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S UF F O L K C O U N TY
NEWSDAY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015
newsday.com
Staffers for former
Rep. Bishop get jobs
Four staff members for
former Rep. Tim Bishop
(D-Southampton) have landed jobs in Suffolk County
government, prompting Republicans to criticize county
Democrats for political hires.
The congressman lost his
re-election bid in November.
Three began work in County Executive Steve Bellone’s
offices in January, according
to county records. Another
was hired as an aide to Legis.
Sarah Anker (D-Mount
Sinai).
Bellone spokesman Justin
Meyers said the former Bishop staffers are qualified, and
their government experience
is a boon to the county.
“Hiring smart, talented
individuals with invaluable
local government experience
is what we look for when
filling specific roles, just the
same as any government
office does,” Meyers said.
But Legislative Minority
Leader Kevin McCaffrey
(R-Lindenhurst) criticized
Bellone for political hiring in
a response to Bellone’s State
of the County address on
March 26.
The hiring of the former
Bishop staffers “is clearly
taking care of their own at a
time we can’t afford to do
that,” McCaffrey said in an
interview.
Bellone, a Democrat, says
the size of the county workforce has declined by 1,100
positions as part of his effort
since taking office in 2012 to
reduce county spending.
The county has a nearly
$100 million budget deficit,
and Bellone in January issued
an executive order declaring a
fiscal emergency and ordering
departments to not spend 10
percent of their budgets.
The total salaries of the
former Bishop staffers amount
to $237,377 a year.
Suffolk Republican chairman
John Jay LaValle said, “On the
one hand, they’re crying fiscal
state of emergency. Behind
their [the public’s] backs,
they’re filling up with political
READER PHOTO BY TIMOTHY BUTLER, Sayville
The 6:45 a.m. Sayville Ferry passes Land’s End en route to Fire Island for
the first run of the day on April 1 | Submit your photos at newsday.com/shareit
patronage employees.”
— DAVID M. SCHWARTZ
Leslie Kennedy’s
election certified
The Suffolk Board of Elections yesterday certified the
election of Republican Leslie
Kennedy to the 12th District
legislative seat formerly held
by her husband, county Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr.
The final count in the race
gave Leslie Kennedy 1,050
votes to 221 for Democrat
Deborah Monaco, a Suffolk
Board of Elections worker who
did not actively campaign.
Unofficial results on election
night, March 31, showed
Kennedy with 933 votes and
149 for Monaco.
Kennedy will be sworn today
at the office of the legislative
clerk in Hauppauge and will
publicly take her oath of office
at the April 28 county legislature
meeting in Riverhead.
— RICK BRAND
C E N TR A L I S L IP
Long Island Ducks
honoring military
The Long Island Ducks plan
to honor two veterans or active
duty service members at every
home game this season, giving
each one 10 tickets to the minor
league baseball game and recognizing them between innings,
the team and Suffolk County
Executive Steve Bellone announced Tuesday.
“It’s an opportunity to honor
our veterans and men and
women who have left their
families and went overseas to
protect all of us,” Bellone said
at a news conference at the
Long Island Ducks stadium in
Central Islip. “It’s also a reminder to the thousands of
people at the game of sacrifices being made on their behalf.”
The “Heroes of the Night”
will be selected by the Suffolk
County Veterans Service Agency. The county agency approached the team, which has
had a military service recognition night, about expanding the
program, said Michael Pfaff,
president and general manager
of the Ducks.
“We are proud to honor
those who have fought and
continue to fight to protect our
freedom every day,” he said.
New York Community Bank
is a sponsor of the promotion
along with the QuackerJack
Foundation, the team’s charitable arm.
The Ducks, which are in the
Atlantic League, play 70 home
games this year. Their season
starts May 1, when Bellone is
expected to throw out the first
pitch.
Veterans and active duty
personnel can register to be
recognized by calling
631-853-5020 or emailing
alexandra.vanderlofske
@suffolkcountyny.gov.
Bruce Brenner, 65 of East
Northport, a Vietnam veteran
who served in the Army, said,
“It’s a thankless job. It’s a nice
gesture — a thank you for the
service or a welcome home.”
— DAVID M. SCHWARTZ