Suozzi Raises Top Level Pay, Bonuses- COUNTY OUT OF CONTROL

[SLUDGE]

Suozzi Raises Top Level Pay, Issues Worker Bonuses

By Errol A. Cockfield, Jr.
Staff Writer

December 29, 2003, 6:18 PM EST

Nassau County's money woes are not over, but today County Executive Thomas Suozzi awarded $1.4 million in raises to top-level employees and $275,000 in bonuses to rank-and-file workers he said had recved no recognition for good work.

The largest increases -- all of which will take effect Jan. 1 -- could be seen in the inner circle of Suozzi's administration, where the Democrat's closest deputies and advisers recved percentage pay hikes in the double-digits.

The top increase went to Stephen Fner, director of grants management, whose pay will rise by 46.1 percent, from $65,000 to $95,000. Fner joined the county 14 months ago.

There were other notable increases. Marianela Jordon, director of the Coordinating Agency for Spanish Americans, will recve an increase of 33.85 percent, from $65,000 to $87,000; Sheldon Cohen, director of real estate planning and development for the county, will recve an increase of 25 percent, from $100,000 to $125,000; and John Moye, director of Minority Affairs, will recve a 24.29 percent increase from $65,000 to $87,000.

The raises, which went to some 300 non-union employees, immediately drew attacks from Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa), one of the county's executive's loudest critics.

"These people are getting raises in excess of what anyone gets in private industry," Schmitt said. "It's a disgrace."
Copyright ? 2003, Newsday, Inc.

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Sc2 protoss replays (http://screplays.com)

[JJD]

When was he last in "private industry" that was totally unrelated to political pork in one form or another?
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Lovely Wendie99 (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

[Incomplete list]

Reliable sources report Tom Suozzi will be asking the leg for a salary increase of 30-40 thousand.

If that don't say it all!

[DT]

Go head, attack the messenger. This stinks and you know it.
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hotels in mexico city (http://mexicocityhotel.info)

[Magic Eight Ball]

When Tom Suozzi ran for County Executive, all he ever did was talk about how he was going to clean up Nassau County Government. Welll all he has done so far is give him and his political slaves raises the last two years and focus more on running for Governor then running Nassau County.

Thats right Mr. Suozzi, we are starting to see through your lies and pretty soon Newsday will not be able to save you.

[remeber]

Bruce Bent was going to do the job for $1.00.

[Shareholder]

Who is running the show over on West Street ? The writers of GIGI ? How could he give out $1.4 million in raises while the county is still short in it's head-count reduction targets ?

There is no doubt that raises are well deserved in many cases, but there is a way to do it. 20,25,35,40,45% raises are never given out in the private sector, not if you are an exchange listed company and have some degree of accountability to the shareholders.

Well,l am a shareholder in this company and I am good and pissed off. The first mistake was bringing people in and under paying them. The second mistake is trying to correct the original sin with over the top increases.

This is no way to run a business that has shareholder (yes even Newsday) accountability. I demand to know how these raises were calculated? Were there performance reviews, a list of accomplishments for '03, a sense of achievement that is a bit more than dodging bullets.

Over the past year my investment in Nassau County has nose dived. I have higher taxes, a crumbling infrastructure, a real estate plan that went from costing 0 to costing $200 million ( someone should get fired for that one). OHIA in turmoil and under investigation. The Tom Williams lawsuit which will get very ugly and lead right to the top, and on and on.

To quote Tom himself " this (mismanagement and lack of oversight) will not happen on my watch".

Well it did, again. The amounts of these raises are a slap in the face to every person who believed Tom Suozzi placed public service above personal gain..

Boys and girls there is no longer a plan, it's scattered and backsliding and Tom wants a raise on top of this of 30K.

I am good and angry AND I WANT MY GOVERNMENT BACK, not Tom Suozzi's and Bruce Nymans bad dream.

Join me and let's get this not ready for prime time players out of here.

[Give Tom Suozzi a Break]

a bankruptcy trustee, NIFA and a host of lawyers would be running the county. Sometimes you have to pay decent salaries to keep quality staff. It seems to work in the Town of Hempstead where there are dozens earning over 100k.

