Government

At the request of local residents, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R – 18th L.D.) was able to successfully reinstate the original path for the Suffolk County Transit S1 Route, effective March 3rd, 2024.

The decision to revert the bus route came after concerns raised by Madison Street residents following the recent change to the Suffolk County Transit S1 Route in October. The route travels between the Amityville Long Island Railroad Station to Halesite, including stops at the Walt Whitman Shops and the Huntington Long Island Railroad Station. An additional stop was added at Huntington Hospital, which required the bus to travel along Madison Street across from Heckscher Park. However, the re-routing of the bus line disrupted the daily lives of residents on Madison Street and those visiting Heckscher Park. Madison Street already experienced traffic congestion, and the added buses exacerbated the issue, posing a significant safety risk to both residents and park visitors.

Legislator Bontempi received numerous emails and phone calls from constituents residing on Madison Street and decided to investigate the issue herself. She and her staff observed the Suffolk County Transit S1 route along Madison Street, visited the area of concern on multiple occasions, and rode the bus from the Walt Whitman Shops to Halesite to gather first-hand knowledge of the route. While riding the bus and speaking directly with one of the bus drivers driving the S1 Route, it was confirmed that the buses rarely needed to stop at Huntington Hospital and that the current route configuration was inefficient, and unnecessarily putting the driver’s safety at risk when maneuvering on Madison Street, a high foot-traffic neighborhood. Further, because of the recent route change, it was also noted that past stops along New York Avenue/R110 were removed, directly impacting the frequent users of the bus that worked in the local businesses along New York Avenue/110. 

After extensive research into the ongoing issues along Madison Street, accompanied by constituent input, Legislator Bontempi reached out to the Suffolk County Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, the Director of Downtown and Transit-Oriented Development, and the Suffolk County Director of Transportation to request an immediate change in the route. The decision was made to revert to the original route, which continues north and south along New York Avenue/R110. The re-routing to its original path reflects a commitment to responsiveness by the government and prioritizes the well-being of residents. 

New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo

By Anthony H. Palumbo

Late last month, as New Yorkers were making plans to celebrate the New Year, Governor Hochul once again vetoed the Grieving Families Act. Her action was a surprise to many of us in the State Legislature, especially considering the broad, nearly unanimous bipartisan support for the bill’s passage in consecutive sessions.

More surprisingly was that her veto pen fell on a vastly changed version of the legislation, which was updated to assuage the Governor’s concerns over the Act’s overhyped impact on the State’s hospitals and insurance industry.

The Grieving Families Act is important as it would bring New York State’s wrongful death statute into the modern era, on par with the rest of the nation and in line with our values. It would provide families who have lost a child or loved one the ability to seek damages for their pain and suffering in cases where wrongful death is established.

By expanding the State’s wrongful death statute beyond the callous ‘monetary value’ of the deceased and allowing for pain and suffering to be calculated in wrongful death cases, the legislation weighs the full and devastating impact that the loss of a child, spouse, stay at-home parent, or disabled grandparent has on a family.  It would also hold the wrongdoer responsible for the death accountable.

The benefits of the legislation to New York’s families are crystal clear. The steps that the New York State Legislature will take next to ensure the Grieving Family Act becomes law, is less evident.

There have been discussions to override Governor Hochul’s veto of the Grieving Families Act, but these talks have been met by a mixed response from Democratic Leaders in the State Legislature. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie referred to a veto override as a nuclear option and Senator Brad Hoylman-Siegel, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the bill’s sponsor stated he doesn’t believe an override can occur in a different calendar year from when the bill was vetoed.  To the person, however, these same legislators have engaged in splashy press conferences and rhetorical speeches regarding the need to make the Grieving Families Act law so we can protect victims of negligence.

My solution would be for both houses of the State Legislature to again pass the 2023 version of the bill, and before the State Budget is approved. This would provide Legislators greater leverage, and show our resolve to have the Act become law in 2024.  With supermajorities in both houses, why won’t the Democrats that constantly claim to protect victims and be the Party That Cares More Than Everybody Else simply flex their legislative muscle to make this happen.  If the Governor vetoes the bill again, they must use the ‘nuclear option’ and override her veto.

