By Marley Seaman
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."
