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Former county legislator Susan Berland and incumbent Mario Mattera will be on the ballot for state senator in the second district. Photos by Raymond Janis

TBR News Media isn’t endorsing anyone in the race for state Senate in the 2nd District because the editorial staff feels both candidates are equally qualified.

While it may be difficult for a newspaper to choose who to endorse in this race, it’s a win for voters. Whichever candidate succeeds, we will have someone who is qualified and committed to doing the best for New York state and the 2nd District.

Berland has decades of political experience behind her, and it’s evident her experiences with the Town of Huntington and Suffolk County will be an asset in Albany if she wins.

Mattera has learned a great deal during this two-year term as senator. He has quickly evolved from a freshman senator to a knowledgeable elected official. We are confident that he will stand by his promise that he will not be working to change New York State’s abortion legislation, and if gubernatorial candidate Zeldin wins, we will hold Mattera to his word that he will not work to reverse those laws in the state.

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Pictured above, Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. (R). Photo by Rita J. Egan

After serving in the office for the last eight years, Suffolk County Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. (R) is seeking reelection.

His challenger, Democratic Party nominee Thomas Dolan, is not openly campaigning and therefore could not be reached for comment.

‘I think Suffolk County still needs a shakedown.’

— John Kennedy

In an exclusive interview, Kennedy defined the function of the comptroller’s office, its central role in the fiscal stability of the county government, and why he is pursuing election to that office yet again.

He described his responsibilities as overseeing the county’s financial operations. However, the scope of the office goes well beyond this purpose, with auditing powers and administrative duties related to the former Office of Treasurer.

“It has been a great gig,” Kennedy said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Eight years into it, I think we’ve been able to do some good things.” He spoke of his opponent, “I hear he’s a very nice individual.”

Kennedy said he has several programs and policy initiatives he intends to get off the ground if reelected. Among these is upgrading the county’s financial infrastructure to improve the office’s operations and connect currently disconnected frameworks.

“One of the components in that is unifying the capital budget function,” he said. “It is critical from a budgeting perspective, from a management perspective, that we bring all those disparate databases together so that we have continuity and good stewardship of our money.”

Kennedy also plans to request two additional auditors from the county Legislature to oversee the expenditures of approximately $185 million in opioid-related settlements to Suffolk County. [See story, “Suffolk County launches grant application program to fight opioid crisis,” TBR News Media, July 28, also TBR News Media website.]

“Many have said that they want to see contemporaneous oversight of the opioid settlements,” the county comptroller said. “We received $25 million [so far] … but unfortunately, there is a propensity in government for money to go to all different types of things.” 

He added, “Our electeds, our advocates, our treatment community want to make sure that there’s good, contemporaneous oversight regarding expenditure and use of those funds.”

Kennedy augmented his audit staff from 19 to 34 members during his two terms in the comptroller’s office. He viewed this as progress and committed to increasing the number of auditors at his disposal.

“I’ve been very aggressive with [hiring] our audit staff,” he said. “I think we need to do more of that. I want to bring that on in some other aspects of the office, including IT.”

Having served in this capacity for some time now, he believes he possesses the requisite experience and institutional knowledge to discharge the county’s finances responsibly.

“This is the kind of office that lends itself to almost limitless opportunities,” he said.

But it has yet to be smooth sailing for Kennedy or the public fund. Citing an analysis, by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D), which considered fund balance and borrowing cycles, among other concrete financial measures, he acknowledges that Suffolk County ranks near the bottom among the state’s 62 counties in terms of fiscal responsibility.

“It’s indisputable that going back two or three years ago, we were the 62nd in ranking out of all 62 counties in the state of New York,” Kennedy said. “The most recent evaluation has moved us up.”

Despite Suffolk’s checkered financial record, the comptroller believes this assessment requires further context. He contends the analysis measures Suffolk against other counties throughout the state, which are less populated and with budgets dwarfed by Suffolk County’s $3.8 billion annual budget.

Instead, he favors an “apples to apples” method of comparing the county’s finances to those of the “Big Five”: Suffolk, Nassau, Erie, Monroe and Albany counties.

“They’re the largest concentrations of cities, budget size and municipal function,” he said, adding, “We’re somewhat comparable with them.”

Still, Kennedy supports “serious fiscal reform,” stating that he intends to embark upon a “shakedown” of the county government.

“I think Suffolk County still needs a shakedown,” he said. “The underlying platform and premise for us is unsustainable. Unless we do something to address the proliferation of things that we have — and the areas where we’re not delivering services adequately — I think we will be destined for serious financial strife in ‘24.”

The county government may be able to get through the 2023 fiscal year comfortably, according to Kennedy, due to substantial financial reserves generated during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he foresees those reserves drying up and the effects to be felt within a year. 

“We are on a runaway train with inflation,” he said. “We are seriously, seriously compromised internally in our financial structure.”

Throughout the interview, Kennedy named several individuals with whom he disagreed on policy grounds. In the face of these differences, he finds that he still manages to build bridges across the aisle and discover common ground. 

