Herald Election Coverage 2006

U.S. Senate

U.S. Senate race more heat than light

Clinton leads in the polls; Spencer says she is using New Yorkers

By Anthony Rifilato
      Since she took office six years ago, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has undergone a political transformation. After eight years as the first lady of the U.S., known for a sometimes frosty disposition, she has become a centrist Democratic senator who appeals to both Republicans and Democrats -- and a major force in Congress.
      Clinton has become so popular that even President Bush and Vice President Cheney have acknowledged her in recent weeks as a strong presidential candidate if she chooses to run in 2008. Her popularity has given her a huge advantage over her Republican opponent, John Spencer, in her bid for re-election next week.
      Spencer, a former mayor of Yonkers, has fought a steep uphill battle. He has been forsaken by his own party, trails by a huge margin in the polls and is substantially underfinanced in his attempt to unseat Clinton, who he claims is using New York as a springboard for a presidential run in two years.
      "I think New York state extended her a welcome mat and she's using us as a door mat," Spencer said in a phone interview with the Herald. "Every vote she casts, she's thinking how it helps her in other states to get the nomination for president."
      During her debate with Spencer on Oct. 20, Clinton said she would ponder a 2008 presidential bid, but for now, she insists, she is fully committed to representing New York in the Senate.

The issues

      She has used that stage to recalibrate her stance on a number of issues, including universal health care -- a project she took on as first lady that was a major failure, and to which she has since taken a more incremental and modest approach. Clinton says she has worked for three years to implement a health care information tracking system -- though she said it failed to pass in the House -- and has voted against Medicare Part D.
      "I voted against Medicare Part D because I thought it was a bait and switch," Clinton said during a meeting with journalists last month. "We need a cheaper, more reliable program."
      Clinton introduced legislation to fund research comparing the effectiveness of alternative drugs, to assure that seniors and other health care consumers are aware of which drugs are most effective as opposed to which ones are advertised the most. The legislation was included in the Medicare bill enacted in 2004.
      Overall, Clinton said she remains committed to quality health care for all Americans, adding that it needs to be overhauled. "I'm more encouraged that we can get something done in the next five years," she said.
      Spencer has railed against Clinton's initiatives, saying that he is against "big government" health care, and that small businesses are finding it tough to provide health insurance for their employees, something he would address as senator. "They have gotten no help from Hillary Clinton," said Spencer, who favors empowering corporations via tax cuts and setting up health savings accounts for employees, in part through the creation of business pools.

On the Economy

      Spencer said those initiatives are linked to economic development and job growth in the state. He favors permanent tax cuts, and pledged to work with local officials to achieve that goal. "That is the thing that needs to be done to make New York competitive," Spencer said. "New York state is not competing [with other states], and we're losing businesses on Long Island and upstate."
      Spencer also blasted Clinton on her pledge to jump-start the upstate economy, something she vowed to make a first priority when she took office in 2000. "She's been an absolute failure," he said.
      But Clinton maintained that she has been effective in helping the state economy, in part by providing numerous tax incentives, among other initiatives. "I've worked very hard to help the job base grow," she said.
      More locally, Clinton said Long Islanders contend with enormous taxes and a high cost of living. "Every part of family life on Long Island is squeezed," she said. Part of the problem, she believes, is unfunded mandates such as the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and she said she has been trying to get the government to "do its fair share" and provide funding relief for schools.
      Clinton also said she believes that there needs to be more job growth and affordable housing to stave off the flight of young people from Long Island. She added that she supports gubernatorial hopeful Eliot Spitzer's progressive plan to cut taxes, and that she would work with him if he were elected to ease the high cost of living in the area.

Immigration

      Both candidates believe that the U.S.'s borders need to be secured, though they differ on how to achieve that. Spencer believes there needs to be comprehensive immigration reform. He is not for amnesty, he said, but would support looking into whether some illegal immigrants could qualify for citizenship. "There are 12 to 15 million people here illegally, being exploited," he said. "Government has to do its job and go through the immigration reform process."
      Like Spencer, Clinton said she adamantly opposes illegal immigration, and has called for tighter border controls, possibly including a high-tech border fence. She also said that the federal government has to get tough on employers who hire illegal immigrants, among other measures.
      "If we don't get tough on employers, people are going to keep coming," she said. But Clinton also takes a pragmatic view of the issue, saying that after 10 to 15 years, illegal immigrants should be eligible for citizenship. "Deporting all of them is not going to happen," she said. "We have to get these people out of the shadows, [and make them] pay fines for coming here illegally and learn English."

Homeland security and national defense

      Clinton believes that New York is under-funded when it comes to protecting its ports, subways and tunnels. "We are the number one targets of terrorists," she said. "The money should follow the threat."
      Clinton touts the $20 billion she secured for New York City's cleanup and recovery in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, as well as legislation to ensure that the families of firefighters, police and other public safety officers who died in the attacks received their benefits immediately. She also said she introduced landmark homeland security legislation to provide direct funding to communities and first responders.
      But Spencer criticized Clinton's effectiveness in addressing security in New York, saying that she opposed the Patriot Act and National Security Agency wiretaps, two valuable tools in the war on terror, he said. "She is weak on defense," Spencer said. "She eventually voted for it, but was embarrassed into it by Republicans. I would be a senator who would be for employing techniques we need so that New Yorkers never go through another 9/11."
      Clinton voted for the Patriot Act in 2001, and said in a statement in 2005 that it is an important tool against terrorism. She also voted for its reauthorization, though publicly she has taken serious issue with what she considers its infringement on civil liberties, maintaining that it does not strike a "proper balance" in combating terrorism.
      Surprisingly, Clinton has been a staunch supporter of the armed services and a strong military presence abroad, traits that are most closely associated with Republicans. In 2002 she was offered a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, a first for a senator from New York.
      She has stood by her vote authorizing President Bush to invade Iraq, but has since criticized Bush for the administration's handling of the war, and said that progress is not being made in Iraq. "'Stay the course' is not working," Clinton said. "The president and vice president have turned out to be extremely stubborn."
      Clinton said that if Democrats gain control of one or both houses of Congress, the result could spur a different strategy in Iraq. But Spencer, who supports the war, said that while the administration's strategy may have to be examined, the U.S. must stay the course. "First of all, Clinton voted to go to war," he said. "All wars end up a messy situation and don't go well, but we're there."

