AUGUST 1 ARENA REFERENDUM APPROVED
Leg. votes 11-7 in favor of summer public ballot
2:20 pm: As expected, the Nassau County Legislature authorized the Aug. 1 referendum for a new Coliseum. The vote was 11-7. All Republicans voted yes, all Democrats except David Denenberg voted no. The divide along party lines was ugly. The Democrats voting against made two major points: they have no idea what they are voting for and they believe the Aug. 1 date is comical and expensive. This divide mattered little today, but will a lot more when final approval will need more than a majority.
Wayne Wink’s ammendment to hold the vote on Election Day lost along party lines, 10-8, for obvious reasons (and favorable ones to the Islanders and those who want this new arena deal). Again: the idea to open balloting stations and hold the vote on a Monday in the summer – away from the general election in November – is sheer genius, and why it should be an easy win. To be frank, if the referendum is shot down (or is even close), it would be a sad reflection on how this community feels about the Islanders.
The voting, open to all Nassau residents registered to vote, will be on Aug. 1. If you care about this project one way or the other and are a resident of Nassau, make sure you are registered to vote. Specific details on the voting procedure will be made available at a later date.
Details on the deal between Nassau and Charles Wang for the new arena and surrounding property are expected to be released in 2-3 weeks. Expect comment from the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) after the complete details of the agreement are revealed. In the end, before and after the referendum, this could come down to NIFA’s approval.
Comments.
116 Responses to AUGUST 1 ARENA REFERENDUM APPROVED
Leg. votes 11-7 in favor of summer public ballot
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Oye Comeau Va says:
Politics. Got to love other people telling me what is best for me.
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Mike in Wantagh says:
The Islanders Brand has weakened so much since the early 80s…..there are a lot of people who have placed the islanders just below the Red Bulls and the LI Ducks on a significance scale of sports teams in tyhis area. That lack of success all of these years it what worries me. There are many that think that islanders will ever be good again and if they feel strongly enough about this issue will vote NO. THE ISLANDERS NEED TO CAMPAIGN THE HECK OUT OF THIS!!!!! WANG NEEDS TO OFFER TO P[AY FOR THE ELECTION NO MATTER WHAT….AND…..WANG AND MANGANO NEED TO HIT A HOMERUN WITH THBIS REVENUE SHARING PRESENTATION!!!!!
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Big Van Vader says:
If the vote passes on August 1st, and NIFA actually approves it, would the Democrats actually take on the role of bad guy against this project with literally everyone onboard? JUST because they see this as a Republican “win”?
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Adam says:
People, people!
The most important thing is the vote to vote (as ridiculous as it sounds) passed today and the Isles of Uniondale live for another day…. -
UIF says:
Welcome to Isles Arena Saga, The Sequel. This time around, the role of Kate Murray will be played by Nassau County Democrats.
They say they don’t want to lose the Islanders and understand how important the arena is to the area, but then they vote no for political reasons. I guess the Republicans should at least throw them a bone sometime between now and the Aug. 1 vote so the final approval goes through smoothly.
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GilliesKO says:
I was waiting for someone to throw a shoe.
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Marc says:
This is one small step towards the result we all want, however, as many of us have said from the start, the details being provided in mid-June better be well-presented and representative of Mangano’s statement that this won’t cost Nassau County taxpayers a dime.
Some of the democrats that voted no today claimed to do so due to a lack of details and the cost of the special vote being incurred by Nassau taxpayers. Both can easily be addressed; the first promised by mid-June and the second with Wang picking up the vote cost if successful (although it might’ve made more sense to pay either way.)
As many have pointed out, NIFA is holding most of the cards. If the details being released in mid-June are as we hope, NIFA shouldn’t have issues approving the bond.
One question about the 8/1 vote: If, as expected, there is a small turnout, will NIFA and/or the Dems say that the vote is NOT a fair representation and use that against it going forward? My hope is that if the details make sense, voters will say “yes” and some of the Dems will change their votes to “yes” for the super-majority.
