'Tax fighter' takes on longtime lawmaker

In the 4th Assembly District, voters have a choice between a political veteran touting an environmental preservation agenda and a political novice who said she plans to bring the issues of common people to Albany.

The incumbent, Steven Englebright, 64, is a Democrat in his ninth term who began representing the district in February 1992 after he won a special election. He also has the Independence and Working Families lines.

Englebright said he hopes voters will see strength in his lengthy voting record. He said he has fought to preserve state parks, historical sites and the Island's heritage. He added that as a senior member of the Assembly, he will work to implement programs that could have an impact on the district's economy.

Focus on hardships

The challenger, Deborah McKee, 55, is running for political office for the first time and has the Republican and Conservative lines. She has been knocking on hundreds of doors in an effort to meet the voters and hear their concerns.

She's lived in Mount Sinai for more than 30 years and said she understands the hardships people face firsthand. She said she is active in several community organizations including the Zonta Club of Suffolk County and the Madonna Heights Ladies Auxiliary. She also is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts, she said.

McKee has raised $9,526.35 for her campaign while Englebright has raised $29,670.

Both candidates say they are concerned with better budgeting, preserving the quality of life of constituents and fighting tax increases.

"It's impossible to live here," McKee said. "People are working harder and harder and they aren't getting ahead. We're being taxed out of our homes." To combat that, McKee said she will be a "tax fighter" and work toward getting a tax cap passed. "I'm going in there initially to cut waste and cut spending," she said, adding that she makes responsible financial decisions. "I know how to budget . . . whether it's a small business or in my own home."

Alternative energy

Englebright said he, too, hopes to bring relief to taxpayers and make "smart cuts" to the state budget. "I'm very sensitive that a lot of people are just hanging on . . . one or two pay checks from homeless," he said. "I'm not going to vote to increase anyone's taxes. I think we have to seek to identify different sources of revenue."

Englebright, Assembly Tourism Committee chairman, said the Island's ability to attract tourists to its natural preserves is closely connected with the local economy and the survival of small business.

McKee, meanwhile, said she wants to see the private sector brought into the state's finances. "Government doesn't make money, business makes money," she said.

Both said they will work to pass a tight budget and said they will work to eliminate inefficiencies in the government such as Medicaid fraud.

However, while they may seem similar, the two differ on how they view the history of the Assembly's work.

McKee said the current Assembly is disconnected and dysfunctional. She said Democrats have been on a spending spree and have lost touch with the people who elected them. She said she is hoping voters will see her as someone who understands their frustrations and will bring their concerns to Albany.

"Enough with the lawyers and politicians - let's bring some common sense up there," McKee said.

Englebright said he is proud of his voting record, and his past work in the Assembly. He said he understands voters are frustrated but points to his vote against the MTA payroll tax on local municipalities as evidence that he plans to protect taxpayers and quality of life.

The two are battling in a district that is home to 93,673 registered voters - 31,082 of whom identify themselves as Democrats and 31,230 as Republicans.

McKee, who is single, has two children who attended school in the district. She is a student at St. Joseph's College, where she hopes to earn a bachelor's degree in organizational management. She has worked as a 911 emergency dispatcher in Yaphank for the past 17 years and is on an unpaid leave to run her campaign. For 21 years, she also owned part of a small graphics design company.

Englebright is separated from his wife and has two children who attended school in the district. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and a master's degree from Stony Brook University. He has been a professor of geology at Stony Brook University for more than 30 years.