Nassau Coliseum Referendum Voted Down; Islanders Likely Gone

Voter Turnout Said To Be Extremely Low; Final Results Not Very Close

August 1, 2011 11:59 PM

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is seen from Chopper 880 – Uniondale, NY – Jul 27, 2011 (credit: Tom Kaminski / WCBS 880)

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Updated at 7:20 a.m., Aug. 2, 2011

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Long Islanders have officially had their say on the future of Nassau Coliseum and the New York Islanders. It looks like they don’t want either.

Voters hit the polls Monday and defeated a $400 million bond issue that would have funded a replacement for the 39-year-old Coliseum. The funds would have been used to construct a new hockey arena, minor league ballpark and convention space. Now that it has failed, it’s believed Islanders owner Charles Wang will move the franchise out of the area once its lease is up in 2015.

The referendum failed 57 to 43 percent in what officials said was a very low turnout for the unusual midsummer election. Nassau County has roughly 900,000 registered voters.

In a publicity blitz, supporters said the project would create more than 3,000 jobs and bring in $14 million in revenue each year. But at the polls CBS 2′s Emily Smith found registered voters who were questioning a government-funded projected when the county is already financially strapped.

“They say it is going to create jobs, but there are no facts really. It’s like here’s the money and all of these wonderful things,” said Warren Marcus of Mineola.

Wang made no predictions about the future in brief comments before hockey fans and supporters at a gathering at the coliseum after the vote late Monday night.

“I’m disappointed, I’m heartbroken,” the millionaire founder of software maker Computer Associates said. He promised the team would remain on Long Island until the lease expires.

Republican County Executive Edward Mangano insisted the new coliseum project would generate income to overcome any initial taxpayer investment, but he was clearly rebuffed. He also expressed disappointment with the outcome, but insisted he was not quitting on the idea of developing the 77-acre site, one of the most valuable undeveloped parcels of property in the county.

“This just opens up new doors,” Mangano said.

Elections Commissioner William Biamonte said by early afternoon the turnout was about 5 percent of all registered voters. Making matters worse for evening voters were terrible storms and Long Island Rail Road delays. Turnout was extremely low with only about 100,000 voters expected to cast ballots; an election official said a typical November election attracts about three times that number.

Voter Christopher McNally questioned why the vote was held on the first day of August, instead of in November.

“Why are we holding this referendum of an important thing, on a summer day, on Monday. That is really a departure from the norm in this area,” McNally said.

Listen: Charles Wang’s interview with Boomer & Carton

Many business groups backed the move, saying it would have create much-needed jobs. Opponents don’t see why the government — already running north of a projected $100 million deficit — would hike taxes to help fund the build.

“Is it perfect? There’s no such thing as perfect right now, especially in the county,” said Brian Rosenberg of the Long Island Restaurant Association. “But millions and millions of dollars in tax revenue will be lost if we sit back and keep debating.”

Listen: Ed Mangano & Jay Jacobs with Boomer & Carton

wangvotes Nassau Coliseum Referendum Voted Down; Islanders Likely Gone

Islanders owner Charles Wang votes on the proposed $400 million bond measure to fund construction of a new coliseum on Aug. 1, 2011. ( credit: Mona Rivera/1010 WINS)

County officials said the project would’ve cost $58 a year per homeowner. Supporters of the project suggested with revenue from sales, hotel and entertainment packages — plus the creation of more than 1,000 jobs — it would actually have cost the county much less.

Mangano said an independent budget review projected the risk, once all revenues were accounted for, to be $13.80 per average household.

Desmond Ryan, of the Association for a Better Long Island, was against the $400 million project and said earlier Monday he believed it was going to be a close vote.

“The Islander fans and the unions will be turning out in force but I think the already over-burdened tax payers of Nassau County are about to come forward and say ‘enough is enough,’” Ryan said.

arenarendering Nassau Coliseum Referendum Voted Down; Islanders Likely Gone

(credit: Handout/New York Islanders)

Clifford Sondock of the Land Use Institute also took issue with the plan.

“Nassau County is effectively bankrupt,” Sondock said. “They have too much debt. They can’t pay their bills. So it flies in the face of logic for them going to borrow $400 million to build a stadium.”

