Opinion

State Senate Endorsements 2014

Just how afraid should Long Islanders be of the Democratic Party taking control of the New York State Senate? In this campaign, it's begun to seem more and more that we should be very afraid. 
Republicans say that if Democrats win outright at the polls, that party will run the state. Continued Democratic control of the Assembly is a given, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is a sure bet to win re-election. Even more worrisome, the GOP argues, is that lawmakers from New York City would dominate the Senate's Democratic caucus. 
The Republicans, including all nine Long Island senators, share control of the chamber with several breakaway Democrats. It's possible after this election that the GOP won't be able to regain the majority or broker another deal to share power. 
And the suburbs would be left with virtually no voice. 
It's hard not to believe in that scenario. There has been almost no effort by top Senate and Assembly Democrats to allay those fears and assure suburban residents that their considerable concerns would be a priority. 
In Albany, region can be more telling than party affiliation. Every Long Island candidate thinks we need more state aid for schools and that Common Core was rolled out poorly. There are no hugely divisive issues, like a property tax cap or same-sex marriage, on the table. But party affiliation matters greatly when candidates fight for their districts. 
The last time Democrats gained the majority in the Senate, winning 32 of 62 seats in the 2008 election, Long Islanders got a new payroll tax to help fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a huge and unfairly targeted cut in school aid. And the two newly elected Democrats who voted for that tax in 2009, Brian Foley and Craig Johnson, were defeated in 2010 as Republicans took back the chamber. 
Unless Republicans can quickly attract minorities, the trending demographics guarantee a Democratic Senate majority eventually. But they don't guarantee it forever. Minorities and immigrants, as they move up the economic ladder, often become suburbanites. If the Democrats ignore their needs, these strivers will become Republicans again, just as they did in the postwar migration from New York City. 
How much should the fear of a city-dominated Senate determine whom Long Island voters support? It's generally wise to support the best individuals, regardless of party. But the Democrats, having left six of the nine Long Island Senate seats practically uncontested, don't do much to bolster the argument that the party's Senate leaders care about Long Island. 
Whoever is elected, and whichever party rules, our representatives must fight unabashedly for Long Island. They'll need to battle for our water and environment, schools, economic development and infrastructure. Between the obvious needs of New York City and economic challenges upstate, suburbs like Long Island are often ignored, like the well-behaved child in a troubled family. But we do have needs, and we need senators who can make sure they're tended to.

VPSENATE

Editorial: NY Senate control will shape Long Island's future

Editorial: NY Senate control will shape LI's future

NY Senate cropped

Sen. Kenneth LaValle says he reminds his staff, "1st District first." But his influence goes much further. He and a colleague from upstate, both first elected when Jimmy Carter won the presidency in 1976, share the distinction of most senior senator. He says his longevity means clout for Long Island, particularly if he and other Republicans share or win control of the Senate. 
LaValle, 75, of Port Jefferson, seeks a 20th term. He faces Democratic nominee Michael L. Conroy, 57, of Manorville, who is not campaigning. 
LaValle recalls that Democratic control of the Senate in 2009-10 meant funding cuts for our public schools and five SUNY colleges. In his view, the GOP-Democratic struggle pits the suburbs vs. the cities, "homeowners over renters." And he says GOP oversight of state aid ensures that "our schools would get their fair share and a little more." LaValle is proud of the gem in his district, Stony Brook University, and often is seen in his red SBU cap. As the higher education committee chairman, he has brought many benefits to the university, most recently $60 million for an Innovation and Discovery Center for start-up businesses. 
This page disagrees with his opposition to Common Core, but his other priorities are sound: to pass a Long Island water-quality bill, monitor the work of PSEG, create a network linking Stony Brook University Hospital specialists with smaller East End hospitals, and encourage school district consolidations to control taxes. 
Newsday endorses LaValle.

