Complied by Cindy J. Roth
Barra boasts of the legislation he passed this year, 15 bills in total, which he claims is the highest number of any freshman assemblyman belonging to the minority party. Barra prime sponsored eight bills, most of which deal with tax exemptions for local municipalities. He also cosponsored seven others, including bills that required public schools to have cardiac automated external defibrillators and establishing local library funding districts.
Grasso claims the district suffers from a lack of efficient leadership, which he can bring to the district, being of the Assembly's majority party.
Both men agree the state education systems needs reform and that more money should to be brought back to the district's schools. Grasso said he would also fight hard make sure that all the lottery money designated for education to be used in area schools.
Besides education, Barra said he would focus his reforms on healthcare. The incumbent is looking to expand Child and Family Health Plus to reach more families and the EPIC program to reach more senior citizens. His proposals would require new legislation that would expand income limits so more people can access these programs.
Grasso's focus is on making the criminal justice system more effective by demanding tough, punitive sentences for criminals who are repeat offenders and force corporate criminals to pay both financially and with jail time.
18th Assembly District -- Earlene Hooper (D) v. Raymond Rhoden (R)
In the 18th Assembly District, 14-year incumbent, Republican Earlene Hooper faces a challenge from Democrat Raymond Rhoden, a 54-year-old commissioner for the Town of Hempstead Planning Department.
Rhoden charges that Hooper is out of touch with the district and has remained silent on many important issues to the community, such as charter schools and tax certiorari reform. In addition, Rhoden says Hooper has not represented the district aggressively enough.
Hooper did not return several calls to her office from the Herald requesting an interview. However, according to her Web site, Hooper's legislative priorities include "securing increased state funding for local school districts, fighting for drug rehabilitation programs and stricter enforcement of drug laws, ensuring safe, affordable housing for all New Yorkers, protecting our environment, and strengthening economic development efforts."
Issues on Rhoden's agenda include creating livable wage jobs and pushing for affordable housing and day care in the district by "knitting together" government and private funding sources. He also believes political post should be used as a "bully pulpit" to address issues such as AIDS, teenage pregnancy and other health care issues.
21st Assembly District -- Thomas Alfano (R) v. Joseph DeFelice (D)
Four-term Republican incumbent Alfano faces political newcomer and Malverne lawyer Joseph DeFelice in the race for the 21st Assembly District seat.
DeFelice believes that the continuing financial crunch in Nassau County can only be solved by increased Democrat support in the state government. DeFelice said as an assemblyman he could provide County Executive Tom Suozzi with additional state support.
Alfano said he is running to continue what he started. Having seniority in Albany and having a moderate voice is the Assembly is what Alfano believes works best for the diverse district.
Both men have a focus on education and believe unfunded state mandates should be obliterated. Terrorism also tops the candidates' lists of concerns. The two men said they would work to insure safety of their constituents DeFelice stressed a need for raising standards for airport workers, while Alfano said the island's water supply and power plants need to be better guarded.
State Senate races
9th Senatorial District -- Dean Skleos (R) v. Richard Glassberg (D)
[ITAL] (Covers East Rockaway, Lynbrook, Malverne)
Republican incumbent Dean Skelos is seeking his 10th term in office Nov. 5 as he vies against political newcomer, Democrat Richard Glassberg.
The candidates agree the key issue for this race is the declining health of New York State finances. Skelos said he would concentrate on getting the state back on track financially by tightening the state's belt and establishing spending priorities. But the senator doesn't consider raising taxes an option. Skelos said his funding priorities would be education and preserving both the STAR and EPIC programs. STAR provides a partial exemption from school property taxes for owner-occupied, primary residences and EPIC provides drug help for senior citizens.
Glassberg said the only way to make the right financial decisions is to examine the budget line by line and take a real close look at all the state programs to make sure they work and should continue to be funded. If elected, Glassberg said he would pursue making an itemized budget available. He would also work for an on-time budget, putting an end to unfunded mandates and revamping the "antiquated" school-aid system, which he said, does not give Long Islanders a fair share of the funding.
