Weitzman Wastes Money
05-26-2005, 03:40 AM
*Next to Herr Suozzi, perhaps the lamest excuse for a public servant in Nassau is Howard "Too Tall" Weitzman. The guy is supposed to be the "fiscal watchdog," but he sucks up to Suozzi and can't even turn out the lights. Don't believe me, though read this excerpt from Newsday.
Comptroller candidates come out swinging
BY CELESTE HADRICK
STAFF WRITER
May 25, 2005, 6:59 PM EDT
The race for Nassau comptroller generated heat and light Wednesday as Republican challenger Donald Clavin accused Democratic incumbent Howard Weitzman of leaving the lights on in his county office building at night and on weekends, costing taxpayers an unneccessary $200,000 a year.
Weitzman, meanwhile, accused a GOP-controlled garbage district in Syosset of stonewalling his attempts to audit its finances and announced he was subpoenaing its records as part of his plan to examine the "hidden" cost of special taxing districts throughout the county.
Clavin, the Hempstead town receiver, displayed blown-up photos of the county office building at 240 Old Country Rd. that houses the comptroller's office and other agencies. They showed lights glowing from windows on all six floors on four different dates from February through May, at times ranging from 5:37 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
"The county comptroller is supposed to be the fiscal watchdog," Clavin said. "Is it that difficult to ask people in his own building to turn off the lights when they leave?" He said his estimate of $200,000 in wasted electricity was "conservative" and was based on calculating the kilowatt hours of fluorescent and other lights.
Clavin suggested the county get a "clapper" device so that passing taxpayers can turn off the lights themselves at night "and knock a few thousand dollars off their county tax bills."
Weitzman spokesman Allen Morrison referred lighting questions to public works commissioner Peter Gerbasi, adding, "If Clavin is really concerned about wasting taxpayers' money, he would be paying attention to the special district taxes in his town, which are the highest in Nassau County."
Gerbasi said the office building, built in 1960, has a "unique" electrical system in which the lights can be controlled only for the entire floor. "So if one person is on the floor, the whole floor has to be lit," he said.
Gerbasi said work to change the system will begin this summer.
He noted the problem existed during past GOP administrations but wasn't fixed. "The Republicans had 40 years to do it, but we're getting it done," Gerbasi said. "Maybe he should speak to somebody back at the clubhouse and figure out why it didn't get done when they were here."
Meanwhile, Weitzman said that after he announced plans in February to audit five sanitation districts throughout the county, only the Syosset Sanitary District failed to provide its financial records.
District Chairman Jack Gioeli, who has been a Republican county committeeman, referred comment to the district's attorney, Arthur J. Kremer.
Kremer said he had just been retained by the district and needed to review the legal papers but added that Weitzman would be able to review whatever records he was legally entitled to see
Newsday 2005 (c)
Comptroller candidates come out swinging
BY CELESTE HADRICK
STAFF WRITER
May 25, 2005, 6:59 PM EDT
The race for Nassau comptroller generated heat and light Wednesday as Republican challenger Donald Clavin accused Democratic incumbent Howard Weitzman of leaving the lights on in his county office building at night and on weekends, costing taxpayers an unneccessary $200,000 a year.
Weitzman, meanwhile, accused a GOP-controlled garbage district in Syosset of stonewalling his attempts to audit its finances and announced he was subpoenaing its records as part of his plan to examine the "hidden" cost of special taxing districts throughout the county.
Clavin, the Hempstead town receiver, displayed blown-up photos of the county office building at 240 Old Country Rd. that houses the comptroller's office and other agencies. They showed lights glowing from windows on all six floors on four different dates from February through May, at times ranging from 5:37 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
"The county comptroller is supposed to be the fiscal watchdog," Clavin said. "Is it that difficult to ask people in his own building to turn off the lights when they leave?" He said his estimate of $200,000 in wasted electricity was "conservative" and was based on calculating the kilowatt hours of fluorescent and other lights.
Clavin suggested the county get a "clapper" device so that passing taxpayers can turn off the lights themselves at night "and knock a few thousand dollars off their county tax bills."
Weitzman spokesman Allen Morrison referred lighting questions to public works commissioner Peter Gerbasi, adding, "If Clavin is really concerned about wasting taxpayers' money, he would be paying attention to the special district taxes in his town, which are the highest in Nassau County."
Gerbasi said the office building, built in 1960, has a "unique" electrical system in which the lights can be controlled only for the entire floor. "So if one person is on the floor, the whole floor has to be lit," he said.
Gerbasi said work to change the system will begin this summer.
He noted the problem existed during past GOP administrations but wasn't fixed. "The Republicans had 40 years to do it, but we're getting it done," Gerbasi said. "Maybe he should speak to somebody back at the clubhouse and figure out why it didn't get done when they were here."
Meanwhile, Weitzman said that after he announced plans in February to audit five sanitation districts throughout the county, only the Syosset Sanitary District failed to provide its financial records.
District Chairman Jack Gioeli, who has been a Republican county committeeman, referred comment to the district's attorney, Arthur J. Kremer.
Kremer said he had just been retained by the district and needed to review the legal papers but added that Weitzman would be able to review whatever records he was legally entitled to see
Newsday 2005 (c)