3rd Congressional District

Tight race in 3rd C.D. heats up

By Scott Brinton
      Nassau County Legislator David Mejias, a Democrat from North Massapequa, is running on a virtually singular platform in a closely contested race with U.S. Rep. Peter King. If elected, Mejias says, he will not be a "rubber stamp" for President Bush's policies, as is the case with the incumbent, according to Mejias.
      King, 63, who has held the 3rd Congressional District seat for seven terms, did not return calls from the Herald requesting an interview. In a recent debate at the Massapequa Public Library, hosted by the League of Women Voters, King said he supports the president when he believes he is right and opposes him when he believes he is wrong. King cited the 2006 Dubai port deal as an example of a disagreement with Bush over a major national issue.
      The 35-year-old Mejias is apparently hoping to ride a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment that is sweeping the nation. Some 50 congressional seats once thought to be safe are now in play this year, in part because of the Mark Foley scandal and in part because of growing public sentiment against the Iraq war, according to the polls. The 3rd Congressional District seat may be among those up for grabs. One poll, commissioned by Majority Watch from Oct. 8 to 10, gave King a 2 percent lead over the challenger.
      In 2004, King captured 63 percent of the vote. At the time, support for the Iraq war, though fading, had not yet nose-dived. King, a professed "hawk," was seen as tough on terrorism. His chairmanship of the House Homeland Security Committee strengthened his image.
      Now Mejias is attacking King on his pro-Iraq war stance and on homeland security. Despite King's committee chairmanship, Mejias notes, New York lost $80 million in federal homeland security funding under the incumbent's watch. Mejias adds that the U.S. has not yet secured its ports and airports against the threat of terrorism, five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. "We should be checking every container," the challenger says.
      Mejias also says the Iraq war has cost the U.S. billions of dollars while undermining national security. He believes U.S. forces should be redeployed out of Iraq to Afghanistan within 12 to 18 months. "The young men and women fighting in Iraq deserve an exit strategy," he says.
      Mejias notes that the Taliban, which U.S. forces routed in 2001, is said to be making a resurgence in Afghanistan, and is now growing some of the largest heroin crops in Afghan history to fund its fight with coalition forces.
      Mejias attacked King on Social Security, saying the congressman favored the president's plan to privatize the government retirement plan. The stock market, Mejias says, is too risky for most Americans to sink all of their retirement funds into.
      Mejias supports raising the minimum wage from its current $5.15 an hour to $7.25 to $7.50 an hour. Congress, he says, has not voted to increase the minimum wage for nine years. During that time, lawmakers have raised their own salaries by a combined $32,000. Mejias conceded that King has not publicly opposed increasing the minimum wage, but when a petition was circulated through the House calling for a minimum wage bill to be released from committee for a full vote, King did not sign it.
      Mejias criticizes Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, saying it relies too heavily on continuous testing to measure success. The federal government, Mejias says, has not adequately funded the tests or the programs needed to raise students' scores. In the end, he says, such under-funded mandates only lead to higher property taxes for Long Islanders.
      On the environment, Mejias says the U.S. needs to develop alternative energy resources, such as solar and wind, as a way to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, particularly foreign oil. When asked what he thought about a wind farm proposed by the Long Island Power Authority 4.6 miles southeast of Jones Beach, however, Mejias had no answer. He said he was waiting for an environmental impact statement to be completed before reaching a conclusion.
      Mejias charges that King has consistently voted in favor of large oil companies, including for measures that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the U.S.'s most remote and pristine wilderness.
      Mejias says he believes gay marriage should be allowed, noting that he voted for Nassau's domestic partnership measure in the Legislature. "All Americans deserve the same rights," he says. And Mejias says he is pro-choice. King is pro-life.
      Before he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, King was a Nassau County comptroller, a Town of Hempstead councilman and an attorney in private practice. He earned his law degree from Notre Dame.
      Mejias has spent four years in the Nassau County Legislature. He, too, is an attorney and businessman. He received his law degree from Fordham.

