police unions will aband Republican party

[Unregistered555]

Who would have thought Edward Mangano and other idiots like Scott brown and Chris christie could get the entire American police force/ unions
/fraternal order of police to vote Democrat next election.

Idiot politicians!

[Unregistered Guest]

You forgot, last election they supported Souzzi with over $100,000! Only the Superior Officers gave Mangano anything.... They also supported Mejus, Toback, and the other losing Legislator over successful Republican Candidates. A large percentage of Nassau's Police Officers live in Suffolk County anyway. So what Pct. of the vote is affected by Nassau's Great PBA?

Every Vote the GOP loses from the Nassau PBA will be returned by NYC Police Officers and angry Taxpayers. Nassau Police should be very happy with their $100,000 plus salaries, 32 hour work week and all their perks!

[Dormer 4 President]

Mulvey for VP!

[Unregisteredhuh?]

What is Aband? did you mean abandon?

I hope the Dems get re-elected and follow in Cuomo's shoes. !!

Beat down the unions.

[Unregistered33]

Republicans are all puppets of corporations.

[fire all the Amt's]

Fire all the County highly overpaid Amt's and save the county millions of dollars.... they are nothing but a drain to the county and Mangano already saved his brother from there. So its time to get rid of all the rest of them.... do it NOW !!!! All the County AMt's are nothing but wanna be cops that couldn't pass the test or are old has beens that just want to marry cops for benifits and PBA cards. The guys are all low life buffs that would rather be banging little boys in the ass then going on a call, and the females (if thats what you want to call them) are nothing but cum guzzlers and useless, they just want to watch tv in a relief point and suck off the cops and firemen, then they bitch and moan that they aren't taken seriously. fire them all disolve the bureau and save Nassau County Between 175-200 million dollars a year. budget corrected and the worthless losers can go on unemployment and eat shit.

[Unregisteredamt]

Fire all the County highly overpaid Amt's and save the county millions of dollars.... they are nothing but a drain to the county and Mangano already saved his brother from there. So its time to get rid of all the rest of them.... do it NOW !!!! All the County AMt's are nothing but wanna be cops that couldn't pass the test or are old has beens that just want to marry cops for benifits and PBA cards. The guys are all low life buffs that would rather be banging little boys in the ass then going on a call, and the females (if thats what you want to call them) are nothing but cum guzzlers and useless, they just want to watch tv in a relief point and suck off the cops and firemen, then they bitch and moan that they aren't taken seriously. fire them all disolve the bureau and save Nassau County Between 175-200 million dollars a year. budget corrected and the worthless losers can go on unemployment and eat shit.

sounds like u got a family member thats an amt

[fire ambulance drivers]

Budgeted to bring in $29.1 million ??? are you kidding me... lets get real here,,,and before you speak about what you don't know, i would suggest you get your facts correct, 1st of all we all know about budgets ???? they have all been smoke and mirrors for the past 25 years. Mangano wouldnt have the problems he has if they ever brought in what he budgets them to... If he ever told the real amounts that they bring in he would have had nifa take over on his first day as County Exec... 2nd..Im not a Vollie, nor anything close to a wanna be AMT ambulance driver, just a retired County worker that knows the real truth about the Ambulance Bureau and the real cost. THEY ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR BEING A MONEY MAKER !!! Get your facts straight, thats the rumor the EAB tries to spread to secure thier position, the truth is that that bureau is one of the most costly when you add in all the variables that make up what is needed to run it. Equipment, vehicles, salary benefits and law suit payouts due to the non skilled employees mis-diagnosis, mis-treatments and deaths caused by thier actions out weigh any income they might generate. The only income they generate is when the ambulance drivers get the right information to bill a patients insurance policy, but most the time they are too lazy, too stupid and too busy doing personal stuff to care about thier job work. Even if they get the right info to bill an insurance company, or bill the un-insured people, if the patient or the insurance company decides not to pay then there is nothing Nassau County can do about it. they still send the bus to the persons house next time and bill again but never get paid. Its useless bureau and needs to be disbanded and the employees released to join FD's or transport ambulance companies and get off the county payrolls

[petr]

Republicans are all puppets of corporations.