Antithetically, during last year’s historic nomination of Justice Hector Lasalle for Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, the Senate Democrats were more than willing to override the Governor to stack the court with progressives who would toe the political line when it came to the congressional redistricting case that was soon to be heard. Despite the historic nature of the nomination, as the first Latino nominee for Chief Judge, the impeccable qualifications of Justice Lasalle and the fact that the legislature has never denied a Governor’s nomination for Chief Judge, the Lasalle nomination was defeated because he didn’t fit with their agenda. 

Now, with something as important as the Grieving Families Act, the Democrats seem unwilling to move the ball forward.  If they were willing to challenge the Governor for political power, it would be my hope that they could do it for legislation that would serve a greater purpose for all New York’s families.  2024 must be the year the Grieving Families Act becomes law. Whether this happens by the Governor acquiescing to sign the bill or through an override, the important first step is for lawmakers to take action now and repass the Grieving Families Act so we can do what’s right as New Yorkers, for New Yorkers.

Anthony H. Palumbo

New York State Senator, 1st District 

Assemblyman Ed Flood speaks in front of local politicians, educators and community members at a press conference against Gov. Hochul’s proposed school funding cuts. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

By Mallie Jane Kim

Local political representatives and school superintendents rallied to Three Village Central School District Jan. 25 for a passionate press conference decrying proposed cuts to state school funding in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposed budget. 

Hochul touted an $825 million increase in state funding for schools overall, but some districts — including 34 in Suffolk County and 10 in Nassau — would face decreases. Of these, Three Village would lose the highest dollar amount at nearly $9 million if the governor’s plan stands, and the smaller Port Jefferson School District would be hit by the largest percentage of funding loss on Long Island — over 28%. Mount Sinai, Cold Spring Harbor, Smithtown and Kings Park school districts would also see modest cuts. This marks a break from the “hold harmless” provision in New York, which in the past has guaranteed school districts didn’t receive less state funding than the previous year, a practice that takes some guesswork out of budget planning.

Political opposition

“Governor, stop playing politics with our children — because we will fight you tooth and nail,” New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) said at the event. “We need to restore some common sense and do what’s right for the children of our community. Where are our priorities? Let’s put our children first.”

The politicians who spoke — including U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1), state Assemblymembers Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville), Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) and state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) — were united in considering the cuts as a targeted political attack and a conscious choice by the governor.

LaLota referred to the Jan. 5 Long Island Association’s annual State of the Region breakfast during which, as reported by Newsday, Hochul traded barbs with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R), including her quip, “I walked in, I hear somebody doesn’t want New York on Long Island, I was ready to walk off the stage right then. You don’t want me to take all the money with me, though, right?”

LaLota called Hochul a “schoolyard bully” and suggested she is using children as a political pawn against Long Island.

“It is wholly unfair and unjust to take money from our kids because she’s got a political squabble with us,” he said. “Don’t come after our kids because you have a political problem with Long Island. The right thing to do is to fully fund our kids’ education — that’s something we rely upon.”

The governor’s state budget proposal represents a first draft. The state Assembly and Senate will be instrumental in crafting the finalized version, which is due April 1 — but does not often come in on time. If the budget takes until early May to pass, as it did in 2023, school districts will be in a tricky situation since their budgets must be ready and made available for public review between April 30 and May 7.

Superintendents and other groups oppose cuts

“It is important to recognize that these proposed changes will create uncertainty and hardship for our districts,” said Bayport-Blue Point Superintendent Timothy Hearney, who also serves as president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association. His district stands to lose 3.34% of its state funding under the plan.

Even though the budget is a first draft and subject to political bargaining in Albany, any final answer may come too late. School districts spend the early spring ironing out budget plans, so unless there is a change soon, districts will be faced with the option of incorporating the funding loss into the 2024-25 school year budget or risk putting up a budget that could surpass the state’s mandated cap on increases to the tax levy, an unpopular option for Long Island taxpayers, who already face high property taxes. In this instance, budget passage would require approval by a supermajority of voters (60 percent or more).

