Politics

Curran announces plan to end nepotism in Nassau

Legislator, county executive candidate blasts ‘good old boys club’

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Laura Curran, a Democratic legislator from Baldwin and candidate for Nassau County Executive announced on Thursday her plan to end “the culture of patronage, nepotism and cronyism” in county government.

According to Curran, the “decades-old” problem has continued under Republican County Executive Ed Mangano, who is under indictment on federal corruption charges.

"Patronage affects every Nassau resident, whether they are seeking a County job or paying for the County jobs that now go to those who are hired for who they know, not what they know,” said Curran. “If we are truly going to make our government work for the people again, we need be hiring the best and brightest, and stop handing out cushy jobs to the politically connected at the expense of Nassau taxpayers."

Curran pledged that, if elected, she would remove politics from the appointment process, implement merit-based hiring, eliminate wasteful jobs and open summer, seasonal and part-time jobs to all residents. Rules against nepotism and gifts to county employees would also be “strictly” enforced, she said.

"Nassau residents deserve to have their tax dollars put towards county jobs that serve the public,” Curran added. “It's past time the good old boys club stopped using taxpayer dollars to fund their job handouts while the rest of Nassau's residents don't get a fair shake. We can do better, and when I'm county executive, we will. I will end the corrupt practices of patronage, nepotism, and cronyism that have helped create the mess in Nassau County.”

The state and county primary elections will be held on Sept. 12. The general election is Nov. 7.