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

4th Congressional District

The nurse from Mineola versus the ex-cop from Floral Park
Contrasting viewpoints in 4th Congressional District race

By Mike Schnitzel
      Carolyn McCarthy has been in Washington for 10 years now, but she still considers herself a former nurse from Mineola. "When I'm home, I go food shopping like everyone else," McCarthy said. "I don't think Washington has changed me."
      McCarthy ran for Congress for the first time in 1996, three years after her husband was killed in what became known as the Long Island Rail Road massacre. That tragedy prompted McCarthy to speak out about guns for the first time. She became a gun control advocate, pushing for measures that would require gun manufacturers to add child safety locks to their products. She also pushed former 4th District Rep. Daniel Frisa to vote to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which had expired. McCarthy ended up winning Frisa's seat in the 1996 elections, and has maintained her hold on it since.
      Her opponent this year is Martin Blessinger of Floral Park. Blessinger has been active in Conservative Party politics for the past decade. Before that, he was with the Nassau County Police Department for 21 years. He believes that education is the key to fighting crime and helping to improve society. "When you lock someone up, you look at their background," Blessinger said. "I never locked up many people with graduate degrees."
      Blessinger believes that vouchers and charter schools are legitimate methods for helping to improve the public education system. "I'm in favor of whatever works," he said. "If we try vouchers or charter schools and they fail, I'll be the first to admit it. But you don't know how something new will work until you try it."
      While education remains a priority for McCarthy, she doesn't feel that charter schools are the answer. "Public education is the best way to educate our children," she said, adding that she believes that vouchers and charter schools could end up hurting public education.
      McCarthy believes that tax reform is the biggest issue facing people in her district, and that dealing with taxes would help with school aid and unfunded mandates, two issues that are critical to public schools. While the No Child Left Behind Act was the federal government's attempt to help the public education system achieve higher test scores, it has been underfunded, according to school officials across the nation. McCarthy said that better funding would help the public education system.
      After originally voting to authorize President Bush to use military force in Iraq, McCarthy said she now believes that American troops should come home. "The war was mismanaged from the beginning," she said. "I am in favor of bringing the troops home." McCarthy would not elaborate on a timetable for when she would like to see American troops withdrawn from Iraq.
      Blessinger was in favor of the war in Iraq from the beginning, and still believes it was the right move. "With all of Iraq's violations of the [United Nations] Security Council, we had to do something," Blessinger said. He subscribes to the "better fight them there than here" theory that so many who support the war agree with.
      "What better way to counter Iran than to have a democratic regime right next door," Blessinger said. "Having a government in Iraq that is friendly to us will be beneficial in the future. If we leave now, what kind of message does that send?"
      Both McCarthy and Blessinger believe that Iran -- and its nuclear capability -- needs to be dealt with during the next session of Congress. "The war on terror has been a history lesson to me," McCarthy said. "The U.S., as a world leader, needs to sit down with Iran and talk over what needs to be done. Diplomacy is the key in this situation."
      Blessinger agrees, but he would not rule out military force. "I would never explicitly rule out any options," he said. "Talk should come first, but what happens if those talks fail and you've already ruled out military force?"
      Blessinger said that one of his main issues in the campaign is the need for an evacuation plan for Long Island. He believes that his experience in the police department makes him the perfect candidate to undertake that challenge. "Evacuating our nursing homes and hospitals should be our number one priority in a disaster," he said. "We need to help the people who can't help themselves."
      Blessinger added that with the right plan and resources for its execution, many lives could be saved. "It's not just terrorist attacks we have to worry about," he said. "Natural disasters could force us to evacuate. We need a plan so that people know the right way to leave safely."
      Blessinger believes that his experience with the police department and his will to work for his constituents make him the best candidate to represent the people of the 4th District. McCarthy believes that she has represented her constituents well over the past 10 years, and will continue to do so.

6th State Senate District

Challenge in the 6th

By Marley Seaman
      Casilda Roper-Simpson says that Kemp Hannon deserves thanks for his 17 years of work in the New York state Senate. However, she adds, it's time that Hannon was "retired" and sent on his way.
      Hannon, for his part, has no interest in retirement, and wants to continue representing the 6th District.
      Roper-Simpson, an attorney from Uniondale, is making her first run at a state office. She ran for the New York City Council while living in Brooklyn in 1997, and currently serves on the Uniondale school board. Hannon, a senator since 1989, is seeking his ninth two-year term. He is chairman of the Senate Health Committee and the Health Budget Subcommittee.
      An experienced criminal and civil rights lawyer, Roper-Simpson was one of the first attorneys involved in the Abner Louima case in 1997. Louima, a Haitian immigrant, was arrested and brutally beaten by New York City police officers. He later won an $8.75 million judgment against the city, and one police officer was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
      Roper-Simpson now works for the firm Cullen and Dykman, LLP.
      Both candidates agree that health care is a critical issue for the people of Long Island. "The health care system is appalling," Roper-Simpson said. "Two point seven million [people] uninsured is a travesty." To reduce the number of senior citizens who are uninsured, she proposed that families be allowed to extend their insurance policies to cover elderly relatives who live with them.
      Hannon said that he has made efforts to reduce Medicaid fraud, saving taxpayers money. He took part in a Medicaid task force beginning in 2003, which involved roundtable discussions around the state. This year he supported the creation of the office of Medicaid inspector general, and helped the Senate secure $1.5 billion in federal matching funds to help detect Medicaid fraud.
      Encouraging people to enroll in managed care instead of making unnecessary emergency room trips will also save money, Hannon said.
      Nassau County's economy is continuing to change, he explained, insisting that programs like Empire Zones will allow the county to stay current. Hannon also advocates increased work force housing.
      Roper-Simpson also sees the 6th as a changing place, and says she could provide a new voice for the public, taking on big businesses and special-interest groups. "We have a changing community in Long Island, and some folks must accept that," she said. "The status quo must go."
      Hannon said the Senate had "a very productive year" in 2006. He counted the strengthening of Megan's Law as a highlight, and said that a number of changes in the tax code will help Long Islanders save money. In 2006, the state gas tax was capped and the marriage penalty was eliminated, as was the state sales tax on clothing and shoes under $110.
      According to Hannon's office, his work resulted in almost $35 million going to the East Meadow School District, $10.8 million to North Bellmore, $6.3 million to Franklin Square and $6.4 million to West Hempstead.
      Roper-Simpson says she is driven by her desire to be an advocate, which was instilled by her mother. "Health care, education and government reform ... need immediate attention in government," she says. The burden on the middle class is made worse, she claimed, because the state government is not being fiscally responsible. As a senator, she said, she would "advocate for the hard-working New Yorker."

