By MIKE CAPUTO
McKevitt (R,C, I) , who seeks a second full term in the Assembly, won a special election in February 2006 after former Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell vacated her seat to become county clerk. Six months later, McKevitt narrowly defeated Democratic challenger and fellow East Meadow resident Zahid-Ali Syed to earn a full term.
Since taking office in 2006, McKevitt has made it a point to establish a perfect voting attendance record, something he said is crucial for elected officials. "The most important thing I do is vote, and make sure I get there," he said. "Because that's why people put me in office in the first place."
Pinto is pursing his first elected position in state government, but has served for 11 years as a North Merrick school board member. For the past two years he has also served on the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School board.
Pinto said his experience as a school board member and a leader in the community should help him if he is elected. "I think to be up there would be a good benefit for the community because of the work I have proven and done for 20 years," Pinto said. "I think I can bring that same commitment to Albany.
In interviews with the Herald, both McKevitt and Pinto emphasized the importance of reducing the property tax burden for local homeowners, and especially gaining more state education aid for the school districts. McKevitt noted that local legislators have managed to secure more state education aid than the recently proposed executive budgets have called for. He vowed, however, to continue working to gain a fair share of state education aid for the county.
"I think the most important thing over the last couple of years is getting more state aid for the school districts, and I think that is probably the biggest obligation for us to do in the state," McKevitt said.
Pinto, who has helped mold several school budgets, stressed that more needs to be done on the state level to alleviate the property tax burden in the county. "It's great that you're making that progress, but you're not really making the progress that we need to help our communities to offset the property tax that is actually killing us," he said, adding that unfunded mandates handed down by the State Education Department are a major problem for school districts.
McKevitt also identified mandates as a problem, and suggested more government oversight of the state education system. His plan includes supporting a bill that would charge an inspector general with overseeing education and possibly writing a bill that would require the governor, rather than the Board of Regents, to appoint the state education commissioner.
"Part of the problem in the state is that we have a very poor educational structure," McKevitt said. "The commissioner of education should be appointed by the governor of New York state. It should not be appointed by the Board of Regents, who are fully insulated from the political process."
Despite being in the Assembly's minority party, McKevitt said he has and still can propose bills, pitch ideas and make a significant impact for his constituency. He said he supported property tax rebates for seniors and a proposed gasoline tax cap, and co-sponsored a bill with Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) to make it easier to prosecute drunk drivers.
"I think what is important with my vote is that check in the balance system of the majority with things they are doing," McKevitt said.
Pinto said he believes that, if elected, he will have more of an influence in an Assembly in which Democrats are in the majority. "I think I am going to get a little more done," he said. "I am going to have my ear to the rail a little bit more than my opponent has done."
Pinto, 45, has worked in the printing industry for 30 years, and is currently an operations manager for a company based in Freeport. A member of Calhoun High School's class of 1981, Pinto lives in Merrick with his wife, Christine, and four children ranging in age from 24 to 10. Before joining the school board in 1997, Pinto was active in the local Little League and Police Athletic League.
McKevitt, who was born and raised in East Meadow, is a lawyer who worked in the Hempstead town attorney's office for nine years. After five years there, he started his own private practice. But he missed helping people, he said, so he went back to the town in 2003 and worked there until he was elected to the Assembly. McKevitt, 37, lives in East Meadow with his wife, Samantha, and his 15-month-old son, Connor.
The 17th Assembly District includes portions of East Meadow, North Merrick, Merrick, North Bellmore, Uniondale, Roosevelt, Garden City, Garden City Park, New Hyde Park, Mineola, Carle Place, Albertson, East Williston and Williston Park.
In East Meadow, the district is bordered by East Meadow Avenue to the east and Merrick Avenue to the west.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
Ovadia, Walker run for 15th Assembly district
By MIKE RUSSO
Incumbent Rob Walker
Rob Walker (R, C, I, WF - Hicksville) is running for his second term as a state Assemblyman, having served the 15th Assembly District since May 2005. With a background in education, Walker never thought about being an elected official until shortly before his election, but he now says it has been a privilege to serve the people of his district.
