Throwing down the gauntlet during a time of economic crisis and massive state deficits, Mitchell Rechler, president of the Association for a Better Long Island, has told his real estate colleagues that their multibillion dollar industry needs to close its wallet to those groups and organizations that refuse to support orderly growth, the rebuilding of our economy and the protection of the taxpayer’s treasury.

“Groups such as Nature Conservancy have radically changed from supporting smart growth to being opposed to any economic development. Further, they have embraced a position that it’s open season on the acquisition of private property with public money. It’s as if the economic crisis, home foreclosures and empty store fronts simply do not exist for them. In the meantime, they are asking for significant contributions from the real estate community to help fund their agenda. It’s akin to a mugger asking for a handout to buy the gun that will allow them to conduct a stickup. What’s wrong with this picture?”

ABLI Executive Director Desmond Ryan observed that “it comes as no surprise that the last man laughing in this economy, comedian Dick Cavett, is being honored by the Nature Conservancy because he managed to unload the property around his Montauk estate by convincing the state that the taxpayer should shell out $18 million. It was madness then. It’s a municipal malpractice now.”

This is not the first time the ABLI has expressed alarm about the extent public tax dollars have been used to acquire private land that goes far beyond the original intent of protecting drinking water aquifers.

The Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College completed the first comprehensive study of land acquisition ever undertaken by local municipal governments, and it found that since 1976, when Long Island governments first began an open space preservation effort, Suffolk County government, and its townships, have assumed nearly $1.3 billion in bond debt service costs, sales taxes, property taxes, and real estate transfer taxes to purchase over 34,000 acres of open space and preserve thousands more acres of farmland. Add to that number nearly $700 million in property taxes that would have been generated by these parcels, but instead where shifted to Suffolk’s private property owners to cover the municipal revenue gap, and the total costs for land preservation efforts exceed $2 billion to date.  The cost per Suffolk County homeowner is currently estimated at $10,000 per household.

Mr. Rechler observed, “ABLI members live on Long Island, create economic growth for Long Island and embrace economic protection across Long Island. There are no absentee developers among us indifferent to protecting our region’s quality of life. That is why we will not be underwriting the radical policies that destroy the balance that allow us to create jobs and attract investment while protecting the environment.”

Ryan warned, “Long Island needs to reorder its priorities and demand that the reactionary forces that would shut down our economy and forbid development on privately owned property will not be allowed to go unanswered.  Economic sanity is going to be the litmus test demanded by the business community for any organization or politician who wants a donation or support.”

Over twenty years old, the ABLI is one proud to be one of the region’s most forceful advocates for responsible business growth. Its members represent some $20 billion in commercial, residential, industrial and retail space throughout Nassau and Suffolk. Their members also include some of the region’s leading land use attorneys as well as tax and financial experts. The organization is uncompromising in its pursuit of public policies that encourage environmentally sustainable development projects, the ability to create new jobs, permit new investment opportunities throughout the region and the retention of existing industries on Long Island.