Mangano is a puppet of mondello

[workingpoor]

unions have backed dems for a long time their rank and file usually don't

dems are smart they know owning the government unions give them power and it gives the taxpayers none

Democrats are getting taxpayer dollars by the millions through government unions backing them-money laundering

let the police and any other government union back the dems all the way but it won't matter in the end

THE TAXPAYER IS TAXED OUT

cops teachers administrators professors getting 6 figure salaries to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and 6 figure pensions-disgraceful and no shame

[Unregistered55]

unions have backed dems for a long time their rank and file usually don't

dems are smart they know owning the government unions give them power and it gives the taxpayers none

Democrats are getting taxpayer dollars by the millions through government unions backing them-money laundering

let the police and any other government union back the dems all the way but it won't matter in the end

THE TAXPAYER IS TAXED OUT

cops teachers administrators professors getting 6 figure salaries to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and 6 figure pensions-disgraceful and no shame

The country is in the dumps because of greedy corporations.

[Unregistered 456]

unions have backed dems for a long time their rank and file usually don't

dems are smart they know owning the government unions give them power and it gives the taxpayers none

Democrats are getting taxpayer dollars by the millions through government unions backing them-money laundering

let the police and any other government union back the dems all the way but it won't matter in the end

THE TAXPAYER IS TAXED OUT

cops teachers administrators professors getting 6 figure salaries to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and 6 figure pensions-disgraceful and no shame

Who do you think controlled the county for most of the last 50 years and when did the unions get most of their gains, the "dems" LOL.

This website is going down hill fast.

[Unregistered 456]

unions have backed dems for a long time their rank and file usually don't

dems are smart they know owning the government unions give them power and it gives the taxpayers none

Democrats are getting taxpayer dollars by the millions through government unions backing them-money laundering

let the police and any other government union back the dems all the way but it won't matter in the end

THE TAXPAYER IS TAXED OUT

cops teachers administrators professors getting 6 figure salaries to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and 6 figure pensions-disgraceful and no shame

Who do you think controlled the county for most of the last 50 years and when did the unions get most of their gains, the "dems" LOL.

This website is going down hill fast.

[Unregistered 56]

Who do you think controlled the county for most of the last 50 years and when did the unions get most of their gains, the "dems" LOL.

This website is going down hill fast.

With posts like this, yes it is going downhill. Why not just look at the Gulotta years? The cops did mighty well during those 16 years, all at taxpayer expense.

[Unregistered GUEST]

Who do you think controlled the county for most of the last 50 years and when did the unions get most of their gains, the "dems" LOL.

This website is going down hill fast.

Eugene Nickerson was County Executive in the 64 until 72 and Souzzi had 8 years. Gulotta had 14 years Fran Purcell 6 years, and Ralph Caso had 8 years. Mangano's had a years.

[FairTax]

Has there ever been a time when the county didn't CRY POVERTY?

They are pros at hiding money come contract time.

[Unregisteredvrcxs]

Has there ever been a time when the county didn't CRY POVERTY?

They are pros at hiding money come contract time.

It is Not the County Workers or the Town Workers who are killing LI.
It is the Teacher Salaries for their part time jobs that is killiin LI
Go read the Posts in the School Issues.

[Unregisteredpcuser]

It's the public employees who move up the gravy train ladder who are fu--ing the taxpayer
and been there the longest and who pad their last 3 years of work with over time for a obscene pension.

the corporations have nothing to do with public unions ripping off the taxpayers bone dry

[gopnogopwhocares]

Can't stand the fact that the gop legislaters are never around until election day. Their even worse than the democrats were before Suozzi took office - absent and missing in action. Ciotti has his staff doing all his events while he makes his part time job more part time. Walker pops in and out at events and never says a word - she does have a nice smile for a grandmother. Schmitt is overbearing, a Mondello puppet, and above it all, and has no time for the little guy. Koppel is a do nothing and never around except for some orthodox jewish friends and no one knows his name or what he looks like never mind what he does. Becker is twentieth generation republican and all he knows is do what your told and giving all his hundred brothers and family jobs. Belisi is a joke. AND THEN, THEY HATE UNIONS ALL YEAR AROUND UNTIL THEY NEED THE VOTES. Problem is they have businesses and being a legislator pays for medical insurance and inside information. OUT WITH THEM. We need some dems who are at least second best. Or maybe some republicans outside of the machine and who care for the little guy who is struggling.