“The middle [of the road], registered, undeclared [voting population] keeps growing,” he explained. “My sense with folks that are in that category is they want to talk about the issues, hear about what’s important to them, and know what you’re going to do with the opportunity they give you.”

Kennedy asserted that the general public is decreasingly tolerant of partisans and political extremists. Instead, the regular voter thirsts for tangible results from the government. The county comptroller says his efforts to reach across the aisle have generally been reciprocal.

“What I’m talking about with them is the operations, the nuts and bolts of government,” he said. “I’m not talking about whether you’re pro-abortion or pro-life, or whether you believe in cashless bail or whether you want to legalize heroine.”

He added, “I’m talking about how to pay bills, how to recruit and keep talent, how to do the things necessary for the vast majority of people that interact with the county government.”

Whether Kennedy will apply his “nuts and bolts” political philosophy to other realms of the county government is still to be decided. Next year, the highest post in Suffolk County, the office of county executive, will be up for grabs.

Kennedy received the Republican nomination for county executive in 2019, but was defeated by incumbent Steve Bellone (D). When asked if he would pursue that office again, Kennedy responded, “We’ll see what the future brings.”

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Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy, above. Photo by Rita J. Egan

The comptroller’s seat is not the glamor position of the county government. Yet, it is an important office that demands our respect and interest. TBR News Media supports Kennedy’s reelection campaign this November.

Having faith that the officials will handle our tax dollars responsibly lies at the core of what it means to participate in representative government. Administrative in its nature, the comptroller’s office conducts financial monitoring and audits, among several other essential tasks. 

Kennedy appreciates this responsibility. He embraces it fully and carries enthusiasm and focus into that office which we can respect and admire.

Having served in the post for two terms, he has the experience and institutional insight to execute his duties well. He brings to the comptroller’s office a firm understanding of finance and a knowledge of the law rooted in his background as a lawyer.

In his interview with TBR News Media, Kennedy warned of possibly serious financial strife by 2024. If an economic downtown is in the cards for Suffolk County residents, then it is in our interest that our comptroller understands the office and can adapt it to meet the needs of the changing circumstances.

Finally, Kennedy outlined his “nuts and bolts” political philosophy, arguing that politicians often ignore the most pressing issues due to partisanship and tribalism. We agree with this assessment and ask that he continues to apply this approach, keeping the county government running smoothly.

We appreciate Kennedy’s openness, eagerness to express himself and desire to serve. In this year’s election for Suffolk County Comptroller, TBR News Media strongly supports John M. Kennedy Jr. for reelection.

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TBR conducted a phone interview with Democrat Lisa Jimenez, left, and Republican Vincent Puleo, right, stopped by the office to discuss the 2022 county clerk race. Photo of Jimenez from candidate; photo of Puleo by Raymond Janis

After a June primary, current Suffolk County Clerk Judith Pascale (R) will not be running for the position.

Republican Vincent Puleo, town clerk of Smithtown, defeated Pascale, who has served in the position since 2006, in the primary election. In November, Puleo will face Democrat Lisa Jimenez, a newcomer to running for political office.

Jimenez was unable to come into the TBR News Media office for a debate. Puleo stopped by for an in-person interview with the editorial staff, and Jimenez answered questions from the writer in a phone conversation.

Vincent Puleo

Puleo, a Nesconset native, was a bar and restaurant owner for 26 years before a turn in the insurance business and then becoming town clerk in 2005. He has been a volunteer with the Nesconset Fire Department for 50 years and is the president of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce.

He said he feels it’s important to be community-minded regarding his current position, and he will bring that mindset to the county.

“Without community interaction, people don’t know who you are, they don’t know what you do,” he said.

The county clerk position oversees access to deeds, title searches and supreme court records. Puleo said he has priorities if he wins the election, including transparency, constituent services and making records more accessible, including online.

Puleo added that he feels Pascale has done a good job regarding transparency, and he will look to see if anything else can be done to make the process even more transparent. His aim, he said, is to make all processes smoother.

Puleo said he feels people shouldn’t have to go to the county clerk’s office in Riverhead to get a record when it could be as simple as registering on the county’s website and accessing it virtually. 

He said he has obtained $350,000 grants three years in a row to digitize Smithtown records for the town itself, as well as the villages and fire departments within the township.

He said 90% of the supreme court records are digitized, and he would continue that trend. He added that unions have been concerned with records being digitized because it may eliminate employees.

“Not really, what it does is it gives you more time to service more people,” he said.

Once the county’s website is back up and running after the recent cyberattack, he said he feels improvements can be made to the site to make it more user-friendly. Before the cyberattack, title searches were already backed up, and he would like to make the process more efficient. He said first it’s important to meet with department heads to work together for the common goal.

Puleo said to avoid cyberattacks such as the one the county suffered from early in September, IT professionals need to be in charge overall of the entire county system and know what goes on in each department to ensure that everything that is imported or exported is protected. He said he understands the county is moving in that direction, which he finds encouraging.

