Roger Ebert,
06-06-2006, 08:19 AM
Kumar back on board after conviction
Ex-GOP power broker Bobby Kumar, who faked his own kidnapping, wins back health care board post
June 6, 2006
Despite strong public opposition, the Nassau Legislature yesterday reappointed to its public health corporation Bobby Kumar, a former Republican power broker who had resigned from the board after he was convicted of faking his own kidnapping in 2001.
By a vote of 12-2, Kumar was appointed to take the place of Jay L.T. Breakstone of Bellmore, a lawyer and former member of the Bellmore School District board who was just named to the Nassau County Health Care Corporation.
Republican Minority leader Peter Schmitt said he encouraged his members to vote for Kumar because the corporation needs to fill the vacancies on the 15-member board to move forward. Nevertheless, he called the action "the lunatics running the asylum."
Dave Mejias (D-North Massapequa) left before the vote.
"Why would they want a guy who has such problems with his ethics?" asked Diana Coleman, a community activist and former head of the Roosevelt-Freeport Economic Opportunity Commission. Coleman led about 40 supporters of the four new appointees to the public health corporation board.
David Denenberg (D-Merrick), a leader along with Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck) in the push for Kumar, said he was the man for the job because "he is somebody who rocks the boat. He was consistently an opponent of the status quo. to hold up an appointment based on past mental health problems for which he is bng treated would send a bad message."
But when Denenberg asked Kumar during his testimony whether he had recved treatment following the episode, Kumar said "No."
Kumar, who will have a five-year term, said he had made a mistake in his personal life, but not in regard to the hospital. "I'm a human bng. I'm not perfect," he said.
Donna Kass, a longtime community health care advocate who had urged the legislature not to appoint Kumar, said afterward that "the people of Nassau County were not served by his appointment." Echoing what some people had been saying privately, she said the appointment was political. "He has gained control of the Independence Party," she said.
Kumar said that while he was an Independence Party member, he was not influential with the party leadership.
Meanwhile, a bid to give correction officers a chance at binding arbitration failed when supporters could not muster the 13 legislative votes needed. One Republican, Long Beach's Denise Ford, joined the 10 Democrats in support of the measure.
The measure, which required 13 votes because it was not sponsored by County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who opposed it, would have sent a home rule message to the state Legislature, asking that it pass a law giving binding arbitration to the unionized sheriff's officers, who have been without a contract since January 2005.
Ex-GOP power broker Bobby Kumar, who faked his own kidnapping, wins back health care board post
June 6, 2006
Despite strong public opposition, the Nassau Legislature yesterday reappointed to its public health corporation Bobby Kumar, a former Republican power broker who had resigned from the board after he was convicted of faking his own kidnapping in 2001.
By a vote of 12-2, Kumar was appointed to take the place of Jay L.T. Breakstone of Bellmore, a lawyer and former member of the Bellmore School District board who was just named to the Nassau County Health Care Corporation.
Republican Minority leader Peter Schmitt said he encouraged his members to vote for Kumar because the corporation needs to fill the vacancies on the 15-member board to move forward. Nevertheless, he called the action "the lunatics running the asylum."
Dave Mejias (D-North Massapequa) left before the vote.
"Why would they want a guy who has such problems with his ethics?" asked Diana Coleman, a community activist and former head of the Roosevelt-Freeport Economic Opportunity Commission. Coleman led about 40 supporters of the four new appointees to the public health corporation board.
David Denenberg (D-Merrick), a leader along with Lisanne Altmann (D-Great Neck) in the push for Kumar, said he was the man for the job because "he is somebody who rocks the boat. He was consistently an opponent of the status quo. to hold up an appointment based on past mental health problems for which he is bng treated would send a bad message."
But when Denenberg asked Kumar during his testimony whether he had recved treatment following the episode, Kumar said "No."
Kumar, who will have a five-year term, said he had made a mistake in his personal life, but not in regard to the hospital. "I'm a human bng. I'm not perfect," he said.
Donna Kass, a longtime community health care advocate who had urged the legislature not to appoint Kumar, said afterward that "the people of Nassau County were not served by his appointment." Echoing what some people had been saying privately, she said the appointment was political. "He has gained control of the Independence Party," she said.
Kumar said that while he was an Independence Party member, he was not influential with the party leadership.
Meanwhile, a bid to give correction officers a chance at binding arbitration failed when supporters could not muster the 13 legislative votes needed. One Republican, Long Beach's Denise Ford, joined the 10 Democrats in support of the measure.
The measure, which required 13 votes because it was not sponsored by County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who opposed it, would have sent a home rule message to the state Legislature, asking that it pass a law giving binding arbitration to the unionized sheriff's officers, who have been without a contract since January 2005.