Thomas Suozzi
Encyclopedia
Thomas R. "Tom" Suozzi was the county executive
of Nassau County, New York
. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson
left office in 1971.
In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer
for the Democratic
nomination for Governor of New York.
On November 3, 2009, the election for Nassau County Executive was declared too close to call. He conceded to opponent Ed Mangano
on December 1, 2009.
mayor Joseph Suozzi, Tom Suozzi was born on August 31, 1962 in Glen Cove, New York. He was raised the youngest of five siblings, and graduated from all Roman Catholic schools: Chaminade High School
, Boston College
, and Fordham University School of Law
.
Suozzi and his wife, Helene, have three children.
, but Suozzi prevailed in the primary and was elected to Nassau County Executive, the first Democrat in that office since Eugene Nickerson
left it in 1971, and just the second Democrat in the post-World War II era. Suozzi was reelected as County Executive in 2005, defeating his Republican rival Greg Peterson 59%-38% on November 8, 2005.
Suozzi comes from a political family. Both his father Joseph Suozzi and his uncle Vincent "Jimmy" Suozzi were mayors of Glen Cove prior to Tom Suozzi. His cousin Ralph V. Suozzi is the current mayor of Glen Cove. His father also ran for Nassau County
Executive in 1958.
Just days before Suozzi’s inauguration as Nassau County Executive in 2002, the Maxwell School of Public Affairs rated Nassau the "worst run county in the nation." Within his first year in office, Suozzi turned a $428 million deficit into a balanced budget, leading one of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in the country.
His coattails helped the Democrats keep the Nassau County Legislature (by one vote) and helped Democrat Kathleen Rice
dislodge the pro-life Denis Dillon
, the Nassau County District Attorney of more than 30 years by about 8,000 votes.
Suozzi eliminated wasteful contracts, cut the workforce to the smallest in 30 years, and achieved historic labor concessions.
He has platformed for a "Fix Albany" campaign, blaming many of Nassau County's problems on the state legislature (which meets in Albany
). His criticisms included both Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature, even advocating for the defeat of incumbent legislators.
This caused him to be left out of the New York delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
which nominated Senator John Kerry
for President, although the Democratic speaker of the New York State Assembly
has denied that was the reason.. Despite this obstacle, Suozzi went to the Convention anyway gaining credentials directly from the Kerry campaign.
In any event, "Fix Albany" did lead to the defeat of at least one incumbent Democratic state Assemblyman in the party primary, and provided a platform for David Valesky
to unseat veteran Republican incumbent Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
(a former Democrat) for a Syracuse
-area based seat in the NY State Senate, notable because many Senate Republicans have regularly avoided falling victim to the coat-tails of popular Democratic presidential and US Senate candidates in a generally Democratic-leaning state.
In the November 2005 issue of Governing Magazine
, Suozzi was named one of their "Public Officials of the Year" for his innovative initiatives in Nassau, which has a population of over 1.3 million, larger than 7 states and a $2.5 billion budget, greater than 16 states.
A Democrat and a Roman Catholic, in 2005, he advocated curtailing abortions by speaking out in favor of alternate options for pregnant women considering abortion, including adoption and homes for single mothers.
Though no longer named in the suit Suozzi's name has come up frequently in a civil suit involving violations of the First and Fourteenth amendments in which the claimant is seeking a multi-million dollar settlement.
on February 25, 2006.
The bid appeared from the start to be somewhat of a long shot given Spitzer's reputation as a "corporate crusader", though Suozzi often pointed out that he prevailed as a long shot before when he first ran for Nassau County Executive. Few prominent Democrats outside of Nassau County Democratic Party Chaiman Jay Jacobs supported his bid; most of New York's Democratic legislators and mayors campaigned with Spitzer. One of his biggest supporters was Victor Rodriguez, founder of the now disbanded Voter Rights Party. Rodriguez eventually became the lead field organizer for the Albany campaign office.
