By Scott Brinton
That's the central issue shaping the race in 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 super-majority of a community votes for a higher increase. 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," he said. 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 say, however, that school districts could do a better job of sharing services.
He also said that 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 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 a degree 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 reducing their dependence 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 that one of his other important issues is veterans' services. McDonough, who earned a 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" for 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 are aware of the full range of services the state offers them. He said that veterans are entitled to tuition credits worth up to $4,300 at state colleges and universities, as well as employment counseling, but many veterans are unaware of the benefits.
The assemblyman said troops need support while overseas, but he added, "We have to support them when they come home, also."
Finally, McDonough said he has been working on identity-theft legislation, as well as measures to better protect children from predators. In particular, he 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," he said. "Why not bring them to Long Island? We need to find a new [business] base for Long Island."
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 built, he suggested the woodlands along the Meadowbrook Parkway, but said, "I'm not going to plow up the wetlands."
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
