This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

What is All the Hub Bub, Bub?

If you build it they will come, but at what cost? They want to build a New Coliseum Arena and Mitchel Sports Stadium. What's the down side to watching the "The Big Wang Theory?" I'll tell you!

Recently I went to a community meeting at a public East Meadow location after work. These meetings are hosted by some very respected and very dedicated community leaders and are very important to attend so that you can learn what is going on in our community.

These meetings are generally a cross between a WWE tag team match and a special on Comedy Central...which means that amongst the serious topics there is a flair, camaraderie and sense of humor to the discussion. Some of my friends and neighbors know that I am and have been involved in various East Meadow organizations, and will feel free to ask me questions or voice their concerns to me easier than to others because of our particular relationships.

Even though I may not be as embedded as they presume (some must  think that I am so deeply engrossed as to be found only through an archaeological dig.)

Find out what's happening in East Meadowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Nevertheless, I try to get them an answer or direct them to the person that can. Prior to this meeting, I was approached (cornered is more like it) by acquaintances regarding a variety of subjects. The most vehement of these conversations stemmed from a non-Nassau county resident and were followed by two venom-spewed voice mails and an accusatory email as to why I do not plan on voting yes, as of now, for the New Coliseum Project in August. The following  is my response to that email and please ignore the capital lox as I was trying to highlight my points to this dimwit and not really yell.

 Dude, TAKE A CHILL PILL!

Find out what's happening in East Meadowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It is not that I have a vendetta against Charles Wang or do not want the Islanders  on LI or do not want more pro sports like you think. I do, I REALLY do! I normally eat, sleep, breathe and live sports...but not at the cost of my current way of life which has gotten increasingly more difficult in recent years due to certain politicians and fat cat real estate mongrels with hidden agendas. Have you heard that Nassau county is seeking $320 million in tax extensions??

Thirteen years ago, I moved 11 blocks from the Coliseum to the Barnum Woods section of East Meadow. On a clear summer night I can launch a golf ball from my corner property and almost hit a parking attendant collecting way too many dollars to park in a hugely narrow spot at the Coliseum property. We had many, many sports here at the “HUB” then and over the years.

And since that time that I have supported- Saints, Jets practices, Nets exhibitions, Dragons , lacrosse Titans, Empire Games ,Lizards, WWF (before WWE), Motocross,Dew Tours, Islanders, Special Olympics, NCAA championships, Marathons, Sound Tigers, Huck-Huck-Boom Jams, Track and Field Competitions, Globetrotters, and on and. And Mitchel Field, Hofstra Stadium, Nassau Coliseum thrived and pulsed vibrantly close by.

Now it wants to encroach more  on my way of life and my family and  that of my neighbors and so on.... detrimentally. What about that do you find hard to understand?

It is easy for you to say YES...because you live outside Nassau county and are not affected by local traffic, local taxes, local construction or local politics. When Mr. “Elect me , I’m different, OOPS ” Mangano has to trim police, EMS, County employees, teachers and fire personnel to pay for this and a bunch of construction workers...I won’t say YES.  (nothing against construction workers- some of my best friends and drinking buddies are in the construction field- just not at the expense of someone else.)

When a guy volunteers to pay for an election- only if he wins...I won’t say YES. When there is no sufficient traffic plan and travel here will get worse and worse and the current Long Island Bus service is horrendous...I won’t say YES! When politicians try to curry favor with the rich, instead of looking out for the hard working middle class...I won’t say YES! And I will do everything, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G in my power to protect what is rightfully and legally mine!

The hub could be a barren field for all I care if it is a choice between that and making things worse here in East Meadow. I will plant corn and feed the Long Island homeless on the empty property first! I will build a monument to our too often forgotten war veteran’s (as “Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum” is supposed to be) with my bare hands first. And I will travel to Suffolk, the five boroughs and down the road a piece and beyond to view my sports in person, if I have to. It is easy to rally in August with Yes, Yes, YES and not November when most of us are not away on summer vacations and worry about the horrible consequences in 10-15 years for someone who will not be here then.

Me, I have a 30 year mortgage and planned on taking my grandchildren to see the Long Island Lizards play professional lacrosse in Nassau County after a day of playing in their hovercrafts on my East Meadow lawn with my neighbors grand kids. I, like the people who owned the house before me and raised a family here in East Meadow and retired HERE in the “Meadows Complex” of East Meadow,  am here for the duration.

So it would be much easier for the rest of us to ALSO vote Yes if there was a plan in place that covered ALL ASPECTS of the Hub vitalization, not just a new arena and where to park their 2014 Lexus. Like Cuba Gooding Jr would have shouted to Jerry McGuire, had he lived in East Meadow, “SHOW ME THE BLUEPRINTS!”

Designer Othmar H. Ammann planned and oversaw the building of  the George Washington Bridge (as well as the Bayonne Bridge, Triborough Bridge, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Throgs  Neck Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge andVerrazano Narrows Bridge-WOW) in 1930 during the Great Depression.

It came in under budget and was completed sooner than inspected and is a construction marvel (Not just some “ Citi Field.”)  Since then, because it became easier to buy a car and easier to commute, the bridge has been expanded twice on a major level and was done easily.  

Mr Ammann had the vision and foresight to have contingency plans and expansion plans and shared them and the rest is history on a huge, positive scale. Then there is the Minneapolis Bridge which was never expanded, and due to stress, collapsed suddenly and killed many. Which are we building at the HUB ? Truth is , if I don’t know , no one seems to at this point...SO WHY THE HECK WOULD I VOTE –YES??"

So if you can get Ray Cansella to sit with the Mangano marvels and share their plans with the rest up us Nassau farmers before I have to go "Shoeless"... you need to let me know.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?