[Unregistered33]

It's the public employees who move up the gravy train ladder who are fu--ing the taxpayer
and been there the longest and who pad their last 3 years of work with over time for a obscene pension.

the corporations have nothing to do with public unions ripping off the taxpayers bone dry

The corporations got a tax payer paid bailout.

The corporations send jobs overseas to increase profits.

[RFLOL]

The corporations got a tax payer paid bailout.

The corporations send jobs overseas to increase profits.

So let's get rid of all the corporations. Disban them all. Everything state owned. Marxism rules!

[Slaving To Pay Taxes]

It is Not the County Workers or the Town Workers who are killing LI.
It is the Teacher Salaries for their part time jobs that is killiin LI
Go read the Posts in the School Issues.

Both are killing LI. I read all the posts I need to read.

[Unregistered Done]

It is Not the County Workers or the Town Workers who are killing LI.
It is the Teacher Salaries for their part time jobs that is killiin LI
Go read the Posts in the School Issues.

Think about it if the school portion which is 65-70% of a homeowners taxbill was in line with everybody else all could live on Long Isalnd compare $1,700 Police tax to $8,135 school tax, it does not take a rocket scientest to figure out the Long Island Tax problem

[Oh really/Reilly2]

CArver was rumored to be at the big C party last nite.

[Unregisterednomo]

Think about it if the school portion which is 65-70% of a homeowners taxbill was in line with everybody else all could live on Long Isalnd compare $1,700 Police tax to $8,135 school tax, it does not take a rocket scientest to figure out the Long Island Tax problem

No more $800,000 police retirement payouts! No more working tons of OT the last 3 years to boost the pension! NO MORE!

[UnregisteedObserver]

Think about it if the school portion which is 65-70% of a homeowners taxbill was in line with everybody else all could live on Long Isalnd compare $1,700 Police tax to $8,135 school tax, it does not take a rocket scientest to figure out the Long Island Tax problem

Rocket scientist...How many teachers...How many police officers, corrects the context

[Unregistered 555]

It is Not the County Workers or the Town Workers who are killing LI.
It is the Teacher Salaries for their part time jobs that is killiin LI
Go read the Posts in the School Issues.

Police are pretty close to teachers speaking of part time jobs, work around 180 days a year

[Unregistered 6677]

Who would have thought Edward Mangano and other idiots like Scott brown and Chris christie could get the entire American police force/ unions
/fraternal order of police to vote Democrat next election.

Idiot politicians!

Please Mangano has done right by the police, removed the unused sick leave payout cap and as if that wasn't enough gave them an incentive to retire. Every police officer should be buying tickets to the Republican fund raisers, what's not to like anbout Mangano??

[Unregisterednomo]

Please Mangano has done right by the police, removed the unused sick leave payout cap and as if that wasn't enough gave them an incentive to retire. Every police officer should be buying tickets to the Republican fund raisers, what's not to like anbout Mangano??

What's not to like? I'll tell you, you just hit it on the head. He HAS done right by the police, but wrong by the taxpayers,. And they're the ones who will determine his political future.

[This would work]

Give the NCPD pay riases... yes raises, but make them exempt employees... overtime is the killer... you would be amazed at what would get done during a normal shift if their was no OT...don't get me wrong it will never happen

[Unregisteredsca]

Police are pretty close to teachers speaking of part time jobs, work around 180 days a year

they work 232 days/year, including holidays

[Unregistered33]

Please Mangano has done right by the police, removed the unused sick leave payout cap and as if that wasn't enough gave them an incentive to retire. Every police officer should be buying tickets to the Republican fund raisers, what's not to like anbout Mangano??

Freezing their salaries.....mangano is history next election.

All law enforcement will vote democrat.

