Montesano, Foley vie for N.Y.'s 15th assembly district

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Strong leadership and a commitment to constituents are required to represent any assembly district in New York, including the North Shore’s District 15. Republican Assemblyman Michael Montesano, coming from a law enforcement and the legal background, has been fighting hard for his district for the past 18 years. Allen Foley joins the race with no political experience, but he does come from the hardscrabble world of union organizing.

We asked both candidates a few questions to help voters make an educated choice on Election Day, Nov. 6.

Herald Gazette: What can you do at the state level to help facilitate the economic development of the North Shore, and how should development be balanced against the area’s historical character?

Michael Montesano: The state’s role in economic development is to create an atmosphere for businesses to start-up or relocate to a specific area by reducing their start up and operating costs such as lower utility and water rates. The state also needs to reduce and consolidate the permitting process and reduce unemployment and workers compensation insurance costs.

As for the balancing of the location of new businesses on the North Shore against the historical character of the area is the province of the respective village or town’s planning and zoning boards and their master development plan.

Allen Foley: As a community with historical significance, we must focus on travel and tourism development. With a combination of open space preservation, public-private partnerships, and community development, we could revitalize the North Shore to promote businesses and lift Long Island families. In addition to revitalizing communities, we must secure grants that encourage diverse industries to invest in our community and provide job opportunity.

Herald Gazette: What changes can you affect in Albany to help the North Shore deal with some of its environmental concerns, contaminated wells and the ecological health of the Sound, for example?

Michael Montesano: In the past several years and as we move forward we have in the budgeted millions of dollars to assist the local water districts to both update and expand their filtration systems to remove contaminants from the water and more importantly, the newer toxins that are being discovered by the new technological advances which have been made.

As to the Long Island Sound, both the Legislature and the Executive have made millions of dollars available for programs to monitor the health of the Sound and to treat issues that affect it. There has been the placement of millions of oysters and clams in the Sound to help filtrate the water and additional regulations have been put in place to restrict the use of nitrates and fertilizers which by runoff find its way into the Sound. In addition, educational programs are being promoted to educate the public of ways to protect our water.

Through our partnership with the scientific community at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and others, we will continue to develop new ways to eliminate contaminants from the Sound and prevent further

contamination by identifying and stopping new potential sources of contamination.

Allen Foley: As a coastal region, Long Island is susceptible to damage from global warming and rising sea levels. I hope to bring new initiatives that work to reduce pollution, littering, and water contamination. We have to bring clean and renewable energy jobs to Long Island. The aquifers that provide our drinking water must be protected at all costs. If elected, I will block any law that compromises the environmental safety of Long Islanders, including the proposal to reopen certain water wells in Queens.

Herald Gazette: Significant portions of your districts have suffered from a reduction in the number of jobs. What can be done at the state level to reverse this trend?

Michael Montesano: When we examine the loss of jobs, I think first we have to look at the type of jobs, the industry and the reasons given for the loss. For example, location, loss of business, mergers, etc. While we have lost many manufacturing jobs, we have gained a significant amount of jobs in other area’s such as construction, medical, real estate and hospitality to name a few. Many of the job losses are because of a shift in the demand for certain products or services. At the state level, we can continue to drive down the costs of doing business in the effected area’s by reducing state mandated costs, however the local governments and school districts must bring down their tax impositions so the rents and operating costs come down and business can survive.

In addition, from the many business meetings I have attended it appears that some of the reasons for loss in business is the competition with other states and countries based on internet sales and production of merchandise out of state and overseas.

Allen Foley: We must invest in Long Island. In the Assembly, I will fight to help fund infrastructure projects to revitalize and modernize roads, transit systems, and downtown areas. Construction and infrastructure projects will create jobs on Long Island that will have a lasting positive impact on our community. I will also push to secure more funding for local revitalization projects from the state to bring more commercial development and local attractions like we saw with Gov. Cuomo’s investment in Hicksville. Bringing more technology to Long Island will create jobs and opportunity.

Herald Gazette: What is your stance on gun legislation?

Michael Montesano: In New York we have some of the strictest laws regarding the purchase, ownership, possession, transfer and use of guns in the nation and we have a stringent permitting process for concealed and carry permits. We also utilize the mental hygiene law referral system and data base. We have also passed the Extreme Risk Protection Order Law.

Allen Foley: New York already has strict laws regulating firearms but there are other common-sense solutions that could be added to ease this crisis and protect New Yorkers. We must fund research on gun violence and treat it as a public health crisis and work to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. These proposals include authorizing a court to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) to prevent those who become a danger to others or themselves from purchasing or possessing a firearm, banning bump stock devices, and expanding background checks from 3 days to 10 days. The ERPO bill has already been passed in the Assembly, with my opponent voting against it and is being held up in the Senate. I will fight to ensure that this and other bills, which combat gun violence, become law.