VPSEN1

Editorial: Re-elect Kenneth LaValle in 1st Senate District

Republican Sen. John Flanagan has unusual freedom. He hasn't faced meaningful opposition for his seat for the past two elections. Democratic nominee Joseph Lombardi, 34, of Centereach, is not actively campaigning. And in 16 years in the Assembly and 12 in the Senate, Flanagan has never received less than 60 percent of the vote. 
That gives him the ability to tell the unvarnished truth, even when it's unpopular, and he's spent much of the past few years doing so, particularly on education. 
Flanagan, 53, of East Northport, chairs the Senate Education Committee, and has been a strong voice for reform. Lately, the reform he's stood up for is Common Core, which he concedes was horribly implemented. However, he says it is gaining traction and will improve education in the long run. He's gotten heat from teachers and parents frustrated with the changes, but Flanagan has been poking the bear that is education policy for years. 
He's consistently supported changes to make it easier to fire teachers who misbehave. He's fought tenure policies that demand layoffs be done by seniority. He's been willing to take on politically dangerous topics like the huge expense of special education and state laws that guarantee salary increases for public employees. 
And he's been one of the most powerful voices fighting to make sure Long Island schools get the funds they need. Flanagan does a good job. We just wish the environment in Albany allowed him to be more successful. 
Newsday endorses Flanagan.

VPSEN2

Editorial: Re-elect John Flanagan in 2nd Senate District

Newsday endorses Flanagan in 2nd Senate District

Town of Islip Supervisor Tom Croci is not the perfect candidate for State Senate, but he's a pretty good one. 
The biggest knock on the Republican going to Albany is that he will have served only half of his four-year term as supervisor at a time when the town is embroiled in an illegal waste-dumping scandal. 
Croci, 42, of Sayville, returned this summer from a year of active duty in the Navy Reserve in Afghanistan, and he will still have a year left in the supervisor's job when the Senate term begins. Refusing military service was not an option, but it was his choice whether to complete his term as supervisor or to seek the Senate seat Lee Zeldin is vacating to run for Congress. 
State Senate seats don't come open very often, and if Croci wants to continue to build a career in public service, he couldn't really pass up the offer when Republican leaders approached. They were looking for an edge after forcing out their first nominee, Islip Councilman Anthony Senft, fearing Senft's ties to the town's dumping scandal would doom his bid. 
What recommends Croci is his moderate and knowledgeable approach to the issues. On Common Core, Croci sees weaknesses in the implementation that need to be addressed, and suggests waivers for students with learning problems and those who don't speak English. That makes sense. On developing the local economy and controlling taxes, Croci wants to find ways to compensate for the high cost of utilities and transportation for companies. 
Running against Croci for the Democrats is Adrienne Esposito, a longtime activist who heads Citizens Campaign for the Environment. 
Esposito, 53, of Patchogue, knows her stuff when it comes to water and air and land, and she's done great work in those areas. She led the fight to stop the Broadwater natural gas depot in Long Island Sound and is passionate about protecting the Long Island aquifer. 
But outside of this expertise, her knowledge is thinner and her positions can come off as pandering. Her demand to stop Common Core standards entirely, go back to old school curricula, then switch again at some later date, makes no sense. Her assertion that the takeover of most Long Island Power Authority duties by PSEG has caused delivery rates to skyrocket isn't accurate. Long Island would be better served by her effective advocacy in her current role. 
Croci has the personality of a natural consensus builder and he's shown in his fights with Islip GOP leaders that he won't buckle to dishonorable demands from the powerful even when they're his allies. 
Newsday endorses Croci.

VPSEN3

Editorial: Elect Tom Croci in 3rd New York State Senate District

Newsday endorses Croci in 3rd Senate District

As chairman of the State Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, Sen. Phil Boyle probably logged more travel miles in this year's legislative session than any of his Long Island brethren in the Senate. 
The Bay Shore Republican trekked all over New York, gathering evidence on the state's heroin scourge. The effort paid off when nearly a dozen anti-heroin bills were passed, including tougher penalties for distribution and a requirement that insurance companies better cover substance-abuse treatment. The measures should strengthen the fight against addiction -- especially on Long Island, where heroin use has exploded. 
That said, voters deserve spirited elections; unfortunately, Suffolk County Democrats opted for token opposition. John Alberts, 30 of North Babylon, a senior clerk at the Suffolk County Board of Elections, is not campaigning. 
Boyle, 53, is an old hand at legislating: He served in the Assembly from 1994-2002 and 2006-12. Elected to the Senate in 2012, he has developed a reputation as a sensible fiscal conservative with a strong environmental record. 
In the next session, Boyle would like to strike a compromise on the water-quality bill that died in the Senate (he thinks it went too far). He said he has "good relationships" with environmentalists and builders. Those relationships, his record and legislative stamina could make the difference. 
Newsday endorses Boyle.

