Toback and Eramo battle for 20th A.D.

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Democrats Anthony Eramo and Jeff Toback will face off in primary for the 20th Assembly District on Tuesday. The candidates are both Long Beach residents. Eramo is a city councilman and Toback served in the county legislature from 1999 to 2009. In advance of Tuesday’s primary the Herald had the candidates answer four questions.

Herald: You both support ethics reform, oppose tax increases and tout your fiscal acumen. What sets up apart from your opponent?

Anthony Eramo: I believe strongly in the importance of public service and giving back to our community. We need to rid Albany of the stench of corruption. I will give up my current job to be a full-time legislator. After the corruption convictions of Dean Skelos and Shelly Silver, there is no question that legal clients and outside income cloud the judgment of elected officials. Unlike my opponent, I will not accept a dime from any outside job, and I will be a tireless fighter on behalf of the South Shore, because we deserve better than part-time representation.

I am a bridge builder who is effective and energetic—a reason I am so proud to have been endorsed by Senator Todd Kaminsky (among many others). Democratic leaders from all walks of life have come together to support me because they know I have the experience and temperament to deliver.

Jeff Toback: We differ in three major ways: First, I have 10 years of proven Democratic experience and accomplishment in government, which my opponent cannot match. In Nassau County government we had to deal with a strong minority, and that is where I learned the art of negotiation and compromise, that you don’t get in Long Beach, where the city council is made up of members of only one party. Those skills are part of the reason that Legislator Ford has endorsed me.

Second, I will be tough on crime. New York state needs to get heroin and heroin dealers off our streets. Based on recent history, the liberal majority in the state assembly, that my opponent will be just another voice in, doesn’t seem interested in doing that; in stark contrast, it’s my number one priority.

Third, during my time in the legislature, I always listened to my constituents and carried out their wishes. I would never have sold out my constituents to special interested as my opponent has done on the $109 million iStar tax giveaway in Long Beach.

H: A ban on outside income for state legislators has been proposed. Where do you stand on this, and why?

Eramo: It’s simple — money corrupts. I completely support a ban on outside income, and will adhere to a ban regardless of whether Republicans in the State Senate block such a necessary reform.

Time and again the people of New York have watched their legislators use the power of their elected position to do favors and cut deals that profit themselves (and harm the public’s interest). The cost of this corruption, both in terms of taxpayer dollars and public trust, is simply too high.

The South Shore needs active representation—and I will dedicate myself in the spirit of Senator Kaminsky’s model to travel the district, operate mobile offices, and work to solve constituent problems. Whether the legislature is in session or not, I seriously value the trust that is placed in our elected officials to help our communities and lead. The attention of our legislators should not be divided.

Toback: I don’t support a ban on outside income, as it’s not a safeguard against corruption, and it doesn't ensure honesty or integrity. Further, the current proposal to ban outside income will also substantially raise legislators’ salaries, and continue to cultivate career politicians. Career politicians preclude civilians of all walks of life from getting involved in government service.

I believe we need term limits and stricter disclosure laws to battle corruption. Former Speaker Sheldon Silver blocked real disclosure legislation for over a decade; we see the outcome. My opponent is touting his leave of absence from his job at the phone company to be a full time legislator as the insurance of integrity. This, coming from the candidate of political bosses and Bill de Blasio cronies who uses the same campaign consultants that are under investigation for campaign finance violations, rings hollow. Passing meaningful disclosure rules and regulations will go a long way toward cleaning up the mess that the Albany establishment has created.

H: Recovery from Hurricane Sandy continues to vex a portion of residents in the district. What would you do to help these people?

Eramo: My family had to relocate for 18 months after Sandy, relying on the kindness of our family and community during this period. For many like us, fighting with my insurance company and accessing the New York Rising resources was cumbersome. As an assemblyman that experienced the same frustrations, I will be a strong advocate for constituents navigating the process of receiving the necessary resources to rebuild their home.

Under my leadership as city councilman, Long Beach was the first municipality to set up a residential rebuilding assistance program, which helped thousands navigate the ever-changing New York Rising program. I would expand this program to help the entire South Shore. I would use the power of my office to hold insurance companies accountable for the full amount of residents’ claims, and help constituents file complaints with the Insurance Department of New York, which oversees all insurance companies that do business here.

Toback: We need to learn from the mistakes made in Sandy’s aftermath, and ensure in the event of another natural disaster, they are not repeated. If elected, I will try to be assigned to the insurance committee, with an eye toward legislation that will require insurance policies to be written in plainer language, so that home- and business-owners know what they are covered for, and what they are not covered for. Government agencies like NY Rising, the Small Business Administration and FEMA that gave folks costly incorrect information must be held accountable.

I intend to sponsor legislation that will require NY Rising to waive collection of any overpayments it made to residents or businesses based on mistakes made by NY Rising, and will look for federal legislation for a reciprocal law regarding FEMA.

H: How would you go about safeguarding the district's waterways and protecting the surrounding environment?

Eramo: For the health and safety of the district, we must immediately reroute the Bay Park Sewage Pipeline out of Reynolds Channel and far from our communities. The nitrogen it spews into our waterways poisons local plant and animal species, ended our clamming industry and killed hundreds of jobs.

Perhaps most importantly, the toxic effluent makes us more susceptible to the next superstorm by eroding the roots of our grasslands, which should provide a critical barrier between our homes and waters we know will again rise. As a city councilman in Long Beach, I fought for infrastructure improvements that eliminated over one million gallons of effluent from running into the channel every day.

Toback: One of my proudest accomplishments as a county legislator was spearheading the closing of the antiquated and polluting sewer treatment plants in the Villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst, which was the first real step in the cleanup of the western bays, which includes Reynolds Channel. In addition, I fought hard for funding for the “Total Maximum Daily Load” study; the results allowed the county to apply for federal and state government funding for a solution for the western bays.

While my opponent strangely mocks these efforts, the NY League of Conservation Voters noted this accomplishment when endorsing my candidacy. I will continue to work with all levels of government until the outfall from the county’s Bay Park plant is diverted from Reynolds Channel, in the most environmentally friendly and appropriate way possible. When it comes to the environment, like my colleague in government Tom Suozzi used to say, “I can do it, because I’ve done it.”