voter's guide 2012

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER, 6Polls Open Throughout Nassau County 6 AM - 9 PM

Races: Presidential • U.S. Senate & Congress • New York Senate & Assembly • JudicialView New District Maps at www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/

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ELECTION DAY

Photo courtesy of Hofstra University

HofstraPresidential Debate

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VOTERS GUIDE 2012 - ANTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS - OCTOBER 26, 20122V

VOTERS GUIDE 2012 - ANTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS - OCTOBER 26, 2012 3V

D (Democratic Party), R (Republican Party), I (Independence Party), C (Conservative Party), WF (Working Families Party),TR (Tax Revolt Party), GR (Green Party), LBT (Libertarian Party), CST (Constitution Party)

QUESTION: U.S. Senate and Congressional candidates were asked: as incumbents if they voted for, or as challengers if they support, the AffordableHealth Care Act and to explain why or why not. The candidates were also asked for proposals to increase economic development and job creation onLong Island.

Bio’s appearing below were submitted by the candidates along with their responses. Incumbents are listed first.

“Kirsten Gillibrand wasborn and raised in upstateNew York. She was electedto Congress in 2006 andthen to the Senate in 2010after being appointed tothe position in 2009. In2000, Kirsten served asspecial counsel to the Sec-retary of HUD, AndrewCuomo. She graduatedmagna cum laude fromDartmouth College and re-ceived her law degree fromthe UCLA School of Law.After law school, sheserved as a law clerk onthe Second Circuit Courtof Appeals and as an attor-ney in Manhattan for 15years.”

• • •“I believe every Ameri-

can should have access toaffordable, quality healthcare. As Senator, I workedhard to find solutions thatwill fix our broken healthcare system and bend thecost curve of spiralinghealth care costs by mov-ing from an emergencyroom care system to a pre-ventive care system thatcovers the uninsured, cutscosts and cracks down oninsurance company abuses.“While not perfect, the

historic health care reformbill we passed achieved sev-eral important goals. Healthinsurance companies will no

longer be allowed to denycoverage because of pre-ex-isting conditions. Prescrip-tion drugs will be more af-fordable for New York sen-iors. New York small busi-nesses will be eligible fortax credits for a percentageof their contribution to theiremployees’ health insur-ance. By focusing on pre-ventive health care, we’ll beable to cut waste from ourhealth care system and re-duce the national deficit by$143 billion over the next 10years, with $1.2 trillion inadditional deficit reductionsthe following decade.

“Because of this reform,2.7 million uninsured NewYorkers will finally haveaccess to affordable healthcare, and will no longerneed to go right to theemergency room whenthey get sick, loweringcosts for everyone.“No matter where I trav-

el in NY it is clear that jobcreation is a number onepriority. From small busi-nesses, to manufacturing tohigh tech and biotech, NewYork State will be a leaderin the recovering economy.New York State is poisedto be a leader in American

manufacturing. My “MadeIn America” grant programwould award competitivegrants to manufacturingcompanies and providethem with resources need-ed to adapt to today’s man-ufacturing model. I supportthe SEAM Act, whichwould help cut costs on do-mestic clean energy tech-nology manufacturing.And we need to supportsmall businesses by provid-ing them with tax incen-tives and access to capitalthat will help them createthe new jobs we so badlyneed.”

NEW DISTRICT MAPS:www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/U.S. SENATE & CONGRESSIONAL RACESQ & A

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES

Kirsten Gillibrand (D,I,WF)

Wendy Long (R,C) (No response received from the candidate.)


U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2

“Peter King is serving his tenthterm in the United States House ofRepresentatives. In November of2010, the voters of New York’s 3rdCongressional District on Long Is-land re-elected Pete with a re-sounding 72 percent of the vote.Pete is chairman on the HomelandSecurity Committee and alsoserves on the Intelligence Commit-tee, as well as the Financial Servic-es Committee. During his years inCongress, Pete King has earned areputation for courage and integri-ty. He is an independent voice whois never afraid to speak out forwhat he believes in and to fight for

the values and beliefs of his con-stituents. The New York Daily Newssaid, “straight talk is King’sstrength,” while Newsday acknowl-edged Pete is a “stand up guy whoisn’t shy about tangling with thepowerful, even some in his ownparty. King has become a nationalfigure who delivers…”

• • •“Very simply, I voted against the

Affordable Care Act and believethe law should be repealed. Ourhealth system needs to be re-formed, however, incrementalchanges need to be made ratherthan a massive overhaul that does

very little to contain costs. The Af-fordable Care Act does nothing toreduce out of pocket costs whilepremiums continue to rise. In addi-tion, the law raises taxes, hurtssmall businesses and cuts over$716 billion from Medicare. Weshould enact measures that empow-er patients and reduce costs. That iswhy I support eliminating lifetimecaps, ensuring coverage regardlessof pre-existing conditions, provid-ing for the portability of insurancefrom one job to another and foster-ing competition by allowing con-sumers to purchase insuranceacross state lines.“Long Island’s economy is still

recovering and we need policiesthat will reduce the deficit and put

people to work. I have authoredlegislation that would make it easi-er for small businesses to get thecapital they need to expand andhire workers (HR 3993), supportedpayroll tax relief to put more mon-ey in the pockets of Long Islanders(HR 3630), and voted to reduceregulations which are stifling oureconomic recovery (HR 3606).When I talk to local business own-ers about what can be done - allemphasize the economic uncertain-ty created by expiring tax cuts andoverburdensome regulations. Re-forming the tax code and eliminat-ing costly and duplicative red tapewill provide economic certaintythat Long Island businesses need toinvest and hire.”

“I was raised in a middle classfamily that valued hard work,dedication and service. I workedas a bank teller while earning myB.S. in Education from WesternConnecticut State College. I wasan instructor for the SUNYFarmingdale DevelopmentalStudies Program and a BellportHigh School alternate school-teacher. I am active in our com-munity and believe volunteersare vital to our nation. I helpedfound Partners Advancing WestIslip Students and was active inWest Islip PTA, Girl Scouts, CubScouts, and St. Nicholas Greek

Orthodox Church. In 1981, Imoved to West Islip where myhusband Bill and I raised ourchildren.”

• • •“I fully support the Affordable

Care Act. By helping to containcosts, the Affordable Care Acthelps families by: closing theMedicare part D “donut” hole thatcosts seniors thousands of dollars;extended coverage to over 1 mil-lion young adults previously unin-sured; insures people with pre-ex-isting conditions who were previ-ously denied coverage and makessure insurance companies pay at

least 80 percent of what they col-lect in premiums out in claims.This year, rebate checks from in-surance companies are going backto companies and individuals be-cause the insurance companieshave collected more than theypaid out. Nationwide, 125 insur-ers reported that they expect to is-sue rebates to large groups cover-ing 7.5 million enrollees. Nearly aquarter of projected large grouprebates are from insurers in NewYork, with $127 million in ex-pected refunds. Small businesseswith fewer than 50 employees areexempt from the fee for failing tooffer health insurance. Small busi-nesses that choose to offer healthinsurance are receiving tax credits

to help with the cost.“I support the House Bill H.R.

4720: America Innovates Act of2012. This bill, which has not yetcome to a vote, would establishthe American Innovation Bank, toimprove science and technologyjob training, to authorize grantsfor curriculum development, andfor other purposes. Congressmust combat outsourcing by clos-ing tax loopholes that incentivizejob outsourcing and instead re-ward companies that invest in ourAmerican workforce. Long Islandis an aging suburb, and we needto improve infrastructure to re-main competitive in the 21st cen-tury. Infrastructure projects createjobs in the short and long term.”

Peter King (R,I,C,TR)

Vivianne Falcone (D,WF)



“Before I was elected to Con-gress, I owned my own businessand served on the HuntingtonTown Board. Since being electedto Congress, I’ve focused onrestoring the middle class, com-mon sense tax reform and bring-ing jobs home from overseas. Ihave proudly secured nearly $6million in back payments for localveterans, while fighting for col-lege affordability and protectingSocial Security and Medicare.”

• • •“I voted for the Affordable Care

Act because middle-class families,seniors and small businesses hadbeen plagued by rising healthcosts for too long. With this law,prescription drug costs for seniors

are being cut by closing the donuthole, 6.6 million young adultshave been able to stay on theirparents’ plans until the age of 26,70,000 Americans with pre-exist-ing conditions now have the secu-rity of coverage, and 18 millionindividuals and families will gettax credits for health insurancecoverage, averaging about $4,000apiece. I also believe it is impera-tive that we make our health caresystem more efficient. For in-stance, I introduced the LocalMedicaid Enforcement IncentivesAct of 2012 to support the localprosecution of Medicaid waste,fraud, and abuse. In 2010 alone,bad actors wasted $22 billion inMedicaid waste, fraud and abuse.“I am focused on standing up

for New York’s middle-class fam-ilies by creating jobs and growing

our economy. In order to increaseeconomic development and jobcreation here on Long Island, weneed to stop shipping jobs over-seas and giving tax breaks tocompanies that do so. I’ve writtentwo pieces of legislat ion thatcould help spur economic growth:The Bring the Jobs Home LoanAct and The American ParksAmerican Products Act. TheBring the Jobs Home Loan Actwould incentivize companies tobring manufacturing jobs and fa-cilities home from overseas; whilethe American Parks AmericanProducts Act would require thatall souvenirs sold at our NationalParks be made in America, in-stead of countries like China, Ko-rea and Pakistan. If every Ameri-can spent an extra $3.33 on U.S.-made goods every year, it would

create nearly 10,000 new jobs inthis country – and my legislationwould kick-start that effort.“We can also increase economic

development by putting moremoney in people’s pockets. Weneed sensible tax reform that rec-ognizes the high cost-of-living inNew York. Families here are hitwith some of the highest propertytaxes, energy and housing costs,and yet still get taxed at the samerate as families in other parts ofthe country whose cost-of-living ishalf as much as ours. The tax codeshould reflect that. I am also push-ing hard to make college more af-fordable for students and theirfamilies so that no family has tochoose between paying their mort-gage or tuition.”


