seeking comment.
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.
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