Puleo added that he and other elected officials can advocate for the county to spend more money, and he applauds Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) for allocating $8 million toward IT measures.

The Republican candidate added it helps to have relationships with elected officials, and over the past few months he has met with every county legislator.

“It’s a situation where you need to have those people understand where you’re coming from, and they have to trust you, and you have to trust them,” Puleo said. 

Lisa Jimenez

Jimenez, of Medford, has worked at the Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting for more than four decades. Before working full time for OTB, she worked as an assistant in Congressman Michael Forbes’ office (R/D-NY1).

She has been a member of Teamsters Local 237 and the AFL-CIO. The candidate also has volunteered as a catechist and at local food banks. She was active in her children’s PTA and recently was certified with Washington-based Underground Railroad which works to raise awareness about human trafficking and prevent it.

Jimenez said she feels her work experience and volunteer endeavors would be an asset to the county clerk position.

“I’m used to working with fast-paced, large groups and working with the unions,” she said. “I’ve learned how to come up with solutions quickly.”

Jimenez said she is open to learning new things.

“I’m willing to sit down and learn whatever I need to do to get the job done,” she said.

During her time with OTB, she has gone from cashier to human resources manager. 

“As a manager, as a cashier, I’ve done it front and center,” Jimenez said. “It’s not below me to do the job of the cashier. My branch needs to be cleaned then I’m out there cleaning. I will make myself as accessible as possible.”

After the recent cyberattack, she said she doesn’t think the county has made the best decisions as far as improvements to minimize security issues in the past, and she would meet with IT professionals to seek better solutions for internet security.

Regarding the website in general, she said she has had issues at times navigating through the county’s website and would like to see it be more user-friendly, especially when trying to access records.

“There’s always ways to improve upon what’s already there,” she said.

Jimenez believes completely digitizing records is better for the constituents, and she doesn’t feel that all records being digitized would lead to less employees.

Jimenez said if there was room in the budget, she would like to see the county open up satellite county clerk offices so residents wouldn’t have to travel to Riverhead to get paperwork. She would also suggest the offices stay open later than usual one or two days a month to make it easier for people who work a 9-to-5 job.

She said she would look to make the office more efficient with document processing being quicker.

“I think the next thing is the turnover of the paperwork,” she said. “How can we get that? You look at any other county, the paperwork is in and out. Ours isn’t.”

She also suggested providing assistance, possibly an office liaison, for veterans or those with disabilities to make it easier for them.

Jimenez agrees that Pascale has run a transparent office.

“I think she’s done a great job all these years,” she said. “I have nothing negative to say about her or Vinny. But, I think there’s always room for improvement.”

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REI is heading to Huntington in 2023.

REI, an outdoor apparel and goods store, is scheduled to open in Huntington by summer 2023, according to a news release from REI Co-op. The 21,100-square-foot store will be in the Huntington Shopping Center at 350 Walt Whitman Road.

The location will offer a wide assortment of apparel, gear and expertise for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking, paddling, climbing, snowsports and more. For those who adventure on two wheels, a full-service bike shop will be staffed by certified mechanics. The store will also have a ski and snowboard shop with professional tuning, waxing and repairs.

“We’ve long been interested in better serving the Long Island outdoor community and in complement to our existing Tri-State stores,” said Sean Sampson, REI regional director. “As we do in every community where the co-op has a presence, our local team will seek partnerships with nonprofits to support their efforts in protecting natural places and welcoming more people outside.” 

The new store will be the fourth location in New York and seventh in the Tri-State region.

“REI is a terrific addition to our evolving line-up at Huntington Shopping Center and brings us closer to our vision of providing a dynamic mix of essential resources to the community as part of our center-wide redevelopment,” said Chris Fleming, vice president at Federal Realty. “Their brand and customer appeal aligns well with the tenants we’ll continue to unveil.”

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Arkarup Banerjee. Photo ciourtesy of CSHL

By Daniel Dunaief

Brain cells don’t always have easily discovered roles, the way various instruments do in an orchestra.

Sometimes, different cells share a function, making it possible to perform various tasks or to process information from the environment, while other times, different cells play their own part in making it possible for an organism to optimize its circuitry to act and react on the world.

So it is for the tufted and mitral cells of land based vertebrates, which are part of the olfactory system, sending signals to the brain about the odors and triggering thoughts about moving towards a desired food or away from the scent of a predator. In many studies, the names have been used interchangeably, as scientists were not sure how to separate them.

Florin Albeanu. Photo courtesy of CSHL

Researchers have spent considerable time studying mitral cells, which project into a region of the brain called the piriform cortex. These cells are nicely organized into one layer, which makes them easy to identify and are bigger in size compared to tufted cells.

Mitral cells, which have been the celebrated stars of the olfactory system, are easier to see and sort out than their nasal cousins, the tufted cells which, by contrast, are slightly smaller.

