Candidates seek to keep businesses from leaving LI

Attorney Michael A. Montesano lost a race for Nassau County Legislature a year ago, but got another chance at public office in February with a special election for state assembly in the 15th District.

The one-time New York City Police Department detective won the race to fill the seat held by Rob Walker - who left to join Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's new team - and now has eight months' experience in Albany.

Montesano, a Republican, said if re-elected he hopes to cut down on waste, mismanagement and fiscal abuse in government. At the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, for instance, he said, "the mismanagement and fraud is rampant. It's rising to the level of criminality in some circumstances."

Montesano's opponent, Democrat Leon P. Hart, is a newcomer to politics. He is running for the first time, and said that in itself is an advantage, as he sees things not as an "Albany insider" but as an average citizen.

The one-time assistant district attorney in Manhattan said he's seen firsthand the sometimes obtuse nature of government as he tries to obtain information about government operations. "I'm actually seeking public office, and it's not easy for me to find everything," Hart said. "We have to change the way we are doing things. There are more effective ways of doing things."

Large constituency

The two are vying for the largest geographical state assembly district in Nassau, a sprawling district that has Hicksville as its heart, but also extends as far as Lattingtown, East Meadow, West Glen Head and North Syosset. Registered Republicans have an edge in the district: There are 35,850, as opposed to 28,099 Democrats. Some 19,860 voters chose no party affiliation.

Montesano has an edge in fundraising - New York State Board of Elections filings show he has $60,796.00. Montesano said the actual figure for this campaign was about $25,000, and that the state was including his two previous campaigns. The state had no money listed for Hart, though Hart said he had about $1,700.

On the issues, Montesano said he is for a repeal of the MTA tax, and has been calling for a forensic audit of the agency. He also wants an interim financial control board appointed to take over the MTA.

He favors establishing a property tax cap as well as a cap on the amount of money state and local governments in New York can spend. He said he wants to relieve school districts and municipalities from unfunded state mandates, and attract back to the county businesses it has lost. He also wants to reform the state pension system, and fight for more school aid for Long Island

Lack of transparency

Hart said he agrees government spending is a top issue. He said he has also been dismayed by the lack of transparency in government as he conducts his campaign. He said he was amazed when it was reported recently that the state government did not even know how many employees it has.

Like Montesano, he said he wants to focus on bringing back to Nassau County businesses it has lost to other areas. He believes part of the solution is merging services offered by a variety of levels of government and "special districts" on Long Island that will reduce costs.

Finally, he said he hopes to fix Albany's inability to function smoothly. "Politically speaking, Albany is dysfunctional," he said.

Montesano, 56, lives in Glen Head and has served as president and vice president of the local school board. He obtained an associate's degree in police science from Nassau Community College, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from St. John's University, and a law degree from CUNY Law School at Queens College. He has operated his own law office in Glen Cove for nearly two decades.

He has also served as acting village justice and village prosecutor for the Village of Roslyn Harbor.

Hart, 47, lives in Westbury and has worked as an attorney for more than 20 years. He received a bachelor's degree from Fordham University in sociology, and a law degree from Villanova University. For about a decade he served as an attorney for the Roosevelt Island Corp., a New York State public benefits corporation. In 2006 he became a senior associate in the Yonkers Law Department.