"At the end of the day, it's about helping people," said Walker. "The most satisfaction you really get is doing the right thing and working on behalf of people."
At 33, Walker is the youngest member of the state Legislature, and he says that gives him the unique ability to understand the concerns of many young Long Islanders, who are leaving the Island due to the high cost of living. He said that high property taxes have put many Long Islanders in the tough position of having to prioritize their bills - paying their mortgage, heating their home or buying food. Walker said those are decisions that no one should have to make.
"We all see the cause and effect of our high property taxes, and that is that people are leaving and they're leaving in droves," he said. "Certainly they don't want to, but they have no other choice."
Walker said that one of the biggest issues facing the state is how to address its fiscal situation while at the same time not overburdening taxpayers. He said the state does not have a revenue problem, but it does have a spending problem. In order to really make a difference, he said, every aspect of government - state, county and town, from the highest agency to the newest employee - must work together to come up with a lasting solution.
Walker proposed consolidating services, where he says a lot of the money is being spent. He questioned the need for different agencies bidding on the same things and going to different places when there could be one collaborative contracting system instead. Another example he offered was making available attorneys from the attorney general's office, who specialize in certain areas, to schools.
"We have a great work force," said Walker. "Let's use it to our advantage."
His recent legislation included an effort to crack down on illegal housing, and securing veterans' tax exemptions for National Guard and reservist members.
If elected, Walker said. he would continue doing what he has been doing for the past three years: helping everyday people with everyday problems regardless of whether they are "state" problems. He said that many people don't know where to turn for solutions to certain problems, and that he has strived to make his office a "one-stop shop" for local people with quality-of-life concerns, which Walker says are most important to people.
"When a person calls up, the last thing I want to see happen is, 'Sorry, we don't deal with this - you have to call [someone else],'" he said, encouraging residents to call his office to help them find the right person to address their concerns. "I think that's what government is supposed to be."
Challenger Stephanie Ovadia
Democrat Stephanie Ovadia, a resident of East Meadow and practicing attorney for the past 23 years, says she has a great understanding of the law and now wants to be part of the process of creating it.
"I am aware of the law, I understand the law, and now I want to write the law so people outside can understand them," Ovadia said.
She said that one of the major issues facing the state right now is Nassau County's high real estate taxes, and that the county needs to get more funding from the state, because taxpayers cannot afford any more increases. When asked how the state could afford that when it is facing an estimated $6 billion budget deficit, Ovadia said that the state, counties and towns should more thoroughly explore the consolidation of services.
"We have to keep our services as good as they are today, but we need to consolidate a lot of these special districts," said Ovadia. "We have to look into which services can be consolidated without giving up the level of services." She said she is concerned that unless something can be done to lower the tax burden on Long Island, more and more young people will continue to leave.
Ovadia said she believes that her experience as an attorney - where, she explained, she is very involved with her clients, often meeting them at their homes - gives her the advantage of being able to help people through troubled times. "I know where the problems are, and I know where the good things are," she said, adding that she has the same issues as everyone else in her district and loves to learn different things from them. "I don't offer the experience in politics, I offer the experience in life."
The 15th Assembly District comprises portions of East Meadow, Salisbury, Hicksville, Westbury, and other areas to the north. In East Meadow and Salisbury, the district covers most of Salisbury from Ellison Avenue to the west and the Wantagh State Parkway to the east. The district goes south to the end of East Meadow Avenue near North Bellmore and around Loring Road and Newbridge Road.
Hooper, Bryant vie to represent the 18th A.D.
By Dana Williams
The race in the state Assembly's 18th District pits Democrat Earlene Hooper, the incumbent who has held the seat since 1988, against Republican challenger Darren Bryant, a community activist who ran unsuccessfully last year for a seat in the Nassau County Legislature.
