Judging From His Lack Of Accomplishment On The Town Zoning Board, Not Very Much
At the News12 Debates, the candidates for the 5th Legislative District -- incumbent, Joseph Scannell (D) and challenger, Christian Browne (R) -- were asked about vacant stores on our Main Streets, and the revitalization of downtown -- particularly Grand Avenue in Baldwin.
Browne, who sits on the Town of Hempstead Zoning Board of Appeals -- the folks responsible (too bad no one holds 'em so) for planning, zoning, and deciding what gets built where, and what doesn't -- had little of substance to say.
Is it any wonder?
Browne and the Town's Zoning Board have not done much to advance the cause of downtown revitalization in the district, the Grand Avenue redevelopment project -- stalled for years and going nowhere fast -- being a prime example.
Browne and the Town are very good at declaring blight (as the Town did in Baldwin, via Blight Study, circa 2006), and resurrecting plans and renderings, on the drawing board for decades, but when it comes to community revitalization, and getting shovel to pay dirt, there's not much in the way of substance.
Christian Browne's tenure on the Zoning Board -- which body is itself a major roadblock to redevelopment and economic growth, not only in the 5th LD, but the entirety of Nassau County's South Shore -- is unremarkable, at best.
Indeed, if Browne's lack of accomplishment on the Town Zoning Board is prelude to what he could do for the District as its representative on the County Legislature, more blight for Baldwin, Freeport, Lakeview and South Hempstead may well be in the offing.
As the LI Herald (which, last time around, endorsed Browne over Scannell) said in its endorsement of Joe Scannell, "Scannell has delivered and fought for his constituents in the 5th."
Without further, that, in itself, is more than Chris Browne has done for his constituents -- the residents of Hempstead Town -- as a member of the Town's Zoning Board.
The Community Alliance endorses Joseph Scannell for Nassau County Legislature in the 5th LD.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. VOTE!
UP NEXT: If Muscarella Won't Come To The Mountain. . .
I dislike both of these candidates. Neither one has an original thought in their heads, and they just answer to their respective party bosses.
ReplyDeleteBrowne has done nothing to advance smart growth projects in the Town of Blight, and has in fact denied them when brought before the Zoning Board. Furthermore, his stance as with most Republicans on consolidation is unacceptable.
Scannell and the Democrats on the other hand should have done so much more to improve the County's finances when they were rolling in "dough" the last few years. Now that the party's over, they introduce an energy tax. Shame on them!
Is there a 3rd choice?
There is always the write-in vote! ;-)
ReplyDeleteyeah maybe ill right in bart simpson or donald duck. hell either one of them could do a better job than these two gavones.
ReplyDeleteagain the lesser of two evils is still an evil.
if you get 10% turnout in this election it'll be a miracle. feh.
While watching the New York City Mayoral debate last night, I couldn't help but think how inadequate our Long Island candidates are. I watched most of the Nassau County debates on News 12, and none of those candidates come anywhere close to the competence and political skill of Mayor Bloomberg.
ReplyDeleteJust think what would happen if we became the 6th boro, and were led by Mayor Bloomberg. Consolidation would happen immediately, the Lighthouse would break ground by the end of the year, and our schools would actually improve performance while spending less. If we're lucky, we'll even get property tax rebate check in the mail.
Can you imagine any of our current crop of politicians accomplishing any one of these items?
nassau will NEVER become the 6th boro. too many political and legal hurdles to overcome. it wont happen in our lifetimes-even though there seems to be a lot of advantages in doing so.
ReplyDeleteWhile the 6th boro may not happen, why can't our politicians at least attempt to emulate the model being set by Mayor Bloomberg. There's a guy who is actually accomplishing something very meaningful for the taxpayers of the City.
ReplyDeleteLong Island needs independent thinking political leaders, like Bloomberg, that don't swear allegiance to the party bosses. The Republicans answer to one set of "daddy's" and the Democrats answer to another set of "daddy's". In the end, the taxpayers lose either way.
Echoing the comments above, I also watched some of the debates on News 12, specifically those involving candidates for Nassau County legislator. They were nothing short of painful. I actually turned off the TV because I found too many of the candidates - Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and challenges - to be positively moronic. Can't our local political parties do any better? As the blogger above so eloquently put it: "Feh!"
ReplyDeleteGiven the kind of problems we have we need better than this! We need leaders, heavy-hitters, honchos! In fact, I say if the Democrats and Republicans can't field a decent line-up of candidates we start a new political party: The Federation to Elect Honchos. FEH!
another thing-
ReplyDeletebrowne makes 50K a year for 4 hours per week-plus full health and pension- working on the zoning board. thats on top of his 39k legislator salary.
thats 89k a year-and what has he accomplished in all this time? basically zilch.
why on earth people around here are so complacent- just beats me. they should be storming his office with torches and pitchforks.
last comment-its painfully obvious that politics-at least around here-certainly doesnt attract the best and brightest.
ReplyDeletebloomberg makes these gavones look like absolute morons-which most of are anyway lol.
so i ask the question-what can be done to attract a better class of candidate,be they democrat or republican-or even a third party?
For the record, at this point, Chris Browne is only on the Town payroll, this for his service on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is not presently a County Legislator, and, thus, draws no other public compenstation -- that we are aware of.
ReplyDeletehey community alliance-
ReplyDeletewe're supposed to give him a pass?
how many people do you know make $50K a year for a 4 HOUR workweek?
i work a lot more than 4 hours a week and dont make 50k-or get his medical/pension.
im starting to think that people around here are f--n idiots. anywhere else in the u.s. browne would be lynched.