Suozzi's campaign was funded largely by big business, in the form of Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone
, former NYSE CEO Richard Grasso
, David Mack
of the MTA, and many individuals on Wall Street
who had been investigated and prosecuted by Eliot Spitzer.
On June 13, 2006 Suozzi spoke before the New York State Conference of Mayors along with Eliot Spitzer and John Faso
. Suozzi received a standing ovation by the crowd of Mayors. On July 6, 2006, Suozzi announced to his followers that he had collected enough petitions to place himself on the ballot in the primary against Spitzer. It was reported in all New York media on July 17 that his campaign manager Kim Devlin had stepped down and was replaced by Paul Rivera.
Suozzi claimed victory to the press in the debate on July 25, 2006 with New York State Attorney General
Eliot Spitzer held at Pace University
. He stated he had presidential aspirations during the course of this debate. As the first question in the yes/no lightning round, moderator Dominick Carter of NY1
first asked Spitzer if he had plans to run for president and Spitzer said "No" whereupon Suozzi jumped immediately and emphatically and clearly enunciated, "Yes." Spitzer then turned his head slightly toward Suozzi and said "good luck, Tom" in an arguably sarcastic tone.
On August 7, 2006, Suozzi announced after much speculation that he would not seek an independent line should he lose the primary to Spitzer. He also stated, that if he lost the governor's race, he would not run for a third term as Nassau County
Executive.
In the week of August 25 he and Attorney General Spitzer were at Pace University
again when cable TV NY1 held a town hall forum. However, they did not appear together. (Excerpts aired on Inside Albany
week of September 1, 2006 on the New York Public TV stations hosted by Lise Bang-Jensen
)
On September 12, 2006, Suozzi was defeated by Spitzer, losing the Democratic Party nomination for Governor of New York State.
Following the release of the Commission’s preliminary report, Governor Paterson accepted the Commission’s main recommendation and introduced legislation that would cap school property taxes at 4%. The State Senate approved the Governor’s legislation in August.
The Final Report by the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief will be submitted by December 1, 2008.
According to the NIFA report, Tom Suozzi had prepared a 2009 budget that did not address the current budget gap, nor did the Multi-Year Financial Plan address a continuing baseline gap in the Out-Years. The Plan assumed optimistic rates of recovery and growth despite the ongoing crises affecting the nation and high levels of unemployment. The report also claims that Suozzi and the County have underestimated Nassau’s greater exposure to the economic downturn from Wall Street job losses, and have used $23 Million in bond proceeds and reserves to pay operating expenses. The report also noted the large amount of turnover in the county Office of Management and Budget, which has not helped Nassau’s recovery and planning efforts. By deferring debt service payments and not paying off obligations in a timely manner, Suozzi and the County have put taxpayers at risk. Under Tom Suozzi’s control, Nassau County plans to use $28 Million of bond proceeds to pay for Fiscal Year 2009’s tax assessment grievance refunds. Nassau County will be a recipient of $80 Million over the next two years in non-recurring Federal Stimulus money, which Tom Suozzi and Nassau County will use to subsidize the operating budget. In the following year this will create a vacuum effect, which taxpayers will have to fit the burden for.
. After already running for Governor against Spitzer in the Democratic Primaries, and throwing his hat into the ring to replace Hillary Clinton as Senator
, Tom Suozzi's name has been attached to a presidential run. During the Gubernatorial debate with Eliot Spitzer
, Suozzi mentioned that he does in fact have presidential aspirations. In a 2009 Newsday article, Suozzi refused to deny that he wouldn't leave his County Executive
position in Nassau County
to run for higher office, by saying "I'm not ruling anything out at this time". When asked if he would commit to all four years of his term if any higher office opened up, he told Newsday: "I commit that I will continue to do whatever I can to address the property tax problems that the people of Nassau County face.". There has also been speculation that he would be running for Lieutenant Governor of New York with political ally Governor David Paterson
.
