There’s a new sheriff in town — or at least a new Republican leader, in the predominantly black Village of Hempstead. Actually, there are two new GOP leaders in the state’s largest village.
Well, neither of these two co-leaders are new as the village’s top Republicans. Last year, James Garner, Long Island’s first black mayor, ended his 16-year tenure as government leader of the 60,000-population village. In that role, he had been the party’s real top dog. And Billy Sammon was the party’s titular chief most of that time.
But the mostly black committeemen and women wanted a black leader and, with the support of Nassau County Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello, they chose one for the first time ever at the end of 2003: Raymond Rhoden, the current Hempstead Town Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Recreation.
Sid Cassese
Last year, Garner could not muster a fifth term, and the Democrats, for the first time in the village’s history, took over the government and now hold four of six elected positions. And although a Republican defeated four Democrats for a trustee slot in March, Rhoden said yesterday he decided to step down as leader because he had “spread himself too thin.”
Mondello said he supported the two new leaders because “Jim \[Garner\] is a very well-known commodity, and I believe in him and trust him. He can be of great service to the party. And Billy Sammon is a very good mechanic.”
Mondello added that Rhoden remains as vice chair of the party, “and they will be like a three-man team.”
Garner said: “Billy \[Sammon\] and I plan to rebuild the party here by bringing in some new blood, offering people a choice. Young people are looking for choices.”
Comments (1)
Young people, middle-aged and seniors were denied the choice of voting for me for US Congress in 1998 as Republican and Right To Life candidate for 4th Federal district NYState, and the first article was racially biased, as I am a white resident of Hempstead for over 37 years. I served honorably as an Accountant in The Nassau County Office of The Comptroller while earning my HS Diploma and Moral Character Award as an Athlete and scholar in a Mineola HS, and worked as an Election Inspector while earning my B.A. in English Language and Literature from The Catholic University of America and defending Human Rights and Civil Rights as a letter writer for Amnesty International, and prosecuting Iranian-Libyan and Syrian Financed Terrorist Networks after the Bombing of Pan Am Flight #103. I also have an excellent history of providing direct health care and supporting the United States Marines with my 87 Lifetime Whole Blood and Blood Platelet Donations to The New York Blood Center, and have been a professional educator in public and private schools and agencies, but was denied the nomination in 1998 for US Congress despite my experience and qualifications, and the ill-advised decision to give me a non-paying position as "NCGOP Committee Party Builder" and not be voted in by the registered traditionally conservative and Republican 4th Federal District NYState US Congress seat, may have led to the September 11 disaster, as I have the Foreign Policy experience in fighting Arab Terrorism with my professional meetings on The Board of Directors of The Victims of Pan Am Flight #103 in the 1990's with former US Sec.State Albright, former Nat.Sec.Adviser Sandy Berger and former US Ambassador to The UN Bill Richardson which led to the Scottish Court Trial in The Netherlands of the indicted suspects, one of whom is in a Glasgow prison, and The Appeal was denied. Had I been elected and sworn into office and appointed to the House International Relations Committee, I may have been able to prevent the terrorist conspiracy, and the un-constitutional Iraq War and Patriot Act from being prosecuted and passed, as the attacks on 9-11 have been an excuse for $60-70 Billion tax bills,increased surveillance of the United States civilian population,just as FDR abused the rights of the Japanese-American immigrants and citizens in CA, and allowed Japanese militants to attack Pearl Harbor so he would have an excuse to institute the draft. I have most recently opposed the re-institution of the draft with various e-mails and hand written letters to save American lives, and have been a vital part of the small, but dedicated and diverse Nassau County Libertarian Party, and would like to serve as President of The United States on any available lines 2008 and 2012, preferably Republican, Right To Life,Libertarian and Constitution Party lines as I have attained the Constitutionally required 35 years of age and fulfilled the residency requirement, and have provided the leadership that the American people have needed over the years, but have never been formally elected to public office, and would consider it an honor to serve as The President of The United States.Thanks in advance for your time and cooperation, and I look forward to working for you again. Respectfully Yours, Dan Tobin