"C" Day for Ed Mangano & Nassau County

I will try to be brief, but my nerves have the best of me.  Today is the day that Nassau Executive Ed Mangano will announce his decision on who gets the Coliseum rights.  The announcement will come at 11:30 am today and all the time and money spent by the two competing factions will come to an end.

We all know that both the MSG group and the Ratner group are successful and intelligent developers who are sure to make the county, and themselves, money with this project.  The Town of Hempstead will benefit from either development.  So with those things being equal, all that remains is which will keep the history alive.

The MSG group wants to bring the "MSG BRANDS" to Uniondale.  The Ratner group wants to keep a link to the NHL franchise that called it home for decades.  For that reason, it's an emotional issue for many of us.

As a resident of Long Island and an Isles fan, it breaks my heart to think that the history of the NY Islanders will be obliterated or perhaps simply relegated to "an area in a bar/restaurant" dominated by MSG brand entities.  I fear the arena and the area will become one giant commercial for Cablevision's Optimum service, MSG and the NY Rangers.

Doesn't the Dolan group own enough of our land, lives and entertainment venues?  They own our news outlets with the exception of very few.  One of which published an EXCELLENT piece on their advertising masquarading as journalism in their piece Newsday Omission in Story on Owner’s Rival Raises Questions.  Thank you Long Island Press!

And thank you Kevin Schultz from Islanders Point Blank for bringing the subject of policitcal contributions by Newsday to the Ed Mangano campaign to light.

Certainly all developers use backroom politics to get projects built. It's the way of the world, so I am not shocked at the idea that money has exchanged hands. What I am angry at is Newsday's perpetual bias towards their companies. It is no longer a 'news' vehicle, but an advertising and propaganda machine.
An MSG company Coliseum rebuild will systematically remove the Islanders franchise from the Long Island area until they are nothing but a footnote in history making it so that Brooklyn not only claim them, but change them.
Chose wisely Mr. Mangano. Both developers will help save Nassau County from financial ruin, but chosing one over the other may just ruin your political career.