Readers Write: DeSena marks break from politics as usual

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Readers Write: DeSena marks break from politics as usual

 

I was born and raised in Port Washington and although I downsized out of town several years ago to at least partially escape the insane Long Island property taxes, I still spend plenty of time in Port Washington and read the local newspapers to keep up with my home town. I have to disagree with columnist Karen Rubin’s opinion that Jennifer DeSena is “in over her head.”

As I see it, the North Hempstead supervisor is running the town with her head. I am old enough to remember the days of Republican domination of town politics and saw how ugly and corrupt that unchallenged power can become. Although I leaned Republican, I voted for Ben Zwirn over and over again. Ben wasn’t a politician, which was one his greatest attributes. If my recollection serves me, Ben was also accused of being in over his head. He wore that as a badge of honor. DeSena should so the same.

When DeSena was elected, there was instant controversy in Town Hall. When Zwirn was elected supervisor in 1989, this is how The New York Times described it in the Feb 10, 1990, edition.

“When Benjamin L. Zwirn, the newly elected town supervisor of North Hempstead, took office on Jan. 1, part of his office here was missing: a desk, a chair, two computers and a laser printer, to be exact.”

“Before Stephen C. Ferraro could even be sworn in as Huntington Town’s new supervisor on New Year’s Day, two entire agencies had been removed from his control.”

“In parallel political soap operas unfolding in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Mr. Zwirn and Mr. Ferraro, two Democrats who preside over town boards controlled by Republicans, say that spiteful political foes are trying to pilfer their powers. Republicans contend that the supervisors, both of whom are holding elective office for the first time, are naive about government and are responsible for creating a tempest at town hall.”

Sound familiar?? Change Zwirn to Desena and reverse Republican and Democrat, and you have a carbon copy of DeSena’s entry into Town Hall.

As always, the pendulum swings back and forth and after many years of Democratic dominance, the town was suffering from the same disease that Zwirn was elected to overcome – the omnipotence of power. DeSena may not have articulated policy on every front that Karen Rubin holds close to her heart, but DeSena has the one attribute that the town desperately needs. She is not a politician.

As a veteran of many building permits over my years in Port Washington, I can tell you that DeSena’s proposals are long overdue and go a long way to making this process one that works for the town residents rather than the political machine. I hope she also ends the use of “expeditors,” which are nothing more than a form of legalized bribery.

Want something done? Pay the expeditor’s fee and make things happen. Don’t pay the fee and get lost in limbo. I have always presumed that after a cut is taken, these funds are recycled back into the political machine. An expeditor should not be necessary for any permit. Applications should be judged on the rules and done so in a timely manner. That is not too much for residents to ask.

Want to go beyond the rules? Then follow the process for a variance. But that process should never allow politicians to alter the course of Building Department decisions. It is an open door to graft for the Democrats just as it was for Republicans back in the old days. Now DeSena just needs to make sure the graft does not gravitate back to the Building Department.

It’s time for Rubin and others to accept that the town voters are fed up with politics as usual and it was time to dump the “visionary” predecessors of Jon Kaiman and Judi Bosworth, just as it was time to dump the Republican “visionaries” in 1989.

The king is dead. Long live the king!

Doug Augenthaler

Glen Head

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2 COMMENTS

  1. “I downsized out of town several years ago to at least partially escape the insane Long Island property taxes” to Glen Head?? Yeh, right……..
    As the predicate for your perspective, this opening line undermines the validity of the rest of your exposition, sorry.

  2. It’s interesting you drawn parallel between Zwirn and DeSena. As I recall, Zwirn was not considered a successful Town Supervisor. However, the issues you describe – and I associate with DeSena – were never the case with May Newburger, Jon Kaiman or Judi Bosworth, all considered hugely successful in making the Town of North Hempstead one of the best places to live in the country. –

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