Rick Brand

Rick Brand 5/12/12 Farmingdale home rule plan to test waters

At the very end of its meeting last week, the Farmingdale Village Board without fanfare ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/28/12 Brand: Convicted pol making a comeback?

For the first time since his conviction in a political corruption probe in 2003, ex-Suffolk ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/21/12 Montano-Schaffer rift has Suffolk Dems uneasy

Lately, Suffolk Legis. Ricardo Montano and Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer are not seeing eye ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/14/12 Maragos on Senate run: 'Full speed ahead'

Rick Santorum may have dropped out of the Republican presidential race, but Nassau Comptroller George ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/7/12 New home sought for Vanderbilt's dinosaurs

The dinosaurs at Suffolk's Vanderbilt Museum and planetarium may soon become extinct -- or at ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/31/12 Brand: Dems vow fair redistricting

When the Suffolk County Legislature first underwent redistricting in 1971, the lines for the 18-member ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/24/12 Brand: Labate undeterred by new district lines

Steve Labate is suddenly a man without a district. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/17/12 Brand: Suffolk wants titles for polluted sites

It's Suffolk County's $20 million black hole. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/10/12 Brand: Map plan 'flips' King, Israel districts

Call them the bicounty congressmen. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/3/12 Brand: Bellone's chief deputy has mission

Regina Calcaterra says her work on corporate pension fraud cases was the perfect training for ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/25/12 Former exec Levy starts consulting biz

Former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is hanging out his shingle -- not to practice ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/11/12 GOP's Steve Labate ready to take on Israel

When tea party activist Steve Labate first tried to run for Congress two years ago, ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/4/12 Talk about ex-Suffolk GOP boss John Powell

Brookhaven Town Hall is buzzing with speculation about a comeback by ex-Suffolk GOP chairman John ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/21/12 Maragos seeking GOP nod for U.S. Senate

Since last spring, Nassau Comptroller George Maragos has been quietly spending many nights and weekends ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/14/12 Activist continues challenge of GOP methods

Martin Dekom sees himself as a good conservative Republican, who has organized local GOP clubs ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/7/12 Bellone's fiscal chief could prove costly

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone's hiring of veteran budget guru Fred Pollert has given his ... Read more »

Rick Brand 12/31/11 Nursing home's future now up to Bellone

It started a century ago as the county's almshouse in Yaphank for Suffolk's sick and ... Read more »

Rick Brand 12/17/11 Levy lashes out at former ally Schaffer

He may only have two weeks left on the job, but Suffolk County Executive Steve ... Read more »

Rick Brand 12/10/11 Brand: MTA payroll tax still an issue

Counties, like Rodney Dangerfield, seem to get no respect. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 12/3/11 Suffolk executive: 'A tale of two Steves'

Only hours before the name of Steve Bellone's new top aide surfaced last week, the ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/19/11 Brand: Levy campaign refunds unclaimed

Some Suffolk County executive aides have dubbed it the "Steve Levy Christmas Club." ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/12/11 Schaffer basks in Bellone's win, mulls run

Suffolk County Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer knows more than most about getting out the vote ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/5/11 Parties prepare to get out the vote

They call it the "ground game." ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/29/11 Judicial candidate in tough spot on ballot

The political odd couple of former New York Mayor Ed Koch and Rep. Peter King ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/22/11 Brand: Suffolk exec contenders mum on fiscal mess

Suffolk Treasurer Angie Carpenter last week showed up at the county legislature's budget committee to ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/15/11 As election nears LI voters in bad mood

With gridlock in Washington over the president's jobs bill and the prospect of massive budget ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/8/11 Brand: Pol offers alternative to Levy layoffs

In a budget crisis in which Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is looking to lay ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/1/11 Suffolk Dems riding on Cuomo's popularity

As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo continues to soar in the polls, Suffolk Democrats are looking ... Read more »

Rick Brand 9/25/11 On the blog

Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer may be leaving at year's end, but his daughter Bridget ... Read more »

Rick Brand 9/17/11 Suffolk Conservative seeks judgeships

Until last week, Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello was expecting to name eight of 10 ... Read more »

Rick Brand 9/10/11 Suffolk water agency courts Nassau village

It hasn't made headlines, but the Suffolk County Water Authority has held behind-the-scenes talks and ... Read more »

Rick Brand 8/20/11 Brand: Nassau's dilemma after FIT ruling

North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman last week struck a blow for local governments statewide when ... Read more »

Rick Brand 8/13/11 Suffolk ditches storm-drain filter project

A pilot project to help protect Suffolk's waterways and underground water supply with a new ... Read more »

Rick Brand 8/6/11 Dems see opportunity in Mangano woes

His re-election campaign may be two years away, but Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's budget ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/30/11 Suffolk home-auction residency rule ripped

