A Dot Goosby problem for Nassau Democratic chairman

Daily Point

Veteran leader, 86, running for Hempstead Town Board again but party wants her to make way for others

In a highly unusual move, the Nassau Democratic Party refused to officially carry petitions for Town of Hempstead Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby. One of Long Island's longest-serving local lawmakers, Goosby, 86, hopes to run again for the town board, a seat she has occupied since 1999.

Instead, Goosby and a group of supporters have gathered the necessary signatures themselves, without the party’s support. Sources told The Point that the Goosby campaign is expected to file petitions with 4,500 signatures on Wednesday. Thursday is the filing deadline.

Goosby is the first Black woman to serve on the town board, and its longest-serving member. In 1988, she was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the town’s voting system — then an at-large free-for-all — that she argued discriminated against Black and brown communities. Goosby ultimately won the lengthy court battle that followed, leading to the creation of councilmanic districts.

It's that history that, in part, led key leaders in Hempstead’s minority communities to step up to support Goosby when the party did not.

"I was appalled and shocked," civil rights attorney Fred Brewington told The Point. "And at that point, I was committed to making sure they were not going to kick this woman to the curb after she gave so much. Shame on them ... The Democratic Party failed her."

Brewington, who said grassroots community organization The Corridor Counts has worked on the petitioning effort, argued that the party’s unwillingness to support Goosby was part of a "track record that has been disappointing in terms of how the Democratic Party has taken the Black and brown communities for granted."

Besides community organizers, Brewington noted that labor leaders have also backed the Goosby effort.

"All I know is Dot Goosby has been an outstanding public servant, she has been a trailblazer, and for an awful lot of people, their lives are that much better because of the work this woman has done," John Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, told The Point. "Why she’s not getting help from the party that she has served all these years I don’t know."

Democratic state and county party chairman Jay Jacobs told The Point that he’s received "a lot" of complaints from those who’ve watched Goosby vote steadily with Hempstead’s Republican majority and with Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin. There has been an "internal disagreement" within the party, he said.

"I pushed folks not to primary her, but part of that deal was that you don’t have to carry her petitions," Jacobs said. "I think Dorothy Goosby deserves a lot of credit for her historical impact and for what she has done in the past, but I disagree with her decision to run again ... People have to be honest and say when it’s time to pack it in and retire and let somebody younger [run]. There was lots of interest among several candidates to run for her seat this time."

Jacobs said he has had "tough" conversations with Goosby and her supporters regarding the decision.

"She made a decision I disagree with, so I said I can’t get our people to enthusiastically go out once again, so you can carry your own petitions and that’s what she did," Jacobs said.

Sources told The Point there are other factors at work, too. Some of Goosby’s supporters, including Durso, are also supporters of Las Vegas Sands’ efforts to bring a casino resort to the Nassau Hub. Eventually, the Hempstead Town board would have to vote to change the zoning to accommodate Sands’ plans. Goosby’s vote wouldn’t be the only deciding one — but a supportive voice could make a difference in those efforts, sources said.

There’s talk, however, Democratic candidates could try to capitalize on existing opposition to the casino in other town and countywide races this fall and Goosby’s support would be in contradiction to that messaging. County executive candidate Legis. Seth Koslow, for instance, was critical of the casino proposal in recent published reports.

Sources also pointed to a mailer that Hempstead Town officials sent regarding a state proposal to promote "regionalization" — the sharing of services and best practices among school districts. The mailer specifically criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul — and featured photos of Clavin and Goosby, implying that they both supported the messaging.

"Tell Gov. Hochul & Albany Extremists ‘Our Schools, Our Rules,’" the mailer said. "Stop Gov. Hochul & Albany Extremists from Taking Control of our Schools."

The sources said there were preliminary efforts to primary Goosby four years ago, but at that time, she said her current term would be her last.

Jacobs told The Point that he will not challenge Goosby’s petitions — but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a challenge ahead.

"I will not challenge those petitions, but I cannot guarantee that there aren’t others who won’t challenge them," Jacobs said. "No one from my team will assist in that."

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Foolhardy? 

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Final Point

Bill would offer rebates on quieter, cleaner lawn-care equipment

Not all the action in the halls of the state Capitol is tied to negotiations on the now-late budget. Nor does it need to be.

A prime example: One bill has been advancing that could help curb the use of ear-blasting, exhaust-belching, gasoline-powered landscaping equipment — a special bane of Long Island — through incentives to convert to quieter, less-polluting electric lawn-care tools.

Under the bill’s terms, as already approved by the State Senate on March 17, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority would run a new incentive program to ease the conversion. So, if you’re buying anything from a hedge trimmer to a leaf blower, leaf vacuum, or ride-on or stand-ride mower, there would be rebate of up to 70% of the purchase price for a total of no more than $200 per device.

Rebates would be granted at the point of purchase, capped at $15,000 for public agencies and businesses and $300 for individuals. Assembly bill A02657 has been referred to the chamber’s energy committee. Among its sponsors are two Long Islanders, Judy Griffin (D-Rockville Centre) and Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Sag Harbor). The program would be renewable in 2036.

"For years New Yorkers have endured the loud noise and lousy smells of gas-powered landscaping equipment, but for workers it’s far worse," said Blair Horner, senior policy adviser of NYPIRG. "They experience the dangerous levels of emissions and noise every day, all day."

Some who use leaf-blowers are still not sold on the electric models, saying they are more expensive and not as powerful as the gas-fueled devices.

Meanwhile dozens of environmental, public health, and community organizations have signed a letter urging lawmakers to give the measure final approval and send it to Gov. Kathy Hochul. The backers include, to name a few, Town of Huntington Gateway Garden, the North Fork Audubon Society, and the Sustainable Southampton Green Advisory Committee.

Communities that have banned or restricted to certain months of the year the use of gas-powered leaf blowers included Greenport and Southampton villages, and the towns of North Hempstead and Huntington, though Huntington put the new rule on hold at the behest of landscapers and residents.

Program funding "would be provided through existing NYSERDA funding streams," thus the measure is considered apart from the current budget process.

— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com

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