[Smoke Screen]

It's easy to have 20-20 hindsight. Maybe the county would be run by NIFA, maybe not- that's not the point.

If you cut to the chase it's about perception and execution. Both were lacking here.

This is reality, and you can not go out and give out raises that exceed 15-20 percent the sameday you are laying off 200 NUMC workers.

Just one look at the coporate enviornment should be a clue as to how the public views such large increases.

Tom, this is bad and I do not think Newsday will stick up for you on this one.

[suozzi versus bent]

After reviewing the chart in Newsday referencing other counties most senior staffs pay, some of the raises seem in line with the current market place. But these counties are in far better shape than Nassau.

The other managers who recved raises of 25% or higher is sheer madness. These raises should have been given in increments over the course of '04. Start with a base of 15% raise and depending on the counties finances give another 2 increases to make up the balance June 1 and Sept. 1

The fact that Suozzi wants a 30% raise for himself is sheer hubris and is indicative of the way he views all of us. I come first and I already forgot what I promised I would do 2 years ago.

Remember the Big 5 projects that would lead to Nassau's recovery.

Sewer and Storm - Got half of what he needed. C

Head-count reduction - Goals were to be met by September '03. I think Suozzi is 200-300 short of his 1200 target. - F

Real Estate Consolidation - From break even to a 200 million cost is just incredible. With all these consultants, Guru's, experts, and wannabees someone should have figured this out ages ago. It was great watching Tom take a sledge hammer to the Court House, now it's time to beat those responsible for this "small variance" with that sledge hammer. D

Union Contracts- We did not get what we wanted, nor did we get exactly what we needed, but the job got done although the uniouns will feel they got screwed when they see the bonus list. A lot of broken eggs here and no omelet. C

Smart Government Initiatives : Hard to say unless you get the quarterly initiative updates, but very few targets have been met in a meaningful way. IT is in shambles, The labs at health and dpw have not merged yet, great the parks take credit cards but show me if this years recpts are higher than last years based on plastic. I doubt the is much of a difference. Affirmative litigation, ok the punchline is? How many cases did we file and for how much ? Ad infinitum. I'll give a C only because art Gianelli's hard work on the financial and credit end.

Remember - It takes smart people to create smart government initiatives and leaders to make sure they get done.

Increased Taxes - Yup. A for guts, D for the smarts to raise taxes and raise salaries.

BY the way where is NIFA ?

[news worthy]

[Suspicious mind]

I knew that this posting would be a hot one.
I couldn't wait to get my twocwnts in. Yesit is still two cents, I don't have Tommy boy as a boss.

What pray tell ,has Doreen Banks done to merit such an increase?

The Parks are in disarray, the Pool has ben a disaster,
and the Security has been moved, leaving the Parks without a security staff that is run from the Park itself.

All these things have been done. in the name of the name of lowering the County Budget Yet he has gone
and given an unearned bonus to his Lady friend the Commisioner of Parks and Recreation, who had previously worked for him In Glen Cove,

Art Gianelli has worked hard but still does not merit a raise of this magnitude, and Lorna Doone must be glowing at her bonus for a job, not well done.

Tryto explain this this to the staff at NUMC who are looking at thr pink slips today.
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Mazda G4A-El Transmission (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Mazda_G4A-EL_transmission)

[Ice Man]

But the parks now take credit cards ? How much did that make us over last years cash on the barrel head approach. I bet the amount is so small it is a joke.

[Query]

How come Police Commissioner Lawrence makes more money than the managers he reports to (Cancelliari and Helena Williams)? A police commissioner who is merely a middle manager appears to be overpaid.
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Hawaii medical marijuana (http://hawaii.dispensaries.org/)

[nifa]

where is nifa///////////////////////

[Hey Now]

How can you give a guy a raise who estimated the real estate consolidation at no cost and now it's a 200 million dollar negative.

The leg will never bond the 200 million so thats dead.