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Mike says:
Weird the Republicans are all for an added government project and Dems are vehemently against it. Kind of a role reversal, and I hope it’s not just because the Democrats don’t want to see a Republican idea get passed.
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What are the Dems thinking with all of the union jobs and new jobs for the county? I think Mr Wang knows this is his last chance to stay in Nassau. Thus, I think they are too smart not to present a solid deal to NIFA. If he would cover cost overruns and revenue shortfalls, it’s a done deal.
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SCLI says:
Happy the vote passed as expected. Not happy that it was divided along party lines. Should have been a no brainer. Yes across the board. Whats wrong with these politicians who voted NO? This project is a shot in the arm that Nassau needs. As I stated in an earlier reply. Someone has a vested interest in this land. Someone or some group that is willing to sacrifice the NY Islanders to get what they want. Fortunately the 1st obstacle has been hurdled.
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Arbour Day says:
Wow, funny how this site has become nothing more than a PR page for Wang. Funny how the vote is rigged for August 1 but everyone is ok with it. Have a real vote when people will be around. CB, do you consider yourself a journalist or an advocate for Wang?
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Isle be a Fan says:
What does that mean ? “Final approval will need more than a Majority” ?
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Tom says:
The Islanders should link a “get out and Vote” registration link on the web site and at their team stores. Also with all the hockey camps going on send out and email to all Nassau youth clubs for redistribution.
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Ted S says:
WANGANO better have all ducks in a row going forward. I would hope they do everything they can to get this approved by NIFA & everyone else. Happy for the 1st step but still waiting for the bulldozers to arrive! The Campaign SHOULD HEAT UP 20 FOLD. Lets Go Islanders!!
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admin says:
(12) Arbour Day: I don’t see anything in this post or any others that states that I’m for or against the project. I’ve both criticized and praised Charles Wang. So I guess one of us has a problem with reading comprehension.
Might be a better idea to use the space to articulate your problem with the vote than to rail against the writer of a blog called Islanders Point Blank…CB
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At this point, after the seeing what’s happened with the Isles in regards to them getting a new building over the past DECADE or so thanks to our ELECTED “representatives”, I don’t give a damn HOW it gets done.
What’s left:
1.August 1st vote
2.NIFA-yes or no
3.Legislature approval -
Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Where is Tony Soprano when we need him?
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LIMBAUGH2012 says:
I hope they do not use Union workers, keep the work in the private sector.
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James from Swindles says:
Happy it was approved, but as already alluded to, this was a no-brainer. I don’t care if the voters approve the referendum with 100% voting for, and the Nassau Legislature approves it 19-0. None of this matters if NIFA isn’t on board…
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Burt Reynolds says:
Chris, you set yourself up as the point person for those using social media to support the project. Don’t pretend you haven’t taken sides.
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Anthony 61 says:
Limbaugh you genious, yeah keep the work in the PRIVATE SECTOR and this does NOT get built. It will take MORE than just us ISLES fans to vote YES to win. WE NEED THE UNIONS to vote YES! Can you count how many votes the unions are for a YES, Hundreds if not thousands. THEY NEED THE WORK, The Private Sector is doing just fine. GET A CLUE, you must be a RAG fan, but then again maybe not cause why would you want to lost the rivalry jabroni.
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N.I.F.A.
NON
INFORMED
f’n
ARSES! -
CG says:
11-7 votes is very depressing. Politics is all over this once again, which usually means one result, failure.
It seems like the only thing that the Aug 1 vote does is this, a no result kills it, a yes vote gives it a slim hope. And Chris, to your point of a no vote showing what a sad relection the community has on the Islanders. It’s more of a sad reflection of what the Islanders have done to the community that once cherished them. -
Ryan says:
(13) Isle be a Fan:
A 13-member supermajority is required to pass a bonding issue through the legislature. The referendum is the first step; then the bonding issue will need to be passed by 13 members (67%) of the legislature; then NIFA will need to sign off on the bond.
