Brookhaven – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Fire Departments and Trumpers – Post Election Trends

David Posnett — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 14:13:47 +0000

A Brookhaven Fire Department truck in Suffolk County had a Confederate flag draped down its left side.

Even though Trump has lost the election, his followers, the “Trumpers”, are here to stay. What might this mean for the future?

A group calling themselves the “Huntington – Northport Patriots” has plans for yet another MAGA Trump 2020 Truck parade on Dec 12^th:

12/12/20 MAGA Trump 2020 Truck/Car Parade 10AM Sunday
Huntington – Northport patriots Would like to Announce
We are doing a Toy / Clothing and Food Drive for Helping Hands Pantry and St Patrick’s Church of Huntington. … Decorate your cars with Trump Christmas attire, fly your Trump, American and Christmas Flags and show the world we will Not back down, until all Legal votes are counted and all fraud is addressed.
Trump Won, and the Marxist democrats are trying to Steal America and destroy our country.
We must be involved now, more than ever before. United, we will live to see another day and save the Constitution of The United States of America!
Bring your flags,
Bring your signs,
Support Our President.

Further relevant news tid bits:

The Patch.com reports: “… Angry… Trump supporters here today cursing and screaming at their fellow citizens … It’s a sad day.”

A Long Island Supermarket Advertises Discount for Shoppers Who Support President Trump.

And a Confederate flag was spotted on a LI fire truck in Brookhaven, see above picture.

Fire Department (FD) elections are coming up. It is good to remember that FD volunteers enjoy certain perks, such as a significant rebate on real estate taxes!

Here is the inside scoop for FD elections in Brookhaven. JoAnne Young ten Doesschate from Brookhaven writes:

Fire departments in Suffolk have traditionally been Republican and all politicians court them because they get their members to vote. But just as traditionally, they have rarely gotten overtly involved in political races. Perry campaigned at every fire department event with no problems. Trump has changed all that.

In Setauket, a local group headed by Trumpers (members of the Setauket Patriots who led the local Trump Caravans) did GOTV against Steve Englebright. Now they are running someone for Commissioner who has been in the FD for less than 1 year against a woman who has been involved for the past 20 years. And they’re putting big money into this – there are lawn signs everywhere and even 4×4’s at major intersections.

In Stony Brook, the Trumper they are running has never been involved in the FD, though his sons are, against someone who has been heavily involved for many years. In 2016 the Trumper had a huge banner on his roof, in 2020 flags in his front yard, and he was also part of the Setauket Patriots caravans in his Jeep flying Trump flags.

Although I don’t know the details, the same thing is happening in Bellport. The head of the Bellport Ambulance Corps was used in a Zeldin ad, in the fire house, in uniform. As you can see by their Facebook cover photo, they don’t hide it and Zeldin gets away with it because he is in office and used procuring PPE as his claim to fame during the first wave of the pandemic. https://www.facebook.com/SouthCountryAmbulanceCo/

Supposedly this is happening in a number of fire districts throughout Suffolk. Jane Corrarino said it well – “In the current political climate, they will most likely also be used for launching a ‘back bench’ in the broader political arena.”

We talk about how important local politics is and this is a perfect example. While we are lucky in NY state, we have watched across the country how Republicans have gerrymandered and suppressed votes and now control the majority of state governments. Fire departments have well paid patronage jobs and the positions can be used as stepping stones for higher office. While Trump barely won in Suffolk, he did win, and he won big in NY1.

And they will use their control to the exclusion of Dems who want to be involved. In one Brookhaven village, I was told of a young man who is afraid to let them know he is a Dem because he fears losing his job. (One more reason why people register as independents!) Young people for whom volunteering as EMT’s is one of the best things they can have on their applications for nursing or med school may not even know that they won’t be chosen because of their political affiliation….

By state election law, ALL fire departments have their elections this coming Tuesday, Dec. 8. When the polls open varies from village to village and only one station in each village is used for voting. Voters must also be registered to vote in Suffolk County; they use BOE election lists to prove residency. Some require you to show your license.

From Jon Kornreich (running to replace Valerie Cartright on the Brookhaven town council):

The sudden partisan intrusion of the Patriot group has turned what should be a non-partisan civic election into something much more dangerous. Institutions such as the fire district, the school district, and the library, as well as other organizations such as the Civic Association, the Trust and numerous others have carried on their work for many years in a spirit of community service, not as political battlegrounds. Historically, people like Sue Meyers who support and join these organizations have done so because of their real interest in the organization’s mission.

