Editorial: Rennhack in Nassau 12th Dist.
John Rennhack, candidate for the Nassau County Legislature 12th District (September 24, 2009) Credit: Joel Cairo
This is the fourth attempt by Democrat John Rennhack to unseat Peter Schmitt, the embattled Republican leader of the Nassau County Legislature, who was first elected in 1995 and has come to embody its dysfunction and partisanship.
Rennhack, 41, a freelance media consultant, acknowledges his impossible task in this Massapequa-centric district where the GOP has a 2-to-1 enrollment edge and where Schmitt, 61, does tend to everyday concerns.
After the 2009 election, when the GOP retook control of the legislature, Schmitt returned as presiding officer. Within weeks Schmitt voted to give himself a $32,000 pay hike, making his part-time job worth $99,500. He rescinded the increase only after a massive public outcry. While Schmitt is adamant about not raising taxes, he's a big spender and enabler of GOP patronage, approving contracts for politically connected law firms and forcing passage of a gerrymandered redistricting map later declared illegal by the state's top court.
Rennhack's campaign is not as energetic as before, yet he's trying to hold Schmitt accountable for his record. For that effort, Newsday endorses Rennhack.
