Bill Cunningham IN; Botwin to Assessors

[Lorna Doing Nothing]

RUMOR RUMOR

Bill Cunningham to come in as Suozzi's Counsel at $165k; Liz Botwin to work for Harvey Levinson (WHY?????????) at $150k. Next month! WHY

[mere speculation]

These would be seismic moves in Nassau Government, and a near fatal blow to Lorna Goodman's position in Nassau County. Early on, Ms. Goodman objected to the position of Counsel to the County Executive, and used her "Corporation Counsel Bureau" to draft advisory opinions for agencies. There appears to have been some displeasure with the advisory services of this bureau. Also, as a precondition to her accepting the County Attorney gig, Ms. Goodman requested control of all agency counsel.

Now we see two rumors that the County Executive and Controller are hiring agency counsel. This makes sense for these government officers, since such counsel have as their primary responsibility the protection of the office holder, rather than owing a duty of loyalty to the County of Nassau itself.

Clearly, Goodman appears to be losing control over the function of offering legal advice to the highest levels of authority. Simply put, it is readily apparent that no body trusts the ability of the Second Floor of One West Street to keep and maintain client confidences and secrets, so the policy makers are building pre decisional fire walls to protect their confidential information.

Botwin leaving the CA's Office would seal the deal against Goodman. Elizabeth Dvorkin-Botwin was heavily relied upon by Ms. Goodman, and filled the leadership vacuum caused by Ms. Goodman's more questionable judgment.

Botiwn has a sharp mind and a killer instinct, notwithstanding her apparent failure to detect systemic bribery and fraud in the NYC Department of Finance when she served as Chief of the Corporation Counsel's Real Estate Tax and Condemnation Bureau. Clearly, Ms. Botwin's apparent stellar performance with respect to standing idol while the tax payers were raped by NYC employees for twenty some odd makes her assumption of a policy role at the Board of Assessors a somewhat disturbing thought. By moving to 240 Old Country Road, perhaps she will be reunited with Mr. Glenn Borin, who was the chief of staff at the NYC Department of Finance, who supervised the legendary 15 or 16 tax assessors who took bribes and cheating the City out of so many tax dollars.

Nevertheless, Liz was Lorna and Tom's enforcer and apologist in the Sylver debacle. The apparent architect of the cover ups. One presumes that Liz is a danger to Tom ultimately because she "knows things." And Tom must be afraid that too many people on the 2nd Floor know things. One wonders if Mrs. Dvorkin-Botwin apologized for other debacles which blew over? Hmmmmm.....

Does this mean that Cunningham becomes County Attorney eventually? Probably not. The smart way to run the County is to use the County Executive's counsel to make an assessment of the facts, legality, risks, and exposures of a policy before it leaves the 4th floor, and goes to the Second.

The Second Floor attorneys should only receive important information on a need to know basis, because far too many have political ambitions and agendas of their own, which may not comport with those of the County Executive. Otherwise, they should stick to defending slip and falls, and stay out of politics.

Also, one can never forget that gossip and sheer ineptitude must be factored in with 2nd Floor staf. Even worse, a County Executive faces the risk of a CA who may actually understand his or her job and feel loyalty to the entity called Nassau County, instead of its Chief Officer.

If the Cunningham and Botwin moves are truthful, Goodman must be considered a dangerous wild card. Mrs. Goodman is independently wealth, a substantial political donor, loves to talk "on and on" to the press, and craves power. Mrs. Goodman may be a disaster waiting to happen for Tom Suozzi.

Accordingly, Lorna either a) already has a plan to move on herself, or b) is being forced out, and will be really, really pissed off at Tom Suozzi.

While Ms. Goodman may have said some really dumb ass sh*t in the papers, she isn't someone who appears to take kindly to being pushed around, especially by a young punk like Tom Suozzi. As a very wealthy woman, Mrs. Goodman does not need any stinking job to begin with. Maybe it is her time to spend a year on the beaches of Jamaica and cruise for young studs less than 1/2 her age.

Then again, with her recent $1,000 contribution to Assembly Person hopeful Chuck Lavine, Ms. Goodman may have a lot of explaining to do to some folks if she does indeed try to come after Tom Suozzi.

[Slow Reader]

Liz - you can write about yourself if you want to but be careful what you write.

========================================
Botiwn has a sharp mind and a killer instinct, notwithstanding her apparent failure to detect systemic bribery and fraud in the NYC Department of Finance when she served as Chief of the Corporation Counsel's Real Estate Tax and Condemnation Bureau.

