Opinion

State Assembly Endorsements 2014

Heading into Election Day, the biggest unknown is which party will control the New York State Senate. The surest bet, however, is that Democrats will continue to dominate the Assembly. 
Democrats hold a supermajority, 98 of the 150 seats -- and the number would be higher if some seats weren't vacant. Within that supermajority, New York City representatives hold another supermajority: 62 of the city's 64 seats. 
The last time Republicans controlled the chamber, and Long Island had some juice, was in 1974. Back then, the powerful speaker's office was held by Perry Duryea of Montauk. Now it belongs to Sheldon Silver of Manhattan. 
So even if one or two of the 22 Assembly seats in Nassau and Suffolk counties switch hands this fall, it won't make much of a difference in terms of clout within the party, or in the chamber. The real question is whether Long Island's delegation, which most likely will remain roughly split between the two major parties, can develop a suburban coalition to look out for the interests of Long Island and similar regions across the state. 
It's worth a try. 
During annual budget negotiations, Republicans and Democrats already wrangle every last dollar they can for education aid to their local school districts. This funding has never been more important because the tax cap now holds down property tax revenue from homeowners. 
This is one area where Assembly Democrats, despite their pleas to Speaker Silver, will concede that a GOP Senate majority is key to getting a bigger share for our region. The Long Island delegation also comes together to lobby for more spending for local roads and the Long Island Rail Road. It must also speak with one strong voice to protect our water quality, whether it's the water we drink or coastal water that surrounds us. 
A big test will come this winter during budget negotiations over how to spend an estimated one-time windfall of $4 billion-plus from the settlement of litigation against major banks for their roles in the mortgage securitization meltdown. 
Making the Assembly work better for Long Island is not just about party clout, it's also about personalities and relationships and trust, the only way to work across the aisle and in the aisle. 
Lindenhurst's Robert Sweeney was the de facto leader of the Long Island delegation, often hosting the group in the big conference room of the environmental conservation committee that he chaired. 
Sweeney's retirement this year leaves a big leadership gap on environmental issues like water quality and open space for our region. Democrat Steven Englebright of Setauket is by seniority and temperament the person who should step up to fill that void. Silver would be wise to name him chair of the environmental conservation committee and include him in the leadership ranks. 
Throughout this election season, Democrats have said they can take care of the suburbs on key issues just as well as Republicans. The Assembly would be a fine proving ground.

VPASSEMBLY

Editorial: NY Assembly mustn't overlook suburban needs

Albany at night Cropped

During his 19 years as a lawmaker, Fred W. Thiele Jr. has been an ardent advocate for East End issues. Thiele, 61, an attorney from Sag Harbor, is an Independence Party member who caucuses with the Democrats. 
In the current term, he co-authored legislation to help a proposed merger of the Southampton and Tuckahoe school districts. He also is working on bringing Southampton Hospital into Stony Brook University's health care system and building a new facility on the Southampton campus. Thiele, who wrote the 1998 law that used a real estate transfer tax to raise nearly $1 billion for land preservation on the East End, wants some of the $4 billion the state will receive in bank settlement money to be spent on sewers and clustered septic systems in Suffolk County. 
His opponent, Republican Heather C. Collins, 38, of East Quogue, is running on a single issue: stop Common Core. That's misguided and not enough against a smart and effective veteran lawmaker. 
Newsday endorses Thiele.

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Editorial: Re-elect Fred W. Thiele in 1st Assembly District