All the grandiose things the Campuses, the hub, The head count targets, affordable housing all are failures, simply because Tom believes he can accomplish anything by sheer force of personality.

After 2 years people (in Albany, Tom Williams and other whistle blowers) realize he personality sucks and he can accomplish jacksh#t.

I am trowing in the towel, Tom is in over his head and he has the attention span of a 6 year old without Ritilan.

Tom and Tony, realize you can not manage by having people fear you, you accomplish great things by having people respect you.

It's never to late to learn.

[TaxpayerTrough]

CSEA contract.....Remember this day!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To all CSEA members: this the the thanks you get from the Suozzi Administration for helping out the County and taking smaller raises.

DON'T YOU ALL FEEL LIKE A**holes NOW?!!!!!

I hope you learn to negotiate like the PBA next time. They seem to know more about this administration and this treacherous man than all of you did and benefitted as a result!!

Guess you have to be a Suozzi good old boy to get a REAL raise and not chump change!!

Is there anything this man will NOT stoop to?

[HeCanEvenWalktoWork]

$125K a year (plus bennies) for Arthur Gianelli to still live at home, and not pay as much as a water bill. It's great that he could have a say in county taxes that he'll never have to pay.

[SickofNassauCounty]

Nassau County is bng destroyed by greedy, incompetent politicians. They should pay for the crimes they are perpetrating on Nassau County residents. We have the highest taxes in the U.S. but still they are bng raised at phenomenal rates -- while Suozzi and his friends are rewarding themselves with our hard earned money. It appears that Suozzi knows that he has failed miserably at "saving" Nassau County, and his new philosophy is, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em -- hence the outlandish raises he's bestowing on a select few. Might as well do it while he can, because come next election, he should be out on his greedy butt.

[Bondholder]

Suozzi spent all the money on a top heavy administrative team and hired appointees at really high salary's while still using tons of personal service contractors, paid for all sorts of perks for all of them, in addition to thr lucrative benefits packages, and then taxed to death the nassau county residents and used that money to pay for his payroll, while at the same time forcing contractors and workers - like Doreen Banks - to fundraise to "raise" money to pay for the things his budget is suppose to cover, but can't - like basic services for county residents.

[overnow]

EVERYTHING END......

[too much too soon]

This just proves what everyone says. Tom was a nice, if not spoiled, kid with good intentions but he just wasn't ready for such a big job. He isn't capable of pulling it off, he just can't do it. He's making a huge mess of things, and every mistake we catch, he blunders over the "fix" which is just a bandaid over a wound as he flounders haplessly to the next disaster. They are just popping up all over, bng created faster than then can be "fixed" because the boy at the helm just can't get a grip on running the County. Another 4 years will just about rip the County apart. He had his shot, now it's time to give the job to a real professional. Sorry Tom.

[Nassau needs Experience]

Tom's a nice boy with good intentions but no ability to get things done. What Nassau County needs is a strong man with the wisdom, experience, patience and diplomacy necessary to put his ideas into action. Nassau County needs Greg Peterson. One day, when Tom learns alittle more and matures alittle bit - he might make a fine leader. But not now.

[Newsday & The dirty f]

Suozzi is the incumbent
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I tell you what - how about - you take a look at Suozzi's record running the county - or rather - running the county into the ground since he's the incumbent and it's his record that's on trial during this election, although you'd never know it by the unfair, prejudiced and lying rag of a paper inappropriately named "news" day. And if you want to take a look at Peterson's record - go right ahead. You will find that the Town of Hempstead had a surplus of funds every year that Greg Peterson was in charge, that services were never negatively affected, and that he managed the budget and the Town's services without raising taxes or fees even once while he was in office. Suozzi is making no bones about it - he has no interest in Nassau County and he never did, he never will. His whole time in office has been a joke - a way for him to manipulate his visibility to launce a state career. The only reason he wants to win in 2005 is to leave. The guy is a total joke. Almost a bigger joke than Newsday has become

[Finally Newsday touches]

