Truth or Unintended Consequences

For reasons too complex to delve into at present, Nassau County, New York is among the wealthiest counties populationwise, but is perpetually on the brink of big time, major league financial disaster, what with a government that has been dysfunctional from the County's inception.

And Edward P. Mangano, the County Executive, was supposed to have some solutions to Nassau County's fiscal woes.  Given the political and fiscal situation, Ed Mangano is damned if he does and damned if he does not, no matter which issue he addresses.  He is, however, an accomplished and intelligent man.

But he has made a significant error:  He and some other Nassau County politicos, in trying to pander to the not insignificant Salvadorean community on Long Island (legally here and otherwise), have officially greeted and honored Salvador Sanchez Ceren, Vice President of El Salvador.

Never mind that Sanchez Ceren attained his office through the familiar tactics of threats, coercions and assassinations.  Never mind that he is politically a Communist.  Such things are commonplace in Latin America.

But on September 11, 2001, Sanchez Ceren was present at a rally at which the Muslim attacks on the World Trade Center were lauded, and America (and Israel) were denounced, and the American flag was burned.

This kowtowing to Sanchez Ceren has not escaped notice.  Many are protesting it, including the local Tea Party.

So now, Sanchez Ceren's flunkies are telling the media that Sanchez Ceren "was present but did not actively participate" in the flag burning, and he wants to strengthen ties with the United States.

So now, Mangano and the other politicians who carried Sanchez Ceren's water are now running for cover, claiming (probably accurately) that they were not aware of Sanchez Ceren's activities.

Significantly, more than a few of Long Island's approximately 100,000 Salvadoreans are also speaking out against Mangano's meeting with Sanchez Ceren.

The Law of Unintended Consequences operates very robustly in Nassau County, and has been doing so since 1898, when the County was formed from the eastern part of Queens County because the residents did not wish to go along with the combination of the Five Boroughs into a unified New York City.  Mangano's latest fiasco is just another Unintended Consequence, albeit one which may well come back to haunt him.