East Meadow resident Irwin Kahn was among those who said now’s not the right time.

“I love hockey,” Kahn said. “I don’t want to pay for it,” he added, referring to the bond issue.

Added Ed Marczewski: “I don’t want to pay for it. Not just for me, I’m 62 years old. My kids and grandkids are going to have to pay this bill — $400 million now; $800 million over 30 years.”

Among those in favor of the project was Josephine Barbieri.

“My son from Boston called to tell me to get out and vote, and vote ‘yes,’” Josephine Barbieri added. “Yes, I did so.”

The referendum and postcards to notify of polling place changes will cost Nassau $2.2 million.

In the end, was the right decision made by the voters? Sound off in our comments section.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Stephen Trinder

I am not a Nassau County resident, nor an Islanders fan. While the loss of the Islanders would be sad, I would vote “No”. I know Nassau County is bankrupt, and who wants to pay to see a team that has not won a playoff series since 1993? The NHL has three teams in NYC, which is too many. All other leagues have two for a reason. The Islanders also have the lowest attendance in the NHL, even worse than some Sun-Belt teams. I don’t think Nassau County residents should pay for an arena many will not use. They should move the team to Quebec City, to be a revival of the Nordiques. Quebec has already approved construction of a new arena to start in 2012 and open in 2015. It has the sponsorship of Quebecor (a Canadian media giant) and a fanbase who still support the Nords as though they never left. We all remember when Nordique Nation came to Long Island. Quebec wants a team more than Long Island and will pay for an arena, that we know will be built. Go Nords! (FYI, I’m a Maple Leafs fan).

MCK

If Quebec is such a great NHL city then why did the great fans of the Nordiques fail to support them? They suffered the same fate that will befall the Islanders if they can’t get help from the outside! The Islanders can and will be a great franchise again! Besides the Islanders…. Long Island needs a coliseum for all the other events that are staged there! Who wants to travel to MSG or Brooklyn or Newark? Long Island needs their own showplace!

BillyV

How dare you imply that Quebec fans failed to support the Nordiques. Unlike the Islanders, the Nordiques did not suffer from attendance problems, but from a weak Canadian dollar in the mid 90′s and from rising salaries. Case in point, the hundreds of Nordique fans who traveled down to Long Island to show support for an Islanders relocation to Quebec.

I’m a Canadian, and I want the Islanders to stay in Long Island. Relocation, in any case, is a terrible thing and the Islanders could draw in many fans if they were successful. But please do a little research before trying to besmirch the loyal Nordique fans, lest the same thing happen to the Islanders.

james

There are three teams in metro NYC (should be 4 – CT!!), but each team represents a state (NJ), a city (NYC) and another state (NY). The US comes before Canada as CA does not have enough large cities to sustain a league. You have to keep in mind that NYC has about 8.5 million people alone, so in theory, each borough except for Staten Island could carry a team from each major sport on it’s own! Even Staten Island could have A team. Most sports cities are small, some are just famous for their teams. CT has a lot of rich people here – get us some TEAMS! NJ should not have teams if we can’t. We are in the NYC market TOO!!!
Travel.AAAAmerican.Comn

Dear Stephen Trinder,
I guess also you sure need to do more research too.
NYC, NY has only ONE NHL Team. The NY Rangers.

You saying Three is like saying the Statue of Liberty is in NYC, NY too.. ( It resides on Liberty Island, City of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey and is powered and gased by PEG :NYSE !)

Quebec is a very nice Canadian City and does need a Team there. A NHL is a perfect fit.
BCISLEMAN

Actually the Quebec arena faces many legal challenges and has been denied federal funding. Who wants to pay taxes for a new arena when Bettman has made it clear that the NHL has no plans to move a franchise there? And the Isles have done something four times that the Nords never came close to doing once: Win the Cup!

flea

It’s not fun losing a hockey team. We lost the Whalers, and they never won anything. If i could vote yes, i would……VOTE YES.
james

They should vote no and then move the team to CT – where are our teams? We always get short-changed in this Tri-state area! Besides, hockey is not what it used to be.

flea

Good idea….Move the team to Hartford. We want our Hartford Whalers back…..LOL…from the Nassau Coliseum to the Hartford Civic Center. From one dump to another………..but i do wish we could get the Whalers back some day.

james

Well, I was not talking all the way up in Hartford. Hartford is just the political capital, but it is not the cultural capital or largest city in the state. Hartford is out by MA, I am talking keeping it within the largest TV market in the US – NYC. Hartford does not afford that. I do not care about the Whalers, I just want CT (Tristate part) to have our team. New Haven or Bridgeport is good as they can still be called Islanders or Sound.