Suffolk County owns a boarded up ranch house in Mastic Beach with a two-car garage ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/23/11 Brand: Levy, critics debate land preservation

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy earlier this month touted his record of preserving open space ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/16/11 Brand: Levy looks ahead to life after office

Move over, Empire Center for New York State Policy. Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy wants ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/9/11 Brand: Suffolk exec race begin ad blitz

Suffolk Republican Treasurer Angie Carpenter's first radio ad for county executive is up and running, ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/2/11 His persistence on East End buses pays off

Call Suffolk Legis. Jay Schneiderman the little bus that could. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 6/25/11 Brand: LI planning council dealt fatal blow, Levy says

After 46 years, regional planning on Long Island is near death. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 6/18/11 Suffolk working on sober homes cleanup

For nearly a decade, Suffolk has tried to rein in unregulated sober homes through legislation ... Read more »

Other Columnists 6/11/11 Brookhaven GOP snubs three-term pol

When Brookhaven Republicans denied three-term GOP town board member Kathy Walsh renomination last week, it ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/28/11 GOP's Carpenter didn't let 'no' defeat her

When Suffolk Treasurer Angie Carpenter officially announced her county executive candidacy at a shuttered West ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/21/11 Ripples at Suffolk Democrats' convention

It was the only clash in a kumbaya Suffolk Democratic convention. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/14/11 Brand: Suffolk needs transparency, not puffery

Early this year, John Seaman, head of the group that spearheaded the push to create ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/7/11 LaValle: Suffolk GOP's Job, or Moses?

To some, Suffolk Republican chairman John Jay Lavalle is the political version of Job -- ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/23/11 Islip GOP abuzz with talk of comeback

With its leaky roof patched and drab wood walls spruced up with fresh paint, the ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/16/11 Sizing up Carpenter's bid for county exec

Unlike a half-dozen potential GOP contenders who have been hemming and hawing about running for ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/9/11 Lazio casts glances at Suffolk's big race

Rick Lazio is back. And he's testing the waters for a possible run for county ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/19/11 Party chiefs try to clear way for Levy

Trying to clear the re-election path for newly minted Republican Steve Levy, Republican and Conservative ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/12/11 Brand: GOP anxious when Johnson falls ill

When veteran Republican state Sen. Owen Johnson coughs, the entire GOP Senate majority collectively covers ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/5/11 Brand: New chief familiar with Vanderbilt Museum

He may not be a trained museum professional, but no one knows more than Lance ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/26/11 Brand: Nursing home battle intensifies

After two decades of battling, Suffolk's century-old county nursing home in Yaphank is 32 days ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/19/11 Brand: GOP's LaValle: 'We're on the offensive'

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy's defection to the GOP last year will likely net party ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/12/11 Brand: Delicate deal on Carmans River

Two decades after the bitter battle over Long Island's pine barrens, builders and environmentalists had ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/5/11 Brand: Pals vie to lead Brookhaven Dems

Call them the rebound boys. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/31/11 Brand: Judge's salary among highest in NY

Newly elected County Court Judge Stephen Behar has put himself in a position to make ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/16/11 Levy move on layoffs backfires

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has resorted to having seven executive aides process thousands of ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/15/11 Brand: Bellone's early fundraising raises bar

Call Steve Bellone the Democrats' $1-million man. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 1/8/11 Brand: Guldi trial will be anything but boring

Even before the Harry Potter-sque "high elected official" who could not be named and now ... Read more »

Rick Brand 12/11/10 Brand: Bishop present due to absentees

Back in September, Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer said national Democratic operatives came in and ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/20/10 Suffolk elected officials defy Steve Levy on hiring

Call them the Gang of Five. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/13/10 Yes, she voted, but don't you dare ask for whom

All last week, Rosemary Czulada's telephone seemed to be constantly ringing and she was angry. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/7/10 On Tuesday, Levy officially turns Republican

Come Tuesday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy officially turns Republican. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 11/7/10 An election lesson for the kids

It was a predawn political Kodak moment. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/30/10 It's mud-throwing weekend for political campaigns

Call it the "kitchen sink" weekend. ... Read more »

Other Columnists 10/23/10 The 'Levyland' project in Yaphank is in dispute

The ambitious but controversial project that critics label "Levyland" is about to be put between ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/10/10 Election boards order magnifying glasses for voters

Print on the new paper ballots is so small that Long Island election officials are ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/9/10 Fearful E. Patchogue homeowner's plea for help

Catherine Donnelly thought she had found her dream home when she moved from Babylon into ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/9/10 At roast for Democrat, jokes target Levy

It was billed as a roast of Suffolk Democratic chairman Richard Schaffer, but County Executive ... Read more »