Recently, two scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Florin Albeanu, an Associate Professor, and Arkarup  Banerjee, an Assistant Professor, published a study that suggested there’s more than meets the eye, or, maybe, the nose, with these tufted cells.

Tufted cells, it turns out, are better at recognizing smells than mitral cells and are critical for one of two parallel neural circuit loops that help the brain process different odor features, according to a study the scientists published in the journal Neuron at the end of September.

“People had assumed mitral cells were very good at” differentiating odor, but “tufted cells are better,” Albeanu said. “How they interact with each other and what the mitral cells are computing in behaving animals remains to be seen.”

Albeanu and Arkarup, who had performed his PhD research in Albeanu’s lab before returning to CSHL in 2020, exposed mice to different odors, from fresh mint to bananas and at different concentrations. They chose these compounds because there are no known toxic effects. The scientists also screened for compounds that elicited strong responses on the dorsal surface of the olfactory bulb that they could access using optical imaging tools.

It is hard to distinguish mitral and tufted cells when doing recordings. Optical imaging, however, enabled them to see through layers and shapes, if they were recording activity in a particular type of cell.

So, Albeanu asked rhetorically, “why is this exciting?”

As it turns out, these two types of cells project to different regions of the brain. Mitral cells travel to the piriform cortex, while tufted cells travel to the anterior olfactory nucleus.

It appears at this point that tufted cells are more likely to share information with other tufted cells, while mitral cells communicate with other mitral cells, as if the olfactory system had two parallel networks. There may yet be cross interactions, Albeanu said.

Mitral cells may be part of a loop that helps enhance and predict smells that are important for an animal to learn. Tufted cells, however, appear superior to mitral cells in representing changes in odor identity and intensity. By flagging the tufted cells as sources of olfactory information, the researchers were able to suggest a different combination of cells through which animals detect smells.

“A large fraction of people in the field would expect that mitral cells and the piriform complex are representing odor identity more so than the tufted cells and the anterior olfactory nucleus, so this is the surprise,” Albeanu explained in an email. Thus far, the reaction in the research community has been positive, he added. 

Throughout the review process, the researchers encountered natural skepticism.

“It remains to be determined how the findings we put forward hold when mice are engaged in odor trigger behavior” as odors are associated with particular meaning such as a reward, an lead to specific actions,” Albeanu explained. “This is what we are currently doing.”

Albeanu added that a few different streams of information may be supported by tufted and mitral cells, depending on the needs of the moment.

Arkarup Banerjee. Photo ciourtesy of CSHL

The study that led to this work started when Banerjee was a PhD student in Albeanu’s lab. Albeanu said that a postdoctoral fellow in his lab, Honggoo Chae, provided complementary work to the efforts of Banerjee in terms of data acquisition and analysis, which is why they are both co-first authors on the study.

For Banerjee, the work with these olfactory cells was an “echo from the past,” Albeanu added. 

As for where the research goes from here, Albeanu said future questions and experiments could take numerous approaches.

Researchers are currently looking for markers or genes that are expressed specifically and differentially in mitral or tufted cells and they have found a few potential candidates. While some markers have been found, these do not sharply label all mitral only versus all tufted cells only.

One of the confounding elements to this search, however, is that these cells have subtypes, which means that not every mitral cell has the same genetic blueprint as other mitral cells.

Another option is to inject an agent like a virus into the piriform cortex and assess whether boosting or suppressing activity in that region in the midst of olfaction alters the behavioral response.

Additionally, researchers could use tools to alter the activity of neurons during behavior using optogenetic approaches, inducing or suppressing activity with cell type specificity and millisecond resolution.

Albeanu would like to test speculation about the roles of these cells in action, while a mice is sampling smells he presents.

By observing the reactions to these smells, he could determine an association between rewards and punishment and anything else he might want to include.

The upshot of this study, Albeanu said, is that an objective observer would have much less trouble extracting information about the identity and intensity of a smell from a tufted cell as compared with a mitral cell.

Tufted cells had been “slightly more mysterious” up until the current study.

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Former county legislator Susan Berland and incumbent Mario Mattera will be on the ballot for state senator in the second district. Photos by Raymond Janis

Aiming for New York State senator in the 2nd District are incumbent Mario Mattera (R-St. James) and Democrat Susan Berland, formerly Suffolk County legislator in the 16th District and Town of Huntington councilwoman.

The two have worked together in the past on local issues, and despite differing on some political issues and eyeing the same job, the two remain friendly. When they stopped by the TBR News Media offices recently to discuss the race, the debate was a cordial one, and the two agreed on a few issues and were civil when they disagreed.

Currently, District 2 encompasses Smithtown and sections of Brookhaven and Huntington. Beginning in 2023, it will include all of Smithtown and Huntington and no Brookhaven hamlets.

Background

Berland was an attorney before becoming a town councilwoman in 2001. During her tenure as county legislator, she served as the majority leader of the Legislature. In 2021, she lost to Republican Manuel Esteban by 156 votes. When she heard Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) wasn’t going to run again for the state Senate after district lines changes, she said she decided to join the race.

