Politics

Curran vows to take county executive’s name off Nassau County signs

Legislator also touts new endorsement in county exec race

Posted

Democratic Legislator Laura Curran, of Baldwin, continued her campaign for county executive in Hewlett last week, where she blasted the numerous signs and other pieces of county property bearing the name of Ed Mangano, current county executive.

Curran vowed, if elected to Mangano’s seat, to end the practice.

Calling the practice a taxpayer-funded “permanent re-election campaign for career politicians,” Curran said, in front of one such sign, "I can't think of a more thoughtless exercise in vanity than allowing the County Executive to waste money by putting their name on taxpayer-funded signs, and everywhere else they can find space.”

“This decades-old practice only serves to enhance their own personal political branding while adding no public value whatsoever ... We all deserve to have our tax dollars put toward projects and services that serve the public good,” Curran continued.

According to Curran, some lawmakers, including her, have had their names put on signs without permission, as a standard practice in Nassau County. She said that she would deny requests to her office by lawmakers asking to put their names on signs and other taxpayer-funded projects.

"We have a mess in Mineola that stems from career politicians caring more about themselves than the people they serve,” she said. “There is no good government-minded reason why Ed Mangano needs to put his name on every new sign we see pop up in Nassau. It's not only a waste of money and an insult to taxpayers, it's also a symbol of all the upside-down priorities in our county government. If elected, I will end the status quo to ensure taxpayer dollars go to projects that serve the public good, not my own personal political branding.”

Curran also announced, on Monday, that she had been endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Lisa Tyson, director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition, in announcing the endorsement, said that Curran "will make Nassau County government accountable to working families instead of corrupt politicians who enrich themselves on our tax dollar.”

"As a progressive who gets results, Laura Curran pledges to create good paying jobs, ensure sustainable and environmentally responsible development, and she is the best candidate to fix the mess in Mineola,” Tyson continued. “The Working Families Party is proud to stand with Laura Curran and we look forward to a victory in November."

The WFP's endorsement adds to Curran's four endorsements from organized labor. In addition, Curran has been endorsed by the North Hempstead Democratic Committee, State Senators Todd Kaminsky and John Brooks as well as the Nassau County Democratic Committee's Executive Committee and Chairman Jay Jacobs.