Democrat hits Sen. LaValle on office spending

Regina Calcaterra, a Democrat from New Suffolk seeking to unseat veteran Sen. Ken LaValle, has issued this statement based on an Empire Center report that showed the Port Jefferson Republican to have landed eighth on an Empire Center list of office expenditures.

"When residents of Long Island's East End demanded Sen. LaValle bring back a fair share of taxpayer dollars into the district, he certainly made sure he got his.

According to the Empire Center for New York State Policy, LaValle's expenditures in the New York State Senate for the state's last fiscal year reached $1,057,624.

That made him the eighth-most expensive member of the New York State Senate during that time.

"Unfortunately, the constituents he is supposed to be representing did not fair (sic) as well. Long Island sends $8 billion annually to Albany, but gets back $5 billion in resources. It educates 17 percent of New York's kids, but gets back 12 percent of state aid. Unemployment among contractors here is near 35 percent.

"People all over are sacrificing. All the while, Sen. LaValle chose not to skimp on his own state taxpayer-funded expenses.

"I look forward to continuing my discussion with residents of the First Senate District on ways the state can cut fraud and waste in government spending - - beginning with overhauling the dysfunction and wasteful spending of our state legislature."

Regina Calcaterra, Democrat of New Suffolk. (Handout Photo)