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Mostly Cloudy Long Islanders have been mugged by progressives
While the state’s election districts were recently redrawn — gerrymandered — by a progressive-Democratic majority in the State Legislature for the purpose of favoring their party, gerrymandering is not a particularly new political weapon. Those on both sides of the aisle have used their power to redraw district lines, depending on who holds the majority. The practice goes back to the 1800s, but this year’s redrawing by is unprecedented, and comes at a time when the self-proclaimed progressives’ larger political agenda ranges from defunding police to “bail reform” to demonizing the successful entrepreneur, i.e., capitalism.
As U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi pursues his gubernatorial primary quest, his former 3rd Congressional District is now unrecognizable. The progressive gerrymander has recreated his congressional borders into what they now humorously call the Long Island Sound District. It now stretches from Smithtown in Suffolk County, along the lightly populated North Shore, into the densely populated Bronx, and ends in Democratic Westchester County.
While several Long Island Democrats have announced their intentions to run for Suozzi’s vacated seat, they will face a growing number of New York City-based progressives who see their population density and massive Democratic enrollment in the city and its environs as bulletproof at the ballot box. The numbers speak for themselves. The Village of Northport, part of the new 3rd C.D., has some 8,000 residents. The City of New Rochelle, in Westchester, which is also part of the new district, has some 80,000.
Now consider who is lining up to run in the 3rd District so far: Bronx State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, who defeated moderate Democrat Jeff Klein a number of years ago. In a December tweet, Democratic Socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had nothing but praise for Biaggi.
Also in the running is Melanie D’Arrigo, a self-described progressive who has been endorsed by former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a city pol who once co-chaired the City Council’s Progressive Caucus.
The implications have not gone unnoticed. Great Neck-based Democratic primary hopeful Robert Zimmerman is now warning Democrats and Republicans that he is the political firewall that could prevent a progressive from representing the new district. As he raises money for the primary, Zimmerman is reciting a list of moderate, centrist Long Island Democrats who now support his effort. His strategy is that of a seasoned professional, leveraging his public relations experience to focus his message, which is, essentially, “I am your last best hope to confront this city theft.”
Of course, that presumes the Republican Party won’t field a candidate who can confront and defeat whoever the Democrats nominate in this now unrecognizable district.
But the reality is that the tortured borders of the 3rd are a calculated move by New York City-based progressives to dismantle Nassau and Suffolk counties’ ability to project political cohesion and regional advocacy. If successful, they will have effectively eliminated any chance that the Long Island congressional delegation will be a powerful force in the House of Representatives.
Consider what that means. Will a Bronx progressive/Socialist Democrat really work with a Long Island Republican to redress the loss of South Shore beachfront in a nor’easter? Will a Bronx progressive care about environmental damage along Smithtown’s coastline? Will a Bronx progressive fight for infrastructure money for the Long Island Expressway? Because, after all, shouldn’t we all be punished for not using electric vehicles?
And by the way, many constituents of this new Long Island Sound District have median incomes that progressives will find worthy of their most pungent demagoguery, because capitalism is an anathema to their political ideology.
This ambush of Long Island by these progressives reveals a smug disdain for suburbia, its values, its people and its needs. To counter it, Long Island voters must recognize that we have been robbed of our voice in Congress. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, liberal or conservative. As a bi-county region, we have been mugged by those who cynically intend to walk off with one of our congressional seats. The answer is to recognize the ploy and respond appropriately on Election Day 2022.
Ronald J. Rosenberg has been an attorney for 42 years, concentrating in commercial litigation and transactions, and real estate, municipal, zoning and land use law. He founded the Garden City law firm Rosenberg Calica & Birney in 1999.