8th State Senate District

Fuschillo, Small seek 8th District seat

By Scott Brinton

      Five-year North Merrick resident Adam Small is challenging New York state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., a four-term incumbent from Merrick, in the 8th Senate District.
      When asked why he deserves a fifth term, Fuschillo points to his proven ability to pass hard-fought bills into law, and says he has bucked his own party at times to do so. In his most recent term, Fuschillo has worked on identity-theft and drunk-driving legislation. The senator says that a measure he sponsored, the Information Security Breach and Notification Act, requires businesses and government agencies that collect personal information to inform people immediately when their computer systems are hacked and information is stolen.
      Fuschillo also passed legislation that allows people to place credit freezes on their accounts in the event that an identity thief is defrauding them.
      The senator authored the bill that redefined the definition of driving while intoxicated, lowering the prosecutable blood alcohol content level from .10 to .08 percent. He has also worked on legislation that would require mandatory jail time for repeat DWI offenders, and those with BACs of .18 or higher. As a condition of their probation, the guilty would be required to pass Breathalyzer tests using ignition interlock systems each time they drove their cars.
      Of the identity theft and DWI legislation, Small said, "These are non-controversial issues. ... The general consensus is that this is a good thing."
      Both candidates spoke of the need for more affordable housing on Long Island. Fuschillo said the Senate recently appropriated $25 million to help first-time home buyers secure down payments on their houses. The program requires an employer match. For every dollar the employer gives, the state offers three. The minimum an employer must give is $3,000. With that amount, the state would kick in $9,000, for a total of $12,000. Hofstra University, Fuschillo said, recently pledged $100,000 for its employees.
      "It sounds good," Small said of the program, "but when you scratch the surface of this program, it's not what it's cracked up to be." He noted that people must convince their employers to kick in at least $3,000, which many would be unwilling or unable to do. Smith also said the program applies only to houses that fall in the bottom half of the housing market -- that is, whose values are below the median home price in a particular county. "The intention is good, but the restrictions are too onerous," Small said. He wants to see the employer contribution lowered, and he would make the money available for any home, no matter its price.
      On education, Small said he would like to see reduced class sizes. "Children do better when there's a smaller student-to-teacher ratio," he said. Small also wants to see the State University of New York and the City University of New York "beef up" their teacher training programs so that more state residents would be encouraged to enter the education field.
      Fuschillo said that he has voted for record levels of state aid for the schools. He also noted that the state now offers parents a $330-per-child education tax credit on their state income taxes.
      The senator said the state government is looking at ways to streamline its operations and ferret out waste, fraud and abuse, which could make much more money available for schools. As an example, Fuschillo said, the Legislature created the position of Medicaid inspector general, whose job it will be to detect fraud in the system and recover funds whenever possible. Medicaid abuse, Fuschillo noted, totals $2 billion to $6 billion annually.
      Fuschillo worked to enact a statewide ban on the potentially dangerous dietary supplement Ephedra. Early in his tenure, he authored the state's Do Not Call Registry law, which prohibits telemarketers from calling homeowners who have registered their names and phone numbers with the state. And the senator authored the state law prohibiting smoking in bars and other public places.
      Fuschillo is chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection Committee and a member of seven other committees, including Education, Health and Labor.
      Before he was elected to the Senate, Fuschillo was the chief operating officer of a private, not-for-profit family service agency, where he managed more than 400 employees and 40 human-service programs throughout Long Island and New York City. He serves on the boards of directors and is a member of Ascent: A School for Individuals with Autism, the Merrick Kiwanis Club, the Community Wellness Council of the Merricks and Bellmores, Italian Americans in Government and the Order Sons of Italy in America. Fuschillo is married and has three children, and he coaches his daughter's soccer team.
      Small, a children's rights attorney, is a Family Court law guardian, representing children in custody fights when their parents are divorcing. He grew up in Valley Stream and earned his undergraduate degree in earth science and geology from SUNY-Stony Brook. After college, he did environmental consulting before attending law school at SUNY-Buffalo. He has done criminal defense work for the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County as well as the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He is married and has two young children.

