Opinion

sg-endorsments2012

Election Day decisions will shape our future at national, state and community levels 
 It seems that every activity of daily life in the post-Sandy era -- from eating meals and getting a shower to buying gas -- has required endless ingenuity, resourcefulness and patience. 
 Now we need to list voting as one of the activities that may require some good old <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> can-do. This is a civic duty that cannot be postponed until a less turbulent time. Please do it. 
 Tomorrow, we have an opportunity to vote for president, a U.S. senator, members of Congress, the State <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> and Assembly, and judges. There are also special elections Tuesday for supervisors in <a href="/topics//Babylon,_NY">Babylon</a> and <a href="/topics//Brookhaven,_NY">Brookhaven</a>, and for the 12th District of the <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County Legislature. 
 Nationally, this election is pivotal on a long list of issues: jobs, the economy, the future of the Supreme Court, the solvency of Medicare and Social Security, and national defense, to name a few. 
 There's also the matter of how public officials manage a crisis. This much is certain: If we pass up the opportunity to vote -- even for the offices way at the bottom of the ballot -- we lose our chance to pick the right person to respond in a storm. 
 It's not yet totally clear how election workers on <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> will handle the disruption from Sandy. Most of the voting places are in schools, which have been closed. 
 In <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a>, the plan is this: Even if a polling place has no power, as long as it has not been structurally damaged, it will be open. Only a few polling places will be closed, with voting moved elsewhere. Watch our news pages and newsday.com for details. In Nassau, the plan will also move some polling places to a couple of super sites, with voting for more than the usual number of election districts. 
 If you're in doubt, the best bet is to go to your regular polling place and take directions to the new one. Both counties are also extending hours for voting in person at <a href="/topics//Mineola,_NY">Mineola</a> and Yaphank. 
 Voting is going to be tougher. But look at it this way: People have been tweeting each other about where to get on line for gas or generators. We need to be just as vigilant and determined about voting in this critical&nbsp;election. 
 <iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.898678414096916" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_33820" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/112168239/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-shm5k5p677c2zgzqs21" width="100%"></iframe> 
 U.S. PRESIDENT: Mitt <a href="/topics//Mitt_Romney">Romney</a>, <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a>&nbsp; 
 <a href="/topics//Mitt_Romney">Mitt Romney</a>'s story is a tale of success: in business, in righting the Salt Lake City Olympics and in governing Massachusetts. He has earned our endorsement because he is uniquely qualified to balance the nation's books and help create jobs. 
 In doing so, however, he must ensure the federal government continues to care for all people. As superstorm Sandy shows, Washington has an important role in all our lives. 
 Romney has some flaws, and we don't agree with him on many social issues. He has wavered, and the plans he has put forward to deal with the nation's problems have lacked specifics. 
 But we are reading this as a willingness to fight for what his constituents want and an ability to compromise to get it, rather than a narrow ideology.&nbsp;Newsday endorses Romney. 
 U.S. SENATE: <a href="/topics//Kirsten_Gillibrand">Kirsten Gillibrand</a>, <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> 
 Kirsten Gillibrand has been a quick study in just a few years in the <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">U.S. Senate</a>. She's learned how to get things done, for instance passage of aid for sick 9/11 first responders and repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the military. She's an energetic advocate for women, and her grasp of national issues is impressive. She's clearly up to the job. Newsday endorses Gillibrand. 
 CONGRESS: Endorsements for the U.S. House of Representatives 
 1ST DISTRICT: Randy Altschuler, Republican 
 Proven job creator and has 10-point plan. Wants to shrink government. Pledges to be constructive, not hyperpartisan. Lives in <a href="/topics//St._James,_NY">St. James</a>, second-time challenger. 