The two candidates are vying to represent a district that encompasses Lakeview, parts of West Hempstead, East Meadow, South Hempstead, Freeport, Hempstead and Roosevelt, among other areas.
Hooper, a 38-year Hempstead resident, said she decided to run for re-election because she wants to continue to improve the district. "I have work to continue," she said during an interview at the Herald office on Oct. 1. "There are many assignments that I have that need to be completed, and many more that need to be started."
During her current term, Hooper said, she has lobbied for and obtained millions of dollars for education, health care and revitalization and infrastructure projects, among other needs, in the district. In January, the Assembly passed a bill that wiped out the Roosevelt School District's $8 million accumulated deficit and provided the district with a $12 million grant for academic improvements. Assembly leaders said that the legislation would help bring the school's "funding in parity with other school districts in Nassau County and bring per-pupil spending in the district to the county average." The bill was authored and initiated by Hooper, and she considers it one of her most significant accomplishments this year.
"The Roosevelt School District did not have to take out a loan because of that legislation," Hooper explained. "The district is also getting $12 million in additional aid for educational programs."
Hooper also spearheaded efforts for a state-supported $220 million drive to rebuild all of the Roosevelt district's facilities. The plans have started to come to fruition, with the opening of a new $55 million middle school. School officials and students in the district - the only district in the state that is run directly by the state - celebrated the opening of the new building on Sept. 29.
Hooper also said that, along with state Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), she was able to earmark $91 million of the state budget for the Hempstead School District this year - $15.2 million more than what was allotted in the budget former Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed in March. "That was the largest increase in aid in the history of the school district," she said.
Hooper has made several efforts to improve the quality of life for her constituents, she said. She was a part of an effort that provided $61 million to improve health care service delivery at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. The funds, Hooper said, will fund emergency room upgrades and other improvements at the facility. In November 2006, she also acquired $1.5 million for the redevelopment of the Village of Freeport's downtown area, which is now under way.
Hooper, who serves on the Assembly's Education, Housing, Labor, Economic Development, Job Creation and Commerce and Industry committees, also said she is passionate about helping with community initiatives and organizations. In June she provided the East Meadow Public Library with a $5,000 grant to fund its Concert Series. She also presented Nassau County Auxiliary Police Unit 116 - which serves West Hempstead and Lakeview - with a $5,000 grant to help pay for emergency safety equipment and communication services.
When asked why voters should re-elect her, Hooper said they should do so because she would continue to make sure her constituents have a voice in Albany. "I work each day as an assemblywoman to give a voice to the voiceless," she said. "That is my job and I will continue to do that."
If she is re-elected, she said, one of her priorities would be to advance and complete projects she has begun in Roosevelt and Hempstead to create new, full-service health centers. The facilities, Hooper said, would help officials provide medical assistance to residents who are uninsured or whose coverage is limited. "The centers are under contract to be built," she said. "There will also be a MRI diagnostic center built in Hempstead."
Hooper also plans to continue to work with the New York State Housing Authority to obtain funds for six new single-family homes in Roosevelt, and to work with other elected officials to improve school district facilities and roads in Hempstead. "This work is all a part of my job as an elected official, and there are still many issues that I will continue to address and work on here in the 18th Assembly District," she said.
Bryant did not respond to several calls requesting an interview.
The New York State 18th Assembly District comprises Lakeview, parts of West Hempstead, Hempstead and East Meadow, among other areas. The district covers a tiny portion of East Meadow that is south of Hempstead Turnpike, and bordered by Merrick Avenue on the east, Richmond Road to the south and Uniondale to the west.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
Taxes key issue in race for 19th A.D.
By Scott Brinton
Property taxes, property taxes, property taxes. That's the central issue shaping the race for the 19th Assembly District, which pits incumbent David McDonough, a Republican from North Merrick, against challenger Howard Kudler, a Democrat from Merrick.