VPSEN4

Editorial: Re-elect Phil Boyle in 4th Senate District

Newsday endorses Boyle in 4th Senate District

Sen. Carl Marcellino, 71, has represented Long Island's North Shore for 19 years. His seniority has yielded significant clout for this former science teacher from Syosset. Marcellino holds a leadership position in the Republican conference, chairs two important committees on government operations and capital investment, and is the vice chairman of the transportation committee. 
Democrat Bruce Kennedy, 50, was elected mayor of the Village of Sea Cliff in 2009. He's held the line on local taxes during a very tough economy and has helped Sea Cliff's downtown recapture its vibrancy. Under his leadership, the village added a performing arts gazebo near the beach with free Friday night concerts. New restaurants and shops have opened. 
Kennedy switched his registration to run as a Democrat after a falling-out with the Nassau County Conservative Party over his support for same-sex marriage. 
Marcellino wants to retool the Long Island Rail Road's schedule so that it better serves riders traveling between stops on the Island. He's focused on the Oyster Bay line, which people avoid because its schedule into Mineola doesn't meet their needs. Instead, many park in Syosset or Cold Spring Harbor to ride the Port Jefferson line. Marcellino vows to restore LIRR funding in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital plan. It's a heavy lift, but he has the muscle. 
Newsday endorses Marcellino.

VPSEN5

Editorial: Re-elect Carl Marcellino in 5th Senate District

Newsday endorses Marcellino in 5th Senate District

When a senior lawmaker rises to the status of respected authority in Albany, there's always the risk that local issues can get short shrift.
That's not the case with Republican Kemp Hannon, 68, of Garden City, who has earned top credentials as a health care policy expert, but still keeps a keen eye on the concerns of his central Nassau district. Topping his list are improved safety and repairs for Hempstead Turnpike and accelerating the state's cleanup of toxic plumes from old industrial plants, including the Grumman site in Bethpage. 
Now more than ever, Hannon's expertise is needed as New York's hospitals merge into large regional systems and more care is provided in smaller, community-based clinics. Knots of federal and state regulations and reimbursement plans must be navigated to make sure medical care is top quality and readily available. 
The mishandling by a Dallas hospital of the first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States highlights the need to ensure that states' health care systems are prepared to respond to all infectious-disease emergencies, and Hannon is the best person to monitor it the legislature.
In 2012, Hannon oversaw the passage of the I-STOP tracking system to reduce the overprescribing of prescription painkillers. Although Hannon says he supports the use of marijuana for medical treatment, he voted against it because he had not seen enough evidence on what doses and in which forms marijuana would provide the best pain relief, and for which illnesses. 
His challenger is Democrat Ethan D. Irwin, 40, of Levittown, a lawyer. This is a second run for Irwin, who wants a career in politics. In 2011, he lost a bid for the Nassau County Legislature. 
Irwin, a Marine veteran who advocates free tuition for veterans at state colleges, has a sharp mind and manner. He's trying to overcome Hannon's seniority by arguing that he's been there too long; he would cap terms at 10-12 years. Irwin says he would be more aggressive in pushing the Navy to clean up the Grumman plume.
Irwin supports the Dream Act, a higher minimum wage and public campaign financing, all of which Hannon opposes. 
If Hannon wins, he would be wise to take a more hands-on approach to addressing the myriad problems in the Hempstead school district.
Newsday endorses Hannon.