 2ND DISTRICT: Peter King, Republican 
 Tough-minded chairman of Committee on Homeland Security. Worked with <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> to win compensation for 9/11 first responders. Well-placed advocate for New York's interests. Lives in Seaford, 10-term incumbent. 
 3RD DISTRICT: Steve Israel, Democrat 
 Rising House leader. Chairs Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Enjoys access to the Oval Office. Expertise in energy, veterans and military issues. Lives in Huntington, six-term incumbent. 
 4TH DISTRICT: Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat 
 Has never lost the common touch. Once and always a nurse. A dogged voice on health care, schools and gun control. Works to bridge the partisan divide. Lives in Mineola, eight-term incumbent. 
 5TH DISTRICT: Gregory W. Meeks, Democrat 
 Longtime Queens figure. District now includes Nassau. Already versed in the needs of his new area. Could be an NYC-LI bridge builder. Lives in St. Albans, 15-year incumbent. 
 6TH DISTRICT: Grace Meng, Democrat 
 Lawyer. Two-term assemblywoman. Daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. Has blazed a path toward the American dream. Lives in Flushing, challenger for an open seat. 
 NY STATE SENATE 
 1ST DISTRICT, Kenneth P. LaValle, Republican 
 Head of Higher Ed Committee. Delivers for SUNY. Proudly wears red Stony Brook University cap. Focused on repowering and revenue from district power plant. Lives in Port Jefferson, 18-term incumbent. 
 2ND DISTRICT: John Flanagan, Republican 
 A strong voice for education reform, and for funding Long Island schools. Willing to start the conversation about necessary but unpopular choices. Lives in East Northport, five-term incumbent. 
 3RD DISTRICT: Lee Zeldin, Republican 
 Lawyer, <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> Reserve officer. Focused on veterans, local fishing industry. Championed rollback of MTA tax. Wants to find inefficiency in Medicaid. Lives in Shirley, one-term incumbent. 
 4TH DISTRICT: Ricardo Montano, Democrat 
 Highly independent. Sought nomination without party's blessing. Would be a nudge for both parties in Senate. Held federal and county civil rights jobs. In fifth term in Suffolk County Legislature. Lives in Brentwood, challenger for open seat. 
 5TH DISTRICT: Carl Marcellino, Republican 
 Former science teacher, school administrator and Oyster Bay town clerk. Consistently attends public service functions. Tackling important government consolidation initiative. Lives in Syosset, 17-year incumbent. 
 6TH DISTRICT: Kemp Hannon, Republican 
 Experienced and respected. <a href="/topics//Albany,_NY">Albany</a>'s expert on Health care, fighting to stop prescription drug abuse. Focused on protecting local wells from toxic Grumman plume. Unassuming and patient. Lives in Garden City, 22-year incumbent. 
 7TH DISTRICT: Jack Martins, Republican 
 Former Mineola mayor. Thoughtful and serious. Chairs important Local Government Committee. Ready to take the lead in economic development for Belmont Park. Lives in Mineola, one-term incumbent. 
 8TH DISTRICT: Charles Fuschillo, Republican 
 Battling drunken drivers, law by law. Chair of Transportation Committee. Champion for Roosevelt schools. Lives in Merrick, seven-term incumbent. 
 9TH DISTRICT: Dean Skelos, Republican 
 Senate <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> leadership role fits comfortably. Partner with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, watches out for Long Island. Hometown at his core. Lives in Rockville Centre, 14-term incumbent 
 NY STATE ASSEMBLY 
 1ST DISTRICT: Fred W. Thiele Jr., Independence 
 A leader of LI Assembly delegation. Pioneered East End land preservation. Fought Southampton campus shutdown. Lives in Sag Harbor, 17-year incumbent. 
 2ND DISTRICT: Daniel Losquadro, Republican 
 Hard worker. Intense local focus. Early gray. Eager to protect his district's 100 miles of coastline. Lives in Shoreham, one-term incumbent. 
 3RD DISTRICT: Dean Murray, Republican 
 On local issues from funding sewers to getting a new supermarket in the community, fights for the district. Lives in East Patchogue, three-year incumbent.&nbsp; 
 4TH DISTRICT: Steven Englebright, Democrat 
 Geologist. Thoughtful and courtly. Holding out for health rules on hydro fracking. Has the ear of Assembly leadership. Lives in Setauket, 20-year incumbent. 
 5TH DISTRICT: Alfred C. Graf, Republican 
 Street credibility. Former NYC cop and upstate town supervisor. Fighting hard to cut electric rates. Lives in Patchogue, one-term incumbent. 
 6TH DISTRICT: Phil Ramos, Democrat 
