By Cindy J. Roth
Both candidates agreed that Freeport Village's diesel Power Plant No. 2 must be cleaned up or shut down (it has no pollution controls), and both support legislation proposed by Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) that would allow the state Education Department to take over and provide operating aid for the Roosevelt School District.
The differences between the two lie in their backgrounds and connections to local community groups.
The 19th District comprises Baldwin Harbor, Bellmore, Island Park, Levittown, Merrick, North Wantagh and south Freeport.
David McDonough
McDonough is a past president of the Merrick Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce, president of the Nassau County Council of Chambers of Commerce, a founding member of the Bellmore-Merrick Community Wellness Council and liaison for Merrick's downtown revitalization project.
"I like doing what I've been doing," said McDonough. The Assembly post "is more of an opportunity to help, and I already know the key players."
In preparing plans and securing funding for Merrick's revitalization project, McDonough said he worked closely with representatives from the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, as well as state senators. Through that experience, he said he got to know the right political players in Albany.
Economic development is a big issue to tackle in the coming years, according to McDonough. The state must entice larger businesses to settle on Long Island, bringing more money to smaller towns and villages, securing their ability to survive.
"When you have more big business, there are more people and more money, and that gets spent in downtown areas."
Another concern for McDonough is pedestrian safety. McDonough is working to get increased stop-light time sequences to give pedestrians more time to safely cross major thoroughfares.
Community beautification also ranks high on McDonough's agenda.
The candidate said he is running for the assembly seat on his background of community service in Merrick and Nassau County and hopes that, if elected, he could continue that work.
"If being an assemblyman means I have more of an opportunity to reach more people, it will be fun."
McDonough is married with three children and owns Graydon Associates on Merrick Avenue in Merrick, which is a collection agency that also provides credit-counseling services.
Steve November
November, 41, first got involved in politics through the Democratic Party in 1995. He is a member of the Old Lindenmere Civic Association, Central Merrick Homeowners Association, president of the Merrick-Bellmore Democratic Club and district coordinator for Nassau County Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick). He also served as area coordinator for county Executive Tom Suozzi's 2001 campaign.
He has spoken publicly against Freeport's Plant No. 2, which he calls an abomination, and he assisted in the fight against Sprint's proposal to build a cell-phone tower across from Chatterton Elementary School in Merrick. As assemblyman, November said he would continue to fight to protect open space and the environment.
November ran for the 19th District seat in 2000 and received 47 percent of the vote. Since, November has remained involved in community issues by attending public forums and talking with people and finding out their issues and tackling them.
The candidate said that, in working with Denenberg in recent years, he has established a close relationship with the legislator, as well as with county Executive Suozzi. Those connections, he believes, would help him as an assemblyman in getting projects done throughout the district.
"The biggest difference is people want someone with a fire in the belly that will be a major voice in the Assembly, and that's what they get from me," said November.
If elected, November said he would work toward changing the state aid formula for school districts to give minority districts more money so the financial problems that low-income districts such as Roosevelt face could be avoided.
He also wants to reorganize and refund the state's $100-million Spill Fund, which provides the Department of Environmental Conservation with monies to clean up oil and gasoline spills. The state pays for cleanups initially, and then the parties responsible for the spills must repay the state. To date, however, the DEC is owed $80 million for cleanups.
November, an attorney and former public-school science teacher, said that, as a majority-party member in the Assembly, he would be able to effect greater change than his opponent.
"Democrats set the agenda in the Assembly, so a Republican will have little effect," he said.
November works at Morelli and Associates law firm in New York City specializing in personal injury and is married with two children.