Newsday endorses Thiele in 1st Assembly District

Thomas Schiliro has never stopped looking for a new challenge, and a new way to serve the community. The 62-year-old, who lives in Manorville, has been a social studies teacher and a college professor. For the past two decades, he's been a Suffolk County parks police officer, and he's been politically active for most of his life. 
Now, the Democrat wants to go to Albany to fight for Long Island. It doesn't seem like there will be much of a learning curve. 
He wants to create a suburban caucus to unite leaders of those regions, something that's sorely needed. Schiliro also supports lifting state mandates to create property tax relief -- as does, really, every candidate running for state office this year. The difference is that Schiliro, with his experience in education and law enforcement, can point to specific requirements where the state is overstepping its bounds and making school districts and municipalities do things that aren't necessary or efficient, like the massive expansion of services for English language learners. 
Running against Schiliro is Anthony Palumbo, the incumbent Republican chosen a year ago to represent the district in a special election. 
Palumbo, 44, of New Suffolk, is a talented attorney who clearly cares about the community. He has a good sense of how things work in the state capital, and says the right things about working with the Democratic majority and Republican senators to get things done. And his efforts to get a first-time homeowner exemption from the 2 percent Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Tax provided needed relief. 
But many of the things he wants to do aren't good ideas. Palumbo favors a three-year moratorium on Common Core, even though that would mean more upheaval. And he favors the creation of a blue-ribbon panel to study Common Core, something that sounds like empty rhetoric. He argues that power rates on Long Island are too high, a topic that certainly resonates, but he supports an elected board of trustees for the Long Island Power Authority, a stale idea that wouldn't help at all. 
This race presented two good options, but Schiliro, with his life experiences and down-to-earth feistiness, could really make a difference in the Assembly's Democratic caucus. 
Newsday endorses Schiliro.

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Editorial: Elect Thomas Schiliro in 2nd Assembly District

Newsday endorses Schiliro in 2nd Assembly District

Sadly, the dominant issue in this dispiriting rematch has been the residence of Democratic incumbent Edward Hennessey. 
Hennessey says he lives in Shirley, in a house he says he moved into after winning election in 2012. But he acknowledges that his family continues to reside in East Moriches, outside district lines redrawn in 2012. Assembly Republicans hired a private investigator who placed a GPS device under one of Hennessey's cars -- a creepy but legal tactic -- in an attempt to prove that Hennessey was still living in East Moriches, which would disqualify him from the ballot. A Democratic judge -- cross-endorsed last year by the GOP -- looked at the evidence and ruled in favor of Hennessey. His GOP opponent and Assembly predecessor, Dean Murray, 50, of East Patchogue, denies any role in the GPS tracking but declines to condemn it. That's unfortunate. 
Murray continues to make Hennessey's residence a campaign issue. Hennessey says his life is not a Norman Rockwell painting, and that he and his wife have personal reasons for having separate residences. 
Hennessey's legislative record is a mixed bag. A bill to increase penalties for leaving the scene of an accident passed the Assembly but did not become law because the Senate version was slightly different. Failing to reconcile the two bills was sloppy. He needs to try again. Another bill to reimburse school districts that invest in solar panels also was passed but so far lacks a Senate companion. Murray says he would push a mandate relief bill for school districts, identifying that as essential for coping with the tax cap, but is short on specifics when asked to identify which mandates should be cut. 
Hennessey, 52, an attorney, applauds the START-UP NY program, which seeks to generate and attract new businesses by creating tax-free zones on SUNY campuses. Murray, a businessman, says it hurts existing businesses. Hennessey favors continuing to raise the minimum wage; Murray is opposed. 
We wish Hennessey would once and for all clear up the residence issue. Even more so, we wish Murray would speak forcefully against the GPS tracking. 
Newsday endorses Hennessey.

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Editorial: Re-elect Edward Hennessey in 3rd Assembly District

Newsday endorses Hennessey in 3rd Assembly District

In 22 years in the Assembly, Steven Englebright has been an effective advocate for his district and for Long Island. 
Englebright, 68, a geologist from Setauket, wants to nourish entrepreneurship at Stony Brook University by investing in research on campus to create good-paying jobs. He is collaborating with the university and Brookhaven Town to resolve the contentious issue of off-campus student housing and is working on the needed overhaul of Route 347. 
An ardent proponent of open-space purchases, his strong pro-environment voice will be more important to Long Island with the upcoming retirement of Robert Sweeney, chairman of the environmental conservation committee, and the looming battle over New York City's desire to resume pumping water from our sole-source aquifer. 
Englebright's opponent, Republican Christopher Keegan, 49, of Port Jefferson Station, declined to participate in an endorsement interview. 
Newsday endorses Englebright.