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

9th State Senate District

Senate race becomes about the process

By Doug Miller

      Odelia Goldberg, a Lawrence-based attorney and the Democratic Party's nominee for state senate, is hoping to use political jujitsu -- the art of using an opponent's weight against him -- on her opponent, the Senate's deputy majority leader, Dean Skelos.
      Skelos, a Rockville Centre native who has represented the 9th Senate District for more than 20 years, is indeed among the top power brokers in Albany, and says he uses that power, effectively, to bring influence and state aid to the district.
      But Goldberg says Skelos must be held accountable for what she and several critics have called a culture of dysfunction in the capital, a place where favors are returned and loyalty is rewarded by "three men in a room" -- the governor, the Senate majority leader and the Assembly speaker, according to a recent book by a retired senator.
      Goldberg has seized on that theme in her attacks on Skelos.
      "I can't believe we have a senator who says he is more interested in results than the democratic process," Goldberg said in a recent interview with the Herald's editorial board. Her comments during the one-hour session were almost entirely about Skelos and his record. She accused him of using his position on the Senate's Rules Committee to stifle important legislation, and said that his deep pockets made running against him an uphill battle. "He's got unlimited money from the GOP," Goldberg said. "People can't know about me."
      Nearly every topic that was broached with Goldberg was steered into an attack on Skelos. She said the laws he has written recently fall into three categories: "safe laws, smoke screens and too little too late."
      Megan's Law? "That is so safe," Goldberg said. "Who wouldn't want to protect children?"
      The School Tax Relief (STAR) program of school tax rebates for homeowners? "That's a smoke screen," she said. "It's a bribe for voters."
      New affordable housing initiatives? "Too little too late," Goldberg said, without elaborating.
      She said that high property tax rates could be directly tied to Skelos's support of teachers, and blamed him by name for the troubles in the Lawrence Public School District.
      Skelos, for his part, said he was proud of his record and that he thought the voters in his district were also more interested in results than the process, while dismissing Goldberg's accusations about a secret oligarchy. "We voted out [former Senate Majority Leader Ralph] Marino when the conference didn't support him," Skelos said. "If reform is needed, it is in more joint conferences with the Assembly."
      He said the STAR payments and property tax rebates were timed to coincide with people's property tax bills, not with elections, and that eliminating these programs, as Goldberg seems to say she wants, would raise Long Island property taxes by about $1 billion.
      Skelos estimated that the Medicaid inspector general's office, which his staff created, will save the state about 5 percent of its Medicaid costs every two years, and that he helped pay for a lot of the programs in the Lawrence schools that the local board simply couldn't afford under the contingency budget it has been restricted to for the past three years.
      "It's my feeling that elected officials should be getting results for the district," he said.

Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.

14th Assembly District

Barra and Torres square off in Round 2
Rematch in 14th Assembly District

By Mike Schnitzel
      Daniel Torres has returned to the political arena in a second attempt to unseat incumbent state Assemblyman Robert Barra (R-Lynbrook) in the 14th District. Torres was a newcomer last time around, but has learned some lessons from his first defeat two years ago. "I'm definitely more focused on specific issues than I was two years ago," Torres said. "Last time it was more about reform."
      Torres, an engineer from Baldwin Harbor, calls himself a problem-solver rather than a professional politician, and he believes there are big problems that need to be tackled. Calling school tax reform and renewable energy his core issues, Torres said that the 14th District needs someone who will address them.
      "I want to get problems addressed like dependence on foreign oil and lowering property taxes, rather than being the guy who says I get lot of money for parks," Torres said. "That's great. I like parks, too, but there are more important things."
      Property tax reform also rates high on Torres's list of priorities. He said that a new formula for property taxes needs to be phased in over a period of a few years to ease some of what he called the "disproportionate" burden on the middle class. "The high taxes are driving people out of Long Island," Torres said.
      He explained that he decided to challenge Barra again because he believes he can make a difference. "I have more resources this time," Torres said. "If I can get out there and plead my case, we'll see what the voters decide is most important."
      For his part, Barra places a high value on education, and views himself as one of the most accessible members of the Assembly. "When I'm in my own office and the phone rings, I pick it up," Barra said. "People are surprised to find that it's me on the other line when they call. They figure that they'll get a secretary or something."
      While he sends his two daughters to Catholic schools, Barra said he is a big believer in the public school system. "My wife is the one who wanted our girls to go to Catholic school," he said. "You've got to pick your battles."
      Barra said that he frequently shows up at public schools to speak to students, to let them know that he cares about them and to see what they're thinking. "I learn a lot from going to schools," he said. "Kids, and senior citizens, ask the toughest questions."
      Barra believes that the federal government is underfunding the No Child Left Behind Act, which many school officials have called an unfunded mandate. He said that if the government is going to require schools to meet certain standards, forcing them to spend more money, the government should provide financial assistance rather than putting the burden on local homeowners.
      "Our two U.S. senators have fallen short on getting our state funding for No Child Left Behind," Barra said. "If the government wants a program, it should pay for it."
      Education and property tax relief are Barra's top two priorities, and he said he believes they go hand-in-hand. "It's a quality-of-life issue," he said.
      He voiced his pride that the state has managed to hand in on-time budgets for the past two years, breaking a 25-year streak of political heel-dragging. "It hurts school districts and not-for-profits [if the budget is late]," Barra said. "By banding together with other assemblymen who were tired of late budgets, we forced the leadership to get to work."
      Before becoming an assemblyman, Barra was a Lynbrook village trustee, a Hempstead town councilman, and chief of staff for state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre).

Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.

15th Assembly District

Walker, Pangburn battle in 15th Assembly District

By Hector Flores
      Incumbent Rob Walker, a Republican of Hicksville, and political newcomer Matthew Pangburn, a Democrat of Salisbury, are facing off in the 15th Assembly District, which encompasses the northern part of the Town of Oyster Bay and portions of the towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead.
      In phone interviews with both candidates, the Herald discussed two of the biggest issues facing the district, the need for affordable housing and tax relief.

Affordable housing

      "After I graduated college, I worked for a short period of time as a teacher at a middle school in Syosset, and I understand firsthand the need for affordable housing," Walker said. "We have to continue for fight for our property taxpayers and work to provide property tax relief. We also need next-generation and work-force housing. We have to make housing affordable for young adults and seniors. We need to keep them on Long Island."
      Walker added that he is currently working on developing programs and legislation aimed at keeping young people in New York state and on Long Island.
      Pangburn, 20, said that home ownership on the Island is near impossible because of high property taxes. He believes the state's School Tax Relief (STAR) program needs to be revamped to bring more assistance to first-time home buyers and seniors. "We also need more affordable housing on Long Island," Pangburn said. "We have 10 different colleges on Long Island, and graduating seniors can't afford to live here."

