Tough times call for tough measures in Nassau County

Last week, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano sent a memo to county department heads, ordering them to compile layoff lists. This would be the third in a series of layoffs of county employees ordered by Mangano in one year.

This particular round of cuts will primarily target members of the Civil Service Employees Association.

The announcement came just one week after County Comptroller George Maragos warned residents and workers that the county is still facing a $45 million deficit, down only slightly from the $50.4 million deficit it ended last year with.

Mangano is calling for all departments to cut 3.5 percent from their 2012 labor expenses. At the time of the announcement, it was still unclear when the layoffs would actually take place.

In addition to the layoff list, Budget Director Eric Naughton also instructed department heads to detail how the round of layoffs would impact services provided to county residents.

Tough times call for tough measures, friends. Has your quality of life on Long Island really been any different in the past year? According to Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the CSEA Local 830, “Services are being affected. Just look at county roads. Weeds are overgrown. Parks don’t look as good as they used to. Huge lines at Social Services. I could go on all day.”

Let’s not be blinded by politics.

Naughton tied the need for layoffs to a legislative vote that took place on July 23, denying Mangano the authority to borrow $41 million to pay tax refunds from 2011. The vote was split along party lines, 10-9, and due to the fact that borrowing requires 13 votes, three Democrats would have had to vote for the bill.

County Democrats continue to hold Mangano hostage until a fairer legislative redistricting plan is proposed. So, as a result, more people will lose their jobs.