By Scott Brinton
Since September, Republicans have aired a series of TV spots attacking Democrats on taxes, charging that County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat of Glen Cove, and Democratic legislators have raised them beyond many people's ability to pay. The commercials also blame Democrats for the county's continual reassessment of home values (which leads to higher property taxes in many, though not all, cases).
Democrats have fired back in their own commercials that the Republicans are "lying." Democratic elected officials didn't create the current reassessment system. Republicans did, under a previous administration - and by court order. And Democrats note that the current Democratic administration hasn't raised county property taxes for three straight years, after hiking them 19.4 percent. They also say that they've balanced the county budget by slashing spending and making county government more efficient.
County executive's race
Suozzi was swept into the county executive's seat in 2001. He now faces a pitched battle with former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Gregory Peterson, a Republican of East Meadow.
Suozzi argues that he brought order to Nassau County after years of Republican fiscal mismanagement. Peterson attacks Suozzi's vision of new suburbia, poking fun at administration-backed proposals to construct a high-rise apartment complex at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale. Peterson and the Republican Party have besieged the proposals, saying any of them would destroy "our suburban way of life."
Town supervisor
The Democratic Party is taking aim at one of the GOP's few remaining political strongholds, with county Assessor Harvey Levinson, a Democrat of Garden City, waging an aggressive campaign to oust town Supervisor Kate Murray, a Republican of Levittown.
Levinson charges that the town is bloated with patronage jobs, and that Murray often uses town mailings as campaign literature. Murray defends her record, saying the town is efficiently run, offering people vital services while keeping taxes low.
District attorney
Democratic challenger Kathleen Rice of Locust Valley is assailing Republican incumbent Denis Dillon, a Republican of Rockville Centre, with a barrage of mailings and television commercials, primarily attacking his pro-life stance, saying the district attorney allows his personal views to interfere with his job.
Dillon says that in the one case involving pro-life protesters, he recused himself and hired a special prosecutor. Nassau is the safest large county in the country. And, he notes, his office boasts a 98 percent conviction rate.
County comptroller
Don Clavin, the Republican Town of Hempstead receiver of taxes, is challenging Nassau County Comptroller Harvey Levinson, a Democrat who, four years ago, routed a longtime Republican Party leader.
Clavin says he would be Nassau's "independent fiscal watchdog." Translation: As a Republican, he would have no ties to the current Democratic administration, and so would feel no political heat when attacking its spending policies.
Levinson says that he has rooted out waste wherever it has been found through a series of tough audits of county departments. His primary focus in office, he says, has been on restoring Nassau to solvency.
County Legislature
In this year's election, nowhere are the stakes higher - and the outcome more unpredictable - than in the county Legislature, where Democrats hold a tenuous 10-9 majority. In 2003, Republicans were overjoyed when Republican Denise Ford pulled off an upset victory, defeating Democrat Michael Zapson of Long Beach in the Legislature's 4th District. Long Beach has traditionally been considered Democratic territory.
But Democrat Dave Mejias of North Massapequa pulled off a surprise win himself, beating Republican Gregory Carman in the 14th District to maintain the Democratic majority in the Legislature. Mejias now faces Republican challenger Thomas Sabellico.
The 4th and 14th District races remain very much in play, with Ford facing an especially tough opponent, Democrat Robert Solomon, an attorney.
Meanwhile, Republican Jeffrey Katz is fighting hard to defeat Democratic incumbent Legislator Jeffrey Toback in the 7th District. And Republican Steve Rhoads is hammering away at Democratic incumbent David Denenberg, who is seen, to one degree or another, as vulnerable because the GOP holds a voter registration edge in the 19th District.
A deciding factor may be the Police Benevolent Association, which has played a particularly active role in this year's election. The PBA endorsed Suozzi in 2001, but had a falling out with him during his first term over a contract dispute. Now the PBA is attacking Suozzi and Democratic legislative candidates, reportedly offering campaign support to Mejias's and Toback's GOP opponents.
Bottom line: The Legislature - and the future of the county - is up for grabs on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or 516-569-4000 ext. 203