Tax relief

      Walker said he has sponsored legislation to alleviate the tax burden on homeowners and provide more opportunities for first-time home buyers. He supported a cap on the state gas tax, the elimination of the sales tax on clothing under $110, the elimination of the marriage penalty and the distribution of property tax rebate checks.
      All these efforts, Walker said, are intended to reduce the burden of taxes on homeowners. In addition, he said that he has worked hard to increase state aid to schools and helped enact the Medicaid Fraud Prevention and Recovery Act, which will save tax payers $4.5 billion in fraud.
      Pangburn countered that the tax burden -- both state and property -- could be address by giving incentives to businesses to set up shop on Long Island. "We need to give businesses a reason to come to Long Island," he said. "The more businesses stay on Long Island, the more they will help alleviate the tax burden on homeowners."

      Before his election, Walker served as deputy commissioner of parks for the Town of Oyster Bay from 2002 to 2005, and spearheaded the town's Save Environmental Assets Fund Committee. From 1998 to 2001 he served as an assistant to Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto.
      In May of 2005, Walker won a special election for the 15th Assembly District seat. Since then he has become the ranking member of the Assembly's Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee, and he is also a member of the standing committees on Energy and Aging. In addition, Walker serves on several task forces, including Medicaid Fraud, Waste and Abuse, Safer Communities and Successful Schools.
      Walker is a graduate of Hicksville High School, where he was student government president. He earned a degree in education from Long Island University, where he was on the dean's list and was a member of the 1996 NCAA Division II champion lacrosse team. Walker is a lifelong resident of Hicksville, where he lives with his wife, Elizabeth.
      Pangburn has lived in Nassau County all his life, and is currently attending Nassau Community College. He is involved in numerous school organizations, include the Student Government Association, in which he is a senator; the Political Science Organization, where he is vice president; and the Wall Street Club. He is a graduate of W.T. Clarke High School in the East Meadow.
      At his high school graduation he received several scholarships, including the American Legion's Tony D'Alessandro Memorial Scholarship, the Sen. Kemp Hannon Citizenship Advancement Award, the Community Association of Stewart Avenue Scholarship, and the W.T. Clarke High School PTSA Scholarship.
      Pangburn lives in Salisbury with his father, Gregg, his sister, Michele, and his stepmother, Jackie, and her children.

Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.

17th Assembly District

Hoping to represent the 17th District

By Hector Flores
      With three weeks left in the campaign, incumbent Tom McKevitt, a Republican of East Meadow, and Dolores Sedacca, a Democrat of East Williston, are vying to represent the state Assembly's 17th district, which comprises Merrick, North Merrick, Bellmore, North Bellmore, East Meadow, Garden City, Uniondale, New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Mineola, Alberton, the Willistons, Carle Place, Westbury and a portion of Roosevelt.
      To ensure that voters have the information they need on the candidates' stances on key issues in the district, the Herald is focusing on three crucial areas of concern: affordable housing, education and health care.

Housing

      In an effort to bring affordable housing back to Long Island, McKevitt is in favor of a proposal in the Assembly that would set aside $200 million in grant money to be awarded to first-time home buyers. Prospective purchasers who fulfill an income requirement will be able to use the money to buy homes.
      McKevitt is also in favor of the Balboni/DiNapoli bill, which would require developers to dedicate 10 percent of their projects to affordable housing.
      "A couple -- let's say a teacher and a police officer -- will not be able to afford a home on Long Island because they only have a combined income of $100,000," McKevitt said. "That is not enough money to buy a house here. The bottom line is that the working class cannot afford to buy a home on Long Island, and this is something that still needs remedying."
      Sedacca, like McKevitt, favors the Balboni/DiNapoli bill, but she insists that the first thing that needs to be done is to ensure the affordability of current housing by providing school tax relief and building next-generation homes for the work force. "These new homes should be made available to anyone who makes under $60,000," Sedacca said. "We should also look into converting old abandoned factories into lofts -- as it was done in Port Washington -- and developing our downtown areas to accommodate the working class."

Education

      McKevitt feels that some progress has been made with the passage of the 2006-07 state budget, which includes a large increase in aid to school districts. "We have given a significant increase as compared to the past, and hope to repeat that level of aid this year," he said.
      McKevitt has been working on a proposal to create an inspector general for education, which he said would ensure that school money is being properly spent. "We are also looking into placing new requirements on school districts -- the same requirements that have been placed on corporations," he said. "For example, it would be a crime if an ex-employee receives a pension that is greater than what they were originally authorized to receive."
      Sedacca feels that the state's funding formula for school districts needs to be revamped, and she said she would also look into re-examining the Lottery Commission. "The [funding] formula does not take into account the cost of living," she said. "In addition, the Lottery Act needs to examined. When it was first enacted, 55 percent of the proceeds was used for education; now only 32 percent is used. By shifting only 20 percent from prize money [to education], we would have three-quarters of a billion dollars. I also plan on examining the State Education Department, to see about getting immediate tax relief."