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Editorial: Re-elect Steven Englebright in 4th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Englebright in 4th Assembly District

Deborah L. Slinkosky is challenging incumbent Alfred C. Graf, and speaks with near desperation about fighting for the middle class. "If we don't start somewhere, Long Island is not going to have much of a future," she says, citing high local taxes and costs. 
A 2005-08 member of the Sachem school board and a longtime advocate for neighbors of MacArthur Airport, the 58-year-old Democrat from Holbrook wants to add her voice to the Assembly majority to get more local school aid, and to reduce spending that Albany mandates but doesn't fund. 
Graf, 56, of Holbrook, seeks a third term. The Republican has long fought for lower electric bills, a worthy cause. He has made vague proposals but little headway. His top priority now is to halt the Common Core standards. We prefer Slinkosky's position -- not to halt Common Core, but to give teachers more support. Slinkosky's challenge will be to widen her grasp of issues beyond education. 
Newsday endorses Slinkosky.

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Editorial: Elect Deborah L. Slinkosky in 5th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Slinkosky in 5th Assembly District

What you see is what you get with 12-year veteran Philip Ramos: He works hard for his district and gets some results. Ramos, 58, a Democrat from Bay Shore, went to bat for workers paid lower wages than promised on Sandy cleanup projects and was the first official to call Islip Town to report the illegal dumping of toxic materials at Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood. 
Challenger Victoria Serpa, 34, of Brentwood, was raised a Republican, turned Democrat, worked for Ramos for two years, grew disenchanted and switched to the Independence Party but not in time for Election Day. She is running as a Republican. On leave from a job in Islip's public works department, she agrees with Ramos on virtually every issue, but says the illegal dumping was not an example of environmental racism -- Ramos' contention -- and says the town has responded properly. 
Ramos has delivered for constituents. Serpa does not make a strong case to turn him out. 
Newsday endorses Ramos.

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Editorial: Re-elect Philip Ramos in 6th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Ramos in 6th Assembly District

Andrew Garbarino learned quickly in his first term about life as a minority member of the Assembly. Garbarino, 30, a Republican from Sayville, teamed with Democrats to pass a bill allowing Patchogue Village to tap into excess sewer funds to do other badly needed infrastructure repairs. 
Garbarino's big push now is for sewers for the southeast portion of the district, including Great River, Oakdale, Sayville and Bayport. He correctly calls it an environmental necessity for the area and is working with Islip Town, Suffolk County, State Senate colleagues and other state officials to make it happen. He also is highly critical of the state's post-Sandy recovery efforts and has been trying to help homeowners get promised reimbursements. 
Democrat Deborah Pfeiffer, 55, of Bayport, a Suffolk County Water Authority official, is not actively campaigning. 
Garbarino's learning curve has been impressive and his future is bright. 
Newsday endorses Garbarino.

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Editorial: Re-elect Andrew Garbarino in 7th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Garbarino in 7th Assembly District

It's worth sending Michael Fitzpatrick back to Albany for a seventh term simply to rattle cages on his signature proposals -- reform the state pension system to allow for the TIAA/CREF option available to SUNY workers, to reform the Triborough Amendment to stop automatic step pay raises when a contract expires, and to cap binding arbitration awards at 2 percent. 
Fitzpatrick, 57, an uncompromising conservative and Republican from St. James who helped usher in the property tax cap, will make sure those ideas are discussed. 
Democrat Jason Zove, 26, of Commack, a former aide to Suffolk County Democratic Legis. William J. Lindsay III, says it's time for a new voice in Albany, but he needs more seasoning before he could fill that role. He supports term limits for legislators and tougher laws to fight the heroin epidemic by tightening health insurer accountability, and would have an open door for teachers unions, which he says want a legislator who will listen to them. 
Newsday endorses Fitzpatrick.

