Arena: We Have To Rally The Troops

While we wait for the plan for the redevelopment of the Nassau Coliseum site to be released, it's time to start the process of rallying the residents of Nassau County. Nick Giglia from Let There Be Light(house) made a very interesting post today regarding the obstacles and what we would potentially need to happen on August 1 for this to go through.

CH: Nick's blog is a must read. One of the main points he drives home is that this referendum is going to have to win in a landslide. I think that's something we all kind of knew intrinsically, but maybe did not want to admit before. If this vote is only a 55-45 split, it's not going to be enough for both a supermajority in legislature and for NIFA to put the go-ahead through. And that's especially true because of the low voter turnout that's sure to occur. As Nick said in the article, Nassau turnout in these types of elections is awful. The Islander fans and unions have the potential to dominate the vote, but that means there cannot be any apathy. It's the number one point that needs to be driven home. If you are available to vote on August 1, you have to do it. Get friends, family, friends of the family - everyone you can to that ballot box.

AT: Exactly. Everyone needs to go into this thinking that their vote will matter - because it will! Everyone who is voting will help. This isn't a general election for president where if you're voting in a typically blue/red state your vote means very little. This is a highly contested issue and every vote will matter, especially with a lower turnout.

CH: The problem is we don't know what this plan really consists of yet. Furthermore, when it is released, the plan needs to make sense. I'm not naive - if the plan doesn't add up and is a sure-fire loss for Nassau County, I won't be able to justify the push. What's crushing during this process is that we don't know anything, but that doesn't mean we can't prepare for the best. For this to work, we're going to have to.

AT: The sooner this plan comes out, the better. We were told mid-June. Well, it's June 14th... let's get the ball rolling.

Arena: Validity of August 1 Vote Questioned

Both Newsday and the Long Island Press are reporting that the August 1 referendum regarding the redevelopment of the Nassau Coliseum and its surrounding areas may be illegal under New York State Law. The main argument seems to be a matter of whether the referendum is binding or non-binding (advisory). 

Charles Wang and Ed Mangano are expect to release their plans for the Coliseum this month.

CH: I needed a few hours to wrap my head around this. There's a lot of parts involved in a major development deal like this, and a lot of different angles to look at. The fact is Charles Wang and Ed Mangano have not been transparent enough to this point. They have preached it, but they haven't delivered yet. I can only hope that every possible question is answered when this plan comes out (which needs to come as soon as possible), because the assumptions and misinformation is getting out of control. The fact this referendum's legality is now in question after the legislature has voted on it is unacceptable. This stuff needed to be checked and double-checked with the County Attorney General before any of this came out. However, at the same time, one would have to believe that was done. So where is this argument coming from?

AT: Perhaps they need yet another press conference. Outline the vote, what the arena will be like, how it will be paid for in very direct, coherent language that everyone can understand. 

CH: We are now in a situation where we are dealing with "legal issues," a public vote, a legislature vote, NIFA, and ABLI (featured again in the Newsday article) asking for a new RFP on the site. That's what needed to be expected - especially with no plan released a month after the original press conference. We've heard tidbits such as Wang paying all overages on the Coliseum and the Islanders signing a lease for 30 years. It's not enough though. Attitudes are extremely hard to change, and while the Islander fans and unions are doing their part, it's time for the leading parties to put forth a PR campaign.

AT: It's definitely going to take a very large PR campaign to get the misinformation out and the facts in. Again, I think another press conference that truly entails what the plan will involve is absolutely essential to quiet the critics and dash out a lot of the incorrect information.

CH: Still, we have to stay optimistic. Admitting defeat because of a couple of newspaper articles cannot be accepted. Everyone reading this wants this Coliseum project to be completed. We can lead the charge, and we have to.

AT: Absolutely. Every big plan like this will at one point face speed bumps. We simply need to combat misinformation and get our word spread as far out as possible.

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