Tom Suozzi: Difference between revisions
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Keeping Nassau’s land and natural resources healthy has also been a priority of the County Executive. Under the Suozzi Administration, Nassau has preserved hundreds of acres of open space and improved existing open space and park land. It has planted an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opened two new farmer’s markets in Mineola and Roslyn and sponsored new programs to encourage better nutrition for children and teenagers. Suozzi has also improved coastal waterways by reseeding them with two million shellfish and naturally filtering storm water by restoring stream beds and ponds. |
Keeping Nassau’s land and natural resources healthy has also been a priority of the County Executive. Under the Suozzi Administration, Nassau has preserved hundreds of acres of open space and improved existing open space and park land. It has planted an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opened two new farmer’s markets in Mineola and Roslyn and sponsored new programs to encourage better nutrition for children and teenagers. Suozzi has also improved coastal waterways by reseeding them with two million shellfish and naturally filtering storm water by restoring stream beds and ponds. |
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In addition to county government initiatives, Suozzi created |
In addition to county government initiatives, Suozzi created “[[Green Levittown]]” – a first-of-its-kind project. This partnership was forged between Nassau County government, a team of national and local corporations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the people of Levittown. In his 2008 State of the County Address, Suozzi illustrated his plans to make “America’s first suburb America’s first green suburb.” |
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Other notable environmental leadership awards the County Executive has received this year include a Certificate of Achievement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Equinox Award from Citizens Campaign for the Environment. |
Other notable environmental leadership awards the County Executive has received this year include a Certificate of Achievement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Equinox Award from Citizens Campaign for the Environment. |
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Revision as of 21:30, 24 November 2008
Thomas R. Suozzi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| County Executive of Nassau County | |
| Assumed office 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Gulotta |
| Mayor of Glen Cove | |
| In office 1992–2000 | |
| Preceded by | Donald DeRiggi |
| Succeeded by | Mary Ann Holzkamp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | right August 31, 1962 Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
| Died | right thumb |
| Resting place | right thumb |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Helene Suozzi |
| Parent |
|
Thomas R. Suozzi (born August 31, 1962 in Glen Cove, New York) is the county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971. He is currently serving in his second term.
A government reformer, attorney, certified public accountant, and former eight-year Mayor of Glen Cove Thomas R. Suozzi, 46, continues to bring his strong management skills, fiscal discipline, compassion, and vision to Nassau County.
He ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic nomination for the race to be Governor of New York in 2006.
Biography
The grandson of Italian immigrants, Tom Suozzi was born on August 31, 1962 in Glen Cove, New York.[1] He was raised one of five siblings, and graduated from all Roman Catholic schools: Chaminade High School, Boston College, and Fordham University School of Law.
His wife is Helene Suozzi and they have three children.
Political life
In 1992, Suozzi was elected as the youngest Mayor of Glen Cove, New York. He served in that capacity for four terms, ending in 2000. In 2001, Suozzi was elected Nassau County Executive, the youngest to ever hold that office and also the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971, and just the second in the post-World War II era. Suozzi was reelected as county executive in 2005, defeating his Republican rival Greg Peterson 59%-38% on November 8, 2005.
Suozzi first became County Executive at a time when the county was near bankruptcy, being elected by a 2-to-1 margin in a County with more registered Republicans than any county in New York State. He helped engineer the Democratic takeover of the Nassau County legislature from the once vaunted "Republican machine."
Just days before Suozzi’s inauguration as Nassau County Executive in 2002, the Maxwell School of Public Affairs rated Nassau the "worst run county in the nation." Within his first year in office, Suozzi turned a $428 million deficit into a balanced budget, leading one of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in the country.
His coattails helped the Democrats keep the Nassau County Legislature (by one vote) and helped Democrat Kathleen Rice dislodge the pro-life Denis Dillon, the Nassau County District Attorney of more than 30 years by about 8,000 votes.
Suozzi has eliminated wasteful contracts, cut the workforce to the smallest in 30 years, and achieved historic labor concessions. Nassau is the only county in New York that did not raise taxes for five years in a row and has received 13 bond upgrades in five years, more than any county in the nation.
Suozzi has been a controversial and maverick figure. He has platformed for a "Fix Albany" campaign, blaming many of Nassau County's problems on the state legislature (which meets in Albany). His criticisms included both Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature, even advocating for the defeat of incumbent legislators.
This might have caused him to be left out of the New York State Delegation at the 2004 Democratic National Convention which nominated Senator John Kerry for President, although the Democratic speaker of the New York State Assembly has denied that was the reason.[citation needed]. Despite this obstacle, Suozzi went to the Convention anyway gaining credentials directly from Kerry's Campaign.
In any event, "Fix Albany" did lead to the defeat of at least one incumbent Democrat State Assemblyman in the party primary, and provided a platform for David Valesky to unseat veteran Republican incumbent Nancy Larraine Hoffmann (a former Democrat) for a Syracuse-area based seat in the NY State Senate, notable because many Senate Republicans have regularly avoided falling victim to the coat-tails of popular Democrat presidential and US Senate candidates in a generally Democrat-leaning state.
In the November 2005 issue of Governing Magazine, Suozzi was named one of their "Public Officials of the Year" for his innovative initiatives in Nassau, which has a population of over 1.3 million, larger than 7 states and a $2.5 billion budget, greater than 16 states. [2]
A moderate Democrat and a Roman Catholic, in 2005, he advocated curtailing abortions by speaking out in favor of alternate options for pregnant women considering abortion, including adoption and homes for single mothers.