 A wily, dug-in veteran. Retired police detective. Trying to control gangs and graffiti in his district. Lives in Brentwood, five-term incumbent. 
 7TH DISTRICT: Andrew Garbarino, Republican 
 Next generation of GOP. Engaging and knowledgeable for first-time candidate. Long community ties. Energetic. Lives in Sayville, challenger for an open seat. 
 8TH DISTRICT: Michael Fitzpatrick, Republican 
 Investment adviser. Staunchly conservative. Seeks401(k)-style public pensions. Often a lone voice against Albany political culture. Lives in St. James, five-term incumbent. 
 9TH DISTRICT: No endorsement by Newsday 
 10TH DISTRICT: Chad A. Lupinacci, Republican 
 Deep local roots. Bleeds Hofstra blue and gold (BA, MBA, JD). Three terms, South Huntington school board. Lives in Huntington Station, challenger for open seat. 
 11TH DISTRICT: Robert Sweeney, Democrat 
 An MVP for Long Island in the Assembly. Wily. Creative thinker. Steward of the environment. Lives in Lindenhurst, 24-year incumbent. 
 12TH DISTRICT: Andrew Raia, Republican 
 Detail-oriented and wonky. Family name tradition. Concerned with Medicaid spending and pollution. Lives in East Northport, five-term incumbent.&nbsp; 
 13TH DISTRICT: Charles Lavine, Democrat 
 Brings criminal defense attorney expertise to Albany. Stopped county effort to gut Nassau Interim Finance Authority. Lives in Glen Cove, four-term incumbent. 
 14TH DISTRICT: David McDonough, Republican 
 Plain-spoken, tax-averse. Ranking GOP member on transportation, Worked on NICE bus takeover. Willing to take on Assessment issue. Lives in Merrick, six-term incumbent. 
 15TH DISTRICT: Michael A. Montesano, Republican 
 Champions mandate relief. Working on school funding once Glenwood Landing power plant closes. Lawyer. Lives in Glen Head, three-year incumbent. 
 16TH DISTRICT: Richard E. Stiek, Republican 
 Lawyer. Thoughtful and nuanced <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">West Point</a> grad. Understands energy and environmental issues. Lives in Port Washington, first-time challenger. 
 17TH DISTRICT: Thomas McKevitt, Republican 
 Always a smile. Commission should consolidate schools to Cut costs. Change foreclosure rules to keep people in homes. Lawyer. Lives in East Meadow, seven-year incumbent. 
 18TH DISTRICT: Elton McCabe, Republican 
 Hempstead Town engineering inspector. Calls gang violence domestic terrorism. Gulf War veteran. Local civil rights leader. Lives in Uniondale, first-time challenger. 
 19TH DISTRICT: Gary Port, Democrat 
 Wouldn't have let Islanders go. Retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel. Knows compromise and mediation from family law practice. Lives in West Hempstead, first-time challenger. 
 20TH DISTRICT: David Sussman, Republican 
 Longtime school board member. Focusing on school aid. Urologist. Offers aneeded change in this district. Lives in Lawrence, first-time challenger. 
 21ST DISTRICT: Brian Curran, Republican 
 Former mayor. Great sense of local issues. Principled, deliberate. Aggressive in fighting to lower taxes. Lives in Lynbrook, one-term incumbent. 
 22ND DISTRICT: Michaelle Solages, Democrat 
 Young, energetic. Political family. Advocates for Belmont Park development. Voice for suburbs in NYC-dominated Democratic majority. Lives in Elmont, challenger for open seat. 
 <a href="/topics//Babylon,_NY">BABYLON</a> SUPERVISOR: Richard Schaffer, Democrat&nbsp; 
 Back in his old post and excited about it. Knows the issues deeply. Strongly backs Wyandanch revitalization. Pushing for bus rapid transit on Route 110. Suffolk Democratic chairman. Steady and sure post-Sandy storm response. Running for the remaining year on Steve Bellone's term. Lives in North Babylon. 
 <a href="/topics//Brookhaven,_NY">BROOKHAVEN</a> SUPERVISOR: Edward Romaine, Republican 
 Two tours in the county legislature, separated by 16 years as county clerk. Would be a majority Republican supervisor on a GOP-run town board. Ready to tackle long-term budget imbalance. Running for remaining year on former Supervisor Mark Lesko's term. Former history teacher. Lives in Center Moriches. 
 <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">NASSAU</a> LEGISLATURE: Joanne Maglione, On Democratic line 
 An unexpected race in the 12th District to fill the seat held by the late Peter Schmitt could result in a significant change of course for Nassau County. Voters should choose Joanne Maglione, a former deputy county attorney, to fill out the remaining term of the late Peter Schmitt. Maglione,a registered Republican, can break the partisan deadlock And bring Nassau back from the fiscal cliff. Lives in Massapequa Park. &nbsp;