“Carolyn McCarthy is a figureof national significance withhumble roots as a nurse andmother from Mineola before be-ing elected as Long Island’s firstand only woman in Congress. Shewas a nurse for over 30 year.When her husband was killed andson badly injured in the massshooting on the Long Island RailRoad in 1993, the tragedy led herto a life of activism for strongergun safety laws. First elected in1997, she has since becomeknown as a bipartisan fighter forworkers and middle class fami-lies, for seniors, for women, forchildren, and for the health andsafety of all Americans.”

• • •“As a nurse for over 30 years

before running for Congress, Ihave first hand knowledge aboutwhat works and what doesn’twork in health care, both for pa-tients and for the industry, whichis a critical employer here onLong Island and expected to beour number-one source of jobgrowth in coming years. I support-ed the Patient Protection andAmerican Care Act for many ofthe same reasons that the AARPdoes: It strengthens Medicare forpatients while reducing out-of-control growth and waste; it banscaps on patient care and protectsthose with pre-existing conditionslike cancer; it gets seniors preven-tative checkups and saves themthousands on prescription drugs; itrequires the insurance companiesto spend more money on patientcare and less on administrativecosts; and it will help keep the

health care industry strong onLong Island.“I’ve formed an Economic Ad-

visory Board consisting of busi-ness, labor, education and com-munity leaders from all over LongIsland and asked them to focus onwhat makes our part of New Yorkand the U.S. unique so that ourpolicies in Washington can bebetter for us here in Nassau andSuffolk counties. We have identi-fied our access to world-classhealth care and educational insti-tutions, our expertise in the avia-tion industry, and our proximityto New York City as assets to actupon. In order to stimulate theeconomy we need to continue toease the tax burden for hardwork-ing middle class families, andcontinue to ease the tax burden onsmall businesses, which make upnine out of 10 businesses on Long

Island. We also need to continueto invest in education and controlstudent loan interest rates, to helpyoung adults stay on Long Islandinstead of adding to the “braindrain” that’s sending young peo-ple away for schooling and jobs.Finally we need to help localbusinesses here on Long Islandgrow and be more competitive ina global economy by increasingtheir access to capital and financ-ing, as I have done through smallbusiness tax cuts and by leadingthe way to reauthorize the U.S.Export-Import Bank, which sup-ports over 200 businesses in NewYork alone and makes a profit fortaxpayers through interest rates.”

Steve Israel (D,I,WF)

“Stephen Labate graduated fromSt. John’s University, was commis-sioned second lieutenant in theU.S. Army and called to activeduty three times following 9/11.Stephen served as a force protec-tion officer responsible for protect-ing 23,000 soldiers and airmen ina heavily attacked installation innorthern Iraq, commanded the306th Military Police Battalion insupport of Operation Noble EagleII and served at the Pentagon inthe Army’s Crisis Action Team.Stephen’s current rank is lieu-tenant colonel. Stephen’s civilianexperience is in financial servicesassisting clients with financial plan-ning. Stephen, his wife Leticia andtheir twins live in Suffolk County.”

• • •“The Affordable Heath Care

Act, economic growth on Long Is-land and the federal deficit are allinterconnecting issues facing thenext congressman from the 3rdCongressional District. Much ofthe Long Island economy is at astandstill as a result of the passingof this Health Care Act and otherhighly regulatory laws imposed onlarge and small businesses onLong Island. These government-imposed regulations, whose totalcosts of implementing is largelyunknown, has created a climate ofuncertainty for business ownersand the reluctance to expand theirbusinesses or hire new employees.The Affordable Health Care Act,although promoted as a cost reduc-ing measure by proponents, has al-ready caused the increase in health

care costs and in the case ofMedicare, has siphoned off bil-lions of Medicare dollars to payfor its implementation. Beyondthis, as more and more of thisHealth Care Act is implemented,its cost rises as with any govern-ment run program. The majority ofbusinesses and citizens want thetotal repeal of the Health Care Actand if elected to Congress I wouldwork toward that end.“In addition to the repeal of the

Health Care Act, additional cost-ly regulations which dispropor-tionately effect small businessesneed to be reviewed and rolledback. According to a 2010 SmallBusiness Administration report,nearly 90 percent of all UnitedStates businesses employ 20 em-ployees or less, yet it cost thesesame small businesses nearly

$3,000 more per employee tocomply with government regula-tions. These costly regulationsare prohibiting job creation onLong Island and they must bedealt with.“Business taxes are the highest

in the world and have become adetriment to job and economicgrowth as well. In the case oflarge corporate enterprises, hightax rates force many to move theiroperations to more tax friendlycountries and thus eliminatingjobs in the United States. In thecase of small businesses, high tax-es when combined with regulatorycosts force many small businessesto close their doors. Lower taxesand incentives to invest in theirbusinesses are needed to promotegrowth and the hiring of new em-ployees.”

Stephen Labate (R,C,TR)

Michael McDermott (LBT) (No response received from the candidate.)

Anthony Tolda (CST) (No response received from the candidate.)

Carolyn McCarthy (D,I,WF)

(challengerson page 7V)


U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 4 (CONTINUED)

“Francis Becker is currently the leg-islator representing the 6th District inthe Nassau County Legislature, whichincludes Lynbrook, Malverne, NorthLynbrook, most of Valley Stream andEast Rockaway, south Rockville Centreand portions of North Valley Streamand Oceanside. He resides in Lyn-brook. Becker came extremely closetwo years ago in this nationallywatched race for the House of Repre-sentatives and in that race received theendorsements from former MayorRudy Giuliani, Congressman Eric Can-tor, Ambassador John Bolton, Supervi-sor Kate Murray, Councilman AnthonyJ. Santino among many others, in addi-tion to the Nassau Sheriff’s Associationand Nassau Police Conference.”

• • •“I do not support ObamaCare. It is a

job-killing tax, plain-and-simple. Andthe Supreme Court agrees with me thatit’s a tax. ObamaCare is hurting oureconomy. It’s driving up health carecosts and making it harder for smallbusinesses to hire. That’s one of thereasons why Nassau County has a sky-high 7.5 percent unemployment rateright now that continues to rise. Duringthe worst national economy since theGreat Depression, working familiesand seniors can’t afford these new taxesto pay for a plan that is crushing oureconomy, costing us jobs and saddlingour children with over $2 trillion in un-affordable debt.“Job creation and economic growth

are the backbone of our communityand this country. My Middle Class

Jobs Plan will jumpstart our economythrough job creation right here in Nas-sau County, on Long Island and acrossthe nation. 132 American economistsagree with my Middle Class JobsPlan; it’s a commonsense blueprintlaying out how to fix today’s uncertaineconomy. It will create jobs and bringbusinesses back to Long Island. Fix-ing the tax code and reducing regula-tory burdens that hurt small businessesare important steps I will take. Wash-ington needs to ensure everyone paystheir fair share in taxes – and onlytheir fair share; nothing more, nothingless. I will fix the tax code by elimi-nating loopholes, giveaways and spe-cial tax breaks that litter the immensedocument. We must also reduce thetax rate to no more than 25 percent forbusinesses and individuals including

small business owners. This will helpsimplify the tax code by making itflatter, fairer and easier for everyone.It will also level the playing field withcompetitors and help generate invest-ment in our communities – all whilecreating jobs on Long Island and al-lowing American businesses and en-trepreneurs to be more competitive inthe global marketplace. Paying downour ballooning debt and reducing cost-ly, job-killing government mandateslike ObamaCare are two other parts ofmy plan. I will vote to reduce spend-ing for the rest of the fiscal year andvote to adopt a budget that reducesgovernment spending by almost $6trillion over the next ten years. Thesepro-growth proposals are what’s need-ed to make a difference and turnAmerica around.”

“Frank Scaturro is an author, attor-ney, and public advocate. He served asCounsel for the Constitution on theSenate Judiciary Committee, where headvised senators on judicial nomina-tions and constitutional law issues. Af-terwards, he served as a visiting pro-fessor at Hofstra Law School, wherehe taught courses on the legislativeprocess and constitutional law. Duringthe 1990s, Scaturro blew the whistleon a corrupt government bureaucracyand secured a $1.8 million restorationof President Ulysses S. Grant’s tombin New York City. He has published anumber of books and articles in thearea of history and law and is currentlya partner at FSB FisherBroyles.”

• • •

“I did not support the AffordableHealth Care Act, a measure that comesclose to a government takeover ofhealth care. The act compromises thehigh quality of care that Americans re-ceive and stifles the application of life-saving breakthroughs in medical tech-nology. ObamaCare should be repealedand replaced by meaningful health carereform, which can be achieved at alower cost to consumers without di-minishing the quality of care or bank-rupting our country. Government bu-reaucrats and health insurance adminis-trators have interfered too much withmedical decisions, and our systemshould return more discretion to pa-tients and their doctors. Working-ageindividuals should be able to selectfrom a large number of health insur-ance options for themselves and theirfamilies to reduce premium charges.