Finally - Newsday touches reality. We've been warning the public about Suozzi's fake fiscal recovery and his tax and spend management since the day he took office. We could see the writing on the wall. Finally, the editors at Newsday allowed Celeste Haddrick to subtly insinuate to the readers that maybe Suozzi lied and it's his bloated government that we should worry about - he got lucky breaks with starting out with agencies who had money left over in thr budgets from the Gulotta days and great economic recovery with high sales tax revenues and low interest rates thanks to tax cuts under the Bush and Pataki administrations - yet he still raised fees and taxes as high as he could get away with and increased property assessments beyond that which is reasonable or practicable and floated bonds for basic needs like preservation of parks and land in Nassau County. Haddrick must have been paid off though because under the Republicans bankruptcy was never an option - they only would have raised taxes if they couldn't figure out another way. But due to Suozzi's liberal tax and spend fiscal policy - that option has already been taken and all that's left now is bankruptcy.

[kkkkkkkk]

kkkkkkkkkkkkk

[Out of control and worse]

They started out crazy high and they are getting worse and worse. While the patronage jobs get more and more lucrative, the civil service workers are making more and more concessions, the cops are losing squad cars and specialty units for fighting gangs, the firefighters aren't getting thr tax benefits and now Suozzi wants to get rid of teacher's tenure too. His budget is straining just to cover the salary of his Nassau County Appointees - and most of them deposit the money in banks in the City of New York and spend our money there.

[Tree Climber]

Wtzman and Levinson and Suozzi are all full of crap. There so called audit on special districts is a useless witch hunt that will only lead to higher county taxes for all of us and less services. Suozzi wants us to pay the money to the county that we are paying now to our own individual districts. He's not trying to save us money. Then he can take that money and give it away to more high salaried, do nothing, know nothing, administrators and leave us poor, dirty and thirsty. How stupid are the average voters and when is the GOP going to put out real flyers telling them about all this stuff instead of those stupid black and white fix nassau flyers they have been circulating that even I can't believe - no detail, no specific, no explaination. Where's the anger? That's what we need. Anger enough to take down Suozzi and his people before they literally KILL us.

[patronager]

patronage jobs went from 234 in 2001 at $13 million with an average salary of $60 to 422 at $16 million with an average salary of $71K in just 3 years under Suozzi.

[explains alot]

thats where the money from the tax increases went to instead of fixing the parks and the streets

[taxed for patronage]

yeah - suozzi's first budget in 2002 was a 19% tax increase but he increased patronage 50% and salarys went up by as much. we are struggling to pay thr salary and then they go home to queens.

[MathProf]

patronage jobs went from 234 in 2001 at $13 million with an average salary of $60 to 422 at $16 million with an average salary of $71K in just 3 years under Suozzi.

Your math doesn't work. 234 jobs @ $13M is $56k average (close enough to $60k). 422 jobs @ $16M is $38k average, not $71k.

$71k average would be $30M. Which is correct?

patronage jobs went from 234 in 2001 at $13 million with an average salary of $60 to 422 at $16 million with an average salary of $71K in just 3 years under Suozzi.

Numers way off, I guess math iis not one of your strong points

[The numbers are correct]

Average pal. Average. You can't be that stupid trying to do the math without having the exact numbers are you? NY Times reported almost 200 appointees live outside Nassau County. They are costing the county ABOUT $16 million. Maybe it's $15.9, Maybe it's $16.1. There are twice as many of those appointed positions now then there were 2 years ago and over the past 2 years thr salary's increased an average of $20K so that the average salary for those patronage jobs is now about $70K. If you want to "do the math" get the exact numbers from the controller's office by foiling the information - which is available to the public. Statistics don't lie. Tom Suozzi's patronage budget has increased to an average of $16 million this year and it's expected to climb. According to Newsday's own liberal reporting - it's expected to become the single biggest expenditure for the anticipated, multi-million DEFICIT they reported which is forecasted for the year 2006 at 54% of the budget. That's spending 54% of the budget on the government with Tom Suozzi claims he's shrunk. All he's done is fire lower level employees and laid off lower paid workers like janitors and parks maintenance people and filled thr jobs with part-time, seasonals and outside contractors while appointing many more managers and supervisors for patronage jobs allegedly supervising workers we no longer have. That's why services have been decreased and that's why the county is in such a state of complete disrepair and chaos.