[registeredandmad]

And the speak is NO to MangaNO! How could any responsible leader of a county as big as Nassau trim down a police force to the point that overtime is at an all time ridiculous high and not much money is even being saved. He is such a joke. And the new acting commissioner of police is a toady that doesn't even have experience on the street but just a lawyer without passing the bar that worked inside doing errands to the legislature. Taxpayers revolt cause since we do not have the same level of services we should not pay the high level of taxes. Time to say NO to MangaNO!

[welcome to the ship]

And the speak is NO to MangaNO! How could any responsible leader of a county as big as Nassau trim down a police force to the point that overtime is at an all time ridiculous high and not much money is even being saved. He is such a joke. And the new acting commissioner of police is a toady that doesn't even have experience on the street but just a lawyer without passing the bar that worked inside doing errands to the legislature. Taxpayers revolt cause since we do not have the same level of services we should not pay the high level of taxes. Time to say NO to MangaNO!

It was time a year ago when he threw supporters under the job bus and kept paying the holdovers from Tom's gang. It was only a matter of time till he traitored you too. Traitored - a new word thanks to MangaNO! Love that.

[ex candidate]

It was time a year ago when he threw supporters under the job bus and kept paying the holdovers from Tom's gang. It was only a matter of time till he traitored you too. Traitored - a new word thanks to MangaNO! Love that.
and stopped voting for the republicans ever since they became the party of NO DEMOCRACY!

[sticking it to Hempstead]

and stopped voting for the republicans ever since they became the party of NO DEMOCRACY!

He's really sticking it to Hempstead - first taking away their power to vote by watering it down and now sticking them with a casino that nobody up north wanted.

mangNO hell NO

[UnregisteredPBA.]

Fire all the County highly overpaid Amt's and save the county millions of dollars.... they are nothing but a drain to the county and Mangano already saved his brother from there. So its time to get rid of all the rest of them.... do it NOW !!!! All the County AMt's are nothing but wanna be cops that couldn't pass the test or are old has beens that just want to marry cops for benifits and PBA cards. The guys are all low life buffs that would rather be banging little boys in the ass then going on a call, and the females (if thats what you want to call them) are nothing but cum guzzlers and useless, they just want to watch tv in a relief point and suck off the cops and firemen, then they bitch and moan that they aren't taken seriously. fire them all disolve the bureau and save Nassau County Between 175-200 million dollars a year. budget corrected and the worthless losers can go on unemployment and eat shit.

Hey city cop, couldn't pass the NCPD test?

[Unregistered555]

they work 232 days/year, including holidays

Close to 180, blood days, personal days, vacation, days off after working mids, its close to 180.

[UnregisteredFreeTest]

Fire all the County highly overpaid Amt's and save the county millions of dollars.... they are nothing but a drain to the county and Mangano already saved his brother from there. So its time to get rid of all the rest of them.... do it NOW !!!! All the County AMt's are nothing but wanna be cops that couldn't pass the test or are old has beens that just want to marry cops for benifits and PBA cards. The guys are all low life buffs that would rather be banging little boys in the ass then going on a call, and the females (if thats what you want to call them) are nothing but cum guzzlers and useless, they just want to watch tv in a relief point and suck off the cops and firemen, then they bitch and moan that they aren't taken seriously. fire them all disolve the bureau and save Nassau County Between 175-200 million dollars a year. budget corrected and the worthless losers can go on unemployment and eat shit.

You're the NYPD clown who's a volly. You have a big screen TV in your facility, bar, gym, golf committee, training upstate with hotels and free meals, installation dinners, and now you get a pension for "volunteering". You're a a fine example of NYPD and are a lying hyprocrite.

[FLMA standards]

Close to 180, blood days, personal days, vacation, days off after working mids, its close to 180.

12 Hour days. do the math.

[Unregistered Guest]

And the speak is NO to MangaNO! How could any responsible leader of a county as big as Nassau trim down a police force to the point that overtime is at an all time ridiculous high and not much money is even being saved. He is such a joke. And the new acting commissioner of police is a toady that doesn't even have experience on the street but just a lawyer without passing the bar that worked inside doing errands to the legislature. Taxpayers revolt cause since we do not have the same level of services we should not pay the high level of taxes. Time to say NO to MangaNO!

If you're getting it, enjoy it. The OT saves the County another Cops bennies and pension. Your part of the problem!