vg-pdf

Election 2012: Editorial endorsement wrap-up

vote here file cropped

Had Barack <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> done the job of president with the same passion and vision he displayed in seeking it, he would likely deserve another term. He did not. 
 Against this we must weigh <a href="/topics//Mitt_Romney">Mitt Romney</a>, an imperfect candidate but one who has a special track record too. From his creation of a vast personal fortune to his successful stewardship of the threatened Salt Lake City Olympics to his governing of <a href="/topics//Massachusetts">Massachusetts</a>, Romney's life is a tale of success after success, many of them achieved in difficult circumstances. 
 Romney's potential to put America back to work earns him our endorsement. 
 <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a>'s failure to accelerate the improvement of the economy is the dominant reason Romney is the right choice, but it's not the only one. There are also the broken promises. On the campaign trail in 2008, <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> promised to halve the annual budget deficit of the United States. Instead, the shortfall has remained over $1 trillion per year, and the <a href="/topics//US_National_Debt">national debt</a> has increased about 45 percent. 
 Obama said he would pass comprehensive immigration reform, but he never made a significant attempt to address it. 
 He said future generations would look back on his election as the time we began to slow the rise of the oceans and hasten the healing of the planet, yet he never introduced meaningful legislation aimed at achieving those goals. 
 Obama promised a transparent administration but instead ran a secretive <a href="/topics//White_House">White House</a>. And Obama promised a newfound respect for civil liberties, and yet, in an expansive reading of congressional authority to use military force, he has authorized the unilateral assassination of American citizens abroad. 
 Obama promised to drive the <a href="/topics//Unemployment">unemployment</a> rate below 6 percent in four years. It sits at 7.9 percent, just above the level when he was inaugurated. 
 History may well laud Obama for passing the first comprehensive health care plan to cover millions of uninsured, guarantee coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and for preventive care, and keep young adults on their parents' policies until age 26. But the law may not control costs, fails to address malpractice litigation and the expense it imposes on the system, and is based on iffy funding. Worse, Obama didn't sell the public on his plan, allowing his opponents to hijack it. 
 Most important, Obama promised to end the partisan divide in Washington but didn't do so. To be fair, he had no help from <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a>, but that is the case, by definition, with partisan divides. Obama should have looked to the track record of <a href="/topics//Franklin_D._Roosevelt">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>, and brought his case to the people. 
 The decision to endorse Romney is not an easy one. Superstorm Sandy has made it clear that his untested notion about shifting primary responsibility for disaster relief from the <a href="/topics//Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a> to the states is a great risk. The storm should add even more urgency to deal with extreme weather and rising seas, which Romney has not addressed in his campaign. 
