By Scott Brinton
The two candidates for the 19th Assembly District, incumbent Republican Kathleen Murray and Democrat Steve November, squared off in a debate last Sunday morning at the Suburban Temple on the North Bellmore-Wantagh border. Among the topics for discussion were: campaign finance reform, the environment and hospital consolidation.
The 19th Assembly District takes in both the Merricks and Bellmores.
Suburban Temple's Social Action Committee sponsored the candidates' forum. Alicia Steger, of the Suburban Temple, moderated the debate.
Mr. November, of Merrick, pounced on campaign finance reform. He said incumbents enjoy a distinct advantage during elections in that they are given budgets from the state, known as franking privileges, that enable them to send constituents mass mailings aimed at getting their own messages out.
The challenger called for a ban on franking privileges and then went one step further. "Not only ban these franking privileges, introduce public financing of campaigns," he said.
"I have one of the most underfunded campaigns..." Mr. November added, "and I shouldn't be at that disadvantage."
Ms. Murray, of Levittown, took a more moderate tone in her rhetoric. She said that campaign finance abuses are most often found in the national races, where millions of dollars go into advertising. State-level elections, such as that for the Assembly, require far fewer dollars to fund and therefore are less prone to abuses.
She, however, did say that both Republicans and Democrats must do a "little soul searching" and decide from whom they wish to take campaign dollars. The incumbent said candidates "must be willing to give up" traditional revenue streams, such as corporations for Republicans and labor unions for Democrats.
She concluded by saying, "Do I think we need reform? Absolutely."
The environment also played heavily in the debate. Ms. Murray, who said she presides over one of New York's "most beautiful" assembly districts with treasures such as Jones Beach, called for the state to acquire more open lands and preserve them. "With the little existing land we have left, we have to take precautions and buy the lands up...We have to protect our lands, we have to protect our water, we have to protect our air."
Ms. Murray, who said she has earned among the highest environmental ratings of any Assembly member from Nassau, also noted a recently passed law requiring 48-hour notice of pesticide spraying at schools and day-care centers. The measure, sponsored by State Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R, Merrick-Eighth District), also allows counties to require the same notification for neighbors who fall within 150 feet of any commercial pesticide application. Ms. Murray said she supported the measure in the Assembly.
The incumbent also tied overdevelopment to Long Island's higher-than-average cancer rate. Of particular concern, she said, is breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men.
"We have to preserve our lands, and in turn, they will preserve our health," she said.
Mr. November, who cited his endorsements from the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, said of land acquisition: "You limit development where you can."
Then, he noted, "There's nothing left. This county is so overdeveloped, you turn, and there's a house."
Calling Democrats the "stewards of the environment," Mr. November also said that the state must introduce public-private partnerships aimed at preserving the environment.
One resident in the audience raised consolidation of hospitals as an issue, saying he fears hospitals will eventually grow into monopolies that might ultimately lead to reduced services for patients.
The candidates, both of whom are lawyers, said that, although hospital consolidation remains a concern, anti-trust laws would kick in before any hospital grows into a monopoly. They also said that the issue represents less of a concern for Long Island, where residents enjoy the services of several major hospitals. In upstate rural areas with fewer hospitals, monopolies could emerge.
Mr. November took advantage of his closing remarks to hurl a subtle barb or two at his opponent and at the Republican Party. "I've never been a politician before, so I'm at somewhat of an advantage [in this year's election]," he said. The statement was an obvious allusion to the way in which elected officials in Nassau, particularly Republicans, have been hammered of late because of the county's growing fiscal crisis.
The challenger also said, "I'm running because I'm angry," referring to what he called 100 years of "single-party" Republican rule in Nassau County at all levels of government.
In the end, he told audience members, "I will bring you your tax dollars."
Ms. Murray countered by saying that she does not perceive herself as a politician, but rather as a "public servant" who provides "constituent services." "I don't like the word politician," she said.
The incumbent also geared her speech toward touching an emotional note with the roughly two-dozen residents present. "I got my start [as a public servant] from my father," who, she said, served as president of every major community organization in Levittown.
"When I got elected, I thought of my father," said Ms. Murray.
