Hannon, McElroy go head to head in 6th Senate District

      The race in the 6th Senate District pits Republican incumbent Kemp Hannon, a lifelong Garden City resident who has held the office since 1990, against Democratic challenger Kristen McElroy, a longtime practicing attorney. This is McElroy's first campaign for elected office.
      The two candidates are vying to represent a district that encompasses Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Lakeview, East Meadow, Salisbury, Garden City and Hempstead, among other areas.

The incumbent
      Hannon, 62, said he is running for re-election to continue to address statewide policy concerns and the needs of his constituents. As the chairman of the Senate's Standing Committee on Health, Hannon said, he works diligently to create and support legislation that improves patient care and addresses health issues.
      This year alone, Hannon has sponsored more than 10 laws aimed at enhancing patient safety and health care services for residents. He recently sponsored a law that will require pediatric primary care providers to provide early screening of children for autism spectrum disorder. Hannon said the legislation, which was signed by Gov. David Paterson in July and will become law in January, will help parents learn at an early stage whether their children have the disorder.
      Hannon said that one of the biggest challenges he faced this term was addressing last year's controversy surrounding Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who reused plastic syringe barrels and drew medication from large, multi-use vials rather than single-dose vials from January 2000 to January 2005 at his Massapequa practice. State investigators later confirmed one case of hepatitis C infection caused by the reuse of syringes.
      After learning about Finkelstein's improper infection control practices last November, Hannon said, he held two public hearing and roundtable discussions in December and January "to improve the physician disciplinary process and ensure that a situation like Finkelstein's would not happen again." The forums included patient safety advocates, medical experts and officials from the state and county health departments.
      "We spent a considerable amount of time having hearings on this re-using syringes situation, and then we had to craft a piece of legislation that would move forward so we wouldn't have a reoccurrence of what had taken place," Hannon explained. "The legislation that was signed into law this year clarifies the Department of Health's authority to take action against physicians who have engaged in poor medical practices, and ensures the public's access to information regarding a physician's involvement with disciplinary proceedings."
       Hannon's health care reform this term includes a joint effort with the Long Island delegation to secure $750,000 in state funding for the creation of a Medicaid fraud unit in Nassau County, which is under way. He also serves as the co-chair of the Senate Medicaid Reform Task Force.
      Hannon also emphasized that he fought this term to make sure Long Island obtained its "fair share" of school aid. He noted that he was especially pleased with the state aid increase the East Meadow School District received this year: $3.7 million -- or 11 percent -- more than what was included in the budget former Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed in March.
      "Some people believe that Long Island suburbs are rich and that we can afford to take severe cuts in our state aid for education, and that's just not true," Hannon said. "As this district's senator, I will continue to be very insistent that our schools get their fair share."
      Hannon is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independent party lines.

The challenger
      McElroy, 33, also a lifelong resident of Garden City, said she is running for the Senate because she wants to bring "a real change in leadership in Albany."
      She said the 6th Senate District needs a fresh face and someone who is going to bring "new and bold ideas" to the Senate. She believes the state government in Albany is "broken," and she contends that "it's time to bring fiscal responsibility to Albany."
      McElroy said her years of experience as an attorney and work in the Nassau County district attorney's office would help her as a state senator. "In the district attorney's office, I learned how to be able to work with a wide range of people and people from different backgrounds," she explained. "My experience as an attorney has also helped me to be able to look at issues from all different angles."
       McElroy also said one of her strengths is that she is not a career politician and she does not owe any favors to special-interest groups and lobbyists. "The career politicians, in my opinion, have been responsible for the mess that has been happening in Albany," she said. "I'm not a politician, I'm a working mom ... and I'm someone who is really going to work to make changes in Albany."
       As a taxpayer, criminal defense attorney and mother, McElroy said, she knows firsthand how difficult it has become to live and raise a family on Long Island. In speaking to residents of the district, she said she learned how much people are concerned about rising taxes, gas prices and health care costs, among other issues. Many residents, McElroy said, feel that Hannon is not doing enough to address these problems.
      "My opponent has been in office for close to 20 years, but he seems to really be out of touch about what's happening here in our district," McElroy said. "People are really struggling ... and I think residents in this district are ready to have someone that is going to fight for them, address their concerns and bring real help to Long Island families."
      If elected, McElroy said, she wants to create and support legislation and initiatives that "hold the line on taxes and provide real property tax relief." She is in favor of a property tax cap on school spending as well as a "circuit breaker" that would cap property taxes based on income.
      As a senator, McElroy said, she would also look into ways of improving the school system. She said she would make sure more money was being spent to address needs in the classroom instead of administrative costs. "There is so much wasteful spending in the school system," she said. "There are ways that we can save more money, and it doesn't mean that we have to cut out after-school programs and activities. I think it's more about looking at ways we can consolidate certain services and cut unnecessary expenditures to save money."
      McElroy is running on the Democratic and Working Families party lines.