Keeping Nassau’s land and natural resources healthy has also been a priority of the County Executive. Under the Suozzi Administration, Nassau has preserved hundreds of acres of open space and improved existing open space and park land. It has planted an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opened two new farmer’s markets in Mineola and Roslyn and sponsored new programs to encourage better nutrition for children and teenagers. Suozzi has also improved coastal waterways by personally reseeding them with two million shellfish and naturally filtering storm water by restoring stream beds and ponds.
In addition to county government initiatives, Suozzi created “Green Levittown” – a first-of-its-kind project. This partnership was forged between Nassau County government, a team of national and local corporations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the people of Levittown. In his 2008 State of the County Address, Suozzi illustrated his plans to make “America’s first suburb America’s first green suburb.” As of one year later, there has not been any significant change.
Other notable environmental leadership awards the County Executive has received this year include a Certificate of Achievement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Equinox Award from Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
. In June 2008, Suozzi wrote, "I was wrong. I have listened to many well-reasoned and well-intentioned arguments both for and against same-sex marriage. And as I talked to gays and lesbians and heard their stories of pain, discrimination and love, my platitudes about civil unions began to ring hollow. I have struggled to find the solution that best serves the common good. I now support same-sex marriage."
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
of Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Hoffman Nickerson was the Democratic county executive of Nassau County, New York from 1962 until 1970. Nickerson was the only Democrat to be elected county executive in Nassau County until 2001...
left office in 1971.
In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for Governor of New York.
On November 3, 2009, the election for Nassau County Executive was declared too close to call. He conceded to opponent Ed Mangano
Ed Mangano
Edward P. Mangano is the County Executive and was a county legislator in Nassau County, New York. He was elected in 1995 and served seven terms. He defeated incumbent Thomas R...
on December 1, 2009.
Early life
The son of former Glen CoveGlen Cove, New York
Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 26,964....
mayor Joseph Suozzi, Tom Suozzi was born on August 31, 1962 in Glen Cove, New York. He was raised the youngest of five siblings, and graduated from all Roman Catholic schools: Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young men. Located in Mineola, New York, the school was founded in 1930 by the Society of Mary , an international Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and religious Brothers. The school is named for Father William...
, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, and Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Fordham University School of Law is a part of Fordham University in the United States. The School is located in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city.-Overview:According to the U.S. News & World Report, 1,516 J.D. students attend...
.
Suozzi and his wife, Helene, have three children.
Mayor of Glen Cove
In 1993, Suozzi was elected as the youngest Mayor of Glen Cove. He served in that capacity for four terms, ending in 2001. In 2001, Suozzi ran for County Executive. Democratic Party bosses long favored Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoliThomas DiNapoli
Thomas P. DiNapoli is the 54th Comptroller of the state of New York. He is a former state assemblyman in New York, who was appointed as New York State Comptroller on February 7, 2007. He was formerly the Chairman of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. DiNapoli is a Democrat from...
, but Suozzi prevailed in the primary and was elected to Nassau County Executive, the first Democrat in that office since Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Nickerson
Eugene Hoffman Nickerson was the Democratic county executive of Nassau County, New York from 1962 until 1970. Nickerson was the only Democrat to be elected county executive in Nassau County until 2001...
left it in 1971, and just the second Democrat in the post-World War II era. Suozzi was reelected as County Executive in 2005, defeating his Republican rival Greg Peterson 59%-38% on November 8, 2005.
Suozzi comes from a political family. Both his father Joseph Suozzi and his uncle Vincent "Jimmy" Suozzi were mayors of Glen Cove prior to Tom Suozzi. His cousin Ralph V. Suozzi is the current mayor of Glen Cove. His father also ran for Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Executive in 1958.