Do You think it's rocket science? Teddy Roosevelt was NYC Police Commissioner without being a Street Cop. Does Nassau have any Street Cops? I think You should be looking WEST for real Street Cops.

How would You like it if he brought in Dunne, Scott, Panario, or any of the other present or former Top Brass from the NYPD. The Toad can't do any worse than the Crime Lab! The PD has been embarrassing the County for years. How about the Cop who lied? Or the sexual assault on the 135?

It really is time to shake things up, how much worse could things get?

[Mephistopheles]

If you're getting it, enjoy it. The OT saves the County another Cops bennies and pension. Your part of the problem!

Do You think it's rocket science? Teddy Roosevelt was NYC Police Commissioner without being a Street Cop. Does Nassau have any Street Cops? I think You should be looking WEST for real Street Cops.

How would You like it if he brought in Dunne, Scott, Panario, or any of the other present or former Top Brass from the NYPD. The Toad can't do any worse than the Crime Lab! The PD has been embarrassing the County for years. How about the Cop who lied? Or the sexual assault on the 135?

It really is time to shake things up, how much worse could things get?

If you are not concerned about OT then you can't complain when cops leave the job with gigantic payouts and pensions. Can't have it both ways. As far as bringing in some wonderful talent from the west, Nassau already tried that under Suozzi. Ask anyone who worked during those years about the "progress" the police department made. And no, it is not a prerequisite to have street experience to be a good police manager (generally the best managers in sports were average players), however, one should have some managerial experience via varied commands. It is not enough to be a house mouse promoted on the basis of face time at West street.

[UnregisteredSull]

Fire all the County highly overpaid Amt's and save the county millions of dollars.... they are nothing but a drain to the county and Mangano already saved his brother from there. So its time to get rid of all the rest of them.... do it NOW !!!! All the County AMt's are nothing but wanna be cops that couldn't pass the test or are old has beens that just want to marry cops for benifits and PBA cards. The guys are all low life buffs that would rather be banging little boys in the ass then going on a call, and the females (if thats what you want to call them) are nothing but cum guzzlers and useless, they just want to watch tv in a relief point and suck off the cops and firemen, then they bitch and moan that they aren't taken seriously. fire them all disolve the bureau and save Nassau County Between 175-200 million dollars a year. budget corrected and the worthless losers can go on unemployment and eat shit.

Hey city cop, looks like you're as much as a loser as your 2 colleagues on trial for rape.

Maybe you're a volly in Nassau, but it's not from your heart; golf committees, installation dinners, upstate trips and lodging, credit cards for dinners, big screen TV's and bar, recreation room, gym, and now a pension for volunteering.

Then you whine about NCPD. It would be cheaper for society to dump all the volunteer FDs, their equipment, and stations to hire paid F/F's in Nassau. Then you could backstab and whine. You're a real cop alright.

[thatsthetcket]

Newsday
Cuomo seeks to turn up pressure on unions
Sunday May 22, 2011 11:58 PM By Yancey Roy

While he’s been pressuring state legislators publicly, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s tussles with the unions have gone largely on under the radar. Until now.

Cuomo is looking to either find $450 million in personnel savings or lay off up to 9,800 state workers. He had reached an agreement with the leaders of a minor union, Council 82, that included no raises for three years. Cuomo heralded it as a “model” that might work with the big unions. But Council 82 members soundly rejected it.

With no further reported progress on contracts talks with any union, the Democrat has openly turned up the heat. First, Cuomo said he’d soon propose a new pension plan that would lower benefits for new employees and raise the retirement age.

Days later, he said it might be a matter of a few weeks before he’d start the process of layoffs.

[dems an rep. same]

Newsday
Cuomo seeks to turn up pressure on unions
Sunday May 22, 2011 11:58 PM By Yancey Roy

While he’s been pressuring state legislators publicly, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s tussles with the unions have gone largely on under the radar. Until now.

Cuomo is looking to either find $450 million in personnel savings or lay off up to 9,800 state workers. He had reached an agreement with the leaders of a minor union, Council 82, that included no raises for three years. Cuomo heralded it as a “model” that might work with the big unions. But Council 82 members soundly rejected it.