=======================================
Sharp Mind + kickbacks = involvement

Liz ran from the NYC tax cert bureau just like Peter Reinharz ran because of his poor judgment, controversal stands, demonstrated racial bigotry and lack of any legal or organizational ability. He was on his way out. And he brought in Meredith Feinman, David Goldin and Stephanie Hublebank - other lawyers going nowhere and already trouble career-wise in their own NYC jobs - none of which have any qualifications for the jobs they got under Goodman's administration. If anything, they should have been hired at entry level jobs and entry level salary's in their respective bureaus - until they learned the law. None of them had any prior management experience either.

The whole Bureau makes bad decisions, exhibits poor judgments and can't distinguish good lawyers from bad ones. No county executive or county agency should rely on them.

[Dr Know]

........How many new jobs did Suozzi give Levinson after he beat O'Shea? It must be over $1million in new salaries this year.
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[Two Replacements]

So Liz Botwin replaced Howard Taylor and is getting paid about $50K more than he did on top of there also being another 6 figure attorney hired - some woman was hired earlier to be Counsel to the Assessment Review Board. Maybe Botwin going over to Levinson gives Goodman more spy power in that agency and makes room for Reinharz to move up to a Chief Deputy job and get himself yet another undeserved salary raise.

[How about Pete Reinharz]

Or has Levinson figured out Brown has taken all the power there for himself?

[Rumor Beast]

Reinhartz a good replacement? We all know Reinhartz is by far one of the least knowledgeable lawyers the county could have possibly recruited from Queens. The ONLY experience he ever got was supervising JD cases in NYC because his father got him that job. He knows nothing about any area of civil or administrative or municipal law and has never actually even practiced in criminal court - not that that would count for anything in the county attorney's office anyway. He exhibits poor judgment, rash decision making and has a quick temper and an implosive personality. His hiring decisions have all been questionable and his choices are all inappropriately placed. He tries to use the few JD cases he knows to apply to everything and he is always wrong on the rules of evidence. He turned sheet white once when he thought a Judge was going to make him question a witness in court because he can't handle a trial. He is making the lawyers worse and the young ones are learning everything wrong. They were dancing when they finally got rid of him in NYC and now they are just waiting for Suozzi to get dumped so they can get rid of the entire management team and phony senior counsels in that office. He would NOT be a good replacement for anyone except maybe the janitor. He's done nothing but led Suozzi down the path to where there does stand a good chance Suozzi will be voted out of the county - almost entirely because of messes caused by the county attorney's office.

[Spelling Guru]

At least spell the man's name right when you trash him, Rumor Beast. His name is Reinharz.

[Query]

She is such a nice person, with great looks and a winning personality. I cannot imagine her pissing anyone off.
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[Sounds Like]

Sounds to me like Suozzi finally realizes what fools he's got over there and he's grooming Cunningham to take over for Goodman and clear out the whole office - which he something he probably should have done a long time ago but Lorna and her husband keep writing out those checks. Sounds to me like he sent Liz to another Agency because she's the only one who's job will be safe when Cunningham finishes reviewing the qualifications and salaries of the people working there and how they got their jobs. And incidentally - who the hell cares how to spell anyone's names? I sure don't care how they're spelled because whether Suozzi gets rid of them or we get rid of Suozzi - they will be long gone by the end of next year. Banished from the County.

[165000]

Entry Level DCA's getting hired at $60, $70 and put in positions of leadership instead of into entry level positions where they belong at $90, $110 and higher and now they are paying someone to DO WHAT for $165,000?? Does she still work a 9 - 5 day, earn 2 days off a month and have 13 paid holidays?
Are they still backtracking all the NYC employees so it looks like their "adjusted" start dates with the County was years ago so they qualify for the benefits the old timers get?
No wonder Suozzi is saying he's going to keep on raising property taxes in 2006 and 2007 if he's re-elected.
The lawyers are spending all our money.

[Is that what Goodman mean]

Mr Big
Unregistered User
(10/20/04 7:13 pm)
Reply It smells like something big is about to happen
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Why is the Nassau Comptroller, the Nassau Assessor and the Nassau County executive hiring their own attorneys, outside of the county attorney's office? Consumer affairs, the Medical Center, the Community College, the Cops and the County Legislature already have them. Isn't that all suppose to be the County Attorney's job? Is the County Attorney a lame duck? Has a money run out? Don't tell me the Bar Association is going to qualify her for a judicial position? It's all very curious. Attorneys are bailing from there now but it's all very hushed. Incidentally - who is over the Department of Social Services? That legal department is over one of the largest budgeted agencies in the county.

