Gordon Challenging Fuschillo for 8th Senatorial District Seat

The race for the 8th Senatorial District seat pits longtime incumbent Republican Charles Fuschillo against challenger Democrat Carol Gordon. Fuschillo, who is seeking his seventh term, has held his seat in the state senate since he was voted into office during a special election in March 1998. This marks the second time Gordon is trying to unseat Fuschillo, having lost to him in 2008, even though she grabbed nearly 40 percent of the vote. She also lost a bid for an Oyster Bay Town Council seat in 2007.

Fuschillo, 50, of Merrick, has authored several laws, including New York State's Telemarketer "Do Not Call" Registry law and "Leandra's Law," which makes it a felony to drive drunk with a child in the car. He wrote the law to amend the state's Clean Indoor Air Act, which made worksites and public places smoke-free.  Fuschillo also authored a law to ensure that autism patients receive equitable coverage for care from insurance companies. Fuschillo's efforts have led to enhanced safety measures for day care centers, improved adoption laws and further protections for children afflicted with asthma. He wrote the law that requires New York State to match donations made to the state's Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund. He sponsors numerous no-cost mobile mammography checkups for women over the age of 40 throughout his district. He holds a leadership role on the Senate's Transportation Committee as the ranking Republican member, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Civil Service and Pensions; Commerce, Economic Development & Small Business; Consumer Protection; Health; and Labor.

A longtime Massapequa resident, Gordon, 57, has served as a mental health clinic manager and patient advocate at the Department of Veterans Affairs, working with veterans for 25 years. She has developed a strong commitment to veterans and initiated many sustainable support programs, including championing an effort to have the first women veterans admitted to an all-male unit. She was active on the Ethics, Family Council, and various veterans committees, and also served as manager of the Federal Women's Program for 22 Years. In 2008, she became a member of the National Organization of Women and the chairwoman of the mentoring and education committee for Urban Financial Services Coalition of Long Island, which promotes financial literacy.

Q & A With the Candidates

Question: Many small business owners are struggling to stay afloat in these tough economic times. What can be done to help them?

Fuschillo: I voted against the MTA payroll tax, which passed by 32-30. It's a case of the Democratic majority sending the state in the wrong direction. It's a job-killing tax that needs to be repealed. I propose legislation that would provide for tax credits to make business owners hire new employees.  

Gordon: I would look into small job creation, double the small business revolving loan program and target support for start-up companies and investors. I would support more funding for community banks and credit unions to provide small business loans. I would also increase access to state contracts for minority and women-owned businesses and support the Job Now tax credit, giving tax credits to the unemployed.  

Q: School administrators are concerned about the situation in Albany, particularly when it comes to state aid projections. How can state lawmakers communicate better and earlier with school districts regarding how much money they can expect from Albany, even if that means promising less during these economic times?

Fuschillo: If the [state] budget is completed on time by April 1, school districts will know their expected state aid.  

Gordon: I would look at all the state mandates on our school districts and I would look into re-doing the school formula for state aid. Our property taxes are higher here and people get the impression that our districts are much richer, when many of them really aren't.    

Q: Nassau residents, like most Americans, are concerned about their job security. Those that don't have jobs have found it difficult to find one. What is your plan for creating and sustaining job growth on Long Island?

Fuschillo: We have to control property taxes by instituting a property tax cap. We have to provide business tax credits for businesses to hire new employees.  I just secured $9 million in economic development to grow high-tech and bio-tech jobs on Long Island.  

Gordon: I believe government should facilitate personal value creation through training and education. Government should also help create jobs within my district and outside my district. I believe government should help the entrepreneur and should attract manufacturers and service businesses. By doing this, your ability to create personal value would be enhanced and our government would be serving the people's agenda, which is my platform.  

Q: How will you address the issue of high property taxes in your district?

Fuschillo: The first thing I would do is institute a property tax cap, which the Senate has passed three years in a row and the Assembly has not taken up for a vote.

Gordon: Right now we are looking at the property tax cap to reduce the tax burden, and property tax relief for all the hardest-pressed middle-class families. We should consolidate local government to reduce waste and bureaucracy and to save money.  

Q: Do you support the initiative for independent redistricting?

Fuschillo: Yes.  

Gordon: Yes, I do because we need someone who is non-partisan. I would like to see a committee of the people.  

Q: What do you feel are the best ways of addressing New York's projected $7 billion budget deficit for next year?

Fuschillo: By instituting a state spending cap, consolidating state agencies and by aggressively eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in dealing with Medicaid.  

Gordon: We need a property tax cap. I would also like to look into bringing in a state bank like the one in North Dakota, which provides low-interest loans to the state to help pay off the deficit. My opponent has voted for legislation in favor of raising taxes 98 percent of the time.  

Q: What do you feel about consolidation and the Cuomo bill? How in your view does it need to be revised/amended, etc.?

Fuschillo: We need a cost analysis, which is done upfront before the vote, to see whether taxpayers would save money.  

Gordon: I would like to make myself more informed about the issue before making any decision, only because people in the community give me different viewpoints, since my platform is the people's agenda.  

Q: What is your position on whether the state should give approval to permit Nassau County the ability to distribute commercial property tax receipts county-wide to school districts and libraries, which would help communities in your district that don't have much of a commercial tax base?

Fuschillo: It's an interesting proposition that deserves some merit of study.  

Gordon: I would have to get more information to see the long-term and short-term consequences, the effects and the benefits. I'm a public servant first.  

Q: In your opinion, what do you think is the most pressing issue facing Bellmore residents? What do you propose to remediate that problem?

Fuschillo: Property taxes. We need to institute a property tax cap.  

Gordon: Residents in Bellmore say taxes are too high. I have to listen to the needs of the people and work on those issues.  

Q: This year there have been many cell tower projects proposed in the area that have drawn lots of concerns from residents. What is your position on whether these cell towers being installed near residential neighborhoods?

Fuschillo: I fully support the Town of Hempstead law which restricts the use of cell towers near residential homes.  

Gordon: I have to look at how it affects the health of residents and how it affects the environment. I have to see if people in the area want it. I will get the information I need to make a conscientious decision.

The 8th Senate District covers Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh, Freeport, Roosevelt and Seaford, as well as portions of Massapequa, East Meadow, Farmingdale, Baldwin, Amityville, Copiague, North Lindenhurst and West Babylon. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit http://www.vote411.org/pollfinder.php to find your local polling location.