They should be able to keep the healthinsurance plan they have chosen whenthey change jobs and have the optionof adopting health savings accounts.We also need to place greater emphasison preventative care. Individualsshould have financial incentives tomake healthy lifestyle choices that pre-vent or at least reduce the severity ofchronic conditions that increase healthcare costs. Finally, we should imple-ment tort reform to help control therapidly escalating cost of both privatehealth insurance and Medicare andMedicaid without sacrificing quality orinstituting rationing and long waits formedical treatments.“Fiscal responsibility, strong fami-

lies, a regulatory system that protectsfree markets rather than stifle innova-tion, and a sound and stable dollarhave been the cornerstones of pros-

perity throughout history. To increasejob creation and economic develop-ment, we need to start with funda-mental change in both tax policy andspending policy. By reducing taxrates and reforming the tax code, wecan bolster entrepreneurship, savings,and investment. Our notoriously com-plex tax code unnecessarily burdenstaxpayers, harms families, and stiflesthe small businesses we rely on forjob creation. It should be replacedwith a simpler, flatter tax code, andwe should close special interest-driv-en loopholes. Economic develop-ment, which for too long has beencorrupted by self-dealing special in-terests under the guise of central plan-ning, needs to follow a bottom-up ap-proach that gives the people the lastword on their future. We also need tocut the corporate tax rate.”

Francis Becker (R, TR)

Frank Scatturo (C)


NEW DISTRICT MAPS:www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/U.S. SENATE & ASSEMBLY RACESQ & A

D (Democratic Party), R (Republican Party), I (Independence Party), C (Conservative Party), WF (Working Families Party),TR (Tax Revolt Party), GR (Green Party), LBT (Libertarian Party), CST (Constitution Party)

QUESTION: State Senate and Assembly candidates were asked what they propose to increase economic development and job creation to benefittheir district. They were also asked the question: With school districts dealing with unfunded mandates and the state tax cap, what can be done inthe form of mandate relief?

Bio’s appearing below were submitted by the candidates along with their responses. Incumbents are listed first.

NY SENATE DISTRICT 5

“Senator Marcellino earnedboth a bachelor of arts and mas-ter of science degree from NewYork University and a profes-sional diploma in administrationand supervision from St. John’sUniversity. After a 20-year careeras a science teacher and adminis-trator in the New York CitySchool system, Senator Marcelli-no was elected as the Oyster BayTown Clerk, a position he helduntil his Senate election in 1995.He is chairman of one of the sen-ate’s senior committees, the

Committee on Investigations andGovernment Operations. He alsoserves as a member on the Senatecommittees on Rules, Finance,Banks, Consumer Protection,Cultural Affairs and Tourism,Education, Environmental Con-servation, and Labor.”

• • •“The business tax cuts I voted

for as part of the New Jobs NYplan would put more moneyback into the pockets of smallbusinessmen and women so theycan invest, grow and hire moreemployees. If we successfullypair a favorable business envi-ronment with job growth, we

will reap the benefits of oureconomy moving forward. Ihave always believed that cuttingtaxes and creating jobs is the fuelthat feeds New York’s economicengine. Hopefully the State As-sembly will join with the Senatein passing a job creation plan assoon as possible. I will examineand eliminate current regula-tions, mandates, and taxes onprivate business that stunt growthand stifle our economy.

“I have always said that man-date relief goes hand in hand witha tax cap. If we are going to askschools and local governments totighten their belts, Albany cannotbe asking them to pick up a big-ger piece of the pie. I have votedfor numerous mandate relief bills,but unfortunately none of thesebills ever seem to pass the StateAssembly. Simply stopping anynew mandates is not enough. Wealso need to do a top to bottom

analysis of current mandates.Through consolidation and elimi-nation of existing mandates, wecan help both schools and localgovernments eliminate the coststhat drive up our property taxesevery year. I have watched close-ly and participated in the hearingsbeing held around the state by theExecutive’s Mandate ReliefCouncil. It is imperative that wepass and the Governor signs a far-reaching mandate relief package.”

Carl Marcellino (R,I,C,TR)


“Kemp Hannon, was electedto the New York State Senate in1989, he is the current Chair ofthe Senate Health Committeeand the Chair of the Budget Sub-committee of the Majority Con-ference. He is regarded national-ly as an expert in the health careindustry. Governor Cuomonamed Hannon as a key memberto his Medicaid Redesign Team.The Senator is the author of theNew York State Health Care Re-form Act (HCRA), and created

landmark legislation with the Pa-tient Health Information andQuality Improvement Act. Han-non is committed to supportingsignificant legislation in the ar-eas of long-term care, health in-surance, women’s health issuesand organ donation. Hannon alsoestablished key laws in the areasof technology, finance, tax re-form and has established keylaws in the areas of technology,finance and tax reform.”

• • •“I have supported, and contin-

ue to support, the New Jobs-NYcreation plan, which calls for job

creating tax credits, tax cuts andinvestment pool for small busi-nesses. It includes the “Hire-Now-NY” tax credit of up to$5,000 for businesses when anew job is created, increasing toup to $8,000 if the employerhires someone currently unem-ployed. It also provides incen-tives for hiring returning veter-ans, creates an investment poolfor business start-ups, eliminatestaxes on manufacturers, and pro-vides a 20 percent corporate taxcut for small businesses. Further,the state has invested in Long Is-land’s resources with the Long

Island Regional Economic De-velopment Council (which in-cludes $500,000 for the Acceler-ate Long Island Initiative, $3million for the expansion of Am-neal Pharmaceutical and $2 mil-lion to expand the Cold SpringHarbor Laboratory). Cox & Co.,a local manufacturer in the aero-space industry, was recentlyawarded more than $250,000 inJobs Tax Credits. These initia-tives were estimated to createwell over 500 new jobs. In addi-tion, NY Works recently award-ed the contract to rebuild sixbridges on Long Island to two

local companies, which alone isestimated to create at least 330new jobs for Long Islanders.“Mandate relief for school dis-

tricts and localities is a top priori-ty. I sponsored legislation thatpassed the Senate this year toeliminate a significant number ofexisting mandates and providegreater flexibility to control costs.Among other things, the bill in-cludes a requirement that anystate mandated program imposedon municipalities or school dis-tricts that would create an addi-tional cost in excess of $10,000must be funded by the state.”

“Ryan graduated from Cham-inade High School and thenfrom Loyola College in Mary-land. After working for threeyears in local politics, Ryan at-tended the Washington Universi-ty in St. Louis School of Law.He has spent his legal career incomplex litigation and repre-senting victims of financialfrauds, including victims of theBernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.Ryan has a longstanding com-mitment to public service, which

includes work with RebuildingTogether, the Special Olympicsand voter protection initiatives.”

• • •“Although Long Island con-

tinues to face rising unemploy-ment (in August, the rate stoodat 8 percent - the highest it hasbeen in more than two years),there are solutions for all levelsof wage earners.“First, we can attract young

professionals by investing inmodern industry. New leadershipfocused on creative ways thatgovernment can work with busi-ness is desperately needed.

“Second, we can help the in-dustry hit hardest by the econo-my – construction – by invest-ing in our region’s infrastruc-ture. The weak job market forconstruction is limiting oppor-tunities. Economic developmentin this area will put New York-ers back to work by rebuildingthe state’s roads and bridgesand creating thousands of jobs.“Third, while the cost of liv-

ing in New York has soared, ourstate’s minimum wage has ef-fectively declined, making itmore difficult for families to af-ford basic necessities. Workers

being paid minimum wage typi-cally spend their earnings local-ly on things like food, medicineand school supplies. That meansthat their earnings are putright back into the local econo-my. In fact, studies show that in-creasing the minimum wage by$1.25 will result in $600 millionin new statewide spending andthe creation of 4,800 new jobs.“Investment in our schools is

the smartest investment we canmake. Today, only 34 percent ofNew York’s high school gradu-ates are college ready, despitespending more money per stu-

dent than any other state in thenation. We must come up withnew creative ways for distribut-ing education funding and endingunfunded mandates that preventdistricts from operating cost ef-fectively. We should do awaywith unfunded mandates that pre-vent such things as streamliningservices, cooperative purchasingand reduced transportation costs.“Finally, we must build the

“N.Y. Energy Highway.” Expand-ing New York’s energy infrastruc-ture will generate economic growththroughout the state and will lowerenergy costs on Long Island.”

Kemp Hannon (R,I,C,TR)

Ryan Cronin (D,WF)


“In just two years represent-ing the 7th Senate District, Sen-ator Martins has distinguishedhimself as a leader in gettingNew York State moving in theright direction. He has workedin a bi-partisan manner to pass16 bills that became law in 2011and 23 this year, more than anyother senator on Long Island. Astaunch advocate for local gov-ernment, Senator Martins is thechair of the Senate StandingCommittee on Local Govern-ment. Prior to being elected, he

served as mayor of the Villageof Mineola for eight years. Heresides in Mineola with his wifeand four daughters.”

• • •“Over the past two years,

working with the governor, wepassed an historic 2 percent prop-erty tax cap to get property taxesunder control, repealed the MTAPayroll Tax for small businessesand schools, passed a $3.3 billionmiddle-class income tax cut, re-ducing tax rates to their lowestlevels in 58 years, as well aspassed two on-time state budgetsthat closed a $13 billion deficitwithout raising any taxes or fees.

Regionally, we restored hundredsof millions of dollars in infra-structure improvements forroads, highways and bridges hereon Long Island and restored theexemption on the state portion ofsales tax on clothing statewide.“As a member of the Long Is-

land Regional Economic Devel-opment Council, I look forwardto focusing on those economicdevelopment projects that ex-pand our tax base and createjobs. Through programs wepassed in the Senate such asNew York Works and Recharge-NY, businesses have creatednearly 140,000 new jobs.

“In this district, I look forwardto reviewing proposals for eco-nomic development includingproposals for developing the Bel-mont Park south lot. Althoughsuch proposals will not include acasino, there is a tremendous op-portunity for economic develop-ment that will benefit the com-munities surrounding the park.“The 2 percent tax cap was en-

acted because the growth of prop-erty taxes was simply not sustain-able for our hardworking familieshere on Long Island. The legisla-tion, however, allows communi-ties to decide for themselves ifthere are circumstances that war-

rant overriding the cap, which canbe done with a supermajority voteof the community. The challengefor school districts is to put fortha plan the community can affordwhile continuing to provide ex-cellent educational services. Inorder to help schools meet thosechallenges, we have provided,and will continue to advocate for,mandate relief measures includ-ing the School Bus Relief Actand the lever voting machine billfor school district elections whichI sponsored.”