Emil Antanowski

NO
What’s wrong with the POS that is there now?
iggy

i am an islanders fan, i wouldn’t have voted for the bill. the answer was in the building of the nets arena in brooklyn. an ice rink should have been included and the islanders could have played there, sell-out every night. the money would have been there. there wouldn’t have been a conflict with the rangers since they sell out all of the time.
you cant take it with you

i dont see where you have any Little Wangs to leave these billions to yes you do give a lot away BUT not paying for this you are in a sence taking away all you have given. So Pony up pay for it yourself IT’LL be the BIG WANG of nassau county

movetheislestoct

Would you build a house on property that you don’t own? That’s a lot to ask of Wang. And I can’t stand him….

goodbye Charlie

Goodbye Charlie and take your team to Canada. You are a Billionaire which means you have more money then you can spend in 10 lifetimes (and your close to the of Lifetime #1 due to age) you want it you Pay for it make it your Legacy the big WANG which wont be duplicated. also if yo control it the County wont be able to put in its GOP rats to run the place. you wont need Nassau Unions telling you what to do. its a win win for the Big Wang

CJ Pipes

Wang originally was going to pony up a billion $ for developing the properties around the stadium, the nassau county board said no. If the new stadium isn’t built and the islanders move, then the old stadium which is falling apart (it is the oldest hockey stadium in the country) will be ripped down with tax payer money. The new stadium will bring lots of money into nassau county. If you vote it down, then your taxes will be jacked up much higher then if you vote yes. The county is bankrupt, ie they don’t take in enough money now, so where do you think that the annual $200 million in revenue that is generated at the coliseum will come from. Think people – It will come out of your pockets. Nassau county will be getting 11.5% of all sales from the new stadium. How will the county make that kind of money if the new stadium isn’t built? How many more jobs will there be if a new stadium is built. Don’t be stupid, vote yes.

CJ UR r an idiot

Yeah sure vote yes because it old. BFD, remodel it instead. CJ why should we the taxpayers pay for it and THEN pay for parking etc, and then only receive 11%. IT is a BAD DEAL FOR NASSAU! VOTE NO. The taxpayers should get a guarantee NO MOVE clause and receive nothing less than mgmt fees from WANG and receive at least 30% of any revenue. Then the revenue should be earmarked ONLY for the taxes on property, by law.

THEN IT WOULD BE A GOOD DEAL
CJ Pipes

You call me an idiot, then write that utter nonsense. You should get off the computer and go back to licking your window. While your at it, you may want to save up for Rosetta Stone to learn English.

The Coliseum is way beyond a remodel, the building is falling apart. No one wants to go to the Coliseum. Wang will lease the new stadium for 30 yrs if it is built. The 11.5% of all sales isn’t 11.5% of the profit, it is much higher than that. The new stadium might be the only thing that can save your county. If the Islanders leave the Coliseum, it will be ripped down with tax payer money. If that happens then no one will lease that property. Zero revenue.
cj the accountant

Yes CJ you truly are an idiot for attacking me.
SerfCityHereWeCome

Oh come on! Oldest in the country? It’s not even the oldest hockey arena WITHIN 20 MILES! Coliseum completed in 1972. The fourth and present MSG completed in 1968. Which came first, 1968 or 1972?
Walt Gekko

CJ Pipes:

The Nassau Colosseum is actually the second oldest arena in the NHL (MSG is the oldest currently in use, and will be for some time). Perhaps the Islanders move to the new building in Brooklyn, as I’m sure Ratner and the Nets would love to have a co-tenant like the Islanders (who can still use that name since the building will actually be on Long Island, which Brooklyn is technically part of). Maybe they become the Brooklyn Islanders!

mike

i’m sure if the county put the 77 acres up for sale somebody would buy it; why should i have to pay for his new stadium?