 And Obama has distinct achievements. He was correct to preserve the auto industry in the United States. His <a href="/topics//Economic_Stimulus">stimulus plan</a> did create jobs, though not enough of them. His creation of tougher mileage standards for automobiles is a major step in the right direction. He also made the right decisions in refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and in creating a limited <a href="/topics//DREAM_Act">Dream Act</a> by executive order to stop punishing illegal immigrants unwittingly brought here as children. His two <a href="/topics//Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States">U.S. Supreme Court</a> appointments were talented jurists without an agenda to overturn precedents. 
 He got us out of Iraq quickly, has us on the road out of Afghanistan, and oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden. 
 Against this we have Romney, a flawed candidate. He tends to waver on the issues, and the plans he's laid out to better the lot of the nation lack both specifics and mathematical rigor. These are problems, but in the current political environment, they may also become his greatest assets as president. 
 What Romney has actually shown in his political evolution is a willingness to represent the will of his constituencies. We hope that means a lack of dogmatic zealotry, rather than a lack of leadership. 
 Romney should not be, as he claimed during the primary season, "severely conservative." He's not the first candidate who swayed toward a more extreme base while seeking the nomination, then tacked toward the center during the general campaign. 
 But Romney has shifted so opportunistically over the years on issues such as a woman's right to choose and health care reform that it's hard to be sure which Romney the nation would get. We are worried about the criteria he would use to select any justices, should an opening arise on the high court. 
 He is also a novice on foreign affairs who's surrounded himself with holdovers from the administration of George W. Bush, advisers who have been far too eager to take the nation to war. His saber-rattling on Iran is worrisome. 
 Yet there is one chorus <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> and <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> sing in unison: "Washington is broken." It's true, and the far-right wing of the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> is more averse to compromise than any other faction. Who, then, can bring this side to common ground? The dogmatic <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> who empowered the tea party revolution in 2010, or the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> who will have far more power to bring the firebrands in his own party to heel and has no history of enmity to poison the process? If Romney succeeds in uniting the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> and bringing them back to the center, it could be an advantage for the nation. 
 His proposals to limit the Medicare entitlement and replace it with vouchers, and to fund Medicaid through block grants, would shift costs from Washington to individuals and states like <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>. Romney would need to remember that the most populous states, even consistently blue <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>, have different and important needs, especially after Sandy. 
 &nbsp; 
 Although he was elected in a time of economic turmoil, Ronald Reagan's greatest achievement wasn't his tax plan or his economic theories. His success came from emotional leadership, the ability to bring us together and reignite our confidence in the virtues and future of the nation. This is what FDR did. It is this that <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Barack Obama</a> has failed to do. 
 Elected with a significant mandate and his party briefly in control of both houses of the <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a>, Obama squandered the support of the nation. 
 Newsday endorses Romney.

