Soon we are going to get into that approved, not approved mantra we saw in other markets with each twist and turn or Islanders saved, Islanders will move with every scrap of news.
I'm not interested in that and will not even waste a test blog on it after this one.
What do you want me to write about the coverage I have not written before?
When Newsday's Eden Laikin makes mistakes (or the editor cuts her article) she seems to never make mistakes on both sides. I saw all the articles where after events this writer portrayed it like only Islander fans were at events and supporting this project with only hockey fan interviews.
Now we get an article where all the submissions were not included for both sides again omitting the ones in favor of the project?
Newsday has a business blog to include how many folks favor or do not approve of the LH regardless of what the numbers are, please get it right.
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As for the project updates and deadlines it's up to the LH people working for Wang-Rechler to let the public know what's happening as they are the only official sites regarding this project with the professional media.
Only deadline we seem to get thrown at us is Charles Wang's, not a mandated deadline for zoning hearing/vote or how long TOH can wait to submit their own final draft of the project which places x buildings on x spot and is the final plan.
My take is it's time to turn the pressure up on Tom Suozzi and Nassau County.
Mr Suozzi's role in the past eight years where the County Executive's talk has been cheap has also done a fine job lately telling us no project, no Islanders which is total garbage and a cop out he has gotten a complete pass for as he passes the buck and the blame to TOH.
The day after Wang's deadline Suozzi better be the first one to say Wang has his lease until 2015 and he will not be let out of it under any circumstances. Nassau taxpayers now have to pay to renovate or replace the Coliseum immediately and pay for a full immediate Smg buyout and condemnation of the lease to make the facility profitable for whoever owns the hockey team along with revenue from other Coliseum events.
That's what every other team in the area got for a new building, that's what thirty plus years of this franchise has earned along with Charles Wang's efforts since he bought the club, not no Lighthouse, no Islanders.
I understand for now it's all about selling the project and getting it approved (so Suozzi can get away with that and use it as leverage) but it does not hide what Nassau-Suozzi has failed to do since he took office which is another reason this project became necessary.
It's a wonderful project as I have written countless times and completely favor because a parking lot is not surburbia but approved or not it does not excuse what led us to this point.
Bottom line.
Nassau gave Smg this lease, Nassau is completely responsible to repair, renovate and replace Nassau Coliseum. I know Tom Gulotta handed whoever owns the Isles this nightmare deal which happened in Pittsburgh but Suozzi's done nothing (other than his worthless proclamation in 2002) but make Wang wait until 2005 to even select him and Rechler as a developer and afterwards sat on his hands two more years before TOH got the project.
As much as there is to legitimately blame TOH for during tthis time there is much more to blame on Nassau County who after 2015 will have to go directly to the taxpayers to keep the building open if the Isles did leave at that time.
Forty odd days until Tom Suozzi has to break the bad news, that Nassau has to pay up sooner or later (sure he can blame TOH or Tom Gulotta) and he waited too many years to get things moving. Until then he better be pushing for this project like his career depends on it daily if necessary to get hearings and zoning votes scheduled and approved.
Newsday did report Mr Suozzi's lease with Wang is ninety nine percent done, why is it not a hundred percent done because that's the out on the lease and he's had all this time to complete that hurdle and announce it to put on even more pressure?
Starting the day after Wang's deadline I want to see some " Just condemn the Smg lease " shirts out there.
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