Skelos said his proudest accomplishment in the last term was a $50 million biotechnology program. He believes it will bring economic growth and jobs to Long Island, which he hopes will become the Silicon Valley of the bio tech industry.
Glassberg's other main objective, if elected, will be to make HMOs accountable for their actions. He said it's not right that a person cannot sue their HMO if it causes a delay in treatment or denies care.
7th Senatorial District -- Michael Balboni (R, I, C) v. E. Christopher Murray (D, L, WF)
(Covers East Rockaway, Lynbrook, Malverne)
Voters in the 7th State Senate District will chose between incumbent Michael Balboni (R, I, C) of East Williston and E. Christopher Murray (D, L, WF) of Westbury.
Balboni, seeking his fourth term as State Senator, has spent much of the last year devoting his time to both the Senate Majority Task Force on Local Emergency Preparedness as well as the National Conference of State Legislatures to the Task Force on Protecting Democracy, a group dedicated to ensuring homeland security on a state level. Most of his legislation, 26 pieces, have been geared toward his goal. So far, six have passed, including an anti-terrorism bill and a water security act.
Balboni is also a huge supporter of a state-wide smoking ban, having authored the New York State Anti-Stalking Law. He also believes that the Superfund sites need to be addressed immediately and promises to continue to work for addition funding.
Democrat opponent Murray, despite repeated attempts, could not be reached for an interview.
Congressional races
3rd Congressional District -- Peter King (R) v. Stuart Finz (D)
Five-term Republican Rep. Peter King is running for re-election to the Third Congressional seat. King faces off against Democrat Stuart Finz, a virtual newcomer to the political arena.
King is known for bucking mainstream Republican thinking, which he says demonstrates his ability to act independently, as well as to cross party lines for what he believes is the good of the country. Finz, however, charges that King's voting record in Congress most often falls in line with the Republican Party in favor of corporate America.
Some of King's congressional accomplishments include: Securing the votes to pass the first-ever federal study of Long Island's high breast-cancer rate; Helping win approval for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to rebuild storm-damaged Long Beach; and leading the effort to build the Long Island Rail Road's East Side Access Tunnel into Manhattan.
Finz has made a career as a lawyer representing average folks in injury claims against corporate giants and said now he wants to bring what he calls his fighting spirit and intimate knowledge of the law to Congress.
In talking about Iraq, Finz called King "a voice of war." Finz said the U.S. must move cautiously toward military action in Iraq, as he believes all diplomatic channels must be exhausted before U.S. armed forces are brought in. King said he supports President George W. Bush's stance on Iraq, which includes building international support for a military attack. King favors what are called "intrusive" weapons inspections, which would allow U.N. representatives to inspect "anywhere in Iraq, at anytime." He also said any interference with those inspections should result in the U.S. use of armed forces.
4th Congressional District -- Carolyn McCarthy (D) v. Marilyn O'Grady (R)
Three-term incumbent Democrat Carolyn McCarthy is taking on Republican challenger and political novice Marilyn O'Grady in the race for the Fourth Congressional District seat.
Toughening up gun laws is still one of McCarthy's chief priorities. She was defeated in 1999 in her attempt to get a bill passed requiring background checks on all buyers at gun shows and expects to reintroduce that bill. Her Our Lady of Peace Act bill, which recently passed in the house is named for the Lynbrook church where the Rev. Lawrence Penzes and a parishioner were gunned down during a morning Mass last March. The bill requires Federal background check to include mental health records.
O'Grady does not favor additional gun control measures but greater enforcement of those laws already on the books.
O'Grady said she entered the race because she did not see any good ideas coming out of Washington, D.C. on how to solve the nation's health care crisis.
She proposed giving citizens more of a variety of policies, to keep the costs down. She added that tax laws are stacked against poor families who have no insurance from their employer and are forced to buy an insurance policy.
McCarthy said another one of her chief priorities in the next term would be a prescription drug bill and Medicare reimbursements.