SETAUKET Vote for Sue Meyers for Fire Commissioner

The Trumper is Griffin.

STONY BROOK Vote for Thad Holsberg for Fire Commissioner

The Trumper is Joe Saggio.

Caravans in Suffolk County

David Posnett — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:05:34 +0000

Trump car rally participant

From Shoshona Hershkowitz on Saturday’s rally on Long Island New York:

Yesterday, people where I live, we were harassed by the Trump caravan. This group with covered license plates, screaming slurs out of their bullhorns at intersections, calling for the Secret Service to shoot people I know, were out in full force, invading my town. They came with flags, including 3% and Q Anon flags alongside their Trump cult flags. When they came to Port Jefferson, they called friends of mine homophobic and racial slurs. They harassed people on the street, including children. They told my friend’s child, a child of color, to “go home”. If you want to know what modern day white supremacy looks like, you didn’t need to look any further than Port Jefferson yesterday.

Let’s be clear. There is no equivalent to this on the left. No one I know has attempted to cough unmasked on people. No one I know engages in calling people “faggots”. This is full on Trump white supremacy cult.

I’ll say one more thing. Republicans, you own this. You need to call your dogs off and stop it. Congressman Lee Zeldin, this is your base. These are your supporters. Your voters. Tell them to stop. Ed Romaine, you’ve said that Brookhaven is built on diversity. Stand up to the members of your party, the Republican Party, infiltrating Brookhaven, and making it unsafe for the residents.

The lines are clearly drawn at this point. You’re either with the white supremacists, or you’re not. And elected officials, failure to condemn and put a stop to this renders you complicit. Pick your side. Are you with the neo Nazis, or with the rest of us?

Last but not least, we’re going to be voting and making a real choice this election. Do we want to let these white supremacists win? Do we want to let their preferred candidates like Lee Zeldin win? I don’t. We need to send a message that #HateHasNoHomeHere , and that we will never allow white supremacists to gain this much of a foothold in America, ever again. So I ask you, #VoteThemAllOut. Destroy white supremacy and those who enable it. I’m looking at you, Lee Zeldin.

ALSO:

A woman was injured in a hit-and-run on Route 25A near North Country Road at around 12:45 p.m., police said. The parade was organized by the Setauket Patriots, an online group that supports Trump and conservative values. James Robitsek, founder of the Setauket Patriots Facebook page, led the caravan and said his car was not involved in the hit-and-run.

William Ferraro, a former Brookhaven town supervisor Democratic candidate, shared on Facebook a photo of a car with a flag reading “TRUMP 2020 F— Your Feelings” covering its license plate.

“Port Jeff is for families, not Trump rallies,” Ferraro, co-president of the Central Brookhaven Democratic Club, said. “Several of my friends were down port at the time, and witnessed obscenities on flags, cars swerving, coughing on people in mockery of COVID-19 – it really brought out the worst element.

Virtual Forum: 8 hours and 46 minutes

David Posnett — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 14:32:44 +0000

Dear Friends,

Over the past week, there have been thousands of people gathering together across the country to protest and rally against injustices against the black and brown community. There have been renewed calls for accountability, transparency and reform of a system that that only protects some. We have much work to do in this Country and in this State!

Right now, as a country and as a people, we should all be feeling some form of intense emotion as a result of the murder of George Floyd. Personally, I am beyond outraged. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I replayed that video in total disgust and then again in sorrow, but never in disbelief. This is not the first time and it, unfortunately, will not be the last if we don’t force change. George Floyd’s senseless death is the culmination of a long list of modern day lynchings and abuse of black and brown people.

It is time to have a real, raw and unfiltered conversation about what is happening in our country, why it continues to happen and how we on Long Island all can be a part of changing it. In my role as an Elected Official and a Civil Rights Attorney, I will be bringing together Civil Rights leaders, Civil Rights attorneys Social Justice advocates, and Police Reform experts for “Exploring the Blue Line: A Real Discussion on The Reality of Race” (Thursday, June 11th @ 6pm). More information will be available soon but please Save the Date and time and come ready to be part of creating the change that is long overdue.

Today (June 1st) from 12pm – 8:46pm, I will be hosting a Youth Speak Out to give the youth an opportunity to be heard! This is for the YOUTH! Their voices are important!

This is a virtual forum and will allow for their voices to be heard while still protecting their health and safety during this pandemic. The forum will be open to youth participants for 8 hours and 46 minutes (representative of the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that the Officer kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck) and youth participants can join anytime throughout the day and stay as long as they’d like.

