Government's role focus of campaign

Dean Murray, a seasoned small-business owner and the first tea party candidate to be elected to the New York State Legislature, is being challenged for the 3rd Assembly District seat by Rob Calarco, a nine-year veteran of Suffolk County government.

Calarco said he's concerned that the tea party's policies would be harmful to the middle class and lead to a less compassionate society.

Winner of that district's special election in February, Murray, 46, a Republican in East Patchogue, said he's just started addressing the state's "tax and spend" approach and wants to continue pushing for changes to make for a more small-business-friendly environment, which will lead to more jobs.

Seeking accountability

With an eye toward eliminating the need for what he calls the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's "job-killing" payroll tax, Murray said he'll continue pushing for a more extensive forensic audit of the authority's operations to weed out wasteful spending.

In the wake of his demands for such accountability, he said he was pleased that State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced in August he would conduct an audit of overtime spending, but Murray wants similar scrutiny placed on practices involving contracts and dealings with subcontractors.

"Before you turn to taxpayers to bail you out," he said, "you need to prove you're doing everything you can to run as efficiently as possible," he said.

Based on his voting record, he's been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Murray "has voted with us 100 percent of the time," said Mike Elmendorf, New York State director. "He's been a real leader for small business in the brief time he's been in the Assembly. You can't get better than 100 percent."

While he and Calarco, a Democrat from Patchogue, both agree on the need for fresh faces in Albany, they differ on government's scope.

"Less is more," Murray said.

But Calarco, 31, said the "conservative mantra of a no-spend-no-help government" is not right at a time when people need jobs and infrastructure needs building.

He said this is a time "to offer solutions. We can't just say everybody should be out there on their own and it's survival of the fittest."

Affordable housing

Chief of staff for Suffolk County legislator Jack Eddington, Calarco also said that if elected he would push for revitalization of downtown areas and more affordable housing for people his age, as well as empty nesters.

As a model he pointed to the 80-unit Copper Beeches town house development in Patchogue Village. The goal, he said, is to get people his age "out of their parents' basements."

"We think Rob is committed to helping working families. He comes from one and he supports issues that are important to us," said Roger Clayman, executive director of the Long Island Federation, AFL-CIO, which has endorsed Calarco. That would include a push to get a "fair share" of the state's capital budget money for infrastructure building on Long Island - roads, rail, sewers.

Calarco, who grew up in Auburn, said he developed an interest in public service from his father, a longtime firefighter, and mother, who runs a seamstress business and served on the local school board.

While working on his political science degree at Dowling College, he interned for then-freshmen state Assemb. Steve Levy. Calarco also holds a master's degree in public administration from Stony Brook University.

Murray, a former radio and television news director/reporter, owns D & S Advertising Inc. in Medford that publishes, among other things, the Long Island Job Finder. Murray is a graduate of the Broadcast Institute of Maryland.

As a business owner, employing six full-timers and one part-timer, he said he's gotten involved in the political arena because he saw a "success penalty" in New York, with unfair taxes and fees placed on those who've succeeded in building businesses.

"Your future should be in your own hands, but the government seems to be taking that power out of our hands," Murray said.

District facts

Of the district's voters, 25,728 are registered Republicans, 25,354 are registered Democrats and 20,490 are not registered with any party.

The district includes Patchogue, Bellport, Brookhaven, Medford, Gordon Heights and Calverton.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, Calarco has raised $35,911.82 in campaign contributions since January, compared with Murray's $122,539.32.