Scott Brinton contributed to this story. Comments about it? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.

7th Senate District

By Andrew Hackmack

      The future of Belmont Park is a major issue for Craig Johnson and Barbara Donno, who are battling for the 7th Senate District seat. Incumbent Johnson, a Democrat, voted against the New York Racing Association's recent bankruptcy bailout because, he said, he feels there is a need for a "fresh start."
      Johnson, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate's Racing, Wagering and Gaming Committee, supports having video lottery terminals at Belmont. He said he was discouraged that NYRA wanted to have VLTs at the Aqueduct racetrack, but not at Belmont. Additionally, Johnson said he was upset that NYRA wanted to establish a community advisory board for Aqueduct and Saratoga, but not Belmont. "NYRA has not been a good neighbor," he said.
      He has sponsored legislation to create a 15-member local advisory board, which would include seven members of the Elmont community.
      Donno said she would like to see the Belmont area mimic Saratoga, with restaurants and shops outside the racetrack. "I would like to see it as a destination spot," she said of Belmont.
      Donno said that VLTs should also be considered, but that her preference would be a development project. She said that during recent visits to Belmont, she was disappointed with how few people were there and with the park's appearance. "I remember the days when it was a beautiful place to go," she said.
      Donno said that a successful redevelopment effort for Belmont could also have a ripple effect on the rest of the community.
      Johnson won office in a special election in February 2007. He is from Port Washington, and previously spent six years in the Nassau County Legislature. When he was first elected, Nassau's bonds were one step above junk, making it hard for the county to borrow money. He defended the 19 percent increase in county taxes in 2003 as a necessary move to get the county's financial house back in order.
      Now Johnson once again finds himself dealing with a budget crisis, as New York faces a multi-billion-dollar deficit. He and fellow state legislators went back to Albany for a special session in August to make $1 billion in spending cuts. "We had been spending twice, three times the rate of inflation for years," he said of the state government.
      Donno is the mayor of the Village of Plandome Manor. She described herself as a lifelong volunteer, and noted that even as leader of a village she does not receive a paycheck. "There are very few of us that don't get paid to be mayor," she said.
      For nine years Donno served on the Manhasset Board of Education, including three years as vice president and four years as president. She is also a former schoolteacher, and worked as a patient educator for Stony Brook University Hospital after her children were born, another volunteer position.
      As a former school board president, Donno said she has a good understanding of school funding issues. "We don't get enough state aid," she said. "The mandates set upon us really kill the school districts."
      The amount of aid Long Island districts receive is disproportionate to the rest of the state, Donno said. She also said that the state should help finance more building projects, with many area schools in need of repairs or more space.
      Johnson said he has delivered an additional $41 million in aid to his school districts in the time he has been in office. As for property taxes, he has an idea called the "triple play" plan. First, it would establish a tax cap, limiting school districts to a 4 percent increase per year. Second, it would provide relief from unfunded mandates. Finally, the plan would establish a "circuit breaker" to cap the amount of taxes a homeowner would pay based on income.
      Homeowners who pay more than they should based on the circuit breaker, Johnson said, should get a 70 percent refund. He would fold the STAR tax rebate program into such a plan, which would cost the state more, he said, but would provide real tax relief.
      Donno said that Johnson's circuit breaker plan is not realistic. "That's going to cost the state $2 billion," she said. "Where is that money coming from?" She said she also supports the 4 percent tax cap.
      Johnson and Donno agree that the state should explore collecting taxes on cigarettes sold on Indian reservations. It is estimated that this could create $800 million in revenue for the state.
      As for other deficit-cutting measures, Johnson said there are many state prisons upstate that are underutilized, and he would encourage consolidating them. He suggested converting closed prisons into factories to explore energy alternatives for motor vehicles.
      The state also has numerous "shadow governments," Johnson said, such as the Thruway Authority and the MTA. He wants the state to be a financial watchdog of these agencies. "They take our taxpayer money but they run themselves," he said.
      Donno said that for too long, the state has neglected its power to review the books of these agencies. "You've got the oversight," she said. "But is the oversight occurring?"
      Both candidates said they oppose the Long Island Rail Road's plan to add a third track to the main line from Hicksville to Floral Park.
      Johnson said he makes himself available to his constituents on a regular basis. In addition to his district office hours, he holds town hall meetings throughout his district. "We are extremely accessible," he said of himself and his staff.
      Donno said she is running because she is angry about the current state of affairs in Albany, and she wants to provide fair representation for the people of the 7th District. She said she hopes her experience as an educator, school board member, mayor and parent will make people feel she is qualified for the job. "I think I bring a lot of skills to the table," she said.
      The 7th District covers parts of Franklin Square and Elmont, Floral Park, Hicksville and the Town of North Hempstead.