Jack Martins (R,I,C,TR)

David Wright (D) (No response received from the candidate.)

(challengeron page 11V)


On Tuesday, Oct. 16, HofstraUniversity was the site for thesecond of three debates betweenPresident Barack Obama andGovernor Mitt Romney. Hofstrahad also hosted a debate betweenthen-Democratic nominee Obamaand GOP nominee Sen. John Mc-Cain back in 2008, making theschool just the second universityto host consecutive presidentialdebates. (St. Louis’ WashingtonUniversity was the other.)With Romney scoring what

many considered an upset victoryover Obama’s decidedly lacklusterperformance in the first debate, thisfollow-up was going to be a “dealmaker or breaker in this cam-paign,” according to political pun-dit Chris Matthews, who spoke atHofstra the prior week. Shortly af-ter moderator Candy Crowley tookthe stage at 9 p.m., it was clearboth candidates were prepared tocome out swinging, making for alively hour and a half that foundroughly 65 million viewers tuningin to the town hall-style debate, ac-cording to the Nielsen Ratings.

Drill, Baby, DrillHigh prices at the pump were a

hot button issue as evidenced byPhillip Tricola asking PresidentObama’s stance about EnergySecretary Steve Chu having beenquoted three separate times sayingthat helping to lower gas priceswas not the job of the Energy De-partment. Obama responded thatenergy independence was the keyand that his administration hadmade inroads toward having thatgoal by increasing oil, coal andnatural gas production, doublingfuel efficiency standards on carsand doubling clean energy pro-duction—wind, solar and biofuels.He also accused Governor Rom-ney of planning to allow oil com-panies to write energy policyshould he be elected.Romney said the president’s re-

sponse was more rhetoric than re-ality, based on the governor’s be-lief that oil production and gasproduction were down on federallands, 14 and 9 percent respective-ly. He insisted that drilling licensesand permits for drilling on govern-ment-owned lands and waters hadbeen halved and that over-regula-tion was also a significant barrier.“What we don’t need is to have

the president keeping us fromtaking advantage of oil, coal andgas,” Romney pointed out. “I wasin coal country. People grabbedmy arms and said, ‘Please savemy job.’ When the president ranfor office, he said if you build acoal plant, you can go ahead, butyou’ll go bankrupt. That’s not theright course for America.”The governor also expressed

befuddlement over the president’srefusal to sign off on the Key-

stone XL pipeline, a massive1,179-mile project that wouldstretch from Hardisty, Alberta toSteele City, NE. He also took is-sue with the president’s assertionthat drilling had increased in fed-erally owned areas.“In the last four years, you cut

permits and licenses on federal landand federal waters in half,” Romneysaid and then hammered Obamaabout the exact percentage of li-censes and permits that were cut.As the governor continued sayingdrilling was down, the president in-sisted that statement was untrue.“Here’s what happened. You had

a whole bunch of oil companieswho had leases on public lands thatthey weren’t using,” the presidentexplained. So what we said wasyou can’t just sit on this for 10, 20,30 years, decide when you want todrill, when you want to produce,when it’s most profitable for you.These are public lands. So if youwant to drill on public lands, youuse it or you lose it.”Between this exchange and the

president’s accusations of Romneydismissing jobs born through windpower development and the gover-nor claiming that the president mis-represented himself as pro coal, gasand coal, this was one of the morecontentious exchanges of the night.

An Act Of Terror Or Not?Long Island shined in the

weeks leading up to and duringthe Hofstra debate. However, inthe waning minutes of the rockem’ sock em’ rhetoric tussle, aquestion surfaced and its origina-tion could be traced to a villagein Nassau County: Mineola.Kerry Ladka, an undecided voter

of Global Telecom Supply onWindsor Court, posed a questioninquiring about reports that statedthe State Department “refused ex-tra security for our embassy inBenghazi, Libya prior to an attackthat killed four Americans.” Secre-tary of State Hillary Clinton hadtaken full responsibility for the at-tacks a few days before the debate.President Obama stated he was

totally responsible. The attackmarked the first time an Ameri-can ambassador was killed in anassault overseas since 1979.“I’m the president and I’m al-

ways responsible, and that’s whynobody’s more interested in find-ing out exactly what happenedthan I do,” Obama exclaimed.The president said when he

found out the Benghazi consulatewas being overrun he got on thephone with his national securityteam and gave three instructions.He said to beef up security proce-dures in every embassy in the re-gion, investigate what happenedand find out who did it and huntthem down because “one of thethings that I’ve said throughout my

presidency is when folks mess withAmericans, we go after them.”Obama tried to squash Romney’s

accusations that the administrationtried to cover it up for political gain.The Republican candidate claimedit took Obama two weeks to deemthe violence an act of terror.“You said in the Rose Garden,

the day after the attack, it was anact of terror?” Romney asked. “Itwas not a spontaneous demonstra-tion, is that what you’re saying? Iwant to make sure that we get thaton record because it took the presi-dent 14 days before he called theattack in Benghazi an act of terror,”Crowley interjected, saying that

in a Rose Garden press conference,Obama did call it a terror attackone day after the Americans werekilled. She told Romney a few sec-onds later that he was correct that ittook the White House two weeksto fully acknowledge it as an act ofterror, even though the presidentpreviously used the wordage.

It’s The Economy StupidWith the Labor Department re-

porting that September’s unem-ployment numbers went downfrom 8.1 to 7.8 percent, the econo-my continued to be the hot buttonissue that it’s been throughout thiscampaign and all of Obama’s pres-idential term since he became theDemocratic nominee back in 2008.When Michael Jones asked, “Mr.

President, I voted for you in 2008.

What have you done or accom-plished to earn my vote in 2012?I’m not that optimistic as I was in2012. Most things I need for every-day living are very expensive,”Obama admitted that the past fouryears have been tough. But he alsopointed out that he came throughwith the tax cuts he promised forthe middle class and small business,passed Wall Street reforms thathave created five million jobs andsaved the auto industry while hewas at it. The president also agreedthat Americans are still struggling,but said if he’s re-elected to a sec-ond term, he has plans for manufac-turing and education, and woulduse savings from ending wars to re-build the country and put peopleback to work. He added that the dif-ference between commitments he’skept and planned to keep differfrom Romney’s, which Obama saidwere signing a no tax pledge so thatthe wealthy wouldn’t be leaned onto reduce the deficit in addition tocutting Planned Parenthood fund-ing and repealing Obamacare.For Romney’s part, he was

equally direct in pointing out thatObama’s promise to bring unem-ployment down to 5.4 percent wasnever fulfilled and the differencebetween the current numbers andthat one is nine million Americanswithout work. Further, the gover-nor also said that with the medianfamily income down $4,300 and23 million Americans out of work,

the president’s record reflects aninability to cut the deficit and putin Medicare and Social Securityreforms to preserve them.Fair and balanced trade was also

part of the economic recoveryequation both candidates touchedon. With criticism of Romney’srole in the exporting of jobs thatprivate equity firm Bain Capitalengaged in during his time there, itwas inevitable that someone likeCarol Goldberg would ask, “Theoutsourcing of American jobsoverseas has taken a toll on oureconomy? What plans do you haveto put back and keep jobs here inthe United States?”In pointing out that half a million

manufacturing jobs have gone over-seas in the past four years, the gov-ernor blamed China for being a cur-rency manipulator, as well as exces-sive regulations enacted by thepresident and high corporate taxes.The president agreed that corpo-

rate tax reform was needed, but hesaid that closing loopholes that en-abled corporations to deduct ex-penses when they moved to Chinanot only allowed that to have off-shore tax advantages, but was alsounfair to small businesses and bigbusiness start-ups whose output isdomestic and subject to higher tax-ation. Obama did use the wordoutsourcing in relation to Rom-ney’s time in the private sector andalso countered that China’s curren-cy has actually gone up 11 percentin the time he’s been president. Headded that U.S. exports had signif-icantly increased as well.China continued to be the vil-

lain as Romney accused it of notoperating on a level playing field,of stealing intellectual propertyand of engaging in cyber-theft,citing the existence of an unau-thorized Apple store in Chinaselling counterfeit goods.Obama said a major part of eco-

nomic recovery was ensuring thatChina plays by the rules and mak-ing trade deals that wind up givingAmerican workers and businesses afair shake. Toward the end of theevening, he reiterated his belief thatthe only way for the economy togrow was for everyone to have afair shot, do their fair share andplay by the same rules. He also saidthat was the key to America build-ing its middle class in the past.Romney said his goal was to get

the country back on track. He alsoadded that voters shouldn’t have tosettle for high gas prices, chroni-cally high unemployment num-bers, 47 million people on foodstamps and half of all kids comingout of college not able to get work,joining the other 23 million peoplestruggling to find good jobs.In the immediate aftermath of

the debate, whether it was at SpinAlley or on social or traditionalmedia, liberals declared victorywhile conservatives asserted thedebate was a tie. According to aCNN/ORC International nation-wide poll conducted right after thesecond debate, 46 percent of vot-ers said the president won while39 percent polled gave the victoryto Republican nominee Mitt Rom-ney. And while the third and finaldebate slated for Monday, Oct. 22would take place in Boca Raton,FL, Hofstra University was brieflythe epicenter of the political world,at least for one night.

Round Two:Sparks Fly

Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama exchangingpleasantries before going toe-to-toe.

Anton Community Newspaper editors Dave Gil de Rubio and RichForestano plying their craft in the Debate Media Filing Center.