[Civil Servant 20 years]

I agree with the above post. worked under the republicans and under the democrats and I tell you that you are full of crap. The democrats that are heading up departments now are playing house. None of them have the right experience for the job and none of them have any knowledge about nassau county. They care only about the money. That's it. They are pocketing as much as they can, working as little as they can, and high tailing it back to thr homes in queens, brooklyn and the bronx where they laugh at what they are doing to us here and make fun of the high taxes we pay to support them. They hire thr personal friends that have no allegiance to our county or even to the democrats of nassau county. They all come here with personal agendas. They are a de-moralizing, egocentric, psychotic group of bungling idiots who are delusional about thr own knowledge and power bases. They are incompetent. Under the republicans the patronage jobs were 1/2 of what they are now and the ratio of supervisors to workers was maybe 1 in 10 or more per department. Now it's 6 to 1 in some places believe it or not. 6 people with high level titles getting supervisor pay with 1 guy trying to do the work that these 6 don't even know a thing about. Nor care about. At l when the republicans did fill the patronage jobs, they were filled with people who lived in nassau county and were involved in nassau county politics, government and community activities. They know thr nghbors and thr local businesses and they knew what the concerns and problems were and were able to address them. They had to face them at church, in the synagogue, at the supermarket - thr kids all faced the same challenges and thr families all needed the same services. They cared. The salary's were also 30% lower 3 years ago. It's a huge difference in attitude, cooperation, and overall management. I am NOT a republican ther. In fact, I am a BLANK and I have been registered that way for a couple decades now. But I will not vote SUOZZI in 2005 because I see first hand how his choices of leadership are failing this county and I guarantee that if he gets another 4 years, Nassau County will completely fall apart and all his department heads will just shrug thr shoulders and go back to the city

[Oh the truth shall reign]

Yes, I've seen it too. The smarter you are, the more analytically aware - the less they like you on staff, especially if you aren't afraid to express your freedom of speach rights. The only ones they want are the ones who can fly both sides of the fence without landing anywhere, doing anything, or figuring out what is going on. If your name doesn't appear on any of thr contribution lists, you become a target. That's why so many have flown over to the GOP camp. It might have it's problems, but compared to the Suozzi crew, it looks like the only last chance the County has to save itself. Real people - thinking, acting, speaking and free.

[jacked up her worth]

Did Harvey Levinson hire Liz Botwin yet? (at a paltry sum of $150k a year-yuppers.)



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Kinda for $150K
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 10:33 pm



Guest






Sorta. He jacked up her "worth". Botwin was going to work for his office for $150K (instead of hiring a civil service attorney - starting salary's off the civil service list are about $28K). But then Goodman was afraid he wouldn't share so she offered the same salary to Botwin to STAY at the county attorney's office. So Botwin stayed. Technically. But Goodman will let Levinson borrow her. The difference is, Botwin is still within Goodman's control, and with Botwin under Goodman's control - so is Levinson. Besides, why break up a great NYC criminal team squad - anybody say NYC appraiser bribery scam ???????????????

[Pass the word]

Tell your friends about where your hard earned taxpayer dollars are really going. Print out this thread and show it to them. Pass around the truth. Get Suozzi out in 2005

[Washed their hands]

Nifa washed thr hands of Suozzi. When he turned down state money the county could have used as a tax relief - he lost thr interest.

[no patronage idiots]

Check out the buffoon that hangs out with Corbin. He can't keep a job, lives with his mother-in law, and always reeks of liquor. He will do just about anything for a few dollars...Including selling out the community every chance he gets. The other one barely finished HS. Anyone who has the goods on JP please post on this site. I know he was caught falsifying petitions some time in the 90's. I think someone sued him for sexual harrassment too. These are the crooks that Corbin runs with. Suozzi's hoodrats are spending our tax money on stupid patronage positions. VOTE 'EM OUT!!!!!