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MarioGazz says:
This was like watching my son take his first step. Now get it going and it wont stop. Please vote yes on this, I cant and its killing me not having a say in the matter.
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Brian g says:
As much as I want to vote yes, when will wang give taxpayers/home owners the details?….what will he wait til july 4th weekend…
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JTizzle says:
#9 is so spot on! POLITICIANS!!! Enough said!
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LouD says:
I wish someone who is against this would explain why. I can not understand why residents of a dying town, one in which people are moving out of in record numbers, would be against bringing in a development project that would A. provide more revenue for the town,B. create jobs, and C. clean up an area of the town that is presently an eye sore. Instead of bashing CB for providing Islander fans with Islander news in an Islander forum (wow) could someone from the opposition (that isn’t a politician or a blind loyalist) tell us exactly how this project will hurt you? Please remember that your taxes will go up whether this arena is built or not. Also remember that the town owns the arena and if the Islanders leave the town will own a large property with a decaying empty building that will then be worthless.
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Jester1369 says:
I think there’s a better chance NIFA passes on this if they hold the vote on election day. The referrendum vote would have likely been unanimous too.
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Kbelanger33 says:
11-7…yeeesh-closer than i would have thought
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I’m sure if this was a vote on more section 8 housing or some other hand-out the Dems would have been all for it.
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Loud, the precise concern is that taxes WILL go up. For past arena projects, tax revenue from the building hasn’t come close to covering the initial expenditure. Put another way, why does Wang need the public money at all if it’s guaranteed to be paid back?
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Hockey Guy in Canada says:
I think the argument can be made that you will see a more representative reflection of knowledge-based opinion on this issue by holding the vote on August 1st. Obviously no politician will admit this but by weeding out the apathetic and non-informed, you are left mostly with voters who actually care enough one way or the other to show up for a special referrendum. This issue is too important and time too critical to worry about who WON’T bother voting because its on a “Monday in the Summer”.
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Does anyone care what the details are anymore? Just vote YES and (try to) end the drama.
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admin says:
Cizikas signing confirmed. Please comment on CC in the next thread about his signing. Thank you…CB
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JohnnyC. says:
This is the exact reason why I decided not to buy a house on LI. Can’t do anything without the politicians up everyones A$$.
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Robitude says:
CB – any tea leaves we should look for re: NIFA? I know that Marlin’s been pretty vocal already in a negative way, but any idea how much of that is empty bluster and how much of it indicates a genuine willingness to torpedo the arena?
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Hishutzi Skorz says:
Well, we got the leadoff batter on.
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This process needs to be explained to NIFA and Dems. Seems the only issues are because of lack of knowledge. EDUCATE &COMPROMISE = get it done!
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dose says:
Weren’t people speculating just a week ago about today’s vote being unanimous? I understand why those 7 say they voted NAY, and I can see how their reasons make sense. There’s time to allay their concerns and turn enough of the 7 around before for the vote on the actual expenditure to come, IF the plan makes sense, and IF they are open to being turned around at all. I’m nervous about how big those IFs are.
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Wang Chung says:
Can someone please explain why Kate Murray was against the Lighthouse project, but Mangano and the new Republican regime is for the project?
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Quick question CB. When you interviewed Diane Yatauro didn’t she say that she would not vote Yes or No for the referendum? Well, she voted NO! What a politician!
She didn’t say either…CB
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I understand people are afraid taxes will go up. I just don’t understand how anyone believes that the Islanders leaving Long Island will assure your taxes wont go up. We live in NY state. We pay the second highest amount (in taxes) in the country last time I checked. And what do we get for it? At least this way we can enjoy the coliseum for concerts,games,car and boat shows, etc. Or we can let the Islanders leave, still watch our taxes go up, and then drive by a parking lot filled with goats and a rotting building every day. This is bigger than just the Islanders but I’m afraid too many people don’t see it. Why create jobs, bring the town revenue and clean up a mess when we can continue to watch our community waste away to nothing? This seems to be the argument of the opposition, maybe they’re too old to care about our future on Long Island.