Bennnnnny

that is one of the best ideas out there

tom

this is a joke, it didn’t work for the other 15 states across the country that tried this it won’t work here.. tourist arent coming to nassau to watch hockey or minor league baseball oh and i forgot the track field thats being mentioned… a casino would have been a better idea!!! He wang has some wealthy friends have them pony up some
checks to cover the cost…
Greg B

I am a season ticket holder and I voted “NO”. Its not about the Islanders. Kate Murray turned Wang down, because the TOH didnt like something in the deal. But if Wang wants a new place ,let him pay for it. We still would have to pay for parking, 6.00 hotdogs and the rest. Nassau County has the highest tax rate in THE NATION!. Enough said.

BCISLEMAN

With friends like you, who needs enemies? Starting with the 2015-16 season, you will be saving season ticket costs, parking costs, and food and beverage costs because there will be no team in Uniondale.

STEVO123

YES

YES

YES

AND YES

Y E S
STEVO123

VOTE YES ISLANDERS NEED TO SAY BERE O LONG ISLAND AND LONG ISLANDERS NEED A PLACE TO TAKE THERE FAMILIES FOR SHOWS EVENTS CONCERT AND HOCKEY. MAKING MEMORIES IN THE PLCE U GROW UP IS WHAT FAMILIES LIVE FOR
LETS GO LONG ISLAND GET THIS ONE RIGHT
TS NOT JUST ABOUT THE ISLANDERS ITS ABOUT OUR HOME ON LONG ISLAND
VOTEEEEEEEE YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

JoshSucks

Take the caps lock off and go take some valium. It’s about your out of control budget and TAXES that are too high. Take a deep breath and look in the mirror. Now repeat after me – NASSAU COUNTY IS BROKE. Say it again until memorized.

STEVEO123

NO VOTE YES
GO LONG ISLAND

RANGERS1994

All of you Ranger Fans whio Remember “1940″, this is your time to get even and get rid of this cancre sore team once and for all. VOTE NO AND SEMD THEM PACKING!

CK

First of all….learn how to spell then someone may take you seriously!

Rangers1994

I didn’t put my contact lens in today. The last person who tried to correct my spelling was 40 years ago. Go stick it ! People got my message.. It’s time for the chickens to come home to roost and pay the bill for all the years of torturing Ranger fans. How did that song go: Going to Kansas City, Here I come!, Gonna meet some pretty women there and have some fun!

BCISLEMAN

The Isles aren’t leaving the NY area. They are going to stay here & torment you by winning Cup after Cup while your moribund franchise struggles to stay relevant.

J

Instead of letting the low lifes take over the place how about our $120,000 cops do their job.
miki01

NO NO NO!! Charles Wang should take the money out of his own pocket, the money that he stole from his employees. Let him build a new colisuem…

Nick

He did want to. He wanted to spend $1 billion to develop the properties there. The politicians demanded payoffs. Development scuttled.
laxinbd

Wang tried do do that, Kate Murray didn’t allow him to pay for it, now this is our last chance. Wang is also just a tenet in the Coliseum, he does not own it, the county does. Would you personally rebuild a house that you rent and have the owner still own it? DO YOUR RESEARCH MIKI01

MCK

For all you naysayers it would be much better to tear down the Coliseum and leave a giant empty parking lot so all the low lifes can hang out there amid broken bottles and trash! Then once a year it can be cleaned up for the county fair that brings in more low lifes! Think of that homeowners in the area that want to vote no! Or better yet…how would you like low income housing?

Nick

It’s Hempstead. It IS lowlife.

joshsucks

No, it’s Uniondale. How dare you compare Uniondale with Hempstead. Hempstead has no hockey team! No bragging rights!

A

Don’t build the new one and burn the present one. NO NO NO.
pete manheim

Financing sports areans always cost more than the projections say it will. A definite no.