Activist challenges in Eighth S.D.

By Scott Brinton
      Democrat Carol Gordon, a Massapequa community activist, is challenging 10-year New York state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., a Republican from Merrick, in the 8th senatorial district.
      Fuschillo's district includes the Merricks, Bellmores and parts of East Meadow.
      "My main issue is the economy and taxes," said Fuschillo. "People are shocked when they get their school tax bills." In August, the senator voted for Gov. David Paterson's plan to cap property taxes at 4 percent, unless a community overrides the cap with a super-majority vote. Thus far, despite Paterson's call for a cap and Senate passage of one, it has not passed the Democratically controlled Assembly. "I'm hoping the Assembly passes" the cap, Fuschillo said. "Something needs to be done. We spend more per pupil than any other state in the nation. People are in a desperate situation right now. People are watching their retirements go down as they watch TV."
      Gordon said she favors a property-tax "circuit breaker," which would cap property taxes for homeowners who could not afford higher rates. She said the circuit breaker is especially needed with higher fuel costs burdening many. "A lot of my neighbors are elderly," Gordon said, "and they're living hand to mouth."
      Gordon also said that she does not want Nassau County school districts to be consolidated into one district in order to save money, but she said she would like to see certain district services, such as legal and accounting services, shared among districts.
      Gordon also said she would like to see more youth centers to keep children and teenagers off the streets. She said that her oldest of four children was shot and killed in a fight in Virginia, and her second oldest was shot up in a gun fight in Amityville, where she grew up. At the community centers, she said, "Have a Game Boy contest," referring to the popular videogame player. "Have the kids do Web sites for non-profit organizations."
      Fuschillo said he is focused on affordable housing for young people. He noted that he helped to secure $31 million in state monies for the Long Island Housing Partnership, as well as helped pass legislation requiring that 10 percent of new homes in a development with more than five units be dedicated to "workforce," or affordable, housing. "To buy a house for $400,000 or $500,000 is a huge amount of money," he said. Young people need help.
      The senator also said that he is working to secure grants for school districts to erect solar paneling on their rooftops. Solar energy, he said, will lower districts' costs by reducing the need for expensive energy from the Long Island Power Authority, thus helping to contain property taxes. Most recently, he secured a grant to put up solar paneling at the Town of Hempstead's senior center in Merrick.
      One the senator's central efforts has been upgrading identity-theft statutes. He authored legislation that allows consumers to instantly put a freeze on their credit accounts if they believe their identities have been compromised. The freeze now takes between one and three days to lift, but Fuschillo said he is working on a measure to speed that process up to 15 minutes. Fuschillo said that he, himself, was a victim of identity theft.
      Fuschillo also authored legislation to reduce the legal blood alcohol content level to drive from .1 to .08. Now he's working on legislation to require ignition interlock devices in all cars driven by convicted DWI offenders. The devices would require offenders to breathe into a tube and pass a sobriety test before they could drive.
      Gordon, a grandmother of nine who worked for 25 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Northport and retired to become executive director of the Amityville Economic Community Council, said, "I believe things can be made much better than they are now."
      Gordon is vice president of the Breezy Point Civic Association, a member of the Save Jones Beach committee, a board member of the North Amityville Community Economic Council, a member of the North Amityville Old School Association and third vice president of the central Long Island chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
      Fuschillo, a father of three and former executive director of the Education and Assistance Corporation, said, "I'm always looking out for ways to reach out to my constituents. I've always felt grassroots is the key to understanding what's going on." He graduated from C.W. Post with a degree in finance.