McDonough, a self-described fiscal conservative, said he fully supports Gov. David Paterson's call for an annual property-tax cap of 4 percent, unless a community votes for a higher increase in a super-majority. McDonough had high praise for Paterson, a Democrat. "I think Paterson is doing the best job he can, and he's more bipartisan than his predecessors." Thus far, despite Paterson's call for a cap and Senate passage of one over the summer, it has not passed the Democratically controlled Assembly.
McDonough also said the Long Island Assembly delegation must continue to fight for a greater share of state aid for education. "If we cut school aid," he said, "we're just transferring." That is, by reducing aid, the state forces school districts to raise property taxes or reduce services.
McDonough said he worries that Republicans could lose their majority in the Senate, where the GOP maintains control by a single seat. "If we lose the Senate majority..." McDonough said, "it's time to apply for statehood or get off the Island." The assemblyman said that Long Island senators have won greater amounts of state aid because they are in the majority. If Democrats were to win the Senate, they, like their colleagues in the Assembly, would favor the Democratic power base in New York City, according to McDonough.
Kudler, who moved to Merrick from Queens eight years ago, said he, too, worries about rising property taxes. "The taxes have doubled after six years," he said.
Kudler, a high school social studies teacher in Queens, said he believes the key to lowering property taxes is reducing "redundancy and waste" in the schools. "I'm not saying make a Nassau County Board of Education"; that is, a centralized board, as there is in New York City. He did, though, say that school districts could do a better job of sharing services.
He also said class sizes could be increased. He noted that city schools have up to 34 students in a class, but he also said, "I don't want to overburden the teachers." Kudler now has two children in local schools, one at Calhoun High and the other at Kennedy.
"I'm not going to lower taxes, but we can keep them under control; we can keep them within reason," Kudler said.
A property-tax cap, he said, "is a Band-Aid to the system."
Kudler, who earned his bachelor's in government and politics from St. John's University, also said that he would like to give tax credits to upstate cities to encourage business development there, thus increasing their tax base and lowering their dependency on Long Island for funding. "We're funding most of the rest of the state," Kudler said. He noted that Long Island receives a small share of state education aid dollars compared with upstate, yet it sends far more in state income taxes to Albany.
McDonough said one of his other important issues is veteran services. McDonough, who earned his master's in economics from Columbia University, served in the Coast Guard and the Air Force. With the U.S. fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, "There's a tremendous need for mental health services" among military personnel returning from combat duty.
McDonough now serves as chairman of the New York State Armed Forces Legislative Caucus, which comprises members of the Assembly and Senate. The caucus is charged with ensuring that veterans know about the full range of services that the state offers them. He said that veterans are entitled to tuition credits worth up to $4,300 at state universities and colleges, as well as employment counseling, but many veterans are unaware of the benefits.
The assemblyman said troops need support while overseas, but he said, "We have to support them when they come home, also."
Finally, McDonough said he's been working on identity-theft legislation, as well as measures to better protect children from predators. In particular, McDonough said he is concerned about protecting children on the Internet. "The Internet is a tremendous, tremendous problem," he said. "You get vulnerable teens who are having problems with their parents," and they become prey for molesters.
Kudler said he wants to encourage "now technology" on Long Island. "Google needs server farms somewhere. Why not bring them to Long Island? We need to find a new [business] base for Long Island," he said.
The challenger also said he would like to encourage transportation alternatives, including light rail and a "hybrid highway" on which only hybrid vehicles would be allowed. When asked where the new highway would be constructed, he suggested the woodlands along the Meadowbrook Parkway, but said, "I'm not going to plow up the wetlands."
The 19th Assembly District comprises parts of East Meadow, Levittown, Wantagh, Bellmore, Merrick, Freeport and Baldwin and Seaford. The district covers a small portion of East Meadow, and is bordered by Newbridge Road on the west and Loring Road on the east.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