Gubernatorial campaign
He declared that he was running for Governor of New York in the Democratic primary against Eliot Spitzer on February 25, 2006. Republican Party officials are rumored to have approached him about switching parties to run, given his moderate image, but Suozzi insisted that he would not leave the Democratic Party.
The bid appeared from the start to be somewhat of a long shot given Spitzer's reputation as a "corporate crusader", though Suozzi often pointed out that so too was his bid for Nassau County Executive. Democratic Party bosses long favored Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli, but Suozzi prevailed in the primary. Few prominent Democrats outside of Nassau County Democratic Party Chaiman Jay Jacobs supported his bid; most of New York's Democrat legislators and mayors campaigned with Spitzer.
On June 13, 2006 Suozzi spoke before the New York State Conference of Mayors along with Eliot Spitzer and John Faso. Suozzi received a standing ovation by the crowd of Mayors.[3] On July 6, 2006, Suozzi announced to his followers that he had collected enough petitions to place himself on the ballot in the primary against Spitzer. It was reported in all NY media on July 17th that his campaign manager Kim Devlin had stepped down and was replaced by Paul Rivera.
Suozzi claimed victory to the press in the debate on July 25, 2006 with New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer held at Pace University. He stated he had presidential aspirations during the course of this debate. As the first question in the yes/no lightning round, moderator Dominick Carter of NY1 first asked Spitzer if he had plans to run for president and Spitzer said "No" whereupon Suozzi jumped immediately and emphatically and clearly enunciated, "Yes." Spitzer then turned his head slightly toward Suozzi and said "good luck, Tom" in an arguably sarcastic tone.
On August 7, 2006, Suozzi announced after much speculation that he will not seek an independent line should he lose the primary to Spitzer.[4]
On the week of August 25 he along with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer were at Pace University again when cable TV NY1 held a town hall forum. However, they did not appear together. (Excerpts aired on Inside Albany week of September 1, 2006 on the New York Public TV stations hosted by Lise Bang-Jensen)
On September 12, 2006, Suozzi was defeated by Attorney General Eliot Spitzer losing the Democratic Party nomination for Governor of New York State.
Enivronmentalist of the Year
The New York League of Conservation Voters’ (NYLCV) named Suozzi their 2008 Environmentalist of the Year for his commitment to environmental protection.
County Executive Suozzi has been at the forefront of creating healthy communities and improving the environment across a broad range of issues. In 2007 he created "Healthy Nassau", a comprehensive program to sustain a healthy environment, while at the same time, encouraging healthy living.
Keeping Nassau’s land and natural resources healthy has also been a priority of the County Executive. Under the Suozzi Administration, Nassau has preserved hundreds of acres of open space and improved existing open space and park land. It has planted an organic farm at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opened two new farmer’s markets in Mineola and Roslyn and sponsored new programs to encourage better nutrition for children and teenagers. Suozzi has also improved coastal waterways by reseeding them with two million shellfish and naturally filtering storm water by restoring stream beds and ponds.
In addition to county government initiatives, Suozzi created “Green Levittown” – a first-of-its-kind project. This partnership was forged between Nassau County government, a team of national and local corporations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the people of Levittown. In his 2008 State of the County Address, Suozzi illustrated his plans to make “America’s first suburb America’s first green suburb.”
Other notable environmental leadership awards the County Executive has received this year include a Certificate of Achievement from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Equinox Award from Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief
In January of 2008, Suozzi was named chairman of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief by then-Governor Eliot Spitzer. The bipartisan commission was tasked with examining the causes of high property taxes, identifying ways to make the State’s property tax system fairer, and developing a fair and effective school property tax cap to hold the line on property tax growth. The Commission held 11 public meetings throughout New York State and Suozzi released the Commission’s preliminary report in June of 2008. The report calls for a cap on the property tax cap levy of school taxes at 4 percent or 120 percent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. The Commission also recommended that, once the cap is enacted, a circuit breaker be put in place, as well as more than 20 recommendations to reduce mandates on school districts and address the root causes of high property taxes.
Following the release of the Commission’s preliminary report, Governor Paterson accepted the Commission’s main recommendation and introduced legislation that would cap school property taxes at 4%. The State Senate approved the Governor’s legislation in August.
The Final Report by the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief will be submitted by December 1, 2008
Senate Speculation
On November 24, 2008, the Washington Post reported that Suozzi is a front-runner to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate after Clinton is named Secretary of State. [5] Suozzi's Long Island base would appeal to statewide Democrats and Bill Cunningham, a former top Suozzi aide, is now Secretary to Governor David Paterson, who would name a replacement to serve in Clinton's seat until 2010.
Electoral history
- 2006 Race for Governor - Democratic Primary
- Eliot Spitzer (D), 81%
- Tom Suozzi (D), 19%
References
- ^ Rodrick, Stephen. "Tom Quixote". New York Magazine.
- ^ Gurwitt, Rob (November 2005). "THOMAS R. SUOZZI - High-Voltage Transformer". Governing Magazine.
- ^ Hakim, Danny (June 14, 2006). "Suozzi Gets an Ovation From Conference of Mayors". New York Times.
- ^ "Suozzi Won't Seek Independent Line". National Public Radio. August 7, 2006.
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/23/AR2008112302366.html