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TM says:
The vote on a summer Monday smacks of desperation not genius. It’s like they don’t have confidence it will pass on Election Day. Like they’re trying to keep it hush hush.
Call it desperation if you’d like, TM. It’s genius because they’re actually getting away with it, so far…CB
If it doesn’t pass or is close, it’s more a reflection of how NYI has ignored the community not vice versa. Bet they wish they did more for PR now. Hell, I could see 20K Ranger fans living in Nassau voting NO out of spite.
Did anyone notice the coincidence that Willets Point is accepting RFP’s by August 12? So, if it’s NO in Nassau on 8/1 just a few days later Wang can apply to go to QUEENS.
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Burt, he needs the money because he doesn’t own the arena. You might not have read that or been aware before posting but someone made a great point. Would you offer to pay for renovations on an apartment that you rent? I know the owners of the apartment (Nassau County) would be thrilled but the tenant (Wang) would be getting an obviously unfair deal. This has been gone over to death but one more time here it is. New York politicians practically begged Wang to buy the Islanders with the promise that the all ready decaying building would be renovated. They didn’t say,” Hey please buy the Islanders and also while your at it pay for a new arena for us”? But here we are over a decade later and the arena is SO bad that the sewage system actually burst and covered a portion of the building in you know what.
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Strummer's Army says:
How symbolic is it that on the day Atlanta loses their team the Long Island took the step that should lead to them keeping their team? GREAT NEWS! Now onto the next phase. This has to happen for the Isles to remain on Long Island.
Wink is pretty clear where he stands now. I read yesterday that he wanted (before they voted today) to set a condition for the approval of the vote on 8/1 there had to be a condition that Wang would waive his development rights he earned.
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43 Wang Chung: Kate Murray works for the Town. Mangnano and the rest are county and state. You have to think of them very seperately. Just because they are in the same party doesn’t mean they have the same agenda or will cooperate. Murray has her allies she needs to keep happy (and am sure they want to be able to develop the lucrative land around the arena). This is why she always said she just wants the Isles to have a new arena and nothing else and the county wanted the entire Lighthouse Project with Charles in charge.
This is why you here some elected officials saying they will approve the arena but want the rest of the sites development open for bid even though there is no legal reasoning for it.
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rick says:
#3 if you think the redbulls are low on the scale for the NY area think again, they are averaging somewhere around 17,000 attendance. more than nvmc holds
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Tim F says:
YEAH!
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bergie says:
Yell at the Democrats all you wants. This is what politics ia all about. The Republicans killed the Lighthouse (I’m a Rep). Denenberg is an idiot. No reason to applaud him. He just wanted to be in the photo op.
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CC says:
Now it’s up to Picker and Mangano’s team to be transparent about all the financial details of the deal. A small victory today.
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Newman says:
Good news. Been good news for a month. Waiting for the shoe to drop.
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Potvin5 says:
Love when the pidgeons come on here and criticize CB for being in the Islanders’ corner. If I remember correctly, they took his credential away. LOL. Yeah, he has a lot of reasons to be biased!
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nyifan72 says:
Long way to go
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Steven K says:
They may have voted to have the vote on 8/1 but that doesn’t mean there will be a vote on 8/1. Follow?
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Billy the Kid says:
Give credit to Nick from Let There Be Lighthouse. He did a nice job with the twitter updates and gave a rousing speech at the hearing.
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Voter says:
Time for a grass roots campaign to get all Islanders fans in Nassau registered to vote.
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Harry7273 says:
A good day for the Islanders
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Mike says:
It is AMAZING how the politicians that are supposed to look out for the people ONLY care about who is Dem or Rep. PATHETIC!!! Politicians SUCK in genral but they REALLY SUUUUUCK in NY!!! Stop trying to block it you CROOKED LIERS!!!!!
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Steven says:
CB – if the vote on 8/1 passes, isn’t it extremely likely NIFA blocks it? And if that happens, does Wang/the Isles have any recourse?
