By Nick Buglione
The reason: Hannon's 13 years in office.
The incumbent, who has held the Sixth Senate District seat since 1989, points toward his productivity and track record on tackling the issues. The challenger maintains that Hannon's extended tenure has made him complacent and out of touch with the people whom he represents.
"I've done a solid job," said the 57-year-old Hannon, refuting St. George's charge. "I've taken complex issues that are of concern and addressed them. I like the work in terms of the challenges, and I think I'd be the best qualified for the job."
Indeed, Hannon has made significant strides as a senator, particularly in health care. As chairman of the Senate Health Committee, Hannon has authored and sponsored ground-breaking legislation.
"We've introduced children's health insurance," said Hannon, referring to the Child Health Plus Program that he helped put in place more than six years ago. "It started as a little outpatient program under Cuomo, and we made it a major state program. In all, it's been pretty much a great success."
In 2000, he supported the Health Care Reform Act, which created Family Health Plus -- a program providing health coverage to adults who are unable to afford medical care.
That same year in the Senate, he authored physician-profiling legislation that eventually became law, which now requires the New York State Health Department to publish information about doctors for their patients.
"The idea of the initial advocates was just to put malpractice records on the Internet," Hannon said. "We wanted it to be a source of information about a doctor, about education, about practice, about insurance, about hours. Things like that."
Aside from health care, Hannon penned the Electronic Signature and Records Act in 1999, which provided the legal authorization for the use of electronic signatures and records on the Internet.
If re-elected, he plans to focus on the state's economic recovery in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. "The World Trade Center [took place] on top of a recession," he said. "In addition to the human tragedies involved, which I'm not sure we're quite over yet, it was an air pocket in economic activity.
"We have to cope with that. That probably will occupy, on a 24-seven basis for the next year, what I have to do."
According to St. George, 38, the Sixth District could use a fresh outlook. "I see changes happening in Nassau County, and a lot of change needs to happen," he said.
He also noted that incumbents receive what he called an unfair advantage over opponents, and he believes that term limits for state officials might be a good idea.
"A lot of times voters vote on name recognition and not the issues," he said. "That's why it's good to have term limits. Otherwise, the whole system gets failed."
St. George, a former Nassau County prosecutor now with his own Mineola-based practice, is running on a four-point platform. If elected, he would work to improve education; cut health-care and prescription-drug costs; ensure that older adults receive quality care in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities; and protect the environment.
"I think as an overall matter, government has dropped the ball in terms of considering the environment," St. George said. "Generally, there has been a philosophy of increasing business without considering any effects on the environment."
On health care, he is specifically critical of the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program. "My position is health care should be a right, not a privilege," St. George said. "The [EPIC] program has a cap on the amount of income you can make to be eligible. My suggestion is that there not be ceilings."
His energy and vigor are two reasons voters should opt for him, St. George added. "I don't have allegiances to any specific groups, other than the constituency that elects me," he said, "and I think that's very important."
Joining Hannon and St. George on the ballot is Liberal Party candidate Patricia Maher and Right to Life candidate Paul Callahan. Maher, of East Meadow, has worked as a paralegal for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office and county Attorney's Office. Callahan, of Garden City, is an attorney with a general practice in Brooklyn.
