By Andrew Hackmack
Barra, of Lynbrook, has served eight years in the New York Assembly. He said he is most proud of the recent passing of the Father Larry Law, which prohibits the sale of a firearm to a person with a history of mental illness. The law is named for Father Larry Penzes who was shot and killed while saying Mass at Our Lady of Peace in Lynbrook. Barra is in Albany this week as lawmakers explore budget cuts, called for by Gov. David Paterson with the state facing more than a $6 billion budget deficit.
The 27-year-old Ferrara grew up in Lynbrook and now lives in Valley Stream. He attended Nassau Community College and earned his Bachelor's degree from Stony Brook University. While there, he worked with NYPIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group, a statewide, student-led advocacy and research organization. He worked on a campaign to clean up toxic waste sites and participated in student voter registration drives. "At that time," he said, "young people really weren't going out there and voting."
For several years, he said, he has been thinking about entering politics. "I saw an opportunity to run for office in my district," he said. "The timing is right. I'm ready for it and I'm very excited about possibly serving my community."
A big issue for Ferrara is that many young people simply can't afford to start a life of their own on Long Island and are being forced out because of rising costs and taxes. He wants more affordable housing and said the Assembly could allocate funds for such projects. He also likes the idea of the "Cool Downtown," a concept that puts housing within walking distance of stores, restaurants, transportation and cultural activities.
Barra said state lawmakers take the issue of affordable housing seriously and recently passed the Long Island Workforce Housing Act. It requires that 10 percent of developments be set aside as affordable housing and also allows a family of four, with a household income of up to $126,250, to qualify for a builder-funded down payment of up to $60,000. Another part of that act, Barra said, provides up to $60,000 for qualifying first- time home buyers.
Additionally, Barra said, state lawmakers have ended the marriage penalty on income taxes, provided a $330 per child tax credit and expanded tax exemptions to Cold War veterans.
Barra would like to see a three-year freeze on property taxes. He supports the concept of a circuit breaker, which would cap an individual's property taxes based on their income. Property taxes remain his biggest concern. "It's my No. 1 issue," he said. "Maybe my No. 2 and 3 issues."
Ferrara said he does not support a tax cap on school districts but is in favor of the circuit breaker. "I think that would provide more targeted relief to people who need it the most and make sure that our schools get the funding that they deserve," he said. "We don't want to put an arbitrary cap on the funding that our schools get."
Even a circuit breaker is only a short-term solution, Ferrara said, saying that there is a need to move away from the whole property tax structure where the state makes only a minimal contribution to the funding of education.
Barra said that lawmakers are delivering a record $21 billion to New York state schools for this school year, a $1.7 billion increase. He also said he regularly secures grants for area schools, especially to help with the purchase of technology. Barra noted that he has delivered funding for every school district this past year for SMARTBoards.
The assemblyman said he tries to remain very visible in the local schools. He sponsors the Read and Run program, which encourages students to exercise both their body and mind over summer vacation. Barra holds a fall awards ceremony at each school to recognize the students who participate.
On the environment, Ferrara said there needs to be a push to use cleaner and renewable energy sources such as solar power. He said that this will help to protect the environment while also providing more affordable energy for consumers. Ferrara said the state should provide incentives to homeowners who want to go solar. "Right now it's very expensive," he said. "You need a lot of upfront cash. Not everyone has that much cash lying around to go ahead and make that investment."
The energy crisis is serious, he said, meaning that lawmakers have to get serious about finding solutions.
Barra said that the Assembly has passed the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which expands bottle deposits to non-carbonated beverages. He said this needed to be done because there was a problem with bottles being thrown out and clogging drainage systems. The Assembly has set up a commission to look at reducing greenhouse gases to the pre-1990s level.
Ferrara said he has one "Big Little Idea" and that is to mandate financial literacy education for high school students. This would teach them the importance of saving, how to understand student loans and what to do about credit card offers. "We have a really serious problem with credit card debt," he said.
He also thinks there should be an independent, non-partisan commission to study the New York state budget. Ferrara said he believes that could make a big difference as the state deals with its deficit. "In the long run, hopefully, that will provide some sunlight into what goes on in Albany," he said. "I'm sure that we're going to find tons of ways to save money."
Barra said legislators have tried to save local taxpayers money by stopping the practice of "double-dipping" by school administrators - collecting both a salary and a pension. He also said the reform of Wicks Law raises the limit from $50,000 to $1.5 million in which school districts must bid out separate parts of a construction contract. If the project is less than $1.5 million, he said, districts can select one contractor for the project instead of requiring separate bids for electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, and general contracting. He said requiring separate contracts on small projects was adding money to a school district's costs.
Ferrara, who has previously worked at the Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre, is now an account manager for a non-profit organization. He said he has been out frequently, talking to voters and learning what their issues are. He said that if elected, he will be an advocate for working families.
The 14th Assembly District covers Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre and South Hempstead, as well as parts of Baldwin, Oceanside, East Rockaway, Malverne and North Lynbrook.
Comments? AHackmack@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext 265.