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Sean says:
All politics are a joke. CB tweeted 2 hours before the vote today that Mangano had already scheduled a press conference to celebrate the victory. So let’s not make this about Dems bad, Repubs good.
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Mars Bonfire says:
Dear Mr Wang
You have spent over 100m in losses on the Isles You have spent 10 years with bickering politicians It is time to leave Long Island
Sell the team and have them move to Brooklyn. I am sure NYC will enjoy the additional tax revenues while hosting the Cup in 2016 .By then Nassau County will be one big wasteland. No one will want to live here. . Please rename the team the Americans if you decide to move and keep the team
Thank you for trying your best to save this franchise. -
raul17 says:
This is almost like giving someone a blank check. I do not have any stake in this, but the Yankee Stadium & Citi Field deals put the taxcpayers at risk. The ballfield only does not look good if it is approved and no tenant comes in. Yes, the owners of the Ducks want another team but is it viable? I read that the Mets would like to have a team there, but will it be able to support AA baseball? or will Brooklyn lose the Cyclones? The real deal breaker will be the cost of construction: a few millions now always go to a few ten millions as work progress. And I beleive that the NIFA will want all that info.
I hope it can get done, but ….
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CM says:
Fans job is to vote Yes. This needs to be overwhelming to have Wang leverage the NIFA approval.
Otherwise Nassau is no different than Atlanta. If fans cannot support a bad team then move.To truely be a hockey market you have to be a Fan of HOCKEY FIRST then a fan of your team.
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Mike239 says:
What a mess. Do Islanders fans REALLY want a new arena under THESE circumstances??? I really dont have much say as I havent lived on LI since Jan 2003 and I lived in Suffolk. But seriously, is this the way to do things? I feel strongly that Nassau County is too politically tainted and the best thing for the Isles would be to look to QUEENS. Flushing Meadows to be precise. Nassau County doesnt seem to care much if the Isles stay or go. MOVE THE TEAM TO QUEENS!!!
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#62 If NIFa blocks this, we go straight to the Governor to review and overturn their decision! I do think the Dems have only special interest groups that they are entertaining at this point, why else would Wink want Wang to drop his development of the surronding area? The guy spends literally millons of dollars on the lighthouse project only to have it pulled out underneath him.
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#33 says:
Hey, the vote passed 11-7. we all know what happened at 7:11 right? Its a sign! (or something like it)
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Ari (Not Haanpaa) says:
The close vote is kind of a red flag. I have a bad feeling that the August 1st date will get pushed back. The politicians in Nassau have one last chance to prove they are not completely incompetent when it comes to saving the last major pro sports team on Long Island, but I’m still concerned. Hopefully it gets done, obviously. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to contact David Einhorn, the new Mets co-owner with the Wilpons/Katz, just in case you can revive Queens as a backup plan. The worst case scenario would be seeing the Islanders end up like the Thrashers.
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An 11-7 result is a bad sign in my opinion. Wang should explore all his options because the same result by the legislature after August 1 would be a no.
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Tom D in NJ says:
I do feel bad for Thrasher fans…..better vote YES Nassau!
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Blizzard says: The fact that the Islanders have been so bad for so long is a difficult hurdle to pass. You can not erase history. IMO, it would be a really good idea to make a move now that shakes things up. Go after Parise or another bonafide big name talent. Rally the fanbase and make them care.
That being said those who care not about hockey feel that they do not want their taxes going up just to save a hockey team and a bad one at that. Oblivious to what would happen to county revenue if the Islanders left the county. They must articulate to Nassau county residents that this is not going to effect them financially if approved. And quite the opposite might happen if this is not approved.
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gary says:
Im glad the vote was positive but one point brought up that has merit is that a vote has been scheduled on something that NO details are available…Sounds like Health care lol
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Just had a thought. For the Long Islanders who couldn’t care less about hockey, maybe put a video together of big name acts, concerts, etc., who would no longer play an area like Long Island if there were no major sports team or venue. Might be difficult to pull off, but just an idea. It is probably true that the lack of success and media buzz for the Isles under Wang hurts, but hopefully not to the point of getting this done. If so, all those wasted off-seasons will come back to haunt us once again.
