Focus on schools, economy in 2nd Assembly Dist.

Richard Blumenthal, 58, a first-time candidate for State Assembly who is running against veteran incumbent Fred W. Thiele Jr., 59, has met literally thousands of people over the years and influenced their lives.

He was a guidance counselor in the Connetquot school district. But, he says, few of those students can vote for him - Connetquot is in Islip, not in the 2nd Assembly District, which covers the Hamptons and the southeastern portion of Brookhaven Town.

Still, education reform has become a central issue in Blumenthal's campaign. Blumenthal, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines and lives in Westhampton Beach, wants to end the mandate that all New York high school students get a Regents diploma.

That change, he says, will dramatically reduce the cost of education, and sharply reduce the number of students put in special education classes as a way to avoid those Regents tests.

Thiele agrees education reform is needed, but he says trying to get the State Assembly to end the Regents diploma requirement - which was set to meet a federal mandate - is going about it the wrong way.

"I don't agree with him . . . [but] if he wants to, he should run for Congress, or try to be appointed to the State Board of Regents," Thiele said, adding that he wants to see school districts consolidate and eliminate expensive administrative jobs.

Thiele, who has won his Assembly seat eight times in a row since first taking office in 1995, said he is running on his record of solving local problems and providing constituent service. But, this year, the former Republican is running as a Democrat.

The Paladino effect

And, as the election shapes up, Thiele says he's happy not having Carl Paladino at the top of his slate, saying many of the GOP gubernatorial candidate's plans to slash state spending will not work, or would create real problems on Long Island.

Blumenthal says he is generally comfortable supporting Paladino's initiatives. "Mr. Paladino wants to look at every single program to find that 10 to 20 percent [spending] he can cut," he says.

Blumenthal concedes that Paladino could not cut state bond payments, close down overloaded state courts or lay off one of every five State Police officers. But, he adds, there are enough waste and improper payments to trim a lot of fat from the state budget.

Party switch

Thiele, running on the Democratic and Independence Party lines, lives in Sag Harbor. He switched from the Republican to Independence Party in October 2009, saying he has always worked with Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature, and decrying the increasingly partisan tone in Albany. But his claim to being a political maverick goes back a lot further.

Thiele was a Republican on the Suffolk legislature in 1991 when - in response to what he saw as mismanagement in Southampton Town that was driving up taxes - he joined with some other Republicans and Democrats to create the new Southampton Party. He was elected supervisor on that ticket.

Thiele became a Republican again when he decided to run for the State Assembly for the first time, in 1995. Political cynics charged at the time that it was the only way the Republican Party could regain control of the town.

Thiele says his party tag makes little difference, because he regularly reaches across the aisle in Albany to work with members of both parties, and his local community aides work just as hard to help people in his district, no matter their political party.

Both candidates say getting the economy going again is the most important thing they would work toward in the Assembly. But they differ on how to do it. And, they agree, the uncontrolled partisanship shown in Albany this year is a major roadblock to making any substantive changes.

Blumenthal, who has never run for any elective office, says it's time to throw out all the incumbents and start over again. Thiele says that when he formed the Southampton Party 20 years ago and lowered town taxes, it was because he created a new political team made up of Democrats, Republicans and independents who all worked together.

And, he says, he sees no sign that Paladino's supporters are willing to work with anyone else in the legislature for a common goal.

To Thiele and Blumenthal, the state needs to make a major change in its Medicaid program to reduce current and future costs.

Blumenthal says the state now only considers income and financial assets - things like bank savings - to determine eligibility. He wants to see the value of a home added to the asset mix. "There used to be an asset test," he said, but adds he would not want to see an elderly widow forced from her house just to pay for medical care.

Thiele says New York's Medicaid program has become far too generous, spending more than California and Texas combined. "We have the Cadillac of Medicaid," he says. He would reduce costs by letting individual counties decide what optional coverage to provide.

As of Oct. 1, there were 88,268 registered voters in the Second Assembly District, including 22,785 with no party affiliation, 29,808 Republicans and 28,008 Democrats. Thiele has raised about $40,000 so far and has spent around $20,000. Blumenthal says he has raised and spent around $1,000.