A former union leader in the Plumbers Local Union No. 200, Mattera beat Democrat Mike Siderakis in 2020. The state senator is also a former board member of the Suffolk County Water Authority and has sat on Smithtown’s advisory board for new construction projects where he was active with the Lake Avenue Revitalization project in St. James.  

Bail reform

Both candidates agreed that the current bail procedure is not working. 

“It needs to be repealed,” Mattera said. “We need to get the proper people to the table.”

He added the proper people would be judges, district attorneys and law enforcement professionals.

The state senator said the problem lies in that many people who are released think they can get away with a crime again. 

“If people know they can get away with it, they are going to keep doing it,” he said.

Berland said if she was a state senator when the bail-reform measure was passed in the state budget, she wouldn’t have agreed to it as it was written. She said she believes it should have been drafted more eloquently and more public relations should have been done to educate the public about it. 

“I would not have voted for it in its current incarnation, but I would not repeal it,” she said. “I would amend it”

Berland said with people in the past being released on their own recognizance, in a way cashless bail has always existed. Regarding bail, she said unfortunately not everyone can afford it. In the last couple of years, she added she feels there have been improvements with amendments that have added judges back into the process and taken certain crimes off the bail-free list such as arson.

She thinks it’s important to have a judge’s discretion. 

“I don’t want anyone selling drugs to kids by a school to be released on his own recognizance,” Berland said.

Both agree that such measures and amendments shouldn’t be tied to the budget, and policy decisions should be voted separately.

Drugs

The two candidates said they were against the legalization of marijuana.

Regarding the war on drugs, Berland said she felt Suffolk County has been successful with prevention and treatment programs and, if elected, would ensure municipalities received the resources they needed for treatment, prevention and education. She added it’s important to support the police.

“We need to give them the resources to investigate and recover the drugs that are out there,” she said. “I’m very much pro-police. I’ve always supported their budgets, their efforts.”

Mattera also said prevention programs are important in schools. He was upset about the marijuana legislation passing, and he feels marijuana is a gateway to other drug usage.

He said he is also worried when he sees or hears news stories that report children confusing THC gummies for candy because they are shaped like bears.

Mattera is proud that both Smithtown and Huntington opted out of dispensaries. The state senator met with supervisors over Zoom together to look into opting out of dispensaries, a decision that Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) and former Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) strongly supported.

“I’m very concerned that we have drug dealers that were incarcerated that are the first ones who would be able to open these dispensaries,” he said.

Sewer installation

Both candidates are advocates for sewers in downtown business areas.

Mattera has worked on getting sewers in Kings Park, downtown Smithtown and St. James. He added sewering Route 110 is also important as it has been piecemealed in the past.

Berland pointed out Mattera voted against funding for sewers in Huntington when it was in the budget. He said there were other things in the budget which made it difficult to vote “yes.”

“That’s another thing where if you voted against the budget, and you’re voting against infrastructure money, where maybe there are things I think from the budget that Democrats or Republicans can agree on, and try to take some of those things out of the budget,” Berland said. “I don’t think anyone disagrees that we need infrastructure money.”

Berland said she supported the Suffolk County grant program for homeowners who wanted to install an advanced wastewater treatment system on their property.

“For people who can’t hook up to a sewage treatment plant, we want to be able to give them the money they need to put their individual systems in,” she said.

Education

Berland believes that schools need more resources to teach children the way they need to be.

“I don’t think children need to all be taught the same cookie-cutter way,” she said.

She believes in mainstreaming students, but also feels there may be a need for more teaching assistants in classrooms and breaking students into groups.

“One teacher to 25 kids in a classroom, I don’t think that really works anymore,” Berland said.

Mattera said mental health help assistance in schools is also vital, especially after the pandemic. He noticed that with his own children, they  were excited to stay home at first during the early days of the pandemic, but the excitement soon faded. He worked to get students back to “normalcy” such as back in the classrooms for in-person teaching and taking part in their usual activities such as sports and proms.

Despite the obstacles COVID-19 presented, Mattera said, “Our school districts did a great job, and I commend all of our teachers.”

Both are proponents of BOCES programs available to students with training young people for the careers in the trades.

Reproductive rights

Mattera is endorsing Congressman Lee Zeldin (R), and Berland is voting for current New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the governor’s race. 

Berland is afraid that Zeldin will repeal rights to an abortion in New York, and she feels that Hochul is the only gubernatorial candidate that will protect a woman’s right to choose, a decision she feels should be made among a woman, her family and doctor.

“Our reproductive rights and our rights in general are only as safe as the people who are sitting in the offices that make those decisions,” Berland said. “I would absolutely protect a woman’s right to choose.”

Mattera believes after speaking with Zeldin, that the latter will follow through on his promise not to overturn state law regarding abortion, and he himself would not vote to do so either. The state senator said his feelings on abortion is that it should be available if the pregnancy is a risk to a mother’s health or in the case of incest or rape, and if the woman is in the first trimester. He said if nothing’s wrong in the second or third trimester he has problems with a woman getting an abortion at that point.