With no further reported progress on contracts talks with any union, the Democrat has openly turned up the heat. First, Cuomo said he’d soon propose a new pension plan that would lower benefits for new employees and raise the retirement age.

Days later, he said it might be a matter of a few weeks before he’d start the process of layoffs.

Does Ed Shultz or Rachael maddow Know that a Dem. is union busting 9800 on unemployment will not help obama

[UnregisteredVillageCop]

Hey city cop, looks like you're as much as a loser as your 2 colleagues on trial for rape.

Maybe you're a volly in Nassau, but it's not from your heart; golf committees, installation dinners, upstate trips and lodging, credit cards for dinners, big screen TV's and bar, recreation room, gym, and now a pension for volunteering.

Then you whine about NCPD. It would be cheaper for society to dump all the volunteer FDs, their equipment, and stations to hire paid F/F's in Nassau. Then you could backstab and whine. You're a real cop alright.

City cops-embittered, jealous, angry, GED, back-stabbers.

[Tetley]

Does Ed Shultz or Rachael maddow Know that a Dem. is union busting 9800 on unemployment will not help obama

Grammar, what a concept. Everyone is abandoning the Republican party. Please stick with abolishing Medicare, it's working so well for you. Go Teabaggers !!!!!!!!!

[UnregisteedObserver]

Grammar, what a concept. Everyone is abandoning the Republican party. Please stick with abolishing Medicare, it's working so well for you. Go Teabaggers !!!!!!!!!

Actually teabagger is a liberal expression for what they like to do behind closed doors. There is a Tea Party however, that is watching where the Government spends its money.
The Republicans realize that Medicare is going broke and is unsustainable as presently constructed and offered a plan that will reduce but save medical benefits for the elderly.
The Democrat plan to save health benefits for the elderly is ??????????
Oh, they don't have one, thats right, it won't go broke for maybe 10 , 15 years so they will be out of office by then, who cares?

[sense to me]

If you are not concerned about OT then you can't complain when cops leave the job with gigantic payouts and pensions. Can't have it both ways. As far as bringing in some wonderful talent from the west, Nassau already tried that under Suozzi. Ask anyone who worked during those years about the "progress" the police department made. And no, it is not a prerequisite to have street experience to be a good police manager (generally the best managers in sports were average players), however, one should have some managerial experience via varied commands. It is not enough to be a house mouse promoted on the basis of face time at West street.

yes that makes good sense to me but I think it depends on what you are managing. Cashiers at pathmark and cops are different things. I think you can be a good manager without having experienced the pressures and problems that your underlings are faced with on a daily basis in certain cases, but not in all cases and you can't be a great manager unless and until you understand and have a good knowledge in the business you are managing - which usually means having first hand work experience.

[Manga-NO]

I have been a proud CSEA member in Nassau County for 34 years. I now make a very good salary of 67,000 - BUT, that's after 34 years of working 5 days a week crunching numbers for the county. I have two grown children in local colleges and one finishing public high school. All live at home. I pay their tuition so that they can have a good start in their lives. I own a small, 3-bedroom home with 22,000 left on the mortgage and with 5,600 in taxes. My wife and I each own an economy car, mine being 7 years old and hers being 6 years old. My children do not have cars. I eat out with my family every other Sunday night at our favorite Italian restaurant, and with my wife every other Saturday night. We do not live high on the hog. We vacation, once a year in Florida, where her folks live and once a year in Nevada, where my dad lives. She is retired after working for 30 years as a secretary in a private law firm. We both volunteer for local charities and give back to our community. Thank heavens, I gave up the opportunity of working in the private sector. I would be making more than 70,000 a year more, like my older brothers did in very similar fields, but I would not have lived as modestly as I did all these years.

You see, I gave up the 'bigger bucks' for a solid pension and good health benefits and to be closer to my children. Now, it is my rightful turn to that pension. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS HAVE NOT SAVED MONEY FROM THEIR HIGHER SALARIES. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT THEY BOUGHT MORE EXPENSIVE AND NEWER CARS AND BIGGER HOMES AND WENT ON FANCY TRIPS, ATE OUT MORE OFTEN AND WORE TRENDY CLOTHES... I don't begrudge them anything. But, I demand what I deserve.