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Editorial: Re-elect Michael Fitzpatrick in 8th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Fitzpatrick in 8th Assembly District

Joseph Saladino, 52, a Massapequa Republican, ran for a fifth term in 2012 -- and won -- on a slim record of accomplishment, even for a minority Assembly member. 
In two years, however, Saladino has worked hard to put points on the board and turn his energy into actions. His most impressive achievement was passing a bill in both houses to contain the pollution plume from the former Northrop Grumman site in Bethpage. The bill awaits the governor's signature. 
Saladino also wrote a bill creating solar-energy development zones near university campuses, an idea that needs more vetting. For this and other efforts, environmental advocates give him high marks. 
Democrat Edward M. Buturla, 50, of West Babylon, is not actively campaigning. 
Saladino has talked for years about reducing state mandates to unburden school and local budgets. He must turn that talk into concrete action. 
Newsday endorses Saladino.

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Editorial: Re-elect Joseph Saladino in 9th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Saladino in 9th Assembly District

Republican Chad Lupinacci of South Huntington is one of the newest members of the Assembly, which for many freshmen lawmakers in the minority often means two years of virtual irrelevance.
But for Lupinacci -- elected in 2012 to the seat once held by the late Assemb. James Conte -- it hasn't been that bad. He's racked up assignments to influential committees, including higher education and transportation, co-sponsored some laudable legislation (carbon monoxide monitoring in commercial establishments) and developed relationships with some Assembly Democrats. Although we disagree with him on the Common Core (he'd like to stop it and phase it in), some of his priorities are sensible, including strengthening SUNY schools on Long Island. Lupinacci, 35, is facing scant opposition from Dominick P. Feeney Jr., 60, a Melville Democrat who is not campaigning.
Newsday endorses Lupinacci.

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Editorial: Re-elect Chad Lupinacci in the 10th Assembly District

Democrat Kimberly Jean-Pierre, 30, of Wheatley Heights, is seeking to succeed Assemb. Robert Sweeney, who has ably represented this district for 26 years. 
Republican Mark Gallo, 46, of Lindenhurst, hasn't campaigned in this overwhelmingly Democratic area. 
Jean-Pierre is a solid choice for the job. Born in Brooklyn to Haitian immigrants, she holds a master's degree in public policy from Stony Brook University. Bucking the trend of young people leaving Long Island, she stayed. 
Jean-Pierre first worked for federal and county elected officials and is now director of the resource center that is part of the Wyandanch Rising initiative. She knows the district and its needs well and understands how to deliver services to its residents. Her opposition to a charter school in Wyandanch is troubling, but she has what it takes to grow in the job. 
Newsday endorses Jean-Pierre.

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Editorial: Elect Kimberly Jean-Pierre in 11th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Jean-Pierre in 11th Assembly District

Republican Andrew Raia, 46, is running unopposed. This says something about the popularity of his hands-on presence as he seeks his seventh term. 
Whether the problem is too many deer in Eaton's Neck, potholes on Route 25A or repowering the Northport power-generating plant, Raia coordinates with town, village and state officials to find solutions. 
Raia, of East Northport, is the ranking minority member on the health committee and worked last term on allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes. He wants to make sure the new program is well-run before expanding legalization of the drug. 
In the new session, Raia plans to focus on environmental issues, from the nitrogen pollution along our coastlines to getting more resources for the Department of Environmental Conservation. 
Newsday endorses Raia.

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Editorial: Re-elect Andrew Raia in 12th Assembly District

Newsday endoreses Raia in 12th Assembly District

Democrat Charles Lavine, 67, of Glen Cove, has a simple wish list for state government. High on that list -- along with on-time budgets and making New York a better place to live -- is creating an ethical climate in Albany that is a model for the nation. 
As chairman of the Assembly Ethics and Guidance Committee, Lavine led a task force that revised the chamber's sexual harassment rules and positioned his committee as the first stop for allegations of ethical violations. That's a start. 
Republican Louis Imbroto, 30, of Plainview, is an assistant Oyster Bay town attorney. He wants to keep his generation in the district and the state by spurring housing development near transit hubs, holding the line on taxes and improving infrastructure. He understands state issues and has a promising future. But Lavine is a strong advocate for the suburbs in the majority party. 
Newsday endorses Lavine.