[WHEN DO THE HEARINGS STAR]

Even asked the question - hey wait a minute? Didn't Suozzi run on a campaign to use LESS outside counsel? And yet - there's more! Wasn't that the reason the office practically doubled the office staff and quadrupled the money spent - to save money? Ha! I'd like to see a list of contributions to Suozziola that are coming out of that office. Or maybe they are contributing directly to Goodman for her run at Judge?

[ARC Got Spanked by Weitzm]

Clearly, by hiring Elizabeth Dvorkin-Botwin at the Assessor's Office, Levinson is placing himself in a position to possibly repeat the scandals of NYC, but in Nassau. This repost says it all, and the politicization of the Assessors office indicates that the Borin/Botwin combination of NYC neglect (in the best case interpretation of their failure to prevent massive fraud, bribery, and corruption), demonstrates that neither learned anything from the Stringer Repot:


DT
Unregistered User
(11/24/03 8:13 pm)

Reply Will Mr. Levinson Be Hiring from the NYC Dept. of Finance
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I certainly hope not. I find it funny that quite afew of the posts here recite the wise recommendations of the Assemblyman Stringer's Report on Real Estate Tax Assessment. As a taxpayer, I hope Stringer's recommendations are followed.

[Speculator]

So now no more counsel to the county executive - cunningham is actually going inside the hassidah club to take botwin's job over does that mean he gets to go to all the sleep overs too?

[Speculator]

Unregistered User
(9/9/03 12:58 pm)
Reply Newsday Political Agenda for Long Island
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This paper pushed hard for Cunningham because he is anti union and pro illegal immigration. This suits newsday's radical agenda of overpopulating the island by any means possible. Newsday knows one way to do this is support those who want to develop more housing and those who want even more immigration. The destruction of zoning laws to increase the density of people doesn't bother newsday workers just the people who live in those communities. Then again newsday a long time ago stopped being a community newspaper and became a political mouth piece.

[Just the facts]

Whether you agree with Cunningham's political views or not, he has brains, unlike Goodman & Co. He's not only smart, but I think that if he were at 1 West, he would actually give a rat's a** about what is in the best interest of taxpayers. He would be the exception to Suozzi's team of morons who live in the city and couldn't care if Nassau burned to the ground. As for Lorna Goodman's level of intelligence, lets just say that even when she get's a brainstorm, it's never more than a light drizzle.
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[More Facts]

Weitzman spanked Glen Borin's office for failing to follow interal controls and management reports in the audit of the Assessment Review Commission. Gee, this is hardly surprising. I guess Glenn is taking his cracker jack managerial skills he utilized when Chief of Staff at the NYC Dept. of Finance and is applying them to Nassau County. Gee, will the County Taxpayers benefit oooohhhh so much, like they did in the City of New York, where the tax assessors took millions of dollars of bribes and robbed the City coffer's blind, all apparently under Glenn's watchful and careful eyes. His reunion with Liz Dvorkin-Botwin just fills me with optimism.

[Salary]

He make more than Lorna D?

[Oh PLuheeze]

that is why Cunningham is crawling back to West Street. He's gonna seek a presidential pardon for Pete Sylver, and do pedicures for Lorna Doone.

[HO HO - You can't make th]

Goodman is calling the shots. Goodman needs Liz because Liz pretty much is the County Attorney of Nassau. Liz has the brains and the beauty. Lorna has the bucks, as well as Tom Suozzi's b*lls in a vice. Goodman must know that if she loses Liz, it's the end of her reign of error as County Attorney. If this is true, and Suozzi doesn't fire Lorna Doone and her New York City goon squad, it only proves that he is a weak little sissy boy who is getting his ear boxed by a sixty five year old social x-ray who possesses subnormal intelligence.

[That's the truth]

And I bet she tips him a quarter for a shoe shine. Suozzi isn't even a man because he allows this wealthy cow to treat him like a step child.

[Oh Pluzee]

Botwin will stay off Petrone Threads. Petrone will stay off Botwin Threads. And we'll try to keep Cunningham from trying to invade Suffolk County (again).