Health care

      The two candidates take different approaches to health care. McKevitt feels that exposing fraud and restoring state funding to Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) programs are the best solutions, while Sedacca would lobby for affordable universal health care.
      "One of the biggest problems is Medicaid spending," McKevitt said. "It is estimated that 10 percent of Medicaid spending is taken up by fraud. I'm hopeful that the new Medicaid inspector general will able to crack down on this."
      In an effort to provide affordable prescription drug coverage to seniors, McKevitt has voted to override many of Gov. George Pataki's health care cuts and supported restoring current programs such as EPIC.
      If elected to the Assembly, Sedacca would focus on making health care affordable. "It is easier for someone with health insurance to have preventive care, but someone without health care waits until they become very sick before they see a doctor, and that increases the level of state-funded care they will need to get better," she explained. "For that reason alone, people need affordable health care."
       Sedacca hopes to work with the governor to reform the current health care system. "We need to examine health insurance companies," she said. "We have to make sure they are providing what people are paying for, and not just making profits for their shareholders."

      Before being elected to the Assembly in March, McKevitt was the attorney for the Town of Hempstead for nine years. He is a graduate of Hofstra and Hofstra Law School, and is a member of the American, New York state and Nassau County bar associations. A longtime member of the East Meadow Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce, McKevitt mentors children from local middle schools in his spare time.
      Sedacca's political experience includes being named the first woman mayor of the Village of East Williston. She has also been the director of legislative affairs for the Town of North Hempstead, the executive director and treasurer of the Nassau County Village Officials Association, a board officer of the North Hempstead Civic Coalition and president of the East Williston Civic Association. She is currently the commissioner of assessment review and ombudsman for the Nassau County Department of Assessment.

18th Assembly District

Race for the 18th
Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper and her challenger, J. Barrington Jackson, square off again

By Anthony Rifilato
      Since she was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1988, Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead) has become something of an institution in her district.
      Hooper is the only member of a minority from Long Island serving in the Assembly, and the only black woman representing a suburban district in the state.
      According to the Assembly Web site, Hooper has fought for more state funding for local school districts and drug rehabilitation programs, stricter enforcement of drug laws, affordable housing and economic development, among efforts.
      She touts a recently designated Empire Zone in the 18th District stretching from Freeport to the Village of Hempstead, which could give the area a needed economic boost. This summer, Hooper announced that she had obtained $40 million in funding for the Nassau University Medical Center, which would help keep the troubled facility afloat. Most recently, she called on state education officials to end the Roosevelt School District's fiscal crisis and restore lost services to students.
      Hooper, a social worker from Hempstead, graduated from Norfolk State College and earned a master's in social work from Adelphi University. She serves on a number of Assembly committees, including Education, Housing, Labor and Economic Development. She is also a member of the Assembly Task Force on Women's Issues, and in 2001 she was appointed chair of the majority conference by Speaker Sheldon Silver.
      But her opponent, J. Barrington Jackson, an attorney from Hempstead, says that while Hooper has delivered at times -- such as $6.5 million in funding for Hempstead Village's fiscal problems -- she does not work well with others and ignores her constituents.
      Hooper has also been known to avoid the press, and did not respond to the Herald's requests for an interview.
      Jackson pointed to the recent spat between Hooper and Hempstead Village Mayor Wayne Hall, saying that such political feuds are to the detriment of residents.
      In a recent press release regarding the village's debt, Hooper said that the additional $6.5 million would negate Hall's plans to "gut the pride of our village" with unnecessary layoffs.
      Jackson, a Republican, vows to reach across party lines and solve problems rather than maintaining the status quo in Albany. For too long, he said, Hooper has been easily re-elected because she is a Democrat in a largely minority district, and this has not benefited her constituents.
      "A choice is needed," said Jackson, explaining that just because he is a Republican doesn't mean that he won't serve the needs of residents. "What I'm trying to do is get people to see it differently. It's harmful to have an allegiance to one party."
      Jackson is a 25-year resident of Hempstead Village, where he was a chief prosecutor. He is also a former counsel to the Town of Hempstead and vice president of 100 Black Men of Long Island, which named him Man of the Year in 1991. He has an undergraduate degree from Tufts University and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.
      Having previously ran against Hooper in 1992, Jackson has criticized Albany lawmakers, likening New York state to a "revenue-hungry racketeering organization." He said that the Assembly is controlled by lobbyists and evades responsibility for the escalating cost of government.
      Jackson said he supports reducing health care and pension costs, and that he would work with the unions to resolve the issue. He also said he is committed to lowering property taxes, which he believes are out of control on Long Island, where more jobs and affordable housing are needed. He supports school vouchers, he said, explaining that they create a competitive environment that leads to better education.
      When it comes to crime, Jackson said he believes there needs to be a stronger police presence in Nassau County. But he also said he would like to see sensitivity training for police officers, explaining that because most county officers do not live in the communities they patrol, they lack a "local sense" of the neighborhoods and the issues residents face.
      Jackson also said he would like to introduce legislation that would assist illegal immigrants who have jobs. "It's hypocritical for us to want Hispanics to do menial jobs that no one wants to do and not want them to stay here," he said, adding that industries that employ illegal immigrants need to take more responsibility for them, and assist their employees with housing and health care costs.
      Unlike Hooper, Jackson said, he would take advantage of the media to promote legislation and issues he wants to address. He would also make himself available and accessible to his constituents, he said. If elected, he plans on serving two terms so he can get a sense of how things are run, then make changes as an outsider.
      Jackson said he does not want to be a career politician, which, he claimed, could be a benefit for voters, because he would put his job on the line to get things done. "Once you're there that long, you become part of the problem," he said. "The objective is to not go in as a member of a club."
      As things stand now, however, Jackson believes the district is in need of a new representative. "The first thing I would do is take the initiative," he said. "What does the district have to lose?"

