Crossroads: Engineering

John D. Cameron Jr., founder and managing partner of Cameron Engineering & Associates, Llp, in Woodbury; chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council.

Economic outlook: Long Island is resilient, but the high costs and lack of infrastructure funding are major hurdles.

Jobs outlook: Island needs to increase student proficiency in science and grow its science, technology, engineering and math sectors.

There are some major challenges on the Island - lack of a diversity of affordable housing on the Island, high cost of doing business, including taxes, property taxes, income taxes, business taxes, etc.

We are highly taxed here on Long Island. The high cost of energy even though we have a fairly reliable source of energy here on Long Island. We have an aging infrastructure and that presents unique challenges to us.

We're also the nation's oldest suburb, so as a result, while we are a mature suburb, that presents some unique challenges. . . . Whether it's the state or local governments, there is an insufficient amount of funding available to upgrade that infrastructure. And if we don't continue to upgrade our infrastructure, the quality of life that we've grown to love here on Long Island is seriously put at risk.

Until we do something with some public entitlements in New York State - Medicaid, public pensions as well as in health insurance - these public entitlements are making it incredibly difficult for even local governments to continue to operate. So as a result they do not have the funds necessary to invest in our infrastructure.