Hearney pointed out that education costs have increased even as enrollments have decreased over the past decade or so, in a nod toward one of Hochul’s stated reasons why some districts should receive less funding. “It’s crucial to underscore that condensing a decade’s worth of lost enrollment in a single year places an overwhelming burden on all of our districts,” he said.

Other concerned superintendents standing in support were Christine Criscione from Mount Sinai, Jessica Schmettan from Port Jefferson and Kevin Scanlon from Three Village. 

Scanlon spelled out what he thought the “significant challenges” losing $9 million in funds for his district would pose at a Jan. 24 school board meeting, the night before the press conference. He said he hoped for compromise in Albany, but that such sudden cuts would require drastic measures to accommodate. He said the district may have to close a school or discontinue the Three Village Academy high school program, and they may have to make cuts to the pre-K and pre-K enrichment programs, the Intellectually Gifted Program, special education aides, teaching positions, administrative positions, educational and extracurricular programs and even security. 

“Every area of this community will be impacted, so Three Village needs to come together as it has never done before,” he urged at the board meeting. “Parents, students, teachers, administrators, anyone out there — anyone on the street we can get in this community to be part of this conversation — we need for advocacy.”

Those who showed up to advocate at Thursday’s press conference included school board members, staff and teachers union members from Three Village and Mount Sinai, as well as members of parent teacher associations, also civic and community groups, including the local parent group Three Village Dads. 

David Tracy, leader of Three Village Dads, said he isn’t interested in being divisive politically, but couldn’t ignore the air of apparent retribution in the governor’s move. “Long Island was not a huge voting fan of the governor. I hate to believe this cut in the budget is somewhat of a backlash for that,” he said, adding that the disparity in funding changes from district to district is baffling to him. “It’s just tragic that it comes from our kids.”

Three Village Civic Association president Charles Tramontana agrees the issue is bipartisan. “Nobody wants to see that amount of funding cut without some sort of warning. I don’t think it’s controversial,” said Tramontana, who was scheduled to attend the press conference but was stuck home sick. 

“I don’t understand the way the state operates sometimes,” Tramontana said. “They didn’t give any notice that they were dropping that ‘hold harmless’ provision. Basic fairness would dictate that you would give some warning.” He added, “We took some hit— $9 million in one year is definitely going to cause some chaos in our budget.”

By Nancy Marr

An Equal Rights Amendment for the United States was first drafted in 1923 by two leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, who believed that the ERA was the next logical step following the campaign to win access to the ballot. 

While the text of the amendment has changed over the years, its focus has remained the same. Article V of the U.S. Constitution requires that a proposed amendment be passed by the Senate and the House in a two-thirds majority in two consecutive legislative sessions in order to be sent to the states for ratification by their legislatures or conventions. 

The version approved by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states with a deadline of 1979 reads: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” Although the deadline was extended to 1982, only 37 of the required 38 states ratified the amendment. 

Opposition to it came from conservative Phyllis Schlafly, saying it would require women to serve in the military or lose protections for alimony or child custody cases. The result? Five states voted to revoke their ratifications, but these reversals were not counted as part of the result, and the count of ratifications remained at 37. The amendment was not passed.

In the absence of a national equal rights law, the constitutions of twenty-five states now do provide guarantees of equal rights on the basis of sex. The New York State Legislature, in 2022 and 2023, passed an ERA bill that has looked further. Currently, our state constitution only protects against racial and religious discrimination. 

The proposed bill would protect all those who have been discriminated against based on ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and a person’s reproductive autonomy or access to reproductive care. The new ERA bill explicitly includes language to clarify that discrimination based on a person’s pregnancy or pregnancy outcomes would be sex discrimination, protecting women from punishment. It will also ensure comprehensive and inclusive equal protection that will guard against attacks on our rights from the federal government or federal judges, including threats to the legal equality of LGBTQ1+ people.  

Do we need protection if the Fourteenth Amendment already guarantees equal protection of the laws? The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, added the word “male” to the Constitution but failed to include women in the right to vote. The proposed New York State ERA is not “a women’s equality amendment” but seeks to protect women as a class and men as a class against discrimination under the law for any reason. 

The Brennan Center has commented that the amendment process is an ineffective way to correct shortcomings in our United States Constitution. Given the difficulties and delays that have been faced by those who have fought for amendments, is our Constitution unamendable?  