Rick Brand 10/2/10 Suffolk Democratic leader faces toughest year

Richard Schaffer, decked in jeans and a button-down shirt, spent three hours Saturday knocking on ... Read more »

Rick Brand 9/18/10 Brand: Deciphering top LI judge's resignation

State Supreme Court Justice Blydenburgh, who had been looking for the Republican nomination to a ... Read more »

Other Columnists 9/11/10 Brand: The primary goal is to rustle up voters

Forget the TV ads, direct mail and automated robo-calls. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 9/4/10 Brand: Demos talks of hometown ties in primary

In the drive-by race that is the First District GOP congressional primary, George Demos may ... Read more »

Rick Brand 8/8/10 No funds spent on Bayport clambake, Levy camp says

How did County Executive Steve Levy pay for that free clambake in Bayport last week ... Read more »

Rick Brand 8/7/10 Brand: Cox needs more than Nixon legacy to win

Chris Cox is embroiled this year in a tough three-way GOP congressional primary in the ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/31/10 Brand: Levy hosting clambake for GOP leaders

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who turned Republican last April in a high-flying gubernatorial bid, ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/25/10 Levy fundraiser McShane quits Democratic Party post

Veteran Democratic operative Anne McShane will step down as a state party committeewoman rather than ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/25/10 Paterson vetoes Schwenk's name for pine barrens

Gov. David A. Paterson vetoed a measure to name a 154-acre pine barrens tract in ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/24/10 Brand: LI tea party now aimed at Conservatives

Local tea party groups are declaring war on fellow right-wingers by filing petitions to force ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/17/10 Candidate screening turns into shouting match in Melville

Call it the melee in Melville. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/10/10 Brand: LI nursing home's fate appears sealed

The fate of what once was known as the county almshouse may have been sealed ... Read more »

Rick Brand 7/3/10 Brand: Becker to challenge McCarthy for seat

The Becker clan, a Lynbrook GOP political dynasty, just never gives up. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 6/26/10 Brand: Alessi-Losquadro race could be tough

Republican Suffolk Legis. Dan Losquadro lives just 10 blocks away from Democratic Assemb. Marc Alessi ... Read more »

Rick Brand 6/19/10 A boost for Nassau's fight to keep lever voting machines

New York's old reliable lever voting machines, which lately seemed beyond life support, gasped new ... Read more »

Rick Brand 6/5/10 Brand: LaValle's fate tied to Levy's

John Jay LaValle had a finger-pointing faceoff with veteran state Conservative leader Michael Long. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/29/10 Brand: Pols write judge supporting Lucero killer

Suffolk Legis. Jack Eddington and his wife, Patricia, the Brookhaven Town clerk, wrote letters on ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/23/10 Suffolk Legislature gaffe on site change memo

A memo was posted to notify the public that the site had been changed for ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/22/10 Brand: Police chaplain wants more Suffolk cops

Rev. Edward Wisbauer has been speaking out forcefully about the lack of police staffing - ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/15/10 Brand: GOP hopes for Zeldin's Senate return

Lee Zeldin has became a top choice for Republicans' regaining control of the State Senate. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 5/1/10 Brand: Tea party suffering from growing pains?

The tea party seems to be suffering growing pains, clashing with major and minor party ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/24/10 Things would be easier if Levy switch was early

It was with great fanfare in Albany that Steve Levy last month announced his defection ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/18/10 Suffolk GOP to screen 1st Congressional District contenders

Suffolk Conservatives are set to screen the crowded 1st Congressional District field Monday night. But ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/10/10 Brand: Iraq vet could be a primary candidate

Iraq vet Steve Labate is sounding very much like a primary candidate. ... Read more »

Rick Brand 4/4/10 Legislator Viloria-Fisher mulls run for Suffolk exec post

Add lame-duck Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-East Setauket) to the list of Democrats lining up to ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/28/10 Southold straw poll shows Levy taking a beating

Steve Levy's aspirations for governor took a beating Thursday in Southold, GOP sources said, when ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/27/10 Brand: Levy's patronage practice eyed since switch

For nearly 500 county workers in jobs exempt from civil service rules - political appointees ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/20/10 Brand: Will Levy spoil 'a Republican year'?

While some Republicans say Steve Levy may have a greater chance of winning governor, there's ... Read more »

Rick Brand 3/13/10 Brand: Some GOP puzzling over LaValle-Levy talks

The good news for new Suffolk Republican chairman John Jay LaValle is that both leading ... Read more »

Rick Brand 2/27/10 Brand: Levy might need Plan B if he runs for guv

Now Steve Levy's hope is that Rick Lazio, the GOP front-runner, falls on his face. ... Read more »