I hate it when people want to take back the things my union collectively bargained for since many of those people were grasshoppers instead of ants. And, while each of you did pay my salary, I have figured out that, this year, you each paid just cents to me and the rest of my division combined. We worked hard for those pennies, for our pensions and for our right to keep them. If you want your 17 cents back for my own decades of work, I will gladly give it back to Mr. Manga-NO and let him lose it in the penny slots of the new casino. But, he won't lose a penny - he will have all of us to pay for his losses!

I love Nassau County but hate the way it's going. We need smart and unselfish people to run the store. I crunch the numbers, which have more zeros than ever before and which are giving us less than ever before. Much luck and success to you. Just don't take my hard earned cash from me.

[Unregistered23]

I have been a proud CSEA member in Nassau County for 34 years. I now make a very good salary of 67,000 - BUT, that's after 34 years of working 5 days a week crunching numbers for the county. I have two grown children in local colleges and one finishing public high school. All live at home. I pay their tuition so that they can have a good start in their lives. I own a small, 3-bedroom home with 22,000 left on the mortgage and with 5,600 in taxes. My wife and I each own an economy car, mine being 7 years old and hers being 6 years old. My children do not have cars. I eat out with my family every other Sunday night at our favorite Italian restaurant, and with my wife every other Saturday night. We do not live high on the hog. We vacation, once a year in Florida, where her folks live and once a year in Nevada, where my dad lives. She is retired after working for 30 years as a secretary in a private law firm. We both volunteer for local charities and give back to our community. Thank heavens, I gave up the opportunity of working in the private sector. I would be making more than 70,000 a year more, like my older brothers did in very similar fields, but I would not have lived as modestly as I did all these years.

You see, I gave up the 'bigger bucks' for a solid pension and good health benefits and to be closer to my children. Now, it is my rightful turn to that pension. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS HAVE NOT SAVED MONEY FROM THEIR HIGHER SALARIES. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT THEY BOUGHT MORE EXPENSIVE AND NEWER CARS AND BIGGER HOMES AND WENT ON FANCY TRIPS, ATE OUT MORE OFTEN AND WORE TRENDY CLOTHES... I don't begrudge them anything. But, I demand what I deserve.

I hate it when people want to take back the things my union collectively bargained for since many of those people were grasshoppers instead of ants. And, while each of you did pay my salary, I have figured out that, this year, you each paid just cents to me and the rest of my division combined. We worked hard for those pennies, for our pensions and for our right to keep them. If you want your 17 cents back for my own decades of work, I will gladly give it back to Mr. Manga-NO and let him lose it in the penny slots of the new casino. But, he won't lose a penny - he will have all of us to pay for his losses!

I love Nassau County but hate the way it's going. We need smart and unselfish people to run the store. I crunch the numbers, which have more zeros than ever before and which are giving us less than ever before. Much luck and success to you. Just don't take my hard earned cash from me.

I think you're looking at it the wrong way. The pension money must be paid out, but it's at the cost of other government services now. Now that the stock market is no longer providing for your pension, local governments must make tough choices. Your pension must be funded by law, but now that comes at the expense of government jobs or closed parks or some other government services. You never stopped to think of the role Wall Street played when things were going well. They underwrote a lot more than you're willing to realize.

[On the sideline]

I think you're looking at it the wrong way. The pension money must be paid out, but it's at the cost of other government services now. Now that the stock market is no longer providing for your pension, local governments must make tough choices. Your pension must be funded by law, but now that comes at the expense of government jobs or closed parks or some other government services. You never stopped to think of the role Wall Street played when things were going well. They underwrote a lot more than you're willing to realize.

Only problem is that the loss of jobs comes from low level public employees who are directly responsible for delivering most government services, which have been declining for years, but politicians refuse to say you are paying more for less service. When it comes to cost cutting, where are all the political patronage cuts? Looking at public sector pensions-most of these people put in twenty plus years for a half pay pension. How many politicians serve one term and are rewarded with full pensions and a complete array of medical, dental benefits, etc. Is Wall Street paying for them also, or are we?