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Editorial: Re-elect Charles Lavine in the 13th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Lavine in 13th Assembly District

David McDonough, a 14-year Republican incumbent from Merrick, says he makes his biggest impact at home: speaking at schools about cyberbullying, convening a forum for educators to learn signs of violent behavior, finding a summer parks job for a teenager formerly involved in the sex trade. Lately, he is working with Sandy victims to pry promised checks for home repairs from the NY Rising program. 
In Albany, McDonough, 77, voted for reform of the Long Island Power Authority, for medicinal use of marijuana, and for firearms restrictions after the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. He is seeking an environmental plan to contain the Northrop Grumman toxic plume. 
Challenger Gaspare Tumminello, 31, of North Merrick, is deputy chief of staff to Democrats in the Nassau legislature. He shows passion and shares McDonough's concern about high taxes, but lacks specific remedies. 
Newsday endorses McDonough.

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Editorial: Re-elect David McDonough in the 14th Assembly District

Newsday endorses McDonough in 14th Assembly District

Incumbent Michael Montesano, 60, of Glen Head, was elected to the Assembly in a special election in 2010. 
Four years later, the Republican is a member of the Assembly Ethics Committee and is cast as one of eight statewide representatives to the Legislative Ethics Commission, helping enforce a stringent code of conduct for elected officials across the state. 
A lawyer and former New York City detective, Montesano is well-suited for the assignment to police bad behavior. He supports retroactive pension forfeiture for wayward lawmakers. Those two committee posts will most likely keep Montesano busy, but we urge him not to forget his desire to pursue a strengthened vetting process for Board of Regents members -- one that is grounded on qualifications, accountability and transparency. 
Democrats again nominated Mario Ferone, 21, of Plainview, as their candidate, and for the second time he's not actively campaigning. 
Newsday endorses Montesano.

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Editorial: Re-elect Michael Montesano in the 15th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Montesano in 15th Assembly District

Two years ago, we observed that Democrat Michelle Schimel, 57, of Great Neck, had served in the Assembly since 2007 with energy and passion, but without much effectiveness. She's still irrepressible, but has since demonstrated the ability to get things done. 
From a bill that could save lives by requiring municipalities to notify firefighters about houses with a type of construction likely to collapse when burning to another that will save money by extending the use of lever machines for school votes, she has managed to make law. 
Republican Douglas Lee, 63, of Manhasset, is a computer systems management professional. This is his first run for office. He's thoughtful and pragmatic, particularly on energy. But it would be hard for a minority party freshman whose focus is support for fracking to deliver for Long Island. 
Schimel should make good on her pledge to become an effective voice for renewable energy. When engaged, she can be impossible to ignore. 
Newsday endorses Schimel.

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Editorial: Re-elect Michelle Schimel in the 16th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Schimel in 16th Assembly District

After eight years in the Assembly, Thomas McKevitt, 43, has moved into the Republican leadership and is now the third-ranking minority member. While he works in an overwhelmingly Democratic chamber, his rise shows that the political acumen of this affable and sharp lawmaker are valued. 
McKevitt, a lawyer, now has to debate every bill on the floor as the loyal opposition, giving him prominence in the chamber. 
His opponent is Jonathan Clarke, a Levittown Democrat who made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature last year. The 37-year-old lawyer wants to go to Albany to eliminate the multiple layers of local government. Ethics reform, to restore public confidence in elected officials, also would be a top priority. 
McKevitt, of East Meadow, is plotting a strategy to get some of the billions the state is receiving from bank mortgage-fraud settlements to repair local roads. The effort would be a good test of his skill at building coalitions. 
Newsday endorses McKevitt.

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Editorial: Re-elect Thomas McKevitt in the 17th Assembly District

Newsday endorses McKevitt in 17th Assembly District

Democrat Earlene Hooper is seeking her 14th term in the Assembly. She'll likely get it, but she hasn't earned it. 
Hooper, of Hempstead, is erratic in her behavior, often irrational in her dealings with fellow lawmakers and not easily found in a district with communities most in need of Albany's attention. Hooper's priority for the last four years has been the transfer of the surplus Freeport Armory to a church group she is closely aligned with despite community opposition. Freeport Village has a better use, as a public works facility. 
Banker Cornelius Todd Smith, a Lakeville Republican, is a solid choice. Smith, 45, who teaches financial literacy to youngsters at local libraries, promises to be accountable to the district -- showing up in it, too. He opposes the transfer of the armory, promises to get funding to replace worn water pipes in the village and to attract more businesses for community revitalization. 
Newsday endorses Smith.

