Spending, pension reform top issues for candidates

The candidates in the 7th Assembly District agree that spending needs to be contained, but the solutions they offer couldn't be more different.

Incumbent state Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick, 53, now in his fourth term, wants an immediate change to the state pension system, and has introduced legislation to do it. For jobs outside of civil service, mostly political and patronage jobs, including his own, the Republican lawmaker said he wants to end the defined-benefit pension plans and substitute it with a contributory 401(k) plan, similar to what has been done in the private sector.

"People think they know how bad things are, but they are worse than they realize," said Fitzpatrick on state spending, and more specifically pension costs. "We pay 7.4 percent of payroll [for pension costs] - higher for police and fire - we are now going to 11.9 percent," and could go as high as 23 percent in the next three years. "There is a financial tsunami heading toward this state," he said.

Difference of opinion

His opponent, Democrat Richard Macellaro, 58, of Kings Park, said the bill doesn't have a chance to pass and thinks the pension woes can be handled in other ways, including changing the way pensions are calculated, "by limiting the percentage of overtime in the last years of a retiring public worker," he said.

"Absolutely ridiculous," said Fitzpatrick of the notion his pension reform bill is dead on delivery, saying it has gotten attention from both candidates for governor. "Why should Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner be forced to pay a higher school tax levy, in part to pay for a level of retirement that is a benefit they will never see?"

Macellaro called Fitzpatrick "ineffective" as a lawmaker, saying none of his more recent resolutions have made it out of committee for a vote. "A legislator has to represent the people of his district," Macellaro said. Macellaro charges that the assemblyman rarely gets "member items" for local community groups, saying he should support community organizations by providing them with funds.

Fitzpatrick said he often stood alone in voting against excessive spending, especially when it comes to member items.

"It's known as pork barrel spending, or using the money to get yourself elected by playing Santa Claus," Fitzpatrick said. "We can't afford to do it, and I no longer do it . . . You can't lay off teachers and then give away member money. It's irresponsible to do so."

Candidate background

A Brooklyn native, Macellaro moved to Kings Park 20 years ago. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Queens College, and worked in the 1980s for two assemblymen: Joseph Lentol and the late Fred Schmidt.

He later worked as a home health care administrator for St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corp., now known as St. Nick's Alliance, an organization to help residents in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, he said, before retiring after a serious car accident.

Macellaro is an executive officer for the Smithtown Democratic Party, and a trustee of the Kings Park Father John Papallo Lodge. Macellaro also is on the Working Families line.

Fitzpatrick, who is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, was elected to the Assembly in 2002.

Before his election to the Assembly, he was a Smithtown councilman from 1988 until he was elected to the Assembly in 2003. Born in Jamaica, Queens and raised in Hauppauge, Fitzpatrick lives in St. James.

Fitzpatrick, an investment associate at UBS Financial Services Inc. in Port Jefferson, serves as the ranking minority member on the Assembly Housing Committee and holds memberships on the Local Governments, Small Business and Higher Education committees.

He is a member of the New York State American-Irish Legislators Society, and a trustee for the Cleary School for the Deaf in Nesconset, a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the board of directors of the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.

He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from St. Michael's College in Vermont.

Campaign finances

Macellaro has not filed any campaign finance disclosure reports, and said he hasn't raised any money, although he was scheduled to hold a fundraiser yesterday.

Fitzpatrick has raised $10,000 and has about $6,000 after expenditures. Both candidates say they have not been aggressively raising money for this campaign.

In the district, there are 88,792 registered voters: 23,824 Democrats, 35,132 Republicans and 22,586 with no party affiliation.