If you know of any youth that would like to join, please have them register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsde-gqTMsHd0QylsD0yDlx2thMmM47ELk?fbclid=IwAR1j0_w3epIkuqum1WRpWXMNhIFoMDcIRajpVEUVic2z4_equNybUg1ChHQ

Best,

Valerie Cartright (Cartright for Senate, Port Jefferson Station)

The Issues that Matter in NY CD-1

David Posnett — Mon, 21 May 2018 01:45:42 +0000

From: Steven Lupo as posted on FaceBook:

I was knocking on doors for Kate Maguire Browning today. At one of the first homes I went to, a young woman answered the door. She looked exhausted. I apologized for disturbing her and explained why I was there. She asked me for Kate’s position on healthcare and I gave her the best answer I could. I then asked why it was important to her.

She responded her daughter was terminally ill. She been up most of the night and that’s why she looked exhausted. My heart broke. She said life has been a struggle, not only because of her daughters illness but also the constant battle with insurance and pharmaceutical companies, who try to deny her daughter coverage.

I brought up the fact that my daughter was born premature and spent 14 days in NICU. But I was lucky. I could concentrate on my daughter’s recovery. I didn’t have to worry about going broke or fighting insurance companies. I stated no American should have to go through what she is going through.

At this point I reminded her of Zeldin‘s position on healthcare. I reminded her how he voted to take healthcare away from millions of Americans. He has voted on the side of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, to charge us more money, while offering inferior coverage.

Later in the day I met a widow on a pension. She is living on her deceased husband‘s federal pension. She is very worried that the Trump administration will reduce her benefits. She’s worried if Social Security and Medicare will be there for her children. She’s worried the inflation we are starting to see will eat away at her fixed income.

Many live in the echo chamber of #RussiaGate, but most Americans are looking much closer to home. They are concerned about their jobs, affordable healthcare, affordable homes, lower taxes, educating their children, environmental issues, the opioid epidemic, etc.

That’s what I focus on as I speak to folks. That is the message we need to focus on to unseat Zeldin.

And we must never, NEVER, bash the other Democratic candidates. NEVER!

We must unite and rally around the primary winner. We have a tough battle ahead. Please stay positive!

The All-important Numbers for NY CD-1

David Posnett — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:23:45 +0000

Let’s look at the important numbers in NY CD-1.

Demographics:

Table I (Source: Ballotpedia, based on 2010 census)

Population	720,071
Gender	49.6% Male, 50.4% Female
Race	87.7% White, 4.6% Black, 3.5% Asian
Ethnicity	12.8% Hispanic
Unemployment	6.60%
Median household income	$83,144

Nearly 20% are minorities (Black, Asian, or Hispanic). Some Hispanics will call themselves “racially” white, but claim hispanic ethnicity.

Lesson: Don’t count on a huge minority vote because of disgust in Trump’s racial bigotry and Zeldin’s backing of Trump.

Party Affiliation:

Source: https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/enrollment/congress/congress_nov12.pdf

Table II

	raw numbers	percentages
Dems	143,917	30.4
Reps	162,212	34.3
Cons	11,806	2.5
Ind	23,215	4.9
Blank	125,516	26.6
Other	5,985	1.3

Total	472,651	100

Assuming equal voter turn out for each party, and assuming that ‘Independants’, ‘Blanks’ and ‘Other’ break out 50/50 for the Dem versus Rep candidate, Dems can not win.

Assuming all Dems vote Dem and all Reps vote Rep, we still need about 30,000 votes from the Ind, Blanks, Other. And perhaps those 30,000 votes could include some from the Rep/Cons group.

Lesson: This has long been the main point of Tim Bishop whenever he speaks: Dems cannot win in CD-1 with out help from those registered in the red, purple or blank parties.

Voter Turnout

Many are quick to claim that we can win with a high Dem turn out. The so called blue wave expected for 2018. But let’s look seriously at the data. It is the data from prior elections. Ofcourse you can claim that in the Trump era nothing from the past applies. But this is all we have got. So lets look at it.

Table III (Source: Ballotpedia )

Column 1 lists the races going back to 2008.

Column 2 tallies the vote numbers for the Dem candidate

Column 3 tallies the vote numbers for the Rep candidate

Column 4 tallies the total votes cast (some voters did not vote for either R or D candidate): notice the much lower numbers for midterm elections in 2010 and 2014.

Column 5 lists the difference between the total votes for D and R candidates: notice the trend from positive numbers (Dem majority) to negative numbers (Rep majority). Our district is becoming more and more red.