VPPRES04

Editorial: Elect Mitt Romney president of the United States

Welfare Politics-cropped

This is the third time Kirsten Gillibrand has sought her <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">U.S. Senate</a> seat, so it feels like she's been in the job far longer than she has. That she is such a newcomer is easy to forget. Gillibrand had just started her second term in the <a href="/topics//U.S._House_of_Representatives">House of Representatives</a> from a mostly rural upstate district when Sen. <a href="/topics//Hillary_Rodham_Clinton">Hillary Clinton</a> resigned to become secretary of State. 
 Gov. <a href="/topics//David_A_Paterson">David A. Paterson</a> chose Gillibrand, and in 2010 she defended the seat in a special election to finish <a href="/topics//Hillary_Rodham_Clinton">Clinton</a>'s term through this year. Now she is running for her first full six-year term. 
 Gillibrand's short time in the <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> makes you realize how much she's learned. She has become a passionate advocate for electing more women to high office, and for protecting the needs of women everywhere, especially in the military. She has learned the legislative ropes, finding ways to get laws passed, including the Zadroga Act to aid 9/11 first-responders and the repeal of "<a href="/topics//Don't_ask,_don't_tell">don't ask, don't tell</a>," which barred gays from serving openly in the military. 
 She has learned the issues -- big ones like banking and defense, narrower ones like dairy subsidies, and niche constituent issues. Gillibrand now has a firm grasp on the details of the job and on the scope of the problems and opportunities facing the state and our nation. She's grown into her position admirably and quickly. 
 Her opponent is Wendy Long, a Manhattan attorney who has never held public office. The fact that Long is a relative unknown makes it tempting to dismiss her, but that would be a mistake. 
 The former clerk for Supreme Court Justice <a href="/topics//Clarence_Thomas">Clarence Thomas</a> is strikingly intelligent, open to new ideas, and deeply fascinated with the philosophical give and take of public policy. Her keen intellect would serve her well in politics or another aspect of public life, and we hope she won't disappear from the arena. 
 Gillibrand has come a long way, but there is more to do -- and right now. The federal government will play an important role in helping our region recover from superstorm Sandy. <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> in particular needs a partner in Washington to deal with the lack of sewers in <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a>, contamination left by the nation's defense industry in <a href="/topics//Bethpage_State_Park,_NY">Bethpage</a> and <a href="/topics//Calverton,_NY">Calverton</a>, nitrogen in our waters, and high tax bills in our mailboxes. To address our needs, she has to see how we live and hear what we say. A little more face time on <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a> would earn Gillibrand more stripes. 
 She's done fine and we think she can do even better. 
 Newsday endorses Gillibrand.

VPSEN01

Editorial: Re-elect Kirsten Gillibrand as U.S. senator

Kirsten Gillibrand - Cropped

This is the first of this season's endorsements by the Newsday editorial board. 
 &nbsp; 
 As if to prove that you can come home again, Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer is back at his former job and reveling in it. 
 The town board appointed him to the job this year to fill the vacancy left when Steve Bellone was elected <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> County executive. Now Schaffer is running for the one year left on Bellone's term. 
 As he did at the end of his 1992-2001 tour as supervisor, Schaffer, 48, of <a href="/topics//North_Babylon,_NY">North Babylon</a>, wears two hats: supervisor and chairman of the <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> County Democratic Committee. That raises the question: Can he handle the demands of both jobs, and can he avoid any conflicts? 
 He says juggling the two roles has not yet become a problem. As to conflicts, he won't let his county committee accept contributions from those who work for, do business with or have applications before the town. 
 His Republican opponent, Mark Gallo, 44, of <a href="/topics//Lindenhurst,_NY">Lindenhurst</a>, has not made it an issue, but Schaffer needs to keep thinking about whether he can do both well. 
 Gallo does not really differ from Schaffer on much. He's a former immigration officer who runs a security business and has twice run, unsuccessfully, for county legislature. 
 Schaffer has a firm grasp on the key issues in town. One of them is <a href="/topics//Wyandanch,_NY">Wyandanch</a> Rising, the effort to bring economic vitality to one of the most economically challenged communities on <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>. Bellone got it started and still keeps a close eye on it, but Schaffer has jumped right in. 
 Gallo says people ask him about possibly redeveloping <a href="/topics//West_Babylon,_NY">West Babylon</a> and <a href="/topics//Deer_Park,_NY">Deer Park</a> and wonder about the cost of the <a href="/topics//Wyandanch,_NY">Wyandanch</a> project. But Schaffer argues that, if one part of the town is hurting, it's just a matter of time before that affects the rest of the town. The vacant and dilapidated properties in <a href="/topics//Wyandanch,_NY">Wyandanch</a> are lowering tax revenue, and <a href="/topics//Wyandanch,_NY">Wyandanch</a> Rising will <a href="/topics//Benefit_(designer)">benefit</a> the whole town. 
 Schaffer has to wrestle with day-to-day issues, such as garbage carting. But he can't let that necessary work distract him from the long-term issues, such as Wyandanch and developing a bus rapid transit system on Route 110. He should work to show further real progress on both in 2013. 
 Gallo says he's in this race to give the voters a choice. But the choice boils down to someone earnest and decent, but totally inexperienced in town government, and Schaffer, who knows all the intricacies, from garbage to pensions. It's hard not to like Gallo, but Newsday endorses Schaffer.