Nassau County Executive
Suozzi first became County Executive at a time when the county was near bankruptcy, being elected by a 2-to-1 margin in a County with more registered Republicans than any county in New York State. He helped engineer the Democratic takeover of the Nassau County legislature from the once vaunted "Republican machine."Just days before Suozzi’s inauguration as Nassau County Executive in 2002, the Maxwell School of Public Affairs rated Nassau the "worst run county in the nation." Within his first year in office, Suozzi turned a $428 million deficit into a balanced budget, leading one of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in the country.
His coattails helped the Democrats keep the Nassau County Legislature (by one vote) and helped Democrat Kathleen Rice
Kathleen Rice
Kathleen Maura Rice is the current Nassau County District Attorney. In November 2005, Rice defeated 31-year-incumbent Denis E. Dillon to become the first female district attorney of Nassau.-Early life and education:...
dislodge the pro-life Denis Dillon
Denis Dillon
Denis E. Dillon , a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Fordham University, served as the District Attorney of Nassau County, New York from 1974 to 2005...
, the Nassau County District Attorney of more than 30 years by about 8,000 votes.
Suozzi eliminated wasteful contracts, cut the workforce to the smallest in 30 years, and achieved historic labor concessions.
He has platformed for a "Fix Albany" campaign, blaming many of Nassau County's problems on the state legislature (which meets in Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
). His criticisms included both Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature, even advocating for the defeat of incumbent legislators.
This caused him to be left out of the New York delegation to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
which nominated Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
for President, although the Democratic speaker of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
has denied that was the reason.. Despite this obstacle, Suozzi went to the Convention anyway gaining credentials directly from the Kerry campaign.
In any event, "Fix Albany" did lead to the defeat of at least one incumbent Democratic state Assemblyman in the party primary, and provided a platform for David Valesky
David Valesky
David J. Valesky is a member of the New York State Senate and the Vice President Pro Tempore of the State Senate.He is a Democrat representing the mostly rural 49th Senate District, which encompasses the city of Rome in Oneida County, all of Madison County, eastern and southern Onondaga County,...
to unseat veteran Republican incumbent Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
Nancy Larraine Hoffmann is a former Republican State Senator from Central New York State.-Career:She was first elected in 1984 to the New York State Senate representing Syracuse, New York and its surrounding environs, including suburbs and rural areas, as a Democrat...
(a former Democrat) for a Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
-area based seat in the NY State Senate, notable because many Senate Republicans have regularly avoided falling victim to the coat-tails of popular Democratic presidential and US Senate candidates in a generally Democratic-leaning state.
In the November 2005 issue of Governing Magazine
Governing Magazine
Governing is a national monthly magazine, edited and published since 1987 in Washington, D.C., whose subject area is state and local government in the United States. The magazine covers policy, politics and the management of government enterprises...
, Suozzi was named one of their "Public Officials of the Year" for his innovative initiatives in Nassau, which has a population of over 1.3 million, larger than 7 states and a $2.5 billion budget, greater than 16 states.
A Democrat and a Roman Catholic, in 2005, he advocated curtailing abortions by speaking out in favor of alternate options for pregnant women considering abortion, including adoption and homes for single mothers.
Though no longer named in the suit Suozzi's name has come up frequently in a civil suit involving violations of the First and Fourteenth amendments in which the claimant is seeking a multi-million dollar settlement.
Gubernatorial campaign
He declared that he was running for Governor of New York in the Democratic primary against Eliot SpitzerEliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
on February 25, 2006.
The bid appeared from the start to be somewhat of a long shot given Spitzer's reputation as a "corporate crusader", though Suozzi often pointed out that he prevailed as a long shot before when he first ran for Nassau County Executive. Few prominent Democrats outside of Nassau County Democratic Party Chaiman Jay Jacobs supported his bid; most of New York's Democratic legislators and mayors campaigned with Spitzer. One of his biggest supporters was Victor Rodriguez, founder of the now disbanded Voter Rights Party. Rodriguez eventually became the lead field organizer for the Albany campaign office.