Hochul v. Zeldin 

In addition to reproductive rights in the state, regarding voting for governor, Mattera also had an issue with health care workers losing their jobs if they weren’t vaccinated, which was a measure Hochul passed.

He added he feels the governor has not dealt with the recent migrants to NYC.

“What are they doing about all these people who are coming into New York state,” he said.

He added the “vibrant city” is going to get worse, and he wonders why the governor isn’t dealing with the issue.

He said there needs to be a process for migrants especially with recent drug problems. 

Berland disagreed and believes Hochul has done a good job since taking over office after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) stepped down.

“As a woman in government for 20 years, I see the difference in how women govern than men,” she said. “When there’s an issue that comes in front of her, she’s looking outside the box, she’s looking to try to fix those issues. There isn’t a single issue that she’s avoided since she started, that she got thrown in. And I think she’s hit the ground running.”

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Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac), left, is the Democratic nominee in the race. Nick LaLota, right, is the Republican Party nominee for NY-1. Photos by Rita J. Egan

The race to fill U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin’s (R-NY1) congressional seat has highlighted some key issues confronting Suffolk County communities and the nation.

Zeldin announced last year he would vacate his seat to run for governor. Two major party candidates have emerged in his absence, both eager to fill the seat. In a debate with the TBR News Media staff spanning nearly two hours, the candidates covered myriad topics, tackling issues close to home and far away.

Introductions

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) is representing her party for the 1st District. She is a former criminal prosecutor, trying sex crimes and fraud cases. Over the last decade, Fleming has served in elective office, first on the Southampton Town Board and later in the county Legislature, where she is today.

Nick LaLota, of Amityville, carries the Republican Party nomination in this race. He served in the U.S. Navy for 11 years and deployed overseas three times. He worked in congressional and state Senate offices before being appointed as the Republican commissioner on the Suffolk County Board of Elections. Most recently, he was chief of staff for the county Legislature.

Outlining priorities

Through their time canvassing voters, the candidates identified their potential constituency’s core legislative priorities. LaLota said he had observed a mix of voter interest in the economy and public safety.

“A lot of folks with whom I speak are tremendously concerned about those two things,” he said. “People want the government to work for them. They expect to have a fair shot at the ability to earn and not have their money overtaxed … and they expect to go home at night and be safe.”

Fleming agreed that crime and economic concerns have piqued voter interest. However, she held that the overwhelming problem for those she has canvassed is declining faith in American democracy and the “protection of fundamental freedoms.”

“Protecting American democracy, that’s at the front of mind for lots and lots of people,” she said.

Abortion

‘ I would insist that government funds not be used for abortions, and I would also insist that … if a child is contemplating an abortion, that the parents get notified about that.’

—Nick LaLota

LaLota maintains the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, returned the matter of abortion to the states. While he does not view abortion as a federal policy concern, he nonetheless stated his position.

“I do not oppose abortion when it comes to rape, incest or the life of the mother, and I do not oppose abortion in the first trimester,” he said. “Conversely, I do oppose abortion in the second and third trimesters. I would insist that government funds not be used for abortions, and I would also insist that … if a child is contemplating an abortion, that the parents get notified about that.”

‘I believe firmly that it is not a state’s rights issue, that as a congressmember, I have to have a position on it, and that my position is that those protections [under Roe] need to be reinstated.’

—Bridget Fleming

Fleming described abortion as a “critical issue that defines a moment in time in American history.”

“It’s the first time in the history of the United States that a federally recognized human right has been reversed,” she said. “I believe firmly that it is not a state’s rights issue, that as a congressmember, I have to have a position on it, and that my position is that those protections [under Roe] need to be reinstated.”

Economic apprehension

Amid rising inflation, higher food and gas prices, and nationwide economic hardship, both candidates were asked about their favored approach to relieving these financial woes.

Fleming acknowledged that voters in the 1st District are further constrained by the high cost of living in the area. “It’s hard to make ends meet on Long Island,” she said. “Those costs are rising. … We need to look for specific ways to attack those costs.”

She added, “Certainly, taxes are one of them. I’ve been fighting against the cap on our state and local tax deductions … I think it’s critically important that a representative of this district fights the SALT tax cap.”

LaLota contributes much of the nation’s economic distress to unsustainable federal spending. “The federal government hasn’t balanced the budget in 20 years,” he said. “I think that can and should be done in the next Congress.”

Concerning petroleum prices, LaLota proposes establishing national energy independence by tapping into domestic oil reserves.

“We have 43.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves [as of the end of 2018],” he said. “That’s a 20-year supply, so there’s absolutely no reason to beg OPEC, Russia, Venezuela or anybody else to export their oil to this country.”

Energy and the environment

LaLota views the 20-year supply of domestic oil reserves as both a blessing and a curse. While it offers the U.S. flexibility in the near term, it provides no long-term guarantee for energy independence. 