Column 6 is the vote percentage of total registered voters that went to the Dem candidate*

Column 7 is the vote percentage of total registered voters that went to the Rep candidate*

* these numbers are calculated as the votes obtained by the Dem (or Rep) candidate per total number of registered voters. 472,651 is the current number of registered voters. This does not equal the turnout within the Dem party or within the Rep party, because f.ex. an undetermined number of U (unaffiliated) would also have voted for either D or R candidate.

Note also the low numbers for the Dems in 2010 and 2014, suggesting that Dem voters did not vote (low turnout) in those years.

I have made some assumptions, see ‘Assumed 2018’, in Table III:

Dem vote numbers and Rep vote numbers might be similar to 2010
Dem turnout conservatively estimated to be similar to 2010 (historically this is a high turnout for a midterm election) – however if a country wide blue wave materializes the turn out could be even better
I assumed a similar turnout of Rep voters to prior midterm elections, for example 2010. BUT this would mean that roughly half of the voters that voted for Trump/Zeldin in 2016 fail to turn out and vote in 2018. That is probably wishful thinking. National polls suggest that Trumps base is holding stead fast with 35-40% of Americans approving Trump’s performance. I would expect that to be true in CD-1 too. See also Marc Rauch’s comment below.
It is clear from these data that LZ needs his Rep. base to turn out in 2018 and this explains his current turn to the far right, his support for Trumps immigration hawks, like Chief of Staff Kelly, and Stephen Miller in the White house, and his position attacking the FBI along with Devon Nunez etc.
Here is another scenario proposed by Marc Rauch: The 2017 off-off-year elections saw a huge turnout (to some extent attributable to the Con/Con) just for a local election in an odd-numbered year. Democrats in Brookhaven Township rolled up impressive numbers (compared to 2015), but Republicans in Brookhaven Township rolled up even more impressive numbers (compared to 2015) and beat them solidly. This shows the Republican machine in Brookhaven Township is alive and well and this is where 63% of CD-1 voters are. So, 2018 may not be a sleepy off-year Congressional election. Republicans will fight tooth and nail and spend huge sums of money (remember why that tax bill had to pass) to keep control of both houses of Congress. Dems hopefully will fight just as hard or harder to grab the House or Senate and hopefully will be reasonably well-funded. An enormous amount of attention will be focused on the November elections nationally, and it will be more like a presidential election year than an off year in terms of turnout. The bottom line is, assume high turnout for both Dems and Reps. The fight will be over who can get most of those in the middle to break their way. If this scenario proves correct, we will need 30,000 crossover votes as described above (see Table II).

Bottom line: this will not be a cakewalk.

EXCLUSIVE: Brookhaven Town Clerk Violates Ethics Code? (Part 3)

David Posnett — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 15:49:19 +0000

By J.Gavron and A.Turner

This Exclusive Report investigates Brookhaven Town Clerk, Donna Lent, who’s running for reelection on Nov. 7th. Get the facts on Lent before you vote.

Missed a Background Check? Part 1, Part 2

Did you know….

Donna Lent violated the clear language of Brookhaven’s Code of Ethics
Donna Lent used Brookhaven email for work on behalf of her other job

READ THE FULL REPORT

When Donna Lent says the Brookhaven Town Clerk is “frequently considered the center of town government,” she’s absolutely right. The Clerk is Public Relations Officer, Recording Secretary, Custodian of all Town records, Registrar of Vital Statistics, and FOIL Appeals Officer. Her office supports the Town Supervisor and Town Council. As Filing Officer, Lent maintains records of town ordinances, local laws, annual budgets, fiscal reports, subpoenas and court actions, zoning ordinances and maps. And she manages a staff of 35 employees, according to Newsday.

Although you won’t see it on her LinkedIn page, Lent has another job. Since 2011 she has been an officer of the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) and, since 2015, its President. Lent’s position carries significant responsibilities that include overseeing an eight-member board, local chapters in more than 25 states, and the NWPC Foundation.

Given Lent’s extensive responsibilities as National NWPC president, Background Check took a closer look at whether she was conducting NWPC business on the taxpayer’s dime (and time). Here’s what we found.

Donna Lent used Brookhaven Town computers and email servers to conduct NWPC business and in doing so appears to have violated the plain language of the Brookhaven’s Town Code of Ethics and Disclosure, section 28-8, which states the following:

“Town officers are prohibited from using “Town property, including . . . computers, internet, email, telephones, materials and any other town property, for personal convenience or profit.”