Comments about this story? Sbrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
      

Skelos, Simon vie to represent 9th Senate District

By JUDY RATTNER

      State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has served the 9th Senate District since 1984. The 60-year-old Republican from Rockville Centre, who was elected to his leadership post by Senate Republicans last June, is seeking his 13th term.
      Challenging Skelos is Democrat Roy Simon, 59, a professor of ethics at Hofstra University's law school who is making his first run for public office. A Chicago native who moved to Long Island in 1992, Simon graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and NYU Law School. He was a litigator for several years before he became a professor at Washington University in St. Louis. He lives with his wife in West Hempstead.
      If elected, Simon said, he would serve Long Island as a junior member of what may become the majority party in the Senate. The Republicans currently hold a one-seat majority, so a loss by any one of them would hand the majority to the Democrats. He describes himself as objective and as a good questioner, listener and advisor, and says he has demonstrated the ability to draft language that solves problems. He cites experience as an authority and consultant on ethics and an accomplished author of a book on the subject. He also points to his five years as chief reporter for a state bar committee that writes rules of professional conduct for attorneys.
      Simon said he has no ax to grind and no political ambitions beyond being a senator. One of his main reasons for running, he said, is to restore New Yorkers' faith in the state Legislature. "The government is just rife with conflicts of interest," he said, "not all criminal, but it can make people suspicious of the intent of legislation." He said the government, and the Senate in particular, suffers from too little oversight and "a shameful lack of curiosity on how taxpayers' money is being spent."
      Skelos prides himself on "delivering" for his constituents, providing state grants that support many local community organizations throughout the district. He cites his ongoing fight for Long Island's "fair share" of state funds among his major accomplishments. He is the author of Megan's law, which created the New York State Sex Offender Registry, and serves as the Senate representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Capital Program Review Board and as co-chairman of the legislative task force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment. He created the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program, a low-cost prescription program for seniors, and developed the HELP and Long Island Workforce Housing Act that, he said, put home ownership "back in reach" for young families.
      Skelos said he led the crackdown on Medicaid fraud that has already saved taxpayers "more than $1 billion." He also said he has "pushed for reforms to make Albany more open and accountable to New York's taxpayers" and specifically mentioned the state budget process that culminates in sessions, known as Leaders Meetings, with the governor, speaker and majority leader. Skelos said they should become joint conference meetings that are open to the public. "Joint conference committees, when they're in public, they work and you get things done," he said.
      The Rockville Centre native, a member of South Side High School's class of 1966, received a degree in history from Maryland's Washington College in 1970. He earned a law degree in 1975 from the Fordham University School of Law, and is counsel to the Mineola-based law firm Ruskin Moscou Evans & Faltischek.
      Skelos and Simon share several legislative priorities, and finding a way to lower the property tax burden while continuing to provide strong financial support to the area's schools is at the top of both their lists.
      They agree on the proposed 4 percent property tax cap, and also say it is not a solution that can work on its own. "The cap alone, you need more than that," said Skelos. Both said they believe the state must provide relief for school districts and offer incentives for the sharing of services. Both said the Senate should not run local school districts, and Skelos said that decisions on consolidation should be left up to the residents of school districts, special districts and municipalities. Simon said that the state can mandate some consolidation, and both men have spoken of the need to end "double dipping."