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nova says:
Build it!!!
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this all still makes me so nervous….i’m just praying it all goes well, the team and all us fans deserve it
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Art says:
Chris: respectfully, I think youre underestimating the opposition to it. All u have to see are the nuts commenting on the Newsday threads about it.
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walsh says:
I know why the August 1st date is good for the Islanders but you have to wonder if they’ll run out of time. Nassau and Wang’s people have maybe 2 weeks to finalize the deal to present it to the public and NIFA and then they have to campaign. They’ll have about six weeks not counting holidays and you know how business doesn’t move around here during the summer. I don’t know about this.
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Terry says:
Maybe it’s not cause for celebration, but this is a victory for us and we don’t often get many of those. Enjoy it for now. Start the worrying a little bit later.
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David in Lynbrook says:
Not mentioned was something one of the politicians said today. If the legislature doesn’t like the deal, they can still pull the rug out on the August 1st vote 15 days before.
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Nick says:
Do Okposo and Grabner still think the Islanders have a new arena? I really wonder if they know how far this still is from reality.
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BringBackNyles says:
The idea that this is a walkover is nuts. Anyone that follows school budgets that raises taxes realizes this. They schedule those for a random Tuesday in the spring, and yet people show up in droves to vote against tax increases.
I hope it passes but this is one of those things could go either way, you neve rknow who shows up at these special elections
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BringBackNyles: I partly agree, but I think only 5 school budgets failed this year on all of Long Island and that’s still part of a regular routine. There are signs all over the place about the school votes. The seniors and people against it put the date on their calendars. I don’t think you’re going to see that, as CB always says, on a Monday in the summer.
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M Lawrence says:
Islanders just have to keep the momentum going and theyll be alright on and off the ice.
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Joeisles says:
There was an imprtant part of the meeting today that I saw on the webstream. One of the Dems asked the union leader what he really knew about the Wang/Mangano deal. The bottom line was that he didn’t know anything. He was fighting for something he knew nothing about. The union man wants to believe his union will get the job but he doesn’t know for sure. No one knows for sure. That’s why I say so much more has to be played out over the next few weeks.
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Kallur says:
The silence from NIFA is deafening.
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Kenny says:
Best thing the Islanders did was taking their message straight to the fans here putting Picker on the phone so he could talk to the fans. No Newsday spin or anything getting lose in their corporate translation. It would be foolish if the Islanders don’t have people on here twice a week for as long as it takes.
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Smitty says:
I thought today would be a day for optimism, but something about how the politicians argued over something pretty simple tells me this is going to get ugly and not better. Sorry. Wish I felt otherwise.
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mtrico says:
I think if the public vote goes 2 to 1 or better in favor of the Isles, then the dems will come around and approve it. If the public passes it by only a small margin, then politics may ultimately rule the day. So, tell your friends and neighbors to get out and vote.
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Alfred says:
What’s wrong with the Nassau county Democrats?
Why are they against this plan if it pays for itself?
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dave chyzer says:
if this passes, we should rename the team the New York Republicans. I think that would teach em
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Tom from PA says:
Thanks for staying on top of this story and the prospect contract updates. Much appreciated during the long offseason.
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drive45 says:
The tide is turning.
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Lauren says:
I’ll say it again. I hope everyone involved with the islanders including bloggers and fans and team work together in the spirit of closing this deal.
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what a joke! what should have been a landslide turned into a very close vote. its all about politics. politicians always vote along party lines regardless of whats best for the people. i was at the hearing many years ago when smg blantantly lied about how they would work with the isles regarding improving the lease and denenberg was one of the few who really went out of his way to go to bat for the isles so its no surprise that he was the only democrat to vote yes. its shows he votes whats best for his community as opposed to voting whats best for his party. living in queens i cant vote for him but i hope voters in nassau remember he really cares and understands how important it is for the islanders to stay here.