Rilly

And the billionaire owners always build these monuments to their own egos on the backs on middleclass taxpayers who wind up paying for it but then can’t afford to attend the games and concerts held there. I’m glad it failed!!!!!

nelsn97

Charles Wang is an idiot. Does he not know that there’s a brand new arena being built in Brooklyn with direct LIRR connection? He could have made this easy and just simply move the islanders to Brooklyn but he had to be egotistical and want a new arena built outside of transit connections. Moving the Islanders to Brooklyn will save taxpayer money from building an unnecessary arena in LI.

AngryPete

Right ….. he doesn’t know this. You’re the only one who does. You clearly know more about business and real estate than Charles Wang, a lifelong Long Islander and the founder of Computer Associates.

http://jcap17.wordpress.com jcap17

Plus, the NHL would never approve of the Brooklyn arena because it would not have enough capacity for hockey.
joshsucks

Ah, Computer Associates…..that gem of integrity. Where Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are the exception rather than the rule. Ask Mr. Wang’s protege who is doing 12 years in the clink about CA.

BCISLEMAN

He knows. He also knows that the arena is not being built to NHL specs and thus couldn’t be used by the Islanders. He also knows that the owner of the Nets has gone on record as saying that he wants no part of sharing his building w/ the Islanders.

dan

Vote yes.

Keep the Islanders here.

Vote yes.

Jerry

Gimme a break Dan we’re broke and their trying to balance the budget on this nonsensical venture.
They should concentrate on lowering taxes and controlling spending,starting with police and teachers

T

VOTE NO! This is not going to create anymore jobs than the present place does. The rich will get richer and I will have to pay for something I will not use. And gains by the rich will not trickle down, the rich don’t create jobs they hoard their money. I would like to hoard mine too.

Ignorant ppl vote no

What happens when the Islanders leave and there is no one running the NVMC? You’re going to have an empty building that YOU”LL be paying for and NO ONE will be using….

ROBERT MARTORELLA

NO ! BUT YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN US SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. LIKE FREE PARKING FOR NASSAU RESIDENTS.INSTEAD WE PAY FOR THE COMPLEX,PARKING,TICKETS,TAXES ETC. I DON’T THINK SO. HOW ABOUT THE SUFFOLK COLISEUM ?
I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A NASSAU BEACH EITHER…I LIVE HERE
bb

no
Davard

We already have a sports center. How is this going to create any new jobs. It will just give the current parasites a new place to collect their illgottin gains. Friends of politiicans will continue to prosper on the backs of the homeowners. Contractors will get richer. Taxes are so high now. Don’t these people have any scruples or ethics except greed. Regular working people can’t afford to go to theses events as it is. It’s for business moguls who write it off as a business expense.

BCISLEMAN

When the Isles move out in 2015, there will be a big hole in central Nassau w/ thousands of fewer jobs. That’s because all us moguls (have to tell my wife she married a mogul. She needs a good laugh) will be taking the dollars we spend when we go to the game elsewhere. The construction jobs to build the arenas will also go elsewhere. You will pay more than $13.80 in taxes to make up for the lost tax base.

Bob Fowler

BC, I think that you might have missed the obvious. The Coliseum already provides jobs. Except for the overpaid construction jobs that would be created for a few months, what new jobs or tax revenues would be created that could possibly justify spending $400 million (before overruns)?

When you bemoan the tax revenues lost when the Islanders depart, were the revenues really enough to offset the additional expenses? Police in and around the Coliseum alone add significantly to the expenses of having an event. America, like all of the past world empires, is coming to the end of her run as the world leader. Opulence and excess are signs that the end is near. The Coliseum is for entertainment, and in these tough times, that really isn’t a good enough excuse to take $400 million and give it to those who need it the least.
BCISLEMAN

Haven’t missed anything. What happens when the Islanders and their 41+ guaranteed dates a year and Mr. Wang’s money depart? Will there be enough income to justify NVMC’s existence much less the badly needed renovation / replacement? Of course not! Once the NYI go, the NVMC will be dead as a Dodo.

ace11

No

NO

and NO

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Nassau Coliseum Referendum Voted Down; Islanders Likely Gone

Voter Turnout Said To Be Extremely Low; Final Results Not Very Close

August 1, 2011 11:59 PM

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