Bellone in state of county speech: 'We must speak out against hateful rhetoric"

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone in a state of the county address pledged that the county would embrace inclusivity and work to stamp out hate and discrimination as it seeks to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bellone denounced the racist attacks in Buffalo Saturday by a teenage gunman that left 10 people dead and three others injured at a supermarket, saying: “Tonight we continue to grieve for those who were lost, for the Buffalo community and most importantly for the families who have been directly impacted by this incomprehensible act of hatred."

“The ideology — racist and antisemitic — underlying this heinous attack is vile and poisonous to our body politic," Bellone said. "We must speak out against hateful rhetoric that is contrary to the American creed and stand up for what we do believe.”

Bellone called on communities in Suffolk to celebrate diversity as a strength.

 Bellone noted the swearing in of the county’s first Black county police commissioner, Rodney Harrison. He also recalled commemorating “Education and Sharing Day” along with more than a dozen rabbis, and formation of the county’s LGBTQ Advisory Board. 

Referring to Newsday’s 2019 series "Long Island Divided," which found evidence of widespread separate and unequal treatment of minority potential homebuyers and minority communities on Long Island, Bellone called on county residents to, “stand up to discrimination and racism wherever we find it,”

He continued: “We were all shocked when a Newsday report found rampant discrimination in the real estate industry not in the past but right now. We didn’t just say that was a shame, we acted, together.”

After the Newsday series, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a contract with Long Island Housing Services Inc., a Bohemia-based fair housing nonprofit, to test whether real estate agents and mortgage lenders follow fair housing laws.

Wednesday night marked the first state of the county address Bellone had delivered since the county shut down in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bellone recalled the pandemic took the lives of 1,000 Long Islanders in the first month and totaled 4,400 lives in Suffolk County. He said the public health crisis that followed also took a heavy toll on local businesses that had to shutter.

The county established drive-through testing centers early in the pandemic, again two years later with the surge from the Omicron variant. County employees administered more than 169,000 vaccines and distributed 21,000 vaccines to medical offices, Bellone said.

“We were able to do the unthinkable — with no blueprint or map — because we worked together and because of the dedication of this county workforce,” Bellone said.

“If we can come out of this pandemic with a renewed respect for public service, for the importance of government service than that is something positive that will have emerged out of this devastation,” Bellone said.

Bellone touted the county’s recovery from the pandemic, citing economic development projects like the Ronkonkoma Hub and $40 million toward a new north terminal at MacArthur Airport and a convention center. He also emphasized the commitment to clean energy such as improving water quality through sewer expansion, offshore wind and electric vehicles.

Bellone also announced Wednesday that two dozen public libraries in Suffolk County have agreed to develop a charge-sharing network for electric vehicles that will serve the public.

Bellone also noted improvements to public safety, such police reform measures like body cameras worn by Suffolk County police officers and litigation against drug companies for opioid abuse, leading to a $100 million judgment for the county.

“With all of the challenges we face here in Suffolk County, there are countless opportunities on the horizon,” Bellone said. “I can tell you that I have never been more encouraged about our future than I am right now because of the way we are working together to solve problems and make progress.”

Suffolk County Legislative presiding officer Kevin McCaffrey said there is largely bipartisan support with Bellone’s initiatives. McCaffrey said the GOP majority is focused on making sure the county is financially secure by not overspending and supportive of law enforcement, including hiring more officers.

“We’re trying to work together with the county executive. Being in the majority is new to us, but getting along with members of the other side is not,” McCaffrey said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.