Candidates seek creative approach to Albany's problems

Two candidates, one singular quest for creativity and fresh ideas.

The race for the 11th Assembly District seat pits longtime Democrat official Robert Sweeney against Republican newcomer Brett Robinson. Sweeney, who has been in office for 22 years, acknowledges that the current economic crunch means "we're going to have to be a little more creative in the way that we approach things."

Robinson, who has never run for political office, said he can bring a fresh outlook to Albany and would work to "try to find ways to have better revenues, not a lot of false revenues that we see in the current budget that create these deficits."

The 11th district is wholly contained within the Town of Babylon. The district has 78,063 registered voters, with 34,768 Democrats, 20,667 Republicans. There are 18,093 voters in the district not registered with any party.

Sweeney, 61, is running on the Democrat, Independence and Working Families Party lines. He was first elected to the assembly in a special election in March 1988 after serving 14 years as Lindenhurst village clerk. A lifelong resident of Lindenhurst, Sweeney received a bachelor's degree in history, political science and education from Adelphi University and a master's degree in public administration from C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.

Spotlights on ethics reform

Sweeney said the important issues in the race are jobs and reform. He spotlighted ethics reform, which he said he has supported in the past, and further pension reform. Sweeney pointed to a 2008 pension reform bill he helped write after a series of Newsday articles revealed the problems of "double dipping" or the simultaneous collection of a pension and salary.

Sweeney, who chairs the environmental conservation committee, also has an interest in environmental issues. He introduced legislation based on Babylon's Green Homes program that promotes energy efficiency improvements in homes, paid for by the energy savings.

"That's a program that not only is good from an environmental point of view, but it's also good from a homeowner point of view. . . . and it produces jobs," he said.

Sweeney said there also needs to be an emphasis on finding the money needed to provide services, rather than use the "cut and slash" approach of Gov. David A. Paterson's administration.

"They haven't done enough with finding creative new ways to support the things that need to be done, which doesn't mean more money, it just means finding better ways to do things," he said.

Board of elections campaign finance data shows Sweeney has a campaign balance of $103,415.74. Sweeney said he has a proven legislative record but his real success can be measured during times when he's able to solve constituents' problems when no one else can.

"I think that I have demonstrated that I have the ability to get things done and I have a record that can give people confidence that I'll be able to accomplish something on these issues," he said.

Fresh voice, ideas

Sweeney's opponent, Brett Robinson of Lindenhurst, said he can provide a "fresh voice and fresh ideas" to the assembly seat. Robinson, 26, also is running on the Conservative Party lines. He works for the Suffolk County Board of Elections and is attending Suffolk County Community College. He said he hopes to eventually earn a bachelor's degree in political science.

Robinson said he decided to run for political office because, like many families on Long Island, his family has been hit hard by the economic downturn. "I felt a lot of the policies coming out of Albany were detrimental to working families and small businesses," he said. "I felt a political newcomer like myself . . . could go up there and bring some common sense solutions and some answers that will help working-class families."

Robinson said there are so many taxes, that they are stifling villages and towns from doing more beautification projects or even simple upkeep like paving. Robinson said that if elected, he would work with longtime leaders as well as newly elected officials to repeal hardships like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority tax and to put a cap on property taxes.

"I would bring fiscal discipline, I would vote for a budget that's balanced," he said.

Robinson has no itemized financial disclosure data with the state board of elections.