In the meantime, he supports an aggressive push toward renewable energy sources. “It is right for the private and public sectors to make investments in renewable, alternative energies — wind and solar, specifically — to ensure we are on a trajectory to be energy independent,” he said.

Establishing a clear point of difference, Fleming expressed vehement disagreement with LaLota’s position on drilling, calling it a “completely wrong direction to go.”

The county Legislator held up recent developments in the offshore wind industry, specifically at Smith Point Park, as a prototype for future energy development. She argued Long Island has an opportunity to be a leader in the cause for green energy.

“Not only will we be helping Long Island taxpayers, ratepayers and our natural environment, we’re also serving as a model for the region and for the United States on how we transition,” she said.

On the issue of nuclear energy, both nominees expressed a desire to keep nuclear power away from Long Island communities.

“I don’t think that the community would support it,” Fleming said. Referring to the decommissioned Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, she added, “It’s been a huge detriment to any kind of progress.”

When questioned on nuclear energy, LaLota responded tersely, “Not on my Island.” For him, nuclear power is a matter of safety for Long Island residents. 

“For safety reasons, putting a power plant on Long Island just doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “It didn’t make any sense decades ago and doesn’t make sense now.”

LIRR electrification

‘If you could bring in funding for the electrification of the rail once and for all, assisting the Long Island Rail Road to get that accomplished, I think you’d do an awful lot for the community.’

—Bridget Fleming

Fleming and LaLota both supported electrifying the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road. For both, electrifying the rail is a matter of directing public funds into Long Island communities but working in close coordination with local officials.

“We definitely need to electrify the rest of the line,” Fleming said. “If you could bring in funding for the electrification of the rail once and for all, assisting the Long Island Rail Road to get that accomplished, I think you’d do an awful lot for the community.”

‘When these infrastructure dollars are received from Washington, given back to the district, it should absolutely be done in conjunction with what local stakeholders want and need.’

—Nick LaLota

LaLota concurred with this assessment while decrying the imbalance between the taxes New Yorkers give to the federal government and the infrastructure funds they get in return.

“We need to do a better job, working across party lines, to ensure that we get better infrastructure dollars back for projects like that,” he said, adding, “When these infrastructure dollars are received from Washington, given back to the district, it should absolutely be done in conjunction with what local stakeholders want and need.”

Foreign policy

On top of these domestic pressures, the congressional candidates identified critical instances of geopolitical turbulence in places around the globe.

Most notably, Russian president, Vladimir Putin, launched an invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, widely considered in violation of international human rights law. Fleming stressed her commitment to the Ukrainian war effort in response to Russian belligerence.

“I think it’s critically important for the rule of order and the international rule of law that the United States takes a strong stand, as we have, in conjunction with a united NATO, to condemn this unprovoked aggression, to offer military aid and to offer humanitarian aid,” she said.

On the whole, LaLota agreed with Fleming. He defined U.S. strategic interests in defending Ukraine. “We are the only superpower. We should promote stability throughout the world. We should protect American interests — we have many interests in Europe — and having stability in Europe … is good for America.”

‘I think we have lived in a moment in time for the last 10 years when China depends heavily upon U.S. dollars.’

—Nick LaLota

Along with the war in Ukraine, they also discussed the dangers of a rising China, a regime exerting greater influence politically and economically around the world.

LaLota advocates loosening the economic links that bind the two nations, something he said is unnecessary and counterproductive. 

“I think we have lived in a moment in time for the last 10 years when China depends heavily upon U.S. dollars,” he said. “We buy a lot of stuff — a lot of crappy, plastic stuff — that we shouldn’t have to buy from them.”

He added that American foreign policymakers must “ensure that [China] does not become a greater strategic enemy of ours.”

‘I think we have to keep a very close eye [on Xi].’

—Bridget Fleming

Fleming’s concerns regarding China relate primarily to Chinese president, Xi Jinping, whose unpredictable administration and questionable political associates cause her concern.

“I think we have to keep a very close eye [on Xi],” the county Legislator said. “I agree that we need to put ourselves in an economic position where we’re not beholden to the Chinese regime.”

Closer to home, the United States is observing heightened instability within its own hemisphere, with volatile regimes in Venezuela and Cuba, and growing concerns surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Both candidates were asked whether the United States must redefine its policy for Latin America.

For Fleming, much of the nation’s immigration crisis is attributed to government mismanagement of asylum seekers. “A lot of these folks are fleeing really dangerous circumstances,” she said. “One of the things we have to fix is a way to handle these asylum applications. We have huge backlogs in the court system, and a lot of it has to do with an unwillingness on the part of government to take seriously the granular issues involved in immigration.”

To remediate geopolitical unrest in the Western hemisphere, LaLota favors strengthening the military, diplomatic and economic bonds between the United States and its Latin American neighbors. 

“In Congress, I would support ensuring that Americans are involved in South America,” he said. “I think the benefit is less illegal folks coming across our border, and less dependence upon the U.S. in decades to come.”

Congressional reform

‘We have moved away from encouraging thoughtful approaches to government.’