Photo by Samuel Rubenfeld

• For full Hofstra Presidential Debate story, see AntonNews.com• See AntonWeekly section for more Debate 2012 coverage

Contentious exchanges betweenObama and Romney affect poll numbers

BY RICH FORESTANO [email protected] andDAVE GIL DE RUBIO [email protected]


NY SENATE DISTRICT 7 (CONTINUED)

“I am a lifelong active andcommitted resident of Long Is-land, having attended and gradu-ated from the Manhasset PublicSchools. I continued my educa-tion at Hofstra University, gradu-ating with a BBA. For 10 years Ihave been a member of the Man-hasset-Lakeville Fire Department,currently holding the rank of cap-tain. After college, I began work-ing in finance and sales, includingthree years with Deutsche Bank(New York and London). Cur-

rently, I am the general managerof an auto dealership. I am theco-founder of a nonprofit organi-zation (501(c) 3) that works withyoung entrepreneurs by incubat-ing new business concepts.’

• • •“Since the Great Recession

took hold in the latter part of thelast decade we have witnessed aloss of jobs, decreased incomesand slumping real estate values.If elected, I would propose legis-lation allowing tax incentives tobe granted for businesses andother organizations which createnew, quality jobs. To get into

more detail, there would be atiered system corresponding tothe number of jobs created by agiven employer relative to theirexisting headcount and grossrevenue, rewarding those whomake a bigger effort.“Small business is the main

catalyst behind our nation’s econ-omy and there is no better exam-ple of that than here in the 7thSenate District with our manysmall stores and shops lining themain thoroughfares of our com-munities. In recognition of that,there should be further relief inthe form of personal income cred-

it for these small businesses. Incontrast, the larger companies thatcontinue to employ residents inthe face of outsourcing wouldbenefit from reductions in corpo-rate tax rates and from new incen-tives for establishing new opera-tions such as lower energy costs.As the real estate market re-bounds, both on residential andcommercial fronts, the unfundedmandates which our communitieshave been burdened with will findadditional funding. Beyond in-creasing the funding through or-ganic growth of the tax base, Iwould look to propose a modifi-

cation to the state tax cap. Thismodification will review theneeds of school districts and allowfor variances based on the trueneeds and wishes of a communityfocusing on what is most impor-tant to their residents and youngpeople in school. The mandatesthat have been imposed will be re-viewed for cost and relevance inthis economy; no one wants to sti-fle their youth and endure the ter-rible consequences that could bethe result. Further evaluation ofspending should be considered incoordination with potential fund-ing from the federal level.”

Daniel Ross (D, WF)


“I have been a New YorkState Senator since 1998 with aproven record of delivering re-sults. I have sponsored andsupported numerous job cre-ation and economic develop-ment initiatives, including cre-ating and expanding the BroadHollow Bioscience Park atFarmingdale State College; theNew York Works program; andReCharge New York. I havesupported cutting income taxes

for middle class families; re-pealing the MTA payroll tax;restoring the STAR rebatecheck and giving new tax cred-its to businesses that createjobs. I have voted in favor oftwo consecutive state budgets,which closed multibillion dol-lar deficits without raising tax-es or fees.”

• • •“Creating jobs and increas-

ing economic development,along with tax relief, must re-main top priorities. Over thelast two years, New York State

has made tremendous progressin these areas: creating a newReCharge NY program to helplower utility costs for business-es in exchange for creatingjobs, as well as a new NewYork Works program whichwill invest billions of dollarsinto infrastructure develop-ment. Additionally, we re-pealed the job-killing MTApayroll tax for more than 80percent of businesses. TheSenate approved legislation toprovide new tax credits to busi-nesses for each new job they

create. Businesses would re-ceive an enhanced credit ifthey hire a veteran or an indi-vidual who is receiving unem-ployment. These initiativesmust continue to be able togrow our economy and putpeople back to work.“Mandate relief must remain

a top priority. The legislatureenacted mandate relief meas-ures to help reduce mandateson school districts, includinggiving school boards the flexi-bility to manage transportationplans on the basis of ridership

and allowing for regionalshared services through BO-CES so that districts can re-duce their transportation costs.While these are positive steps,we need to keep providingmandate relief to help schooldistricts reduce costs and savetaxpayer dollars. State aid toeducation totaled over $20 bil-lion statewide in the 2012-13budget, an $805 million in-crease over last year’s total.New York State leads the na-tion in per pupil spending oneducation.”

Charles J. Fuschillo (R,I,C,TR)

“I am the founder, presidentand curator of Unspoken His-tory Treasures, a private col-lection of over 35 years ofAfrican American artifacts. Iwas also a patient advocateand mental health manager atthe Department of VeteransAffairs. I am vice president ofthe Breezy Point Civic Associ-ation and a facilitator for ChildAbuse Prevention Services(CAPS). I am also a past

member of Save the JonesBeach Committee, past mem-ber of the board of directors ofNorth Amityville CommunityEconomic Council (NACEC)and a past third vice presidentof NAACP, Central Long Is-land Chapter. ”

• • •“I believe in community-

based growth, which seeks togive local government contractsto local businesses as opposedto larger corporations, whichmay not even be located in thestate, let alone Long Island. I

also believe in extending morecredit to small businesses,which represent a major shareof the Long Island economy.When private banks are unableto loan to small business be-cause of uncertain economictimes, I am not afraid to takelessons from elsewhere, even ifthey are places that are dominat-ed by politicians from the otherparty. North Dakota, the statewith the lowest unemploymentrate in the country and a strongRepublican power base, has astate bank that does not seek to

compete with private banks butsupports them. The Bank ofNorth Dakota serves as NorthDakota’s “Federal Reserve” andcan loan during times of emer-gency including natural disas-ters and financial crisis. It canalso serve as a rainy day fundduring times of budgetary con-straint. Another way to promoteeconomic development and jobcreation is by improving our lo-cal schools. Education is essen-tial to the participation of indi-viduals in our market economy.School districts should receive

their fair share; all state aidshould be equally distributed toeach student.“The state tax cap and un-

funded state mandates createlarge disparities between com-munities that are wealthier andthose with less economic re-sources at their disposal. I willseek elimination of the tax capand require a 51 percent major-ity vote for approval of budg-ets. Regarding unfunded man-dates, I will require the state tofund any and all mandates im-posed on school districts.”

Carol Gordon (D)


“Senator Dean Skelos is serv-ing his 14th term in the NewYork State Senate and serves asthe chamber’s majority leader,making him the highest-rankingRepublican official in state gov-ernment. Over the past two years,Skelos has worked closely withGovernor Andrew Cuomo to passa local property tax cap, loweringthe New York State personal in-come tax rates for middle classNew Yorkers and successfully

managed to close a state budgetdeficit of $13 billion. As the authorof Megan’s Law, Senator Skeloscreated the New York State SexOffender Registry and authorednumerous measures strengthen-ing this powerful statute.”

• • •“To increase economic devel-

opment and job creation, I willcontinue to work with GovernorCuomo to keep state spendingunder control and will work tocreate incentives to bring in newbusinesses, keep existing oneshere and encourage businesses to

hire. In 2012, the state senatepassed the 2012 New Jobs-NYJob Creation Plan. This plan in-cluded the elimination of incometaxes on New York manufactur-ers, a 20 percent corporate tax cutfor small businesses, a 10 percentpersonal income tax credit forsmall businesses. In addition, thisplan would have created a taxcredit for new businesses that cre-

ate new jobs and would have en-couraged businesses to hire peo-ple that are on unemploymentand also provide incentives forbusinesses to hire our veterans. Iwill continue to work with theAssembly and Governor Cuomoto pass this plan into law.“The state senate remains

committed to mandate relief forour local schools. Over the past

two years, the senate has acted ona number of proposals to elimi-nate unfunded mandates, howev-er I believe more must be done.This past session, I voted for abill that passed the state senatethat would have specifically pro-vided relief on a number of un-funded mandates to our localschools, unfortunately it was notacted on in the state assembly.”

Dean Skelos (R,I,C,TR)

Thomas Feffer (D) (No response received from the candidate.)

NY ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 9

“A nine-year veteran of theNew York State Assembly,Assemblyman Joseph Saladi-no is the Nassau ConferenceLeader to the Republican,Conservative and Independ-ence parties. He leads thefight against r is ing taxes,protecting education, safecommunities, our environ-ment and drinking water withlegislation and his votes. Hepushes for laws protectingwomen and children from

sexual predators. He helpedto pass legislation, which cre-ated a tax cap, lowered stateincome tax rates to a recordlow in 58 years and he passeda repeal of the MTA PayrollTax.”

• • •“He has forged ideas to

stimulate jobs on Long Islandwith the creation of the SolarEnergy Development Zonelegislation and will drive hightech jobs in R&D and produc-tion and installation of thetechnologies for residents andbusinesses. He worked to re-

peal the MTA Payroll Tax andcreate lower rates for NYS in-come taxpayers and business-es. He continues to fight forlower taxes for businesses andLong Island’s workforce withlegislation such as the GreenJobs Green Energy and worksto lower the burdens on busi-nesses. He has helped to bringmajor infrastructure projectsproviding more jobs.

“He was the original sponsorof the NYS Tax Cap, which wasinclusive of sweeping unfundedmandate reform, a RegionalCost Index to bring Long Is-land’s fair share of school aidpermanently to the school aidformula and as was originallywritten, reduces the costs to dis-tricts substantially. He hascalled for a reduction in the costof supplies, quality services and

benefits through consolidatedpurchasing and works to reduceliability to school districts. Withthese issues addressed, schooldistricts managing a tax cap be-come reality. AssemblymanSaladino has called for an endto the expensive unfunded man-dates. Nassau County spends$500 million a year paying thecost of Medicaid and adminis-tering the department.”

Joseph Saladino (R,I,C,TR)

Jay Cherlin (D) (No response received from the candidate.)



