ELECTION 2012
Dean Skelos
INCUMBENT — Republican, Conservative, Independence Party Age: 63 Lives in: Rockville Centre Career: attorney; one term in State Assembly, 14 terms in State Senate. Senate majority leader, minority leader. Education: Washington College; Fordham University School of Law Family: Married, one son On the Issues: Skelos, a 14-term incumbent, says that taxes are the biggest issue facing the district. To that end, Skelos is a supporter of measures to bring taxes down. First and foremost among them is the tax cap, which Skelos supported and helped pass last year. That, Skelos said, helps keeps school taxes — the largest part of peoples’ tax bill — at a manageable level.
Skelos also worked to repeal many parts of the MTA Payroll Tax, which he called a “job-killing” tax. Now, Skelos said, 80 percent of the businesses that were paying the tax no longer have to do so. A big supporter of creating private-sector jobs, Skelos touts having worked to reduce taxes on manufacturers and also lowering personal income tax rates on the middle class. Skelos is proud of the bipartisanship that has
grown in Albany over the past two years. It helped lead to the first on-time budgets in years. The state government also eliminated a $13 billion deficit without having to raise taxes, Skelos said. After Skelos became majority leader in 2010, he worked to restore state education funding that was cut during the previous legislative session. The last budget increased school aid by $805 million. Skelos said he wants to keep the bipartisanship in Albany going and keep getting things done. Next session, he wants to do more to help create a better business climate in the state and help businesses succeed. He also wants to provide municipalities and school districts with more mandate relief.
NEWSDAY ENDORSES
NASSAU HERALD — November 1, 2012
9TH SENATE DISTRICT
19
DAVID SUSSMAN
FOR NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY. Harvey Weisenberg, 78, has long claimed that experience is what matters in Albany and that with 23 years in the Assembly, he has the relationships to deliver. But Weisenberg’s effectiveness has waned. Most crucially for constituents in his home of Long Beach, this year he failed to persuade Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to pass a routine but critical bill to enable borrowing to retire the city’s $10-million deficit. Weisenberg’s justification for returning to the Assembly — that nobody else cares about the people as much as he does -- wears thin when considered against the tax increase his constituents face because his legislation failed. The Democratic Party should begin grooming a successor. And voters should take a serious look at challenger David Sussman, 62, a urologist from Lawrence who has served on the Lawrence school board for 18 years -- one of the few members whose children attended the public schools. That controversial board has likely prepared Sussman for the halls of the State Capitol. Sussman says he would focus on school aid, and we hope he would use his medical knowledge to find savings in the state’s Medicaid program as well.
-Newsday endorses Sussman CHALLENGER — Democrat
Age: 24 Lives in: Lynbrook Career: Intern at the Nassau County Democratic Committee Education: Penn State University There is no information available about Feffer. He stopped campaigning for personal reasons.
This district serves all or parts of Elmont, Baldwin, Franklin Square, Atlantic Beach, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Valley Stream, Malverne, Oceanside, Hewlett, East Rockaway, Long Beach, Island Park, Point Lookout, Inwood, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead, West Hempstead, Lynbrook, Lido Beach and Lawrence.
The Right Team for New York
589965
Thomas Feffer
Paid For By Sussman for Assembly