—Bridget Fleming

We suggested the Founding Fathers envisioned Congress as the most powerful and important branch of the federal government. Over time, however, the national legislature has delegated much of its authority to the executive branch, particularly the hundreds of agencies comprising the federal bureaucracy.

At the same time, recent Gallup polling indicates that three in four Americans disapprove of how Congress is handling its job. The two nominees delivered varied responses when asked how they would restore the central role of Congress in U.S. policymaking.

‘If there’s going to be a tax, a fee, a rule or anything in between, it should come from the legislature.’

—Nick LaLota

“I think that this quasi-rulemaking by executive branch agencies has gone too far,” LaLota said. “If there’s going to be a tax, a fee, a rule or anything in between, it should come from the legislature.”

Expanding upon this stance, he criticized the existing culture of pork barreling and logrolling in Washington. He also advocated shorter, more straightforward, germane legislation narrowly tailored to the issues at hand.

“We shouldn’t be sticking all of this pork and these other ideas into [a bill] that has a different title,” he said, adding, “If we got back to that norm, I think we give power back to the people.”

Fleming’s frustrations with Congress stem from the breakdown of informed discourse and norms of civility. To reform the institution, she proposed the reinstatement of these practices.

“We have moved away from encouraging thoughtful approaches to government and are instead so prone to responding to, almost, performance art on the part of politicians and legislators,” she said.

To get the national legislature back on track, the county Legislator emphasized constituent services and a community-centric method of policymaking.

Referring to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, she said: 

“I think of Philadelphia when representatives came on horseback from their various places and asked that the government be shaped in a way that would respond to the concerns of folks in their communities,” adding, “That’s the model of government that I’ve always undertaken and that I think works best.”

The people of the 1st District will get the final say on these candidates on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

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Ready or not, here it comes. The end of daylight saving time (DST) is fast approaching, perhaps for the final time if legislators vote to permanently end switching clocks an hour backward in the coming months. The seasonal time change will occur on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. and along with it, an extra hour of sleep. DST returns on March 12, 2023.

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By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

I’ve been on a long journey that’s taken me around the world for more than two and a half years. Many hosts have provided for me, enabling me to grow and, in some cases, make changes.

I don’t recall the beginning. The first host I remember was an incredibly kind doctor. She spent countless hours caring for others, looking into their eyes, assuring them she would do everything she could for them.

She was so focused on helping others that she didn’t even know she was hosting me. I stayed quiet just long enough to make the jump to a famous American actor who was working in Australia.

He and his wife didn’t enjoy their time with me. They warned the world about me and my extended family.

My next host was a businessman. He had been in a hospital with his son, who had a broken leg. The businessman stayed in the waiting room for hours, trying to do his work but unable to focus because he was so concerned about his boy.

Finally, after hours of surgery, the doctor came out to talk to him and that’s when I found a new host.

This businessman worked hard. Once he discovered his son was safe, he ignored me and my needs.

I developed without anyone noticing me. At one point, I heard someone come looking for me, but I hid just far enough away. I traveled a great distance on a plane with him. Once we were in a new country, I had so many choices.

Realizing it was time to go, I jumped to an elderly bus driver. He was a gentle man. The lighter laugh lines near his eyes looked like waves approaching the shore on his dark chocolate skin.

Before he collapsed into bed the second evening we were together, he seemed to be staring directly at me. In his house, I had a choice of other possible hosts, but decided to hitch a ride with his son.

That one almost cost me my life. His son soon realized I was there, and he stayed away from everyone. I was curled up alone with him. He barely moved for long periods of time, except when he coughed or sat up and sent text messages and emails. One night, when he was finally sleeping, a man came into his room to clean it. That’s when I escaped.

This man didn’t even know he hosted me. He wasn’t stuck in bed, and he didn’t cough. I traveled with him to several events. After other trips, I found an important politician. We took a ride in a helicopter and went to a hospital where doctors provided all kinds of new medicines.

I became like a game of telephone, passing along from one person to the next. And, like a game of telephone, the message changed, as I demanded different things from my host.

I found myself at a concert with a young woman who sang and danced for hours. She looked so vibrant and full of life.

She was a friendly enough host, until I set up camp with her mother. Then, she shouted at me, praying to keep me away. She took me to a hotel, where she seemed to stare at me while she prayed.

When someone delivered food and walked in the room to wait for payment, I made the jump to him. During the day, he was a student with a full and busy life. I didn’t stay long, moving on to his girlfriend, her roommate, and, eventually, to a professor.

I stayed with the professor for over a week. She spent considerable time grading papers, writing at her computer, talking to family members, and taking medicine.

I have made some changes along the way. I don’t travel with as much baggage as I used to. I know people think I’m not as much of a burden as I was in the early days. My most recent host would disagree. He couldn’t talk, had trouble sleeping and was exhausted all the time. I’m getting ready to travel the world again this fall and winter. You can ignore me all you want, but I’m still here, making changes and preparing to find more hosts.

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