“Charles Lavine grew up inWisconsin and Michigan. Hegraduated from the UniversityWisconsin and New York LawSchool. He was a public de-fender in New York City andpracticed law with specializa-tion in municipal law and de-fense of complex criminal cas-es. Lavine moved to Glen Covein 1980. He was a lawyer forNorth Country Reform Temple

and the Glen Cove Communityand Industrial DevelopmentAgencies and a member of theGlen Cove Planning Board aswell as the Glen Cove CityCouncil. He was elected to theNew York State Assembly in2004, and has served on impor-tant committees, as well asserving as chairman of the Ad-ministrative Regulation ReviewCommission and president of

the New York Chapter NationalAssociation of Jewish Legisla-tors. He is married to Ronnie, aretired Glen Cove teacher. Theylive with their dog, Mona, andcat, Mr. Kitty. Their two chil-dren attended Glen Cove publicschools. Their son, Greg, ischief-of-staff to a New YorkCity councilmember; and theirdaughter, Andria, is a socialworker in Oakland, California.”

• • •“Long Island’s highly edu-

cated workforce makes it a de-

sirable location for sophisticat-ed industry, such as the de-fense industry. I am a propo-nent of Governor Cuomo’sLong Island Regional Eco-nomic Development Council. Iam pleased to have helped pro-vide funding for Cold SpringHarbor Lab, which, along withBrookhaven National Labora-tory, Stony Brook, the Fein-stein Institute at North Shore-LIJ Health System and HofstraUniversity, will create knowl-edge-creating and job-generat-

ing synergy for our future.“Each of our 124 separate

school districts on Long Islandcould save millions of dollars ifwe limited the needless testingto which we are subjecting ourchildren, educators and admin-istrators. We need to breakdown the barriers that make itdifficult for school districts topool resources to purchase col-lectively and must allow dis-tricts more flexibility to poolresources to transport childrenby bus.”

Charles Lavine (D,I,WF)

“Lou Imbroto grew up inPlainview and attended the lo-cal POB schools. Lou graduat-ed from Chaminade HighSchool and Fordham Universi-ty, and received his Juris Doc-tor, cum laude, from BrooklynLaw School. He is an attorneyin private practice and servedas the manager of policy andgovernment affairs for theLong Island Contractors’ Asso-ciation. Lou helped found theYoung Adult Alliance to fighttirelessly to keep Long Island

affordable for young adultswho are forced to leave in in-creasing numbers every year.”

• • •“My top priority as assem-

blyman will be to reduce thetax burden on Long Islanders.We pay among the highestproperty taxes in the nationwhich, combined with ourstate and local taxes, creates acrushing burden that is drivingour families, young people,and seniors off the Island indroves, while creating a diffi-

cult climate for local business-es. I will do everything in mypower to reduce property tax-es, including making our prop-erty tax cap permanent, cap-ping and repealing unfundedmandates on our local govern-ments, restoring our STAR re-bates, and completely repeal-ing the MTA tax for Long Is-landers, including our busi-nesses, schools and local gov-ernments. These measures willpromote small business andjob growth, while turning thetide on the region’s “braindrain” so that talented individ-uals can remain on Long Is-

land. By adopting these meas-ures, we can reduce the cost ofliving on Long Island so thatour young people can afford toremain here, while creatingjobs for them and giving thema reason to stay.“Mandate relief must be an

important part of our propertytax reform. Since the passageof the property tax cap, ourschool districts and local gov-ernments have been strainedbecause of the failure to pro-vide relief for unfunded statemandates, forcing them to ei-ther cut services or raise prop-erty taxes. The problem is that

the state bears no fiscal re-sponsibility for these man-dates, so there is no incentiveto rein them in. By requiringthe state to fund any localmandate in excess of 10,000,we can ensure that only thosemost essential will pass, andreduce the burdens on our lo-cal governments and schooldistricts. By adopting this re-form as a first step, we willgive local governments andschool districts the freedom tospend money on the servicesthey feel are important andhalt our ever increasing prop-erty tax burden.”

“I am a lifelong resident ofGlen Cove and a graduate ofGlen Cove High School, withhonors. Currently, I am majoringin sociology at Old WestburyCollege, and graduated fromNassau Community College inrestaurant management in De-cember 1997. I have been a

member of the Glen Cove Vol-unteer Fire Department since1999, am a past volunteer forNorth Shore Sheltering Program,from 1998-2008, a past boardmember from CongregationTifereth Israel in Glen Cove,from 1998-2005, and was amember of CSEA Region 1 Lo-

cal 1000 Political Action Com-mittee (PAC) in 2008-2009.”

• • •“I would eliminate the prop-

erty taxes and replace themwith a personal income tax.Short term I would lower thesales tax. Long term I proposea work style project that wouldput unemployed New Yorkersback to work, such as repair-ing our infrastructure. I would

also propose a Green NewDeal that would promote pub-lic and private sector jobs suchas solar, tidal hydro power,hemp for fuel and wind facto-ries. Give tax breaks to thesmall businesses that providejobs with livable wages.“I am in favor of eliminating

mandatory statewide standard-ized testing that does not work.I believe that this does not im-

prove student skills, it onlyteaches them how to answerquestions for the tests. I believethat any other unfunded man-dates should be required by thestate to give 100 percent in stateaid. This will be paid for by theexisting stock transfer tax,which is 0.1 percent. Anotherway of funding such mandatesis progressive taxation onwealthier New Yorkers.”

Louis Imbroto (R,C)

Jeffery Peress (GR)



“Dave McDonough, a mem-ber of the assembly for over 10years, currently serves as chair-man of an Assembly TaskForce on Public Safety, dealingwith the U.S. Department ofHomeland Security, police andlaw enforcement, the courts,corrections, veterans, and sexoffender watch. McDonoughserved as president of the Nas-sau County Council of Cham-bers of Commerce, and was afour-term president of the Mer-

rick Chamber. AssemblymanMcDonough served in the U.S.Coast Guard and U.S. AirForce and is a graduate of Co-lumbia University. He and hiswife, Carolyn, live in Merrick,and have three children andthree grandchildren.”

• • •“Over the past two years,

we’ve taken significant stepsto ensure the prosperity of ourcommunity. Partnering withGovernor Cuomo, I’ve helpedspearhead much-needed re-forms like the elimination ofthe MTA payroll tax, a histori-

cally low income-tax rate forthe middle class, and the cre-ation of the NY Works pro-gram to rebuild our crumblingroads and bridges. We’ve putNew York on the right track,and Long Island is leading theway. I truly believe that we’reon the right course. By makingfiscally responsible choices,like enacting two consecutiveon-time budgets, with no newtaxes or fees, we have takensteps to bolster the long-termprosperity of our community.“We must also ensure that

we give the next generation all

the tools they need to be suc-cessful. This starts with astrong educational foundation.The tax cap, which I am proudto have supported, will helpprotect local taxpayers. Howev-er, our schools can’t continue toprovide the high-quality educa-tion we’ve come to expectwithout a two-pronged ap-proach to assistance. First, wemust ensure our kids get theirfair share from Albany by re-calculating the aid formula.Second, we need to eliminatethe costliest unfunded man-dates for school districts. Many

of our teachers devote count-less hours to assisting our kids,but they can’t do that whenthey’re trying to figure out whatsupplies they can order andwhat they can go without eachyear. Simply put, if the state re-quires it, the state should payfor it! If we follow this logicalapproach to education, studentsfrom Long Island and beyondwill be better equipped to reachtheir goals. It is important toprovide teachers the essentialsupplies needed for the class-rooms to create a practicallearning environment.”

David McDonough (R,I,C,TR)

“John Brooks, a formerRepublican, is a communityactivist in Seaford: the formerchief of the Seaford Fire De-partment and the former vicepresident of the SeafordBoard of Education. An in-surance executive for morethan 30 years before becom-ing a risk manager in govern-ment where he has savedgovernments almost $90 mil-lion. He chaired the workgroup that was able to reducea planed NYSHIP rate in-

crease by over $450 million.”• • •

“Long Island’s poor busi-ness environment preventscompanies from moving hereto do business. Those compa-nies remaining on Long Islandexplore relocation opportuni-ties, thus limiting the prospectsfor long-term employment.Long Island has the highestproperty taxes in the nation.But why is it this way? Aquick look at your tax billshows that school taxes aver-age 65 percent of the propertytax burden. According to a2011 report from the Nelson

Rockefeller Institute, Long Is-land homeowners send farmore money up to Albanythan they get back in terms ofbenefits and funding. Evenwith the higher average in-comes througout our region,the taxes sent to Albany far ex-ceed the state reimbursement –especially for education. I re-viewed the 2010-2011 schoolyear funding scheme andfound that had state aid beendivided proportionally accord-ing to student enrollment, Nas-sau County would have re-ceived over $710 million morein state aid. Long Island, as a

whole, would have receivedover $1.1 billion more. The re-sult is a shortchanged Long Is-land that is forced to make upthe difference by hiking prop-erty and school taxes.“This problem can be fixed,

but the changes need to bemade in the state legislatureby leaders who are willing totackle the status quo and whoare willing to reject politics-as-usual in Albany. First andforemost this means changingthe way we fund education. Ifwe were to fund every schooldistrict based on the core costof education, and if the re-

quired programs and serviceswere based on student enroll-ment, along with adding in aregional cost factor, then everyschool district statewidewould start on even fiscalfooting. That kind of tax plan-ning would provide a billiondollar boost to our local econ-omy – along with the con-comitant economic growththat such large tax reliefwould provide. Companiescould once again locate toLong Island and bring withthem the jobs and prestige thatmade this area one of Ameri-ca’s greatest places to live.”