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) is the leading constitutional scholar serving in Congress today. Reflecting on the progressive activism that “built the modern Constitution,” Raskin urges reform-minded Americans to shed their fear of advancing reform through Article V. “It’s a betrayal of our history if we don’t talk about amending the Constitution in order to create a more perfect union,” he says. “We need to be planting flags in the unfolding history of democracy. That’s what the constitutional amendment process is all about.”

Voting to amend the New York State Constitution with the New York State ERA will provide protection for New Yorkers who have faced discrimination through the years. Make a plan to turn your 2024 ballot over and vote yes on the proposed amendment.  

Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org or call 631-862-6860.

Rep. LaLota with Chris Pickerell of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County.

By Samantha Rutt

In mid-January, U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY1) appeared in Washington before the Natural Resources Committee to address the importance of the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan act would reauthorize the Long Island Sound Program through 2028 to ensure the protection and preservation of the Sound.

“The longevity and health of the Long Island Sound is critical for Long Island and Connecticut residents,” LaLota said before the committee. “For many, the Long Island Sound and our waterways are our way of life.”

The act was initially introduced by both LaLota and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut (D-Vernon), co-chairs of the Long Island Sound Caucus, which focuses on issues relating to and impacting the Long Island Sound, including conservation, water, fishing, transportation and energy. The LISRSA will ensure the Sound remains a valuable resource for generations to come.

“As the co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, I am proud to introduce the Long Island Sound Stewardship and Restoration Act. The Long Island Sound is not just a body of water, it’s a way of life for our community,” LaLota said in a 2023 statement. “This legislation underscores the vital importance of preserving this natural treasure, not only for our environment but for the thriving fishing industry that sustains Long Island’s economy. Together, we can ensure the continued health and prosperity of Long Island Sound, a resource that defines our region and sustains our livelihoods.”

This bill amends the Clean Water Act to include studies addressing environmental impacts on the Sound watershed, planning initiatives that identify areas best suited for various activities while maintaining minimal adverse environmental impacts, as well as to facilitate compatible uses, or preserve critical ecosystem services. 

In adherence with the act, representatives must also develop and implement strategies to increase education and awareness about the ecological health and water quality of the Sound and monitor the progress made toward meeting the goals, actions and schedules of the plan.

In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency must coordinate the actions of all federal departments and agencies that impact the Sound’s water quality and to improve the water quality and living resources of the watershed. 

“Pollution, overdevelopment, algae, water quality and dumping are just a few of the issues we have endured over the past several decades,” LaLota said. “The deterioration of the Sound and its natural habitats have also been an issue the Long Island Sound program has addressed, ensuring that endangered and native species can thrive in this environment.” 

A federal agency that owns or occupies property, or carries out activities, within the Sound watershed are required to participate in regional and subwatershed planning, protection and restoration activities. Additionally, such agencies will be required to ensure that the property and activities are consistent with the plan to the maximum extent practicable.

Lastly, the reauthorization of the bill will further authorize the Long Island Sound Study, the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006, the Long Island Sound Grants and Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants through fiscal year 2028.

Upon his visit to the capital, LaLota also had the opportunity to question Chris Pickerell, the director of the Marine Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County on the importance of reauthorizing the program.

Pickerell estimated “tens of thousands” of people on Long Island to be affected by the Sound and even more so from the Connecticut approach. After questioning from LaLota regarding benefits of a healthy watershed, Pickerell mentioned the several direct and indirect ways people living near the Sound would benefit from the renewal of the LISRSA.

“Recreation, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aesthetics, boating, swimming, all those things, transportation, of course, the ferries,” Pickerell listed as some of the direct ways in which residents use the Sound.

“If the water quality was improved, that could actually impact people’s livelihoods, their jobs — whether it’s aquaculture or wild harvest of shellfish or finfish, that could increase and bring more money to those communities and to their families to put food on the table,” Pickerell added.

LaLota then proposed a situation in which the restoration program never existed, calling upon Pickerell to speculate what the Sound may look like without it.

