13th Assembly District Candidates Speak at Forum

With the Nov. 2 elections just days away, 13th Assembly District candidates participated in a Meet the Candidates informational exchange at The Regency at Glen Cove on Wednesday night, the only forum held in the city during this election.

Assemb. Charles Lavine and his opponent Robert Germino, came together, one last time, for the forum which was organized by the Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce.

Glen Howard, vice president of the chamber, moderated the event. Before the meeting started, Howard emphasized that the meeting was meant to be strictly informational and was not a debate.

, key local issues were discussed. Tensions ran high as one hot-button issue was continuously addressed: the MTA tax.

If elected, Germino said that the MTA tax would be the first thing to go.

"I will repeal Lavine's job killing MTA tax, push for pension reform and support property tax caps that are crushing the City of Glen Cove," Germino said.

Lavine, a supporter of the tax, said that there would no bigger job killer than repealing the MTA tax, which he does not believe will happen.

"In 2008, before the recession, really hit us, the MTA was down over one billion dollars; it then rose to two billion dollars—one-fifth of the operating budget," Lavine said. "It's an agency that's a monster and full of waste fund and abuse."

LIRR rates were expected to go up 25 percent, and buses were scheduled to go up more than 100 percent in 2008, according to Lavine, who believes that local MTA users would have been slammed by the rates.

"The elderly in the community sometimes take two or three buses to get to their jobs," he said.

Another question raised by the audience was how each candidate planned to create jobs.

"Private sector creates jobs," said Germino, "and I think a private sector will get us out of the recession. We have to cut the tax burden and reduce regulations on the private sector. This will encourage them to hire again."  

Lavine believes that recent talk about changes in the SUNY system in collaboration with Long Island laboratories will create jobs on Long Island.

Howard raised a question asked by audience members on marriage equality and the concept of don't ask, don't tell—another issue the candidates don't see eye-to-eye on.

"I support marriage being between one man and one woman," Germino said.

Lavine quoted the Declaration of Independence and stated his belief that all men are created equal. He also cited Genesis and the concept that God created us in his image: "We are entitled to the dignity and respect that goes along with that," he said. 

"I have always favored marriage equality," Lavine said. "A civil union is not close to second best. A lot of people are leaving New York to get married in places like Connecticut. We lose a lot of tax dollars."

Residents also questioned how each candidate planned to help reduce property and school taxes.

Both candidates agreed that New York State needs a cap tax.

"I would cap property taxes and provide mandate relief. You can't ask a school to live within its means and comply then with the Wicks Law," Germino said. "We need to cap it; people can't afford to live on Long Island."

New York State is headed toward a cap tax, said Lavine: "It must be done surgically and with comprehension with the complexion involved," he said. "The State of New York needs to live within responsibility to provide funding for school."

Lavine also suggested ways for the state to save money by cutting back on funding.

"If we consolidate 11 separate court systems, we save one and a half billion dollars," Lavine said; "and we save a huge chunk of money by shutting down unused prisons."