John Brooks (D,WF)


“Michael Montesano was apolice officer and detective forthe NYCPD as well as anEMT supervisor and investi-gator for the NYC EmergencyMedical Service. Montesanostarted his own law firm in1990 and has served as ActingVillage Justice and Prosecutorin Roslyn Harbor. In 2010, hewas elected to the New YorkState Assembly. Montesano isa graduate of Nassau County

Community College, St.John’s University and CUNYLaw School at Queens Col-lege. A Glen Head residentsince 1979, he has two chil-dren, Jennifer and Carmine,and lives with his wife Donnaand her children, Amanda andMichael.”

• • •“While New York’s econo-

my has seen improvementover the past two years, thereis still more work to be done.There was a $75 million in-vestment in the NY Works

Development Fund this year,an investment in our futurethat I will continue to supportgoing forward. I also support-ed the creation of the RegionalEconomic DevelopmentCouncils. Thanks to the grantsmade available by these coun-cils, companies like our ownPL Developments have beenable to expand and make in-vestments critical to jobgrowth on Long Island. In or-der to further assist our localbusinesses, I support fully re-pealing the MTA tax for every

small business, as well aseliminating the small businessfranchise tax, an excessivelevy that costs businessesacross the state hundreds ofmillions of dollars annuallyand stifles the growth and de-velopment needed to fuel oureconomy.“Our schools and munici-

palities face equally dauntingimpositions in the form of un-funded mandates. After lastyear’s historic property-taxcap, mandate relief was ex-pected to follow, since these

unfunded burdens cause ourtaxes to skyrocket each year. Ihave supported several reformsto reduce the unfunded man-date burden. The first involvesGovernor Cuomo’s MandateRelief Council pinpointing andeliminating specific unfundedmandates. Next, I co-spon-sored a measure in 2012 thatwould place a three-yearmoratorium on any further un-funded mandates. This legisla-tion would call for any newstate program to have a clearlydefined funding source.”

“My name is Mario Fer-one and I am the Democraticcandidate running for stateAssembly in the 15th Dis-trict. I am currently a stu-dent at Stony Brook Univer-sity studying political sci-ence and economics. I am

involved in the undergradu-ate student government atmy school, and have beenvery active in the local com-munity. I am running forstate Assembly because Iwant to help our community,be a role model for theyounger generation; andfight for education, equality,and lowering the cost of liv-

ing. I want to ensure yourvoices, concerns, and opin-ions are being heard.”

• • •“I believe we need to take

innovative steps to help in-crease the economic devel-opment in our community.We need to ensure business-es are offered the right in-centives to grow and prosper.

I am in favor of increasingthe minimum wage and in-dexing it to inflation, in-creasing low interest loans tosmall businesses, and in-creasing subsidized loans tostudents, which will create amore educated workforceand allow college graduatesto stay on Long Island.“The property tax cap is

definitely a step in the rightdirection, but more reform isneeded to ensure it is suc-cessful. The unfunded statemandates are putting a hugeand unfair burden on thetowns and school districts. Ibelieve the state has to putan end to the practice of is-suing mandates withoutproper funding. ”

Michael Montesano (R,I,C,TR)

Mario Ferone (D)


“Serving her third term inthe Assembly, MichelleSchimel has built a reputationas an effective agent forchange. She was previouslythe North Hempstead townclerk for eight years. A lead-ing voice on gun violence pre-vention, Michelle is the co-chair of the New York chapterof SLAIG. Her microstampingbill will help police solve guncrimes. She has fought to pro-tect our water resources and isan opponent of hydrofracking.Michelle has lived in Great

Neck since 1982. She was aphysical therapist and certifiedwound care specialist at NorthShore University Hospital.Michelle owned a fashion ac-cessories firm in Manhattan(1982 to 1994). She is analumna of the University ofPennsylvania.”

• • •“I joined Governor Cuomo

in his plan that targets re-sources to economic develop-ment programs and invests inhigh tech innovation and nan-otechnology, which will bringjobs to Long Island.“Thanks to a budget that

focuses on rebuilding infra-

structure, there will continueto be a significant uptick infunding projects to repair andrebuild our state roads andbridges; this is evident allthroughout my district. Lastyear, when I served on theAssembly Energy Commit-tee, I sponsored a new lawthat provides low cost powerto businesses and not-for-profits through RechargeNew York.“I recently consulted with

Congressman Steve Israelabout securing federal andstate grants to refit the sewerdistricts in my area with alter-native energy sources such as

bio fuel and solar energy,which will bring jobs andlower tax rates for my con-stituents.“Most important, we need

to invest in a well educatedworkforce by having greatschools in the district. Emerg-ing economic powers, likeChina and India, are heavilyinvesting in educating theirfuture workers - we must dothe same.“I sponsored a new law,

The School Bus Mandate Re-lief Act, which allows schooldistricts to base the numberof seats provided for studentson actual bus ridership. The

measure could save schoolsup to a half million dollarsper year. I also sponsored leg-islation which awaits the gov-ernor’s approval that allowsschool districts (as well asvillages and special districts)to continue using lever votingmachines for two more years- a significant cost savings tothe schools in my district.“I recently introduced a bill

that exempts high performingschools from certain statetesting mandates and paper-work requirements.”

Michelle Schimel (D,I,WF)



NY ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 16 (CONTINUED)


Richard Stiek(R,C)

“Richard Stiek is an attor-ney in Port Washingtonwhere he lives with his bride,Nancy. After graduating fromWest Point in 1996, Richardserved in Field Artillery in,Oklahoma. While there, Rickserved in various positions asan officer. After leaving theArmy, Richard obtained aMasters in Psychology fromTexas A&M University-Cor-pus Christi and Juris Doctorfrom Seton Hall Law School.He is a member of the board

of directors of the ArmedForces Reserve Family As-sistance Fund and board ofgovernors for the West PointSociety of New York.”

• • •“The biggest challenge

facing the State of New Yorkright now is the exodus ofbusinesses due to our hostilebusiness climate that resultsfrom unreasonable corporateincome taxes that unduly bur-den small businesses. To alle-viate this strain and increasejob development, I wouldsimplify the commercial taxcode and develop immediate-ly realized refundable creditsfor growth of small business-

es. In addition, I would workto facilitate immigration as-sistance so individuals likemy grandparents can enterthe United States and moreeasily find work without fearof deportation. We mustmake it easier for mom-and-pop businesses to grow andhire more local residentswithout fear of reprisal by theICE, whose sole purpose is topunitively deport immigrants.We must also give our smallbusinesses immediate bene-fits for expanding their busi-ness, including an immedi-ately realized refundablecredit for hiring new employ-ees who remain on the job

longer than six months,thereby encouraging long-term growth. Furthermore,we need to simplify our com-mercial tax code and filingsystem so that a family-owned business that earns$250,000 doesn’t have tospend 10 percent of its earn-ings to file the tax return.“Another significant issue

facing our district are the un-funded state mandates thatare forced upon our schoolsby the state governing body. Iwould introduce legislationthat would prohibit mandatesthat fail to include a fundingsource. Many of the man-dates are quality programs,

but they must be properlyfunded by the sourcing entity,specifically the Assem-bly/Senate. If the new man-date is not fully funded, itwould not be allowed on thefloor of the Assembly for avote. In addition, I would in-troduce a limit on the dura-tion of existing mandates thatwould allow up to five yearsfor the mandate to be fullyfunded or be eliminated in itsentirety. I would further in-troduce legislation that wouldprohibit the increase of prop-erty tax rates when propertyvalues are flat or declining asmeasured by an objectiveevaluation system.”

ThomasMcKevitt(R,I,C,TR)“Tom McKevitt received

his Bachelor of Arts, summacum laude, from Hofstra Uni-versity, and his law degreefrom Hofstra Law Schoolwhere he was articles editorof Hofstra Law Review. Heworked for nine years as adeputy town attorney of theTown of Hempstead, and is amember of East Meadow Ki-wanis and the East Meadow

Chamber of Commerce. In2006 he was first elected tothe New York State Assemblyand is currently serving hisfourth term. He lives in EastMeadow with his wife andtwo children.”

• • •“We must implement poli-

cies which will promote jobgrowth and reverse NewYork’s trend of exportingmore people than any otherstate. Nearly two million peo-ple have left New York in 10years, due to policies whichmake us one of the most taxedstates with a poor environmentfor businesses. Reducing thepersonal income tax to its

lowest level in 58 years is agood start. We must continuewith the New York Works ini-tiative to target specific proj-ects. However, we should alsoexpand the New York YouthWorks program to encourageto provide tax credits to em-ployers who hire 16 to 24 yearolds to all communitiesthroughout the state, and notjust a select few. We must cre-ate a business-friendly envi-ronment to fuel private sectorgrowth. The corporate fran-chise tax for small businesseswith incomes under $200,000should be reduced from 6.5 to5.85 percent; and for thosebusinesses with net incomes

between $200,000 and$390,000 should be reducedfrom 7.1 to 6.85 percent. Weshould also streamline filingrequirements by allowingbusinesses to pay all fees, fil-ings, and assessments as partof their annual state tax filing.“Mandate relief is neces-

sary for school districts tocontain costs and comply withthe property tax cap. Weshould begin by enactingstructural reform by requiringthat any regulation by theBoard of Regents that imposesan unfunded mandate onschool districts to be approvedby the governor and state leg-islature. Any additional man-

dates on schools that will costa district more than $10,000or $1 million aggregatestatewide, should be paid forby the State. Aid must also beprovided for districts in orderto comply with the new Annu-al Peer Performance Review(APPR). The number of re-ports that school districts mustreport to the New York StateDepartment of Educationmust be reduced so preciousresources can be used to helpstudents and not occupy bu-reaucrats.”