Suozzi's campaign was funded largely by big business, in the form of Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone, is a venture capitalist, investment banker and financial backer of The Home Depot, and a former director of the New York Stock Exchange. He was elected as director of Yum! Brands effective October 7, 1997, and is a member of the Audit Committee. Langone is also a trustee of New...
, former NYSE CEO Richard Grasso
Richard Grasso
Richard A. "Dick" Grasso was chairman and chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange from 1995 to 2003, the culmination of a career that began in 1968 when Grasso was hired by the Exchange as a floor clerk...
, David Mack
David Mack
David Mack may refer to:*David W. Mack, American comic book artist and writer*David Alan Mack, American television scriptwriter and novelist*David Mack , one of the central figures in the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart corruption scandal*David S. Mack, American businessman...
of the MTA, and many individuals on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
who had been investigated and prosecuted by Eliot Spitzer.
On June 13, 2006 Suozzi spoke before the New York State Conference of Mayors along with Eliot Spitzer and John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
. Suozzi received a standing ovation by the crowd of Mayors. On July 6, 2006, Suozzi announced to his followers that he had collected enough petitions to place himself on the ballot in the primary against Spitzer. It was reported in all New York media on July 17 that his campaign manager Kim Devlin had stepped down and was replaced by Paul Rivera.
Suozzi claimed victory to the press in the debate on July 25, 2006 with New York State Attorney General
New York State Attorney General
The New York State Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of New York. The office has been in existence in some form since 1626, under the Dutch colonial government of New York.The current Attorney General is Eric Schneiderman...
Eliot Spitzer held at Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
. He stated he had presidential aspirations during the course of this debate. As the first question in the yes/no lightning round, moderator Dominick Carter of NY1
NY1
NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
first asked Spitzer if he had plans to run for president and Spitzer said "No" whereupon Suozzi jumped immediately and emphatically and clearly enunciated, "Yes." Spitzer then turned his head slightly toward Suozzi and said "good luck, Tom" in an arguably sarcastic tone.
On August 7, 2006, Suozzi announced after much speculation that he would not seek an independent line should he lose the primary to Spitzer. He also stated, that if he lost the governor's race, he would not run for a third term as Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Executive.
In the week of August 25 he and Attorney General Spitzer were at Pace University
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
again when cable TV NY1 held a town hall forum. However, they did not appear together. (Excerpts aired on Inside Albany
Inside Albany
Inside Albany was a weekly half-hour public affairs television program that aired on public television stations in New York State.Unlike its sister newsweekly TV program New York Week in Review, Inside Albany aired every week and did not go on hiatus in the summer or during the Christmas season...
week of September 1, 2006 on the New York Public TV stations hosted by Lise Bang-Jensen
Lise Bang-Jensen
Lise Bang-Jensen is a senior policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center for New York State Policy and was formerly a reporter, producer and co-host of the New York-based public affairs television program Inside Albany....
)
On September 12, 2006, Suozzi was defeated by Spitzer, losing the Democratic Party nomination for Governor of New York State.
New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief
In January 2008, Suozzi was named chairman of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief by then-Governor Eliot Spitzer. The bipartisan commission was tasked with "examining the causes of high property taxes, identifying ways to make the State’s property tax system fairer, and developing a fair and effective school property tax cap to hold the line on property tax growth." The Commission held 11 public meetings throughout New York State and Suozzi released the Commission’s preliminary report in June 2008. The report calls for a cap on the property tax cap levy of school taxes at 4 percent or 120 percent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. The Commission also recommended that, once the cap is enacted, a circuit breaker be put in place, as well as more than 20 recommendations to reduce mandates on school districts and address the root causes of high property taxes.Following the release of the Commission’s preliminary report, Governor Paterson accepted the Commission’s main recommendation and introduced legislation that would cap school property taxes at 4%. The State Senate approved the Governor’s legislation in August.
The Final Report by the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief will be submitted by December 1, 2008.