“We wouldn’t see the milestones reached that have been achieved so far,” Pickerell said. “There have been so many projects of all different natures that are taking place that have helped to restore habitat, fisheries, recreation, education.” 

Without the LISRSA funding, Pickerell noted, “we would go in reverse. The improvements that have happened would start to wane and we wouldn’t see any advancement.”

“I hope that it’s obvious to my colleagues here in Washington that the reauthorization of the Long Island Sound Program is vital to not only Long Islanders and Connecticut, but the environment and to the entire region,” LaLota said as his time in Washington came to a close.

Photo from Town of Brookhaven

 Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner have announced the completion of the reconstruction of North Country Road in Shoreham from Woodville Road in Shoreham to Pheasant Run in Wading River. This $3-million paving and sidewalk improvement project was partially funded with a grant administered by the New York State Department of Transportation in the amount of $1,780,000.

North Country Road, a major arterial roadway for residents in the area, was resurfaced from Woodville Road in Shoreham to Pheasant Run in Wading River; also paved during this paving project were Briarcliff Road, Cordwood Path, Missapogue Court, Southgate, and Randall Road from North Country Road to 25A in Shoreham. In addition to the resurfacing of the roadways, this project involved removing damaged and non-compliant sidewalk and replacing with new, ADA-compliant sidewalk and ramps along a nearly two-mile stretch from Woodville Road to the Town beach entrance; 2,250 square feet of retaining wall; additional drainage and 175 linear feet of piping; as well as intersection improvements.

The total cost for the engineering and concrete work was approximately $2.4 million; the resurfacing of the roadways cost approximately $592,000.

“I am extremely grateful to have secured NYS funding to assist with this comprehensive road and sidewalk reconstruction project that helped to correct a multitude of problems on this main thoroughfare for the SWR community,” said Superintendent Losquadro. “This project had been on my radar for some time and I am very pleased with the new and improved North Country Road which is safer for pedestrians, students, bicyclists and motorists.”

Councilwoman Bonner said, “Thanks to Superintendent Losquadro for securing the funds and getting all the work done before it’s too cold to pave. Winter is a busy time for the men and women of the Highway Department, but the residents of Brookhaven Town can rest assured that infrastructure improvements are a year-round priority.”

Assemblyman Ed Flood speaks in front of local politicians, educators and community members at a press conference against Gov. Hochul’s proposed school funding cuts. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

By Mallie Jane Kim

Local political representatives and school superintendents rallied to Three Village Central School District Jan. 25 for a passionate press conference decrying proposed cuts to state school funding in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) proposed budget. 

Hochul touted an $825 million increase in state funding for schools overall, but some districts including 34 in Suffolk County and 10 in Nassau would face decreases. Of these, Three Village would lose the highest dollar amount at nearly $9 million if the governor’s plan stands, and the smaller Port Jefferson School District would be hit by the largest percentage of funding loss on Long Island over 28%. Mount Sinai, Cold Spring Harbor, Smithtown and Kings Park school districts would also see modest cuts. This marks a break from the “hold harmless” provision in New York, which in the past has guaranteed school districts didn’t receive less state funding than the previous year, a practice that takes some guesswork out of budget planning.

Political opposition

“Governor, stop playing politics with our children — because we will fight you tooth and nail,” New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) said at the event. “We need to restore some common sense and do what’s right for the children of our community. Where are our priorities? Let’s put our children first.”

The politicians who spoke including U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1), state Assemblymembers Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), Jarett Gandolfo (R-Sayville), Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) and state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) were united in considering the cuts as a targeted political attack and a conscious choice by the governor.

LaLota referred to the Jan. 5 Long Island Association’s annual State of the Region breakfast during which, as reported by Newsday, Hochul traded barbs with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R), including her quip, “I walked in, I hear somebody doesn’t want New York on Long Island, I was ready to walk off the stage right then. You don’t want me to take all the money with me, though, right?”

LaLota called Hochul a “schoolyard bully” and suggested she is using children as a political pawn against Long Island.

“It is wholly unfair and unjust to take money from our kids because she’s got a political squabble with us,” he said. “Don’t come after our kids because you have a political problem with Long Island. The right thing to do is to fully fund our kids’ education that’s something we rely upon.”