Here’s the evidence

Email #1: Lent instructed NWPC members to contact her at her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #2: Lent sent an official NWPC tax document from her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #3: Lent sent an email concerning a NWPC agreement from her Brookhaven Town Clerk email address.

Email #4: Donna Lent, as Chief Deputy Clerk, sent an email containing comments on a NWPC press release from her official Brookhaven email address.

Stay tuned. Background Check has filed a FOIL request seeking any other emails concerning NWPC business sent from Donna Lent’s official Brookhaven email address.

Here are our sources:

https://www.brookhavenny.gov/Departments/Town-Clerk

https://projects.newsday.com/payrolls/long-island/data/towns-city-payroll/

https://ecode360.com/8591561

In case you missed it, read Background Check: Donna Lent (Part 1)

Special Report: Brookhaven Town Clerk (Part 1)

David Posnett — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 17:25:20 +0000

By J.Gavron and A.Turner

This Special Report investigates Brookhaven Town Clerk, Donna Lent, who’s running for re-election on Nov. 7th. Get the facts before you vote.

Did You Know ….

Donna Lent was implicated in fraud and forgery of voter proxies and sign-in sheets by a NYS Supreme Court judge
These forged documents even included the name of her own husband, Gregory Lent!

READ THE FULL REPORT

The job of Town Clerk may not sound consequential, but don’t let the name fool you. It plays a pivotal role in the town’s operation. According to Brookhaven Town Clerk, Donna Lent—who’s running for re-election this November—the Town Clerk is “frequently considered the center of town government.”

The clerk “attends and keeps an accurate record of all meetings of the Town Board . . . authoring the only chronological and historical record of the operation of the town . . . issues licenses . . . receives and records documents such as land records, vital statistics, and requests for access to public documents.”

The Town Clerk must possess a record proving she can be entrusted with this responsibility. But a closer look at Lent’s background—all of which is public record but little known—raises serious questions whether she is worthy of the public’s trust. Brookhaven voters are entitled to the facts. Here’s what Background Check discovered about Donna Lent:

As Secretary of the Suffolk County Working Families Party (“SCWFP”), Donna Lent was implicated in the fraud and forgery of voter proxies and sign-in sheets by a NYS Supreme Court Justice.

Here’s What Happened. . . . .Fellow WFP members filed a lawsuit against Donna Lent and others, claiming fraudulent and forged voter proxies and meeting sign-in sheets were used to establish a quorum at the meeting where Donna Lent was elected Secretary. One egregious example of fraud was a sign-in sheet indicating that Donna Lent’s husband, Gregory Lent, had attended the meeting, but a proxy for his vote indicated that he was absent!

Several witnesses “flatly denied” ever signing the proxies submitted in their names by Lent and Pohanka. Following a recess, Lent and Pohanka returned to the courtroom and conceded that the proxies were invalid.

Court “Deeply Troubled“. . . . .As Secretary of the Suffolk County WFP Secretary, Lent was responsible for ensuring that the proxies and sign-in sheets were valid. But the Court found serious problems with those documents:

“Review of the 71 proxy documents reveals that . . . the majority of the [signatures on the proxies] . . . do not match . . . the signatures on the voter registration of the individuals who purportedly signed the proxies. Additionally, several proxies were submitted from individuals who are also reflected as present by the sign in sheet. (Gregory Lent, Sharon Ward). (Emphasis added.)

“Indeed, the Court has found that at least 29 signatures do not match registration cards and at least three have wrong election districts. The Court is troubled by these findings and has been made aware (from letters submitted by petitioner’s counsel regarding scheduling of witnesses at the hearing scheduled to commence May 11, 2005) that testimony is expected from a number of persons denying that they signed the proxy” respondents [Lent and Pohonka] said they signed.”

After hearing witness testimony, the Court expressed its profound concern:

“[T]he Court has reflected upon the serious impact such fraudulent activities…..have upon the fundamental rights of citizens to participate in the political process. The Court is deeply troubled by the circumstances of this case.”

Click here for Part 2 to learn how Donna Lent narrowly escaped an order of contempt by a NYS Supreme Court judge.

Here are our sources:

gov
Klein v. Garfinkle #2187-04, (NYS Sup. Ct. Suff. Co. May 11, 2005) http://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/fcas/fcas_docs/2005jun/51002178720041sciv.pdf
Klein v. Garfinkle #21787-04, (NYS Sup. Ct. Suff. Co. June 29, 2005) http://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/fcas/fcas_docs/2005jul/5100217872004100sciv.pdf