Desperation has a hand in county exec's race

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Suozzi offered no short-term fix to Mangano’s borrowing. Asked for a solution by the Herald’s editorial board, he said that the key to kicking the borrowing habit lies, in large part, in creating “cool downtowns.” If elected, Suozzi said, he would work to attract developers to build apartments in small commercial zones, which would increase the housing stock –– and the number of residents. Presumably, they would spend money, which would increase the county’s sales tax receipts, helping to balance its budget.

But Suozzi had no plan for creating those cool downtowns, only an idea to hold a design contest for a pilot program in a single, yet-to-be-determined downtown –– which would hardly solve the county’s budget crisis.

People are desperate for answers. The burden of providing them lies once again with Mangano.

Scott Brinton is senior editor of the Bellmore and Merrick Heralds and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Graduate Journalism Program. Comments? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203. Brinton’s profile and posts can be found at facebook.com/scottabrinton.

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