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Editorial: Elect Cornelius Todd Smith in the 18th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Smith in 18th Assembly District

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Seeking a third term, Edward Ra is steadily developing as a legislator. Ra, 33, of Garden City South, won passage of his bill to study local aircraft noise. And he is pushing a measure to enable small businesses to set aside profits tax free. This page opposes his call for a Common Core moratorium and the politicization of the issue. However, as the ranking Republican on the education committee, he did make the effort to crisscross the state to hear residents' concerns. We would like him to renew his drive to reform how Regents are selected, and we applaud his preference to rebuild infrastructure through a multibillion-dollar windfall the state is receiving from banks after the economic crisis. 
Democratic challenger Gary Port, 52, of West Hempstead, has strong ideas about boosting the local economy and fighting Medicaid fraud. However, Ra has earned a new term, which he should use to become a more forceful voice for Long Island. 
Newsday endorses Ra.

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Editorial: Re-elect Edward Ra in the 19th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Ra in 19th Assembly District

Until recently, Democrat Todd D. Kaminsky of Long Beach was a federal prosecutor on a team instrumental in bringing public corruption cases against state and federal officials. Now Kaminsky, 36, wants to try firsthand the job of making laws as a way to restore trust in our elected officials. 
Kaminsky is smart and aggressive, and he is focused on getting his hometown back on its feet. 
His priorities are easing the pain of residents living near the Bay Park sewage treatment plant, preventing sewage discharge into the southwestern bays and improving the Nassau Expressway. In particular, he wants to reopen a hospital emergency room on Long Beach. 
Facing Kaminsky is Republican Avi Z. Fertig, 42, of Woodmere. Fertig works for Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony Santino, and understands neighborhood issues and grassroots politics. But Kaminsky seems to offer a better hope of really leading in Albany. 
Newsday endorses Kaminsky.

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Editorial: Elect Todd D. Kaminsky in the 20th Assembly District

Newsday endorses Kaminsky

As a former Lynbrook mayor, Brian Curran, 45, has a lot of experience with hands-on problem solving. And recovering from superstorm Sandy has been the biggest challenge in his district. 
That's why he is working on 200 active cases of homeowners, some not even his constituents, whose houses were destroyed or damaged but can't get promised relief money. 
Curran, a Republican who sits on the ethics committee, says more disclosure should be required about members' outside income. He's one of the few attorneys in the Assembly who voluntarily provided details about his law practice for a conflict-of-interest review. 
He doesn't support public campaign financing, and would rather amend the state constitution to deny a state pension to any public servant convicted of a felony related to their job. 
His Democratic opponent, Adam M. Shapiro, 24, of East Rockaway, is not campaigning. 
Newsday endorses Curran.

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Editorial: Re-elect Brian Curran in the 21st Assembly District

Newsday endorses Curran in 21st Assembly District

Michaelle C. Solages, 29, a Democrat from Elmont, has emerged as a talented political leader in her first term. Elected in 2012 from a newly redrawn district on the Nassau border, Solages immediately got to work on constituent needs: holding forums to help people facing foreclosure, winning a grant for school science education, extending child care subsidies for parents who work nights, and securing funds for safety fixes along Hempstead Turnpike and Sunrise Highway. 
Republican Gonald Moncion, 46, is another political newcomer, and his entry is welcome. A guidance counselor from Valley Stream, he argues passionately for a Cosmos soccer stadium near the Belmont Park racetrack so that young people will have jobs and excitement. 
Solages opposes the stadium and won't say what she does prefer at Belmont. She wants to open up the possibilities by inviting new proposals. 
Newsday endorses Solages.

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Editorial: Re-elect Michaelle C. Solages in the 22nd Assembly District

Michaelle Solages 

Newsday Editorial Board New York State Assembly endorsements 2014

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Newsday's New York State Assembly endorsements

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