[Shes back at 170K]

She quits, leaves for a day and then gets rehired again at what? $170K? Why are we paying that kind of money to a county attorney?

[George Steinbrenner]

I'll pay her $50M for three years if she can get Giambi back on "the clear," and get away with it!

[The Good Old Days]

I remember when I was a Deputy County Attorney. There was a handful of bureau chiefs, nobody had any other job title except for a Chief Deputy County Attorney and the County Attorney and morale was high. We loved our jobs, loved serving the County, loved the networking and gained alot of valuable experience. We earned between $28,000 and $35,000 a year and the Bureau Chiefs earned a whopping $70,000. Some people who were doing the lawyer work and helping the Bureau Chiefs with the administrative work (the Bureau Chiefs all tried cases and carried caseloads back then too) might have earned $40,000 to $60,000 - but those were the real old timers who had worked for Nassau County more than 5 years. We didn't get raises but we could have evening jobs when we needed to make extra money. It wasn't really that long ago that I left. Gulotta was still in office, and Owen Walsh was just talking about going into his private practice. I can't believe the salary's being posted here. Sweet dreams taxpayers!

[FIXNASSAUNOW]

Fix Nassau Now- first they gotta put the front seat of Peter Sylver's leased county car back together. Fix the Car, then fix Nassau.

Then they gotta fix Klein's time sheet scandal, then they can fix Nassau.

Then they gotta fix the Assessment Review Commission, then they can fix Nassau.

Then, they gotta fix those IDA pay to play schemes, then they can fix Nassau.

Liz Botwin is the "smartest, and most savvy DCA". That's not very comforting.

Alfano for CE

[Timesheet Tessy]

His agency doesn't have a monopoly on fraud. The socialite fundraiser's CA department has alot going on there too - even when they are "there" they aren't there. Twice the staff with half the caseload and the highest paid staffers in the county (or actually, out of the county as the case may be). Go figure.

[BackBack]

Back

[Levinson's idea]

Didn't levinson steal the income tax idea from tom suozzi and who do you think originated that idea - the crowd from nyc that pays an income tax because the properties aren't worth anything.

[There Goes Hempstead]

Levinson is finito there. He did Suozzola's dirty shit.

[The People Suozzi Likes]

And besides these two, and the rest of the county attorney management team - didn't charles wang miraculously hand the reigns over to his protege, so-called friend and number two and "retire" from computer associates just before the ciminal indictments came down for ethical violations and security fraud and a host of other things which left their top executives fired, the legal department virtually wiped-out including the general counsel and his number two "friend & protegy" out of jail on a $5 million dollar bail? This is who Suozzi likes to do business with I guess. I see now why the Comptroller hired his own lawyer that used to work for the Feds SEC doing securities fraud enforcement and why Suozzi's public safety guy was a federal prosecutor himself. Wasn't Driscoll hired after the feds started ripping apart Glen Cove after they got done with Suozzi's economic development agency?

[Tell your friends]

Tell your friends about the character and background of the people on Suozzi's payroll. Print out this thread and show it to them. Pass around the truth. Get Suozzi out in 2005

[Following up]

So - what are the numbers for the backlog that Suozzi is currently using? Regardless of what he claims he started with - and we know that because we have the 2000 numbers - what has he been doing with the money that was earmarked to pay down this debt - the very debt that he claimed almost "bankrupted" nassau county, that he and newsday claims he "fixed" by raising taxes 20%? If he raised the taxes, and didn't pay the debt -- how is it he rescued Nassau County from the "brink" of anything? It seems to me not only didn't he rescue Nassau County, but by raising the taxes as a first offense, he buried the County even further in fiscal responsibility?

[Don't Worry]

This will all come out front and center - especially with the bond floats ending in December and the $100M of state aid resting on Suozzi's declaration of a budget deficit - if he denies what exists like Newsday endorses and screws the County out of a much needed $100 Million - kiss your democrat majority legislators goodbye.

[New assessor Old crooks]

No matter what they do - they got the wrong team in charge.

November 2005
bring back the sanity.

Vote row A.

It's better than Suozzi.

[what does billy do?]

how much does he get paid?
what does he think of the goons that work there?

[what does billy do?]

how much does he get paid?
what does he think of the goons that work there?

[Cunningham gets]

160k and isnt worth a dime

Suozzi's babysitter Cunningham is back and at $160K

[Clear way 2 Albany]

Is suozzi dumping all the baggage before spitzer can use it against him?