Creating Jobs

I'll fight to create good middle class jobs here in Westchester. Downtowns across our district are poised to become centers of job creation – if we have an Assemblyman in Albany who can be a strong advocate for innovative economic development. I worked as an economic analyst, and I know what it takes to grow the economy. Governor Cuomo has been leading the way to make sure New York is “open for business,” and my plan is to work with the Governor to:

• Boost downtown economies – I’ve worked with the White Plains Business Improvement District to make the city more attractive to businesses. As Assemblyman, I’ll work with business districts and chambers of commerce in towns across the district to make sure all our main streets are flourishing. I’m committed to all our downtowns, and if elected I pledge to put my district office in downtown Mount Kisco.

• Invest in our infrastructure – Investing in our roads, bridges, schools, and mass transit infrastructure will create jobs now and is crucial to ensuring the economic health of our region. Our economy could use a lift, and prudent investments in our future can help put people back to work and make us more competitive in the long run.

• Improve regional mass transit – Westchester County already has a strong mass transit network, but improving that system will benefit small businesses – and will be good for the environment as well. As a Westchester representative on the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council, and now the Council’s Chairman, I've been looking out for the region’s transportation needs for years and will continue to lead that fight.

• Bring Taxes Down – We need to make sure that families can afford to live in Westchester County and that businesses can thrive here. As a City Councilman, I’ve gone line by line through the budget and saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars by finding ways to consolidate services and make government more efficient. I’ll do the same thing in Albany, and will work to increase state support so that our local governments and school districts can keep property taxes down.

• Repeal the MTA Payroll Tax – The MTA Payroll Tax undermines public support for Metro-North. Our transit network is an economic engine for all of New York State, and we need to find ways to fund it without inhibiting economic growth. Metro-North riders already pay a greater percentage of the cost of providing service than in any major commuter rail system in the nation.

• Pass a minimum wage increase – Costs for all families are rising, but the minimum wage hasn’t been raised since 2005. We need to make sure that people who work hard to support their families can do so. Increasing the minimum wage is the right thing to do for working people across New York.

Representing Westchester’s Values

We need an Assemblyman who’ll fight for our values – not one who stands with the Tea Party. Here in Westchester, we have a proud, bipartisan tradition of defending the environment, a woman’s right to choose, and equal rights for all our citizens. My opponent has strayed far from those principles in Albany, but I’ll defend them. We have work to do in order to:

• Support a woman's right to choose – I am pro-choice. I believe every woman should be free to make her own health care decisions without government interference. My opponent voted to block state funding for women’s reproductive health care – even when the health of the mother is in danger – and make it harder for women to exercise their right to choose. I’ll always support a woman’s right to choose, and will strongly oppose right-wing efforts to roll back women’s reproductive freedom.

• Preserve Marriage Equality and expand civil rights – I am pro Marriage Equality. In a historic vote last year, the legislature approved Governor Cuomo’s landmark proposal to expand civil rights for same-sex couples by enacting Marriage Equality. My opponent, however, voted against Marriage Equality. That vote put him on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of Westchester County’s values. You can count on me to protect Marriage Equality and to fight against discrimination of every kind.

• Protect the environment – As a Councilman, I’ve authored innovative legislation to protect the environment. I wrote the law requiring the first energy-efficient white roof in White Plains, established new rules cracking down on illegal dumping, and created new parkland while protecting our existing open space by preventing development around environmentally sensitive sites. I’ll make our environment a top priority, and as Assemblyman I'll work to avert potentially serious environmental accidents and to prevent hydro-fracking from contaminating our ground water.

• Enact sensible gun control – While it is important to respect every law-abiding citizen’s right to own a gun if they so choose, we must also enact sensible regulations that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and that protect our families. My opponent has voted against common sense measures like prohibiting individuals convicted of domestic violence from purchasing guns or microstamping firearms to make it easier for law enforcement to track down criminals. I’ll support measures like these that keep us safe without burdening responsible gun owners.

• Increase state aid for public education – I attended Westchester public schools from kindergarten through high school, and I’ll make sure that every school district has the resources it needs to offer our children a quality education. As Assemblyman, I’ll fight to increase state aid to our local schools to reduce our property taxes and invest in our future. Taxpayers and school districts need help from Albany in these tough times, and I’ll make sure they receive it.

Making Albany Work For Us

I pushed ethics reform in White Plains and budget reforms that saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars – now I want to do the same thing in Albany. I have a record of doing what I believe is right regardless of whether it was politically convenient or easy. Whether it was standing up to a fellow Democrat when as Mayor he was arrested and convicted for domestic violence, or going line-by-line through the budget to find ways to consolidate services and make government more efficient, I’ve always put my constituents first as a City Councilman. As Assemblyman, I’ll work to build upon Governor Cuomo’s historic success making government work for the people at a price we can afford. I pledge to:

• Strengthen Governor Cuomo's sweeping ethics reform – Last year New York State cracked down on ethical lapses in state government, but challenges still remain. We have to ensure that Gov. Cuomo’s legislation is aggressively implemented, and we have to toughen the penalties for unethical behavior. On the White Plains Common Council, I authored legislation strengthening the City’s Code of Ethics, and I’ll make improving state ethics laws a top priority.

• Enact Campaign Finance Reform – Governor Cuomo and good government groups have made campaign finance reform a top priority for the next legislative session. If elected, I’ll fight to make effective campaign finance reform a reality here in New York State. We need to reduce contribution limits, close loopholes and improve disclosure to make sure no one has undue influence on our elections.

• Root out fraud and abuse – Whether it’s stopping unscrupulous contractors, preventing Medicaid fraud, or holding government projects to account when they go over budget, I’ll be sure we’re spending our money wisely.

• Make government more efficient – As a Councilman, I supported innovative ways to consolidate services and do more with less, saving money for both the local government and school district and making government work better for us. As Assemblyman, I’ll find ways to do the same in Albany.