VPBABSUP18

Editorial: Elect Schaffer for Babylon supervisor

0MC29MSC.JPG

Two candidates representing not only different parties but different generations are running in a special election to pick a new leader for the geographically vast and fiscally broken Town of Brookhaven. This race for supervisor of <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s largest town is a knife's-edge-close decision between two smart and qualified candidates for an increasingly difficult job. 
 The election became necessary when Supervisor Mark Lesko, a Democrat, quit to become executive director of Accelerate <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>, an initiative that aims to keep high-tech jobs on the Island. He left behind a proposed $247-million budget for 2013 that would freeze taxes but require nearly 150 layoffs, cutting such programs as women's services and the wildlife and ecology center in <a href="/topics//Holtsville,_NY">Holtsville</a>. 
 Whoever wins this race, to fill out the remaining 13-plus months of Lesko's term, will have to manage that budget. 
 The Democratic candidate is Brian Beedenbender, 32, of <a href="/topics//Centereach,_NY">Centereach</a>. His experience includes service as an aide to former <a href="/topics//Suffolk_County,_NY">Suffolk</a> County Executive <a href="/topics//Steve_Levy">Steve Levy</a>, a term as a county legislator, and chief of staff to Lesko since the start of 2010. The Republican is Legis. Edward Romaine, 65, of <a href="/topics//Center_Moriches,_NY">Center Moriches</a>, whose resume includes long service as county clerk and as a legislator, plus unsuccessful runs for county executive and Congress. 
 Beyond 2013, the town has a long-term budgetary imbalance. Its mortgage recording tax revenue has fallen off a cliff and is unlikely to reach its pre-recession peak for many years. Landfill fees have also dropped, then rebounded. But the landfill will run out of room in another 14 to 17 years. Though that revenue will then disappear, the ongoing maintenance costs of the closed landfill will continue for years more. Relying on those two revenue sources has allowed the town to grow its government services and keep property taxes stable. That game is ending. 
 In addition to identifying the best way to restructure government so that its costs more realistically reflect its sustainable revenues, the new supervisor will have to find a way to adopt an acceptable plan to protect the Carmans River from overdevelopment. Lesko tried hard, but failed to persuade the town board. The river needs saving, and the new supervisor will have to get it done soon. 
 Both men, despite their differences, are qualified for the job. Both understand the dimensions of the problem. Beedenbender has the advantage of having worked on town issues for almost three years, but also the serious disadvantage that he'd be a minority supervisor with a Republican-controlled board. Romaine would be a majority supervisor, but representing a party whose stewardship has too often been tainted by scandal in its long era of dominance. On balance, Romaine seems a better bet to get buy-in from the town board to make the hard choices. And he has just a year to show us and the voters that he really was the best bet. Newsday endorses Romaine.