[Get a life!!]

That the republicans can come up with.. Lets post on this site!! Hey I know, let's bring up four year old posts and maybe people will think it's current.. yeah that's the ticket... Most of the reps are idiots anyway, and probably will think this crap is true!! LOL :D

[It's very current]

Leave it to the Suozzi demonuts to think because time passed - thr mistakes are forgotten. Hysterical especially since the only song Suozzi and his lackies have been singing for the past 4 years is what Gulotta did - it's 4 years ago boys and girls. THAT song is old and dead. You want current - here's current -
=================================
Office Manager, County Attorney $150,000, Little Neck, Queens
¾ of the County Attorney's Office Varies, NYC region/Suffolk
Commissioner of Health $150,758, Brooklyn
Counsel to the County Executive $143,000, Bay Shore
Deputy County Executive $131,250, Northport
Deputy County Executive (2 of them) $131,250, Manhattan
Director of the Budget $127,234, Brooklyn
Director, Office of Labor Relations $119,068, Miller Place
Sheriff, $117,875, Sufolk (No wonder the Co's got such a sweet contract)
Deputy Director of the Budget, $117,600, Center Moriches
Commissioner of Emergency Mgmt, $114,510, Setauket
Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, $113,400, Northport
Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology (4 of them), $112,772, Hauppauge
Undersheriff, $112,772, Queens
Labor Relations Commissioner, $111,239, Amity Harbor
Commissioner of Mental Health, $105,000, Flushing
Deputy Commisioner of Parks, $105,000, Hillcrest
Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology (4 of them) $103,606, Miller Place
Assistant Commissioner of Public Works, $100,630, Manhattan
Assistant Commissioner of Data Systems, $100,000, Bronx
Deputy Director of Housing & Intergovernmental Affairs (2 of them) $100,000, Hauppauge
Director of Electorate Data Mgmt, $97,650, Kings Park
Chief Real Estate Negotiator, $93,000, Miller Place
Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology (4 of them) $92,251, Northport
Commissioner of Senior Citizens Affairs, $91, 350, Patchogue
Deputy Director of Government & Community, $89,250, N. Babylon
Deputy Director - Budget Department, $88,493, Staten Island
Deputy Director of Minority Affairs, $76,125, Hauppauge
Deputy Director of Housing & Intergovernmental Affairs (2 of them) $68,250, W. Babylon
Assistant to the Commissioner of Mental Health, $68, 102, Kings Park
Deputy County Treasurer, $67,275, Bayside
Assistant Director, Labor Relations, $59,982, Commack
Assistant to the Police Commissioner, $58,800, Flushing
Deputy Commisioner of Information Technology (4 of them) $57,750, Hauppauge (no wonder Suozzi wants to "share" computer expenses with Suffolk County).


Almost three and half million dollars of nassau county tax dollars, plus benefits and lifelong health care benefits that we pay for non-resident workers who turn and retire at 55 years old while working for nassau county, regardless of thr number of years of "service" !!!!!

And let's not forget that with the quadruple budget given to Lorna Goodman, a/k/a deep pocket Goodman, with the HUGE staff of "lawyers" she hired, Comptroller Levinson STILL hired an OUTSIDE agency to represent Nassau County at the small claims tax assessment hearings - and that agency has offices only in Suffolk and NYC region. !!!!!!!!!!



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==============================
Current enough for you?

Vote Row A in 2005. Greg Peterson - all the way home.

[Broken Promises]

Of course everything that happened over the past 4 years is current information. It shows how much Suozzi promised and how little he delivered.

[Pound foolish]

He hires 4 "managers" to every worker - Way not to get anything done. He hires NYC people instead of Nassau County people - Way to charge unnecessary SUV fees and gas money to taxpayers. He hires "seasonals" instead of civil servants - we know how well THAT worked out. Then he lays off cops, jail personnel and hospital workers - way to say he cut government numbers - but then pays three times as much in overtime and gets the work done - to wit: a rash of seemingly unstoppable home burgularies from his Brooklyn based people that he keeps inviting over the borders. Nice.