Nassau Democrats Rally Against Youth Board Cuts

Nassau County Democratic leaders held a rally Monday morning on the steps of the with close to 100 supporters against proposed cuts to youth board services.

“The county executive has decided to parse young people based off of blue or red,” Leg. Kevan Abrahams, D-Hempstead said, referring to a list of proposed cuts the vast majority of which come from Democratic districts rather than Republican ones. Of the $1.7 million cut, $1.4 is in Democratic districts, Abrahams said, indicating that the Democratic caucus would not support any capital borrowing or emergency funding going forward.

“We should not be able to identify an agency by the party of the district that they’re in,” Leg. Judi Bosworth, D-Great Neck, said.

The almost exclusively minority comprised group represented youth boards in Hempstead, Elmont, Manhasset and Roosevelt, which had 100 percent of its funding eliminated. Many of the speakers resented the timing of the announcement, which occurred extremely quickly.

“There was no chance at all to plan what would happen to our staff, to our youth to our community,” said Rev. Reginald Tuggle, executive director of the Memorial Youth Board in Roosevelt, whose funding was entirely cut. One agency saw such a drastic reduction in funds that it was forced to cut its 40 person staff down to four.

“It never ceases to amaze me that something new happens every single day,” Leg. Judy Jacobs, D-Woodbury, said. “I have never ever ever seen cuts that resulted in inequity like these proposed cuts do. Our children are not political pawns nor should they ever be.”

The various youth board agencies received letters that their funding would be cut as of April 1. However, County Executive Ed Mangano believes the list Democrats have is “inaccurate” and will not be finalized until April 16.

“The administration can claim that this list is not a final list, but it seems to me that these agencies have received was based on this list,” Leg. Wayne Wink, D-Roslyn said. “These cuts were ready to go, they were going to go.”

According to Majority Leader Diane Yatauro, D-Glen Cove, there have been “intimidation practices” for agencies “not to complain because they’re still figuring out where the money is going to be.”

Mangano has vowed to close a by the without raising taxes and has put forth . In a statement, Mangano called Abraham’s actions “the height of hypocrisy,” saying that the cuts could be avoided if tax cert borrowing had been supported. 

Leg. David Denenberg, D-Merrick, said that the cuts were illegal because of an amendment funneling for youth, seniors, chemical dependency and developmental disabilities.

“Those four contract agencies get from the county, when you factor in the state and federal aid, a grand total of $12.5 million,” Denenberg said. “This year alone, the red light cameras budget (is) $29 million. There should be no cuts for kids!”

The New York State Senate has passed a bill to in Nassau from 50 to 100, but no legislation has been passed in the Assembly. In his statement, Mangano said that he is working with state legislators to “ensure” that the red light camera bill is passed in order to restore “most if not all” of the funding to the agencies.

“They can’t say its discretionary now because there is a funding source that mandates that that money has to be provided,” Joseph Smith, leader of the Nassau County Youth Board Coalition, said.

In another statement issued Monday afternoon, a county spokesperson said that funding received from red light camera tickets “has been and will continue to be utilized to fund youth contracts,” and that both Democratic and Republican districts receive “nearly the same amount of funding.”