Comments about this story? ARifilato@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.

19th Assembly District

McDonough, Birnbaum vie in 19th A.D.

By Scott Brinton
      The race for New York state's 19th Assembly District pits two longtime Merokeans against each other -- the incumbent, Republican David McDonough, versus the challenger, Democrat David Birnbaum.
      McDonough says he is running on his four-year record in Albany. He noted that 93 bills for which he has served as the co-prime sponsor or as a sponsor have become law. He also said that he has brought in more than $500,000 in special legislative appropriations for his district, primarily in the form of $5,000 grants for schools, libraries, Little Leagues and chambers of commerce.
      The assemblyman was rebutting his opponent's assertions that he had authored but one bill that was passed into law, and brought in little grant money for his district. Birnbaum believes that, as a majority party member of the Democratically controlled Assembly, he would wield greater political power than McDonough, which would enable him to pass more bills into law and bring home more grant money.
      McDonough said he has acquired political clout by working with both Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly, by taking on leadership roles in the Assembly Republican conference and by working closely with his counterpart in the Senate, Charles Fuschillo Jr., a Republican from Merrick.

Sex-crimes laws

      McDonough, who has made toughening state sex-crimes laws a priority, noted that he serves as co-chairman of the Assembly Minority Sexual Assault and Violence Education Task Force and as chairman of the Crime in Our Communities Task Force. The SAVE Task Force, he said, collected more than 15,000 petition signatures statewide in 2005, calling on the Assembly's Democratic majority to allow a series of sex-crimes bills to be voted on by the entire Assembly. Previously, the Democratic majority had blocked the bills from moving out of committee onto the Assembly floor for a vote. The measures included a bill that eliminated the state's five-year statute of limitations on rape cases and a bill that upgraded Megan's Law to require lifetime registration of the most dangerous sexual predators.
      The SAVE Task Force, McDonough said, also held numerous public hearings throughout the state, including one at the Merrick Firehouse in the summer of 2005. As part of the Crime in Our Communities Task Force, McDonough is conducting hearings on gang violence, looking for ways to upgrade state law.
      Birnbaum, a former New York City and Nassau County prosecutor, said he favors lifetime registration of the most dangerous sexual predators. "Nothing works on a sexual predator," he said. "That's why I believe you have to have as strong a Megan's Law as possible." But Birnbaum added that he did not believe tougher penalties necessarily stop crime. He said the "swiftness and certainty of punishment" serves as the greatest deterrent.

Property taxes

      Both candidates spoke at length about the need to rein in property taxes. Each noted that the biggest chunk of a property-tax bill goes to the schools. Both spoke about encouraging school districts to consolidate services.
      McDonough, who owns a debt-collection agency, Graydon Associates, said that school districts could consider sharing their purchasing agreements, and that a number of districts already do. He also said that the Assembly Republican conference wants an independent inspector general for education to oversee school spending, in particular staff contracts. McDonough wants all contracts posted on the Web one month before school boards vote on them, and said he would like school budgets posted as well.
      Finally, McDonough said he has consistently voted to increase school aid. Education aid, he explained, has become tougher for Long Island schools to get following a recent court ruling that granted $15 billion to New York City schools. The decision came after the Committee for Fiscal Equity sued the state, claiming that the city's poorer schools received a disproportionately small amount of state aid.
      McDonough said that aid to Long Island districts should be indexed to regional costs. Instead, because the Island is perceived to be wealthy, it receives, on average, 25 cents in state education aid for every dollar it sends to Albany in income taxes. In a number of upper-middle-class districts, that figure could be as low as 13 cents. Upstate schools often receive a considerably higher proportion.
      "We're fighting constantly" for more state aid, McDonough said. "This year, we delivered record school aid. ... We keep coming up with more aid, but the pie is only so big."
      Birnbaum said he sees consolidation of janitorial services as a possible revenue stream for the schools. He believes the schools have too many custodians. He would also like to see students given laptop computers, from which they could access textbooks online. He believes the cost of textbooks drives up budgets unnecessarily. He said the state could give districts grants to pilot such programs. Birnbaum also said he would win greater aid for Long Island schools by negotiating with and winning the favor of state legislators from other suburban counties that have traditionally received less than their fair share of state aid. "My strong point," Birnbaum said, "is negotiating."

The environment

      On the environment, McDonough wants the state to pass a more expansive bottle bill that would allow consumers to return a greater variety of bottles and cans, for which they would get back their 5-cent deposits. That's currently the case with many bottles and cans, but not all. McDonough said the state has run into opposition from distributors, who claim they would have no place to store all of the collected bottles and cans under an expanded law. But McDonough said that bottles and cans are too often discarded rather than returned and recycled, which hurts the environment. "The plastic gets in our landfills," he said.
      Birnbaum said he would like to see the woodlands surrounding the Meadowbrook Parkway turned into state parklands. He noted that hundreds of community residents have volunteered to clean up the woodlands. The state parks department, however, has balked at a bipartisan proposal to allow hiking and mountain-biking through the area.
      Birnbaum, who has not taken part in the volunteer cleanups in the woodlands over the past few years, said he has walked his dog there and seen the devastation caused by vandals. For his part, McDonough has participated in nearly every cleanup to date.
      McDonough, who earned a master's in economics from Columbia University and served in the military, is a former president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce and the Merrick Kiwanis Club.
      Birnbaum is an attorney in private practice in Mineola and New York City. He serves also as a money manager, or