NY ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 17 (CONTINUED)

Kevin Brady(D,WF)

“I grew up a proud BoyScout and product of localpublic schools: Levittown’sDivision Avenue High School,undergrad at Stony Brook andgraduate school at Queens Col-lege. My values come straightfrom Mom’s devotion to com-munity education and myDad’s years of perfect atten-dance as a long-time NYPD

veteran. Working for FedExfrom a former Grumman siteand volunteering with at-riskyouth remind me how muchpublic policy really matters.I’m not a registered Democrator a Republican: I want to seemy hometown represented byone of its own in Albany – notsome outside partisan agenda.”

• • •“You already pay enough in

taxes: that’s why I support Gov-ernor Cuomo’s property-tax capfor homeowners and oppose theMTA raising LIRR fares whilecutting service. Assembly mem-

bers should be agents – workingdeals to make sure the moneygetting spent by Albany getsback to our downtowns, ourroads, and especially ourschools. Right now, Long Is-landers get just 72 cents back onevery dollar we send to Albany– lowest for any region. I prom-ise to be one of the few mem-bers who make the Assembly afull-time job, which also meansbeing a real small-businesschampion, meeting regularlywith owners and local chambersof commerce to learn theirneeds and problems. Many of

our businesses are hurting, espe-cially along Hempstead Turn-pike – by no coincidence, a stateroad that’s the deadliest in theregion. Long overdue improve-ments have been announced andthe other two Turnpike districts(Hempstead and Elmont) willhave members in the Assemblymajority: we can’t be the oneswithout a seat at the table or ourmoney will be spent elsewhere.Being pro-business and anti-government B.S. means big andsmall fights: like pushing NewYork to stop contracting withoutsourcers, favoring local com-

panies, and assigning a staff per-son from my office to helpneighbors and businesses re-quest traffic lights and signs.“As a PTA member and a

public schools student my en-tire childhood, I know that ad-vocating for our students alsomeans reducing spending: cap-ping superintendent pay anddismantling costly mandateslikely over-testing our kids. Iwill be one of the new, loudvoices in the majority willingto push for fairer school fund-ing formulas, building bridgesbetween the two parties.”


Ed Ra(R,I,C,TR)“Ed Ra was elected to repre-

sent the 21st Assembly Districton November 2, 2010. As amember of the assembly, Raserves on the health, labor, edu-cation and codes committees.He is also the ranking minoritymember of the Racing and Wa-gering Committee. Prior to hiselection to the state assembly,Ra served as a deputy town at-

torney for the Town of Hemp-stead and as a legal aide in theoffice of the New York State At-torney General. AssemblymanRa is a lifelong resident ofFranklin Square, where he liveswith his wife, Laura.”

• • •“The backbone of our local

economy is our small business-es. They employ people, serveour local residents and supportmany community organizations.The best way we can help in-crease local development andcreate jobs is to reduce govern-ment red tape and give our local

small businesses the tools theyneed to succeed. I have proposeda “Small Business IRA”(A.10382) account designed toallow businesses to set asidecapital pre-taxes that they will beable to access during difficulteconomic times. During thesetimes, businesses have troublegetting loans and this will pro-vide a cushion they can use toweather an economic storm andthrive. Further proposals, which Iwould support, would increasethe pool for eligibility forRechargeNY to allow our localsmall businesses to acquire low

cost energy and measures such asthe BizBoom legislation which Ihave co-sponsored which wouldlower application fees and pro-vide for reduced taxes in the firstyears for new businesses.“Mandate relief is a critical

issue that we must tackle forour local school districts. Wehave taken some actions such asthe repeal of the MTA tax forour schools and cost savingsmeasures like less restrictivebus mandates and allowing theuse of lever voting machines forschool elections. I would sup-port legislation like the pro-

posed exemplary schools legis-lation which would allowschools to apply for an exemp-tion from certain state testingrequirements when a school hasshown a record of academicsuccess by their students. Witheach mandate we reform or re-peal we will give our schooldistricts more flexibility to allo-cate their resources in a way tobest serve local students. Fur-ther, I have supported legisla-tion that would impose a mora-torium on unfunded mandatesor require the state to pay forany new mandates imposed. ”


MichaelleSolages(D,WF)

“Michaelle Solages is a resi-dent of the new 22nd AssemblyDistrict. Solages earned a bach-elor’s degree from Hofstra Uni-versity’s School of Education,Health and Human Services.

She has worked in the highereducation field for almost adecade. Solages works at Hofs-tra University, where she is amember of the Office and Pro-fessional Employers Interna-tional Union Local 153. Shehas also worked as a paralegalin a local law practice. Solageshas volunteered at the NassauCounty Legislature. Solageswon the Democratic and Work-ing Families Party primary onSept. 13.”

• • •“I would focus on small

business growth to increaseeconomic development. Smallbusinesses are the backbone ofour community. By increasingthe amount of small business-es, we widen the tax base anddecrease the tax burden on thehomeowners, which is essen-tial for those who are on fixedincomes like our seniors. Iwould support incentives thatenhance the development and

growth of small businesses. Iwould also call upon the statelegislature to provide incen-tives for businesses that hireunemployed New Yorkers.“Parents, teachers and law-

makers realize the tremendousfinancial stress facing our pub-lic schools. Working together,we must seek to provide thebest possible education forchildren without shifting thetax burden to homeowners. Anunfunded mandate is an obliga-

tion imposed on school districtsby the state government, thecost of which is not paid for bythe government. I would workclosely with the Special Educa-tion Parent Teacher Association(SEPTA) and New York StateUnited Teachers (NYSUT) tofind out which mandates arenonessential and which man-dates are essential. I wouldthen work with the state legis-lature to repeal nonessentialmandates.”

Sean Wright(R,I,C)

“Sean Wright is a graduateof Johns Hopkins University;CUNY Law School and hasbeen a practicing attorney formore than 10 years. He is thedeputy town attorney for theTown of Hempstead anddeputy prosecutor for the Vil-lage of Valley Stream. He is aCSEA Member, third degreeKnights of Columbus member,

Valley Stream Green Hornetsassistant youth football coachand lives in the in the 22ndDistrict. Together with hiswife Lisa, Sean has one youngchild and they are expectingtheir second.”

• • •“Economic development

and job creation is my pri-mary focus for the people ofthe 22nd Assembly District.The local areas need involve-ment from New York State inorder to create jobs within theskilled work force, such as

plumbers, electricians, car-penters, steel workers, as wellas the full array of profession-als, too many of whom areout of work. This district isideally situated for such jobopportunities with its closeproximity to JFK Airport, theJFK AirTrain and the EastSide Access slated for com-pletion in the coming years.The Floral Park, StewartManor, Valley Stream andGibson railroad stations allsupply a steady workforceinto the city. Why not attract

the air travel businesses hereto western Nassau County,building on the freight andcargo industry that alreadyhas a healthy presence in Val-ley Stream. We also have Bel-mont Park, which is prime forthoughtful development inkeeping with the suburbancharacter of its surroundingneighborhoods of Elmont andFloral Park. The Nassau Hub,just a little further east of the22nd District is also a largelyuntapped opportunity.“Mandate relief is a large

problem for school districts,especially those struggling tostay within the 2 percent taxcap. Mandates must be re-viewed yearly, and if neces-sary, the state must provide theaid needed to comply. NassauCounty and the 22nd Districtare sending a disproportionateshare of tax monies to Albanyand getting back only a frac-tion. I believe any unfundedmandates must pass a 2/3 ma-jority vote in both the Senateand the Assembly before beingpassed on to school districts.”

Gary Port (D)“Gary Port is 50 years old.

He graduated from BrooklynLaw School in 1986. Afterserving in the active Army until1990, he joined the BrooklynDistrict Attorney’s office. Helater formed Port and Sava. Heis a lieutenant colonel in theArmy Reserves and was award-ed the Meritorious ServiceMedal, the Army Commenda-tion Medal, and the ArmyAchievement Medal. A found-ing member and two-term pastpresident of the West Hemp-

stead Chamber of Commerce,Gary and his wife, Yukiko,have been married for 24years; they have four children.He is a Scoutmaster and previ-ously coached Little Leagueand softball.”

• • •“Nassau Coliseum needs to be

developed and to do that zoningmust be removed from the Townof Hempstead. Unfortunately,under the New York Constitu-tion, the legislature cannot over-ride the zoning of a specific localgovernment without special pro-ceedings. The courts have heldthat broader laws, such as the Ur-

ban Renewal laws, can legallyoverride local zoning. A concert-ed plan using these broader lawsmust be put into effect. We needto attract high quality white-col-lar jobs, particularly in the newfield of biotech. We must exploreinnovative models of develop-ment, which do not representoverdevelopment, but a carefulblending of residential and work-spaces. Perhaps the best exampleis to be found in Garden City.This village has a healthy blendof residences, office space, in-dustrial use areas and commer-cial space. The state can do moreby working with the local gov-

ernments and encouraging themto streamline red tape and pro-viding the proper tax incentives,not just for businesses to come,but to stay. Create incentives andprograms between Nassau Com-munity College and local busi-nesses. By partnering with localbusinesses, the goal would be forstudents to start working while incollege and then segue into fulltime employment.“Unfunded mandates need to

be brought under control by es-tablishing a commission of edu-cators and parents. They need tobe examined in a realistic fash-ion and determine for each one

if the goal is worthwhile for thecost entailed. There needs to bea statewide law capping thesalaries of superintendents. AsGovernor Andrew Cuomo haspointed out, the cost of adminis-tration has increased well be-yond inflation and in fact thecost of education. Administra-tive costs must be reduced. Wemust push to consolidate backoffice functions such as pur-chasing and construction/repairservices. Any district that wish-es to exceed the 2 percent prop-erty cap should undergo an out-side audit and must justify theneed to exceed the cap.”


Nassau County Judicial Candidates (From Nassau County Board of Elections)

voter's guide 2012

Documents

families party

independence party

new york state

ourhealth care system

emergencyroom care system

preventive health care

gr green party

lbt libertarian party