NIFA Report May 28, 2009
Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) is a bipartisan, independent state financial oversight agency. NIFA criticized Tom Suozzi for his handling of Nassau County's Finances. The report titled "Review of the May 1, 2009 Nassau County Multi-Year Financial Plan Update and Related Matters." was the inspiration for an article in the Long Island Press.According to the NIFA report, Tom Suozzi had prepared a 2009 budget that did not address the current budget gap, nor did the Multi-Year Financial Plan address a continuing baseline gap in the Out-Years. The Plan assumed optimistic rates of recovery and growth despite the ongoing crises affecting the nation and high levels of unemployment. The report also claims that Suozzi and the County have underestimated Nassau’s greater exposure to the economic downturn from Wall Street job losses, and have used $23 Million in bond proceeds and reserves to pay operating expenses. The report also noted the large amount of turnover in the county Office of Management and Budget, which has not helped Nassau’s recovery and planning efforts. By deferring debt service payments and not paying off obligations in a timely manner, Suozzi and the County have put taxpayers at risk. Under Tom Suozzi’s control, Nassau County plans to use $28 Million of bond proceeds to pay for Fiscal Year 2009’s tax assessment grievance refunds. Nassau County will be a recipient of $80 Million over the next two years in non-recurring Federal Stimulus money, which Tom Suozzi and Nassau County will use to subsidize the operating budget. In the following year this will create a vacuum effect, which taxpayers will have to fit the burden for.
Future
Much speculation has been made about where Tom Suozzi will go after Nassau CountyNassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. After already running for Governor against Spitzer in the Democratic Primaries, and throwing his hat into the ring to replace Hillary Clinton as Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, Tom Suozzi's name has been attached to a presidential run. During the Gubernatorial debate with Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, Suozzi mentioned that he does in fact have presidential aspirations. In a 2009 Newsday article, Suozzi refused to deny that he wouldn't leave his County Executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
position in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
to run for higher office, by saying "I'm not ruling anything out at this time". When asked if he would commit to all four years of his term if any higher office opened up, he told Newsday: "I commit that I will continue to do whatever I can to address the property tax problems that the people of Nassau County face.". There has also been speculation that he would be running for Lieutenant Governor of New York with political ally Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
.
Environmentalism
County Executive Suozzi has been at the forefront of creating healthy communities and improving the environment across a broad range of issues. In 2007 he created "Healthy Nassau", a comprehensive program to sustain a healthy environment, while at the same time, encouraging healthy living.Keeping Nassau’s land and natural resources healthy has also been a priority of the County Executive. Under the Suozzi Administration, Nassau has preserved hundreds of acres of open space and improved existing open space and park land. It has planted an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opened two new farmer’s markets in Mineola and Roslyn and sponsored new programs to encourage better nutrition for children and teenagers. Suozzi has also improved coastal waterways by personally reseeding them with two million shellfish and naturally filtering storm water by restoring stream beds and ponds.
In addition to county government initiatives, Suozzi created “Green Levittown” – a first-of-its-kind project. This partnership was forged between Nassau County government, a team of national and local corporations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the people of Levittown. In his 2008 State of the County Address, Suozzi illustrated his plans to make “America’s first suburb America’s first green suburb.” As of one year later, there has not been any significant change.
Other notable environmental leadership awards the County Executive has received this year include a Certificate of Achievement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Equinox Award from Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Views on same-sex marriage
When Suozzi ran in the Democratic primary for governor 2006, he supported civil unions for same-sex couples but did not endorse equal marriageSame-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed on June 24, 2011, by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day...
. In June 2008, Suozzi wrote, "I was wrong. I have listened to many well-reasoned and well-intentioned arguments both for and against same-sex marriage. And as I talked to gays and lesbians and heard their stories of pain, discrimination and love, my platitudes about civil unions began to ring hollow. I have struggled to find the solution that best serves the common good. I now support same-sex marriage."
Electoral history
- 2006 election for Governor - Democratic Primary
- Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
(D), 81% - Tom Suozzi (D), 19%
- Eliot Spitzer