The governor’s state budget proposal represents a first draft. The state Assembly and Senate will be instrumental in crafting the finalized version, which is due April 1 but does not often come in on time. If the budget takes until early May to pass, as it did in 2023, school districts will be in a tricky situation since their budgets must be ready and made available for public review between April 30 and May 7.

Superintendents and other groups oppose cuts

“It is important to recognize that these proposed changes will create uncertainty and hardship for our districts,” said Bayport-Blue Point Superintendent Timothy Hearney, who also serves as president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association. His district stands to lose 3.34% of its state funding under the plan.

Even though the budget is a first draft and subject to political bargaining in Albany, any final answer may come too late. School districts spend the early spring ironing out budget plans, so unless there is a change soon, districts will be faced with the option of incorporating the funding loss into the 2024-25 school year budget or risk putting up a budget that could surpass the state’s mandated cap on increases to the tax levy, an unpopular option for Long Island taxpayers, who already face high property taxes. In this instance, budget passage would require approval by a supermajority of voters (60 percent or more).

Hearney pointed out that education costs have increased even as enrollments have decreased over the past decade or so, in a nod toward one of Hochul’s stated reasons why some districts should receive less funding. “It’s crucial to underscore that condensing a decade’s worth of lost enrollment in a single year places an overwhelming burden on all of our districts,” he said.

Other concerned superintendents standing in support were Christine Criscione from Mount Sinai, Jessica Schmettan from Port Jefferson and Kevin Scanlon from Three Village. 

Scanlon spelled out what he thought the “significant challenges” losing $9 million in funds for his district would pose at a Jan. 24 school board meeting, the night before the press conference. He said he hoped for compromise in Albany, but that such sudden cuts would require drastic measures to accommodate. He said the district may have to close a school or discontinue the Three Village Academy high school program, and they may have to make cuts to the pre-K and pre-K enrichment programs, the Intellectually Gifted Program, special education aides, teaching positions, administrative positions, educational and extracurricular programs and even security. 

“Every area of this community will be impacted, so Three Village needs to come together as it has never done before,” he urged at the board meeting. “Parents, students, teachers, administrators, anyone out there anyone on the street we can get in this community to be part of this conversation we need for advocacy.”

Those who showed up to advocate at Thursday’s press conference included school board members, staff and teachers union members from Three Village and Mount Sinai, as well as members of parent teacher associations, also civic and community groups, including the local parent group Three Village Dads. 

David Tracy, leader of Three Village Dads, said he isn’t interested in being divisive politically, but couldn’t ignore the air of apparent retribution in the governor’s move. “Long Island was not a huge voting fan of the governor. I hate to believe this cut in the budget is somewhat of a backlash for that,” he said, adding that the disparity in funding changes from district to district is baffling to him. “It’s just tragic that it comes from our kids.”

Three Village Civic Association president Charles Tramontana agrees the issue is bipartisan. “Nobody wants to see that amount of funding cut without some sort of warning. I don’t think it’s controversial,” said Tramontana, who was scheduled to attend the press conference but was stuck home sick. 

“I don’t understand the way the state operates sometimes,” Tramontana said. “They didn’t give any notice that they were dropping that ‘hold harmless’ provision. Basic fairness would dictate that you would give some warning.” He added, “We took some hit$9 million in one year is definitely going to cause some chaos in our budget.”

Pixabay photo

By Aramis Khorso

The ongoing struggle between adolescents and suicide problems has become increasingly prominent in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide has been among the top three leading causes of death for children and young adults ages 10 through 34. 

The battle against anxiety and depression, which are the main causes of adolescent suicide, has been surging among young adults. According to the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, such mental health disorders, which are treatable, have increased since 2003 among children aged 6–17. The mental health and suicide epidemic rose to such unignorable heights that the U.S. Surgeon General declared the pediatric mental health crisis a national emergency in 2021.

To many, these statistics are rightly shocking and frightening. For Stony Brook University undergraduate senior Vignesh Subramanian, they were a call for action. He had observed the consequences of untreated anxiety and depression in children throughout his own adolescence. This, as well as the declared national crisis combined, made him decide it was time to take a stance and help out other young adults suffering from mental health problems. 

