Alfonse D'Amato

Making local government work for the people

Posted

Here on Long Island, we are fortunate enough to have many superior schools. We don’t often think about school choice because we already have the best. Across the country, however, in many poorer areas with subpar schools, there is no choice.

President-elect Donald Trump proved that he is committed to the plight of people who demand choice in their education by nominating Betsy DeVos for our next education secretary. Trump promises that DeVos, a strong advocate for school choice and vouchers, will bring “transformational change” to American education.

She is a promising pick for communities that are desperate to give their children a chance at a better future. She is a bold choice for Trump, who wishes to take the government out of what should be a local issue.

Despite the quality of our schools, we do have problems on Long Island. I’d bet bet that most of you had never heard of an Industrial Development Agency until a couple of these local quasi-governmental agencies came under fire.

A few weeks ago, Valley Stream residents saw their school taxes increase by close to 5 percent, almost overnight, as a result of a tax break granted to the Green Acres Mall by the Town of Hempstead IDA. There was a real lack of transparency on this project. The purpose of an IDA is to bring real jobs while also providing economic benefits and prosperity to an otherwise depressed area.

Town of Hempstead taxpayers voiced their disagreement with the $14 million payment in lieu of taxes for the Green Acres Mall and the subsequent tax increase. In response, Town Supervisor Anthony Santino immediately called for the members of the IDA to resign, and he should be applauded.

The people of Long Beach are going through the same nightmare, this time with the Nassau County IDA and a PILOT program for the future development of the six-acre vacant plot of beachfront property known as the Superblock. An initial PILOT request for $129 million was turned down, yet the developer, iStar, is still trying to make a run at it. It drafted another proposal for $109 million, but it was withdrawn before it could be voted on.

When iStar representatives first appeared at Long Beach public hearings, they claimed they had the financial wherewithal to cover the entire cost of the project and were ready to begin. They never mentioned a tax abatement.

From what I’m hearing, iStar is now going to submit another application and request an $89 million tax abatement. This is the perfect example of a proposed project by a well-financed developer on prime real estate — not an area that needs this sort of tax incentive.

The good news is that there are leaders doing the right thing. County Executive Ed Mangano has come out against the Long Beach project, just as Santino did against the Green Acres project.

It is getting more difficult to raise a family on Long Island due to the high taxes and the egregious fees citizens are forced to pay to enjoy many aspects of everyday life. On Nov. 21, the Nassau County Legislature voted to slash a proposed, controversial $105 fee on traffic and parking tickets — a “public safety fee” — to $55. The additional revenue would be used to pay for 150 new police officers and 81 civilian law enforcement employees.

This astronomical fee is not an actual solution to the severe operating budget issues facing Nassau County. Taxpayers should not be expected to solve the county’s budget issues by agreeing to extra fees. It’s initiatives such as this, and lack of transparency in government, that make people so cynical about government, and they should be. People deserve choice, and they deserve open government.

I’m not saying that IDAs should be abolished. There have been some great success stories, such as the Blue Point Brewery in the Town of Brookhaven, which has created jobs and revenue for the town. But remember, the purpose of IDAs is to make possible development in economically depressed areas where there would otherwise not be any development.

As is the case on a national level, on a local level we need common-sense polices that work for the people, and not against their best interests.

Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.