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Jim Clark says: A step forward to building Wang Arena. I am looking forward to being there for the first game with Rick DiPietro between the pipes.
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sean says:
If this arena plan fails, I would tell nassau county and It’s residents to stick it up your a** and go to queens or Brooklyn. If that happens then they will see what happens to there taxes and lost revenue from the islanders and coliseum. I am tired of this crap to build an arena and local politics It’s pathetic and embarrassing to the islanders and the fans.
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The new isles gm says:
As a fan for 27 years and a Suffolk County resident, I haven’t spent money in nassau since last Dec when I went to an Islanders game. Does Nassau not understand this? Nobody wants to visit nassau, just to visit. If this does not go through, how can I be mad? The fanbase isn’t the problem. The GM is actually trying to build a legit, long term contender, and we have an owner who is hanging on for dear life while Nassau continues to play with the future of this franchise. If August 1 does not go the way we all hope, say goodbye to Nassau residents.
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Joe in Massapequa says:
When the first announcement of the proposed arena deal came about, a big piece of it was the casino at Belmont. And since the meeting at the coliseum a couple weeks ago there was no mention of the casino. Does it tie in anywhere to this entire thing? When I first heard about the proposed arena deal I was under the assumption that everything was tied to one another. As an Islanders fan I am naturally going to vote yes but I feel like I saw game one of a cup final but should know who the winner is after it goes to seven games.
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StevieL says:
This is why Long Island will be a ghost town in 25 years!The politics in Nassau Cty is unbelievable. This is such a no brainer it is incredible. The scenario of the Isles leaving and an empty Nassau Coliseum is situation that nobody is focusing on! it would be a disaster for “all” of Nassau! The NVMC is a quality of life issue that people have to wake up and realize! A loss of revenue, jobs, and entertainment!
God Almighty Nassau wake up! there is only 1 vote and that is yes! A no vote is for a wasteland and for Nassau to be recognized solely as the county people drive thru on their way to the Hamptons or for Suffolk residents to drive thru to see entertainment in NYC. -
bionicman99 says:
This all coming down to NIFA is what really worries me. I’ll never understand why a single entity is allowed to wield such power. (ex. NIFA, Katr Murray/ToH) What happened to checks and balances? One agency shouldn’t have the sole power to decide the fate of such an important project. But that’s Nassau County for you.
I appealed to my sister and brother-in-law to vote yes on Aug. 1st, but they are convinced that they will ultimately be paying for the new arena project. As much as I reiterated that Charles Wang is financing most of the projest with Nassau County reaping the revenue – they would not budge. I’m growing concerned at how many other non-Islanders fans feel this way. Bottom line – I won’t stop worrying until we break ground on the new arena. The Islanders need to promote themselves, ther vote and educate the public AND FAST!
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I’m not sure why a result on August 1st still needs a “supermajority” approval vote from the Legislature. Its nothing more than a two million dollar opinion poll if it carries no weight other than to be a “guide” that politicians can ignore if it suits them. A supermajority of the public vote itself, a percentage, to pass something would make more sense.
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Isles81 says:
This would be so much easier to sell if the team hadn’t been allowed to sink so badly over the last ten years. Management made their own work so much harder by all the short sighted “save a dime” moves that made the org look like a joke.
Its time for them to put together a professional and airtight presentation to the public on the numbers behind this. So far the concensus has been that they have fumbled their way through this. That has to end. Do it right and lets get this thing passed.
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Stu says:
I have a pretty good handle of how these things work from my career in business law. I’m telling you that it doesn’t look good, sorry to say.
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So many unanswered questions. NIFA made mostly of Dems. Dems in the legislature vote no (and to be honest, with no details, I can’t really blame them and I’m a Republican). Figure it out. This is a lot bleaker than the Newsday coverage would lead you to believe.