“We were already aware that this was a new phenomenon,” Subramanian said. “People had not been this stressed before — I was seeing this among my peers. Something had to be done. It was amounting to something of a crisis, and then these official declarations came out.” 

Subramanian recognized that many communities, especially schools and other educational facilities, were unequipped to respond to this mental health crisis adequately. He pointed out that mental health disorders are still “overtly stigmatized,” adding, “Parents and schools alike don’t know how to support students and get the help they need or can’t accommodate them properly.” 

In early 2022, Subramanian established a youth-led organization called One More Option that is dedicated to helping provide as many resources and services as they can to young adults suffering from anxiety, depression or any suicidal-related mental issues. Subramanian emphasized during this interview that “a youth-led, youth-driven response to the crisis was what was needed.”

He decided to take his mission to the state Legislature in Connecticut in 2022. “Our M.O. is to draft legislation on our own, then present it to the state Legislature, then we advance it from there,” he said. 

Working with former Connecticut Sen. Will Haskell (D-Westport), Subramanian was able to successfully draft policies that he wrote himself into the Connecticut General Assembly. He was able to draft two main reforms: The establishment of mental health days in K–12 schools and more accessible outpatient counseling sessions that minors would be able to seek. 

As can be expected, there was some opposition that Subramanian had to face while fighting to get his reforms drafted. However, Haskell was able to provide what Subramanian called a “powerful rebuttal” of the counterarguments made against the reforms. “It was inspiring to see how we were able to surmount that opposition,” Subramanian recalled.

One More Option deservedly enjoyed its victory in Connecticut, but didn’t stop there. Subramanian and his organization hope to have the same success they’ve had in Connecticut in New York. Currently, New York has no policy on student suicide prevention. Since 2019, New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) and Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan) have been repeatedly presenting the Student Suicide Prevention Act to the state Legislature. Unfortunately, the SSPA has been stalled over the past few years due to “disputes over its contents.” 

Using the framework provided by the SSPA and with the support of over 20 collegiate student governments from schools in New York, Subramanian and One More Option hope to see a statewide suicide prevention law enacted. Recently, Subramanian and Hoylman-Sigal’s office have incorporated some reforms Subramanian wrote into the SSPA, which have been approved. 

One of the main reforms that Subramanian made to the SSPA was the inclusion of college students. With these revisions, the SSPA would require K–12 schools, as well as higher educational facilities, to create guidelines and policies on how staff would react to students in suicidal crises. Subramanian spoke about the “optimistic feeling” he has due to the widespread support the act is gathering for this reformed version of the SSPA.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announces Smithtown-Kings Park as the Long Island winner of the seventh round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, receiving $10 million. Photo courtesy Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul

By Aidan Johnson

Kings Park will receive $10 million after Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced the hamlet as the Long Island winner of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative’s seventh round.

Hochul, who shared this information on Jan. 18 at Kings Park High School, congratulated Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R), along with everyone who was involved in applying for the grant. 

“I look forward to coming out and seeing the realization of not my vision, not Albany’s vision, but your vision,” Hochul said.

The Downtown Revitalization Initiative was started in 2016 to allow downtown areas across the state that won the grant money “to undertake a bottom-up community planning process and to implement key projects recommended by the community,” the DRI Guidebook explained.

According to an announcement from the governor on the New York State website, the Town of Smithtown has already taken “significant steps toward revitalizing Kings Park that will support Governor Hochul’s housing and economic development goals and catalyze future transformation through the DRI.”

These steps include the township making zoning changes in the DRI designated area that will enable 300 more housing units and more future development, along with applying for a Pro-Housing Community designation from the New York State Office of Homes and Community Renewal, the press release states.

Wehrheim believes that Kings Park, which applied three other times for the DRI grant, was chosen due to its business district having a Long Island Rail Road station in it, along with its location between two state parks. Additionally, the installation of sewers — due for completion around the end of 2025 — will allow for more revitalization of the area.

“The first order of business with the DRI grant is to put together a committee of community members, civics, chambers of commerce, town planning professionals, and then my understanding is that the state also brings in a number of folks on that committee as well, and then we will start the planning process,” Wehrheim said in an interview.