VPSEN6

Editorial: Re-elect Kemp Hannon in 6th Senate District

Newsday endorses Hannon in 6th Senate District

The evolution of Jack Martins continues. Martins, 47, a Republican from Mineola, has impressed in his four years in the State Senate. Thoughtful and reasonable, he draws on a broad base of experience earned in eight years as mayor of Mineola. 
His opponent is businessman Adam Haber, 49, of East Hills, a former commodities trader who made an unsuccessful run last year for the Democratic nomination for Nassau County executive. He has served five years on the Roslyn school board, a thinner base from which to make the leap to Albany. 
Haber has some good ideas we truly hope Martins adopts. Haber says a third track for the Long Island Rail Road between Floral Park and Hicksville can be an economic catalyst. He's right. And he has a better approach to redeveloping the Belmont area. He rejects the New York Cosmos' soccer stadium-hotel-retail proposal embraced by Martins in favor of development that's attractive to young adults -- an incubator for technology startups, for example, with affordable rental housing and a version of the Chelsea Market. 
We like Martins' vision of doing something transformative with the $4 billion-plus the state will receive in bank settlements from the mortgage securities crisis. He wants to spend it on badly needed infrastructure -- perhaps a tunnel to Westchester -- and clean energy. Haber agrees on spending on transportation, but the North Shore ferry system he's proposing is unlikely to survive without heavy subsidies. 
Martins opposed the Long Island water-quality bill that passed the Assembly but died in the Senate, saying it focused too much on nitrogen pollution and not enough on saltwater intrusion into the aquifer. He wants the state to fund aquifer protection and a state commission to oversee that. We challenge him to channel his passion for protecting water into working with disparate groups in the debate to produce legislation that does just that. 
His continuing maturation and nuanced approach to many issues suggest Martins could develop into the kind of next-generation leader Long Island will need in Albany. Haber's abrasiveness is not conducive to the art of compromise necessary in Albany or to working within the kind of suburban coalition that would have to represent Long Island if Democrats take over the Senate. 
Newsday endorses Martins.

VPSEN7

Editorial: Re-elect Jack Martins in 7th Senate District

Newsday endorses Martins in 7th Senate District

Anticipated as one of the marquee races that could tip control of the State Senate, the event got rained out. 
The favorite to win the seat vacated by Republican Charles Fuschillo after 15 years of service was Nassau County Legis. David Denenberg, a 51-year-old Democrat from Merrick. 
Battling to keep Senate control, the GOP chose Michael Venditto, 33, of Massapequa, a newly minted county legislator and son of longtime Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, for whom he is sometimes mistaken. 
Then, in a stunning development, Denenberg dropped out of the race after his former law firm accused him of bilking a client of more than $2 million. His name, however, remains on the ballot. 
Essentially, voters now have only one real choice, Venditto, who has minimal legislative experience even as a local official, and a steep learning curve ahead to grasp the complexity involved in fulfilling his promise that "Long Island gets its fair share" from Albany. 
But Venditto knows retail politics, having learned it at his father's knee. He is engaging and earnest, and this is his third campaign in three years. He won a special election in 2012 to replace the late Peter Schmitt in the legislature, and last year he won a full term for the county job. 
The GOP bypassed more mature candidates, choosing a name, not experience, to win the seat. The party will likely succeed, but such a cynical approach is why voters are disillusioned. 
Newsday makes no endorsement.

VPSEN8

Editorial: No endorsement in 8th Senate District

No endorsement in 8th Senate District

Denenberg Venditto Cropped

As co-leader of the State Senate, Dean Skelos, 66, of Rockville Centre, is the highest-ranking Republican in state government. In an increasingly blue state, he's held on to leadership by forming an unprecedented coalition with a group of independent Democrats. It was a creative and dexterous arrangement that kept his party, and Long Island, at the head table. Regional competition over how to slice up the fiscal pie is brutal, and only experienced warriors bring home the goods from Albany. 
Patrick P. Gillespie Jr., 24, of East Rockaway, is running on the Democratic line. Gillespie works for the county board of elections. He declined to be interviewed. 
Skelos is proud of the budgetary discipline that the 2 percent tax cap has forced on schools and local governments. But he said the governor's commission on mandate relief, which was supposed to help schools lower costs and add flexibility, was a failure. Skelos would create a new commission that doesn't report solely to the governor. He also has championed the novel and promising idea of regional collective bargaining for teachers. 
Those concrete proposals could bring about much-needed control over the cost of living on Long Island. Less clear, however, is how Skelos plans to fulfill promises to cut business and manufacturing taxes and reduce energy costs. He should put some meat on those bones and obtain funds to improve the traffic flow on the Nassau Expressway. 
Newsday endorses Skelos.

VPSEN9

Editorial: Re-elect Dean Skelos in 9th Senate District

Newsday endorses Skelos in 9th Senate District 

Newsday Editorial Board New York State Senate endorsements 2014

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Newsday's New York State Senate endorsements

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