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93 Miracle says:
THis team is headed in the right direction and in a big time way. Long Island cant see it yet which is the non-hockey fans and even some islanders fans are taking a “wait and see approach” with the team and thats your right, its your money, but this team is going to be real exciting before you know it. You saw a glimpse for 3 months this past year and this is only the beggining as our young players develope further and more young players come in. Its Garth’s Job to get atleast an average defense and to plug in the necessary holes so we can make the playoffs and show ALL what this team will be about not only in the current coliseum but a new one! Lets go Islanders!
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Dave says:
Same old tactics one side is for it and the other is not! Lets get this deal passed otherwise there will be no concerts, tax base that the county all ready gets from the arena. My brother’s father inlaw helped build the arena decades ago, to have more stores, condo’s will not generate 15-20 mill the county all ready gets from the arena and land.
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The TRUTH>>>Listen people Nassau County will provide the details between Mr. Wang and The county exec by mid to late JUNE, so there should be no issues, if ther is it’s just BS! If New York State ” The Governer GETS INVOLOVED he can overwrite NIFA! They are employed by the STATE! Every one approves the SCHOOL BUDGET each YEAR with A 3-8% increase why not this deal that generates revenue. Look at your TAX Bill thats why NASSAU County is high not the County TAX!
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If this doesnt not pass AUG 1st we are to blame because we stood by and did not orgainze a group to get out the VOTE!
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JDP says:
“In the end, before and after the referendum, this could come down to NIFA’s approval.”
Could? From everything I’ve seen it WILL come down to their approval.
Today’s vote is a small victory, but ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things. The referendum will hold no weight. Holding the vote outside the election calendar is not genius. It’s a stacked vote (as we all acknowledge) and it gives NIFA no reason to believe it is “the will of the people”.
Wang should be paying off NIFA members, not paying for sham special elections!
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A Real hockey fan says:
.. Keeping fingers crossed and thinking positive-mojo thoughts, i think/hope we will be ok
.. Whats the deal with the LI democrats? SRSLY? Im really surpised they usually spend $$ and like union type jobs, whats going on here?
.. Im not happy with them at all, i understand some concerns, but cmon whats the REAL alternative guys? A Long Island with no arena, no sports team, no future building revenues and sadly no identity! cmon politicans wake up!
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Jack says:
Leave it to the Republicans in a liberal dominated state to save the Isles, LETS GO REPUBLICANS !!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I’m gonna get me some.I’ll be standing on the corner
On the corner of Lindbergh and Hotel Drive
I’m gonna be standing on the corner
On the corner of Lindbergh and Hotel Drive
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine.Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I’m gonna get there just the same
I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I’m gonna get me some.I’m gonna pack my team
Leave at the break of dawn
I’m gonna pack my team
Everybody will be sleeping
Nobody will know where I’ve gone
Cause if I stay in town
I know I’m gonna go bankrupt.
Gotta find a friendly city
And that’s the reason why,
I’m going to Kansas City
Kansas City here I come
They got a crazy way of loving there
And I’m gonna get me some -
I live in suffolk and I will give nassau county the 48 or 55 dollars a year to build the new arena because that 1 dollar and change a week is tough to come up with for nassau residents.
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4theisles says:
Wang has now offered to fund the overage above 350M. A good start, but if this deal is such a sure money maker, why doesn’t he go to his bankers and finance this himself? Or he could offer to buy a big chunk of the bonds himself if it goes public. I’m for a new arena, but I think Wang is going to have to put up money to make this happen.
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Ok..you taxpayers have the highest property taxes in the entire United States, your finances are being overseen by the state….but youll give a BILLIONAIRE Charles wang hundreds of millions of dollars of your tax money so he can build a brand new arena for a team that he doesnt put any money into anyway….you can make an all star team of players that were let go by this crook…dont do it…VOTE NO ON AUGUST 1ST
I’m not a Republican, by any stretch, but those complaints are frivolous. Do the Democrats really believe that in the intervening 2 months, we won’t get more information about the project? And if the vote passes, as expected, Charles Wang will cover the cost, right? So that argument holds no water, either.