VPBROSUP22

Editorial: Elect Edward Romaine supervisor of Brookhaven

Edward Romaine - Cropped

The winner of the special election in Nassau's 12th Legislative District should not only fill out the 14 months of the late Peter Schmitt's term, but bring a moderating voice to a bitterly divided legislature. 
 In a short campaign, name recognition is golden, so <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> bypassed experienced and senior party members to go with Michael <a href="/topics//John_Venditto">Venditto</a>, 31, of <a href="/topics//Massapequa,_NY">Massapequa</a>, the son of <a href="/topics//John_Venditto">John Venditto</a>, the popular supervisor of <a href="/topics//Oyster_Bay,_NY">Oyster Bay</a> town. <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> think their best shot in this heavily <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> district is Joanne Maglione, a registered <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> who was a deputy county attorney for five years. 
 <a href="/topics//John_Venditto">Venditto</a>, an attorney for the Town of <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> since graduating from law school, knows politics but doesn't yet have the life experience or insight to form his own views on the critical matters facing the county. He recites the worn policies that have gotten the county into trouble, and his votes are likely to continue <a href="/topics//Mineola,_NY">Mineola</a>'s partisan stalemate. 
 Worried about the anger over the big increases in some tax bills, Venditto blamed the school districts and said the solution was to ensure everyone grieves their assessments. Such a strategy only perpetuates the problem. The <a href="/topics//New_York_Islanders">Islanders</a>' departure to Brooklyn, he says, is all the fault of the team's owner. 
 Maglione, 42, of <a href="/topics//Massapequa_Park,_NY">Massapequa Park</a>, wants a comprehensive fix to the assessment system. Refreshingly free of the party dogma, she says politics has strangled economic development at the Hub. She pledges to be independent, a problem solver on the budget, borrowing, sewage treatment plants, and the funding of social services. Newsday endorses Maglione.

VPLEG02

Editorial: Elect Joanne Maglione to Nassau County Legislature

Joanne  Maglione - Cropped

Election 2012: Newsday's endorsements

Newsday

Newsday endorsement logo cropped

Opinion Columns

Opinion Rail Module

Can a putative Gov. Blakeman amass the support and alliances to win, then thrive?

For Blakeman, a rocky path to Albany success

His message was needed after years of AI growing in a regulatory vacuum.

Leo's important guideposts for AI

This spring has provided entertainment, escapism and feeling part of something larger.

This wild ride in sports is why we watch

As it turns out, weeks ago Hochul was essentially shouting "last call, all aboard."

In budget spin, timing isn't everything

We underestimate El Niño's impacts to our peril

Opinion Article Bottom Module

Empty sites in Ronkonkoma, Uniondale show how infighting stalls progress.

Don't let Long Island's giant hubs stagnate

Republicans won't find it difficult to write the attack ads.

Graham Platner is the Democrats' Ken Paxton

There's a learning curve involved with safely using electric two-wheelers.

Fast e-scooters are a menace. Don't lump e-bikes with them.

Jor'Dynn Duncan and Thomas Valva both deserved better.

In Suffolk, can we prevent another child tragedy?

NYU Langone, volunteer deputy's arrest, solar energy, Trump's weight

Understanding what has gone wrong at the station, in the tunnels and with the new train fleet is critical.

Amtrak needs to get back on track

Sign up for the Viewpoints newsletter

Viewpoints Newsletter Widget

The Point is Newsday Opinion's daily newsletter inside the local, city and state political scenes.

Dem party fight comes down to 'the gubes'

Opinion Video Playlist

Google is being led somewhere uncomfortable.

Google's AI shift is causing a collective freak-out

Pulte seems even less qualified for the job than Gabbard.

Pulte will drag U.S. intelligence from bad to worse

His death evoked memories of a humid confrontation at the Boston Fed.

Recalling Barney Frank, and that time he yelled at me

Greenport's vacant storefronts, Penn Station fire

Build on the success by evaluating other technologies used in the classroom.

Banning cellphones was a start. Next up: Tackling tech

Some GOP candidates look to rebrand with a new third party line

Computer-reliant white-collar jobs are most amenable to working from home.

Can't find a job after graduation? Blame WFH, not AI.

We need all hands on deck to stop the spread.

U.S. should help contain Ebola outbreak, not aggravate the crisis

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, "1 in 3 Americans are under-babied."

Moms.gov falls short of needed resources for all

For a brief moment last fall, hunger in America commanded the attention it deserved.

SNAP needs protection again, now

Death of 7-year-old Jor'Dynn Duncan, government checks

App Nativo Ad Unit Slot

Opinion - megaslot

Nassau County and Suffolk County editorials, columns, guest essays, cartoons, letters and more.

Opinion Columns

Stay logged in.