“When we get the committee together, we’ll be contacting the state and then we can begin to move forward from there,” he said.

Kings Park isn’t the only place that will receive grant money. Mineola and North Bellport were each awarded $4.5 million from the NY Forward Program. 

“My administration has made the redevelopment of North Bellport a priority and we are deeply appreciative of the governor’s commitment to this mutual goal,” Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico (R) was quoted as saying in Hochul’s press release. 

“We must work to lift up our communities and the people who reside within them, and this grant will take us a step closer to realizing the bright future that North Bellport so rightfully deserves,” Panico added.

Suffolk County executive Ed Romaine and family at his inauguration ceremony at Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School on Jan. 1. Photos courtesy Ed Romaine’s Office

By Steve Levy

Steve Levy. Nicole Rochelle Photography

Newly sworn in Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine [R] gave a rousing inaugural speech to kick off his incoming administration. His success will be ours.

Incoming executives at the town and county levels today have the good fortune of taking the helm when local governments are flush with money, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars given nearly unconditionally from the federal government to localities during COVID-19. 

But Romaine wisely noted that in the year prior to COVID, Suffolk was ranked as the most fiscally stressed county in the state. His predecessor inherited a balanced budget — contrary to the claims that there was a deficit — and a record high-bond rating, but faced an economic storm due to a crippling recession. The national economic downturn, coupled with a huge police contract and use of one shots such as selling the fully paid-off H. Lee Dennison Building only to lease it back, led to numerous rating agency downgrades that Romaine has referenced.

As noted by local economist Martin Cantor, the county’s likely fiscal Armageddon was avoided thanks to the feds pumping in over $500 million in grants. Moreover, the supercharging of the economy with $6 trillion in federal checks sent to the public caused hyperinflation and unprecedented spending that brought in hundreds of millions in unanticipated sales tax dollars to the county coffers. 

Those one shots will run out, so implementing efficiencies is essential.

Romaine wisely stressed the building of sewers, supporting economic development and cleaning our environment. Good priorities, but let’s hope these measures could be pursued without seeking a sales tax increase when so many hundreds of millions of dollars are available in the present budget due to COVID surpluses. 

The best thing to spend one-shot revenues on is a one-time, nonrecurring expenditure such as constructing a sewer. That’s preferable to adding positions or programs that will have to be supported every year thereafter. 

The executive chose wisely in placing my former chief deputy county executive, Kevin Law, and Islip supervisor, Angie Carpenter, to guide his transition.

Hopefully, the team can share with the executive the success we had in 2004 in creating a workforce housing department that provided grants for municipalities willing to build up their housing stock in downtown corridors. It was remarkably successful, as witnessed with Patchogue’s renaissance, and dovetails nicely with Romaine’s housing policies.

It’s also hoped that the new executive can implement efficiencies by reconstituting the Long Island Purchasing Consortium, which was discontinued after my tenure. It brought together the two counties, as well as towns, fire departments and schools to coordinate their high-volume purchases. Having different jurisdictions buy 1,000 cars at one time gets you a much better discount than buying 10 at a time.

We’re also happy to see the search for a qualified police commissioner. We cannot have a repeat of a rogue police leader being allowed to dismantle the FBI task force I created. Kicking out the feds led to a slowdown in the Gilgo Beach search and a reconstituting of MS-13 throughout the county — which led to the murders of dozens of Suffolk youth. 

And to build on his goal to further protect our children, the new executive can reinstate my policy of requiring automatic backfills for vacancies in Child Protective Services.

Finally, it is hoped the new executive will be an ardent advocate for Suffolk residents. There was a dire need to push back against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s [D] contentious plans to overrule local zoning, impose an MTA tax on Suffolk businesses and enact congestion pricing fees. Hopefully, Romaine will lead that charge. He can start by replacing Suffolk’s present representative on the MTA board who, remarkably, voted in favor of congestion pricing that will crush Suffolk commuters.

As noted above, there’s a lot of breathing room for executives when so much federal money is sitting in reserves. But that luxury will be short lived. Hopefully, Romaine’s intentions to pursue structural efficiencies will come to fruition.

Steve Levy served as Suffolk County executive from 2004-11.