      Skelos has said that the current state aid formula ensures that poorer districts throughout the state receive solid funding. Simon said the current system fosters and preserves inequalities among communities. He has said he would support a "circuit breaker" to limit the amount of property taxes people pay based on their income, helping to moderate the burden on those who struggle with fixed or fluctuating incomes and those who have been laid off.
      Simon said he would like to make a gradual transition from a property tax-funded system to one supplemented by an income tax on the very wealthy, with incomes over $500,000 taxed at 1 percent and incomes over $1 million taxed at 2 percent. "The income tax structure in New York state favors the very wealthy," said Simon. "The cutoff for the top tax bracket is $40,000. With an adjusted gross income of $40,000, you pay the same rate as someone earning $400,000 or $4 million," he added.
      Simon said the very wealthy see higher taxes as an investment in a better-educated, trained, healthier and more stable work force rather than a burden. "I don't believe that taxing the rich will dampen job creation, and if used wisely, [taxes] can stimulate particular areas of the economy," he said, recommending that the money be used to invest in renewable energy technology and tax incentives for people who make and buy the most advanced technologies.
      Skelos has said that job creation is also central to his agenda. As the chairman of the Senate's NextGen Task Force, he wrote a plan that he said resulted in the enactment of tax credits and other incentives designed to promote the creation of high-paying jobs in high technology and biotechnology. And he points to his involvement in creating the New York State Center for Excellence and Innovation in Homeland Security and, in 2002, the $71.5 million Long Island Biotech Investment and Job Creation Program. He recently unveiled a new economic development plan that he says will create new jobs, revitalize communities and encourage young people to stay in New York state. It includes tax cuts for small businesses and manufacturers and tax credits tied to the creation of new jobs. Skelos says the plan would reduce unnecessary, costly and burdensome government regulations, provide tax credits and interest-free loans to students who stay in New York state, reform the Empire Zone program to make it more effective and accountable and encourage new investments in community revitalization.
      Skelos has called the MTA "a bloated bureaucracy that unfortunately, we have little control over." Simon questioned what he said are 600 to 700 public authorities, special authorities and industrial development agencies that are off the books of the state budget and whose members are not elected. He advocates hiring forensic accountants to look into them because, he said, he is convinced that there are billions of dollars that could be retrieved and used by the state. "They've not been studied. The Senate has shown no interest," Simon said.
      Skelos has said that as a senator, he receives $3 million to $3.5 million in member item funds, a total Simon said is actually closer to $3.74 million. In the event that the Democrats gain a majority in the Senate, Skelos's member item funds (which Simon referred to as an "incumbency fund") would be expected to drop to closer to what senior Democrats receive -- about $600,000. In contrast, Simon said that if he is elected, he would receive about $2 million as a junior Democrat if his party becomes the majority.
      "Whether [Skelos] wins or he loses, the Republicans are not going to bring home the kind of money they used to," Simon said of a possible shift in majority. "The Democrats are going to start bringing home the big money. We are going to take over the Senate."
      Simon has been endorsed by the Working Families Party, NARAL and the Nassau County Gay Democrats.
      The 9th District comprises southwestern Nassau County, from Franklin Square to Long Beach and from Inwood to Baldwin.

Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.