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The questions were prepared by the Leagues of Women Voters of New York State and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Economy,
Budget,
Campaign Finance,
Redistricting,
Education
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. What measures do you support to save existing jobs and create new jobs in New York State?
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Answer from Neil Breslin:
One key action that I believe will help to save existing jobs and create new jobs is the leveraging of our academic institutions to make our colleges and universities more responsive to the needs of the business community. I have found that a key concern of business leaders, in addition to lower taxes, is a trained workforce. The SUNY Nanotechnology college is a good example here in Albany where we tied our local university to the growing nanotechnology and semiconductor industry. Buffalo is also doing this with biotechnology. Investments in higher education coupled with more strategic thinking about the needs of businesses we are trying to attract will go a long way in promoting New York, and particularly upstate, as a place where businesses can find superior talent.
Answer from Robert Domenici:
Improving the business environment is a top priority. We need to get New York State government leaders to see business as a partner and not a target. We need to consider reducing or temporarily eliminating (for a period of two years) the New York State payroll tax so that businesses can invest in hiring new employees and expanding. The benefits of that alone will pay for itself. We need to work to reduce overall business taxes in New York State to create a climate where businesses will want to locate and/or expand here. We need to overhaul our workers compensation insurance program to make it affordable for employers and meaningful for employees. Finally, we need to show business leaders that New York State government is credible and intends to work as a partner with the business community. Restoring the business community's faith in New York State will be critical to getting investment in our State. Today, unfortunately, we are a laughingstock.
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2. How do you think New York can best deal with upcoming unsustainable deficit budgets?
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Answer from Robert Domenici:
The very first thing we should do is cap spending and then work every day to find ways to reduce our spending. There is an amazing amount of waste and duplication in our system and we have to be committed to rooting it out. We have to attack the expense side of the ledger before we can focus on revenues. We should implement a cap on property taxes after we get a better handle on reducing expenses. This will restore people's faith in our government and incent investment which will grow our economy. We should also completely overhaul our arcane budgeting process and look to a system which will allow us to plan better for the future and force our public officials to be more proactive in conserving the people's money.
Answer from Neil Breslin:
We need a mix of cuts and revenue raisers to address the State’s dire fiscal crisis. Cuts undoubtedly need to be made. Although painful, these cuts have and will be made in the education and healthcare arenas. Unless there are other significant increases, it will be very difficult to balance the budget without some real cuts to these areas. I will consider revisiting temporary revenue raisers in an effort to help New York regain some economic ground. I would support a new tax restructuring plan providing that the wealthiest New Yorkers pay their fair share of taxes, i.e. a version of the so-called “Millionaire’s Tax”. However, I will not support revenue raising measures at the expense of the State’s needy and most vulnerable.
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3. What reforms would you propose to address inadequate campaign finance rules and enforcement in New York?
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Answer from Robert Domenici:
I support complete and open disclosure of all outside business interests and clients. Elected officials have no excuse for not doing so. Along those lines, I believe state elected officials should hold themselves to a higher standard in terms of disclosure of their own finances. We should, at least, hold ourselves to the standards of our federal office holders. I think it is wrong that elected officials can receive campaign contributions from the very businesses that they are supposed to be overseeing or regulating. We have to put a stop to that practice because it, at least, leads the public to suspect impropriety. We must, and can do better.
Answer from Neil Breslin:
We absolutely must break the link – whether real or only in the minds of voters rightly discouraged by the taint of politics – between industry lobbyists and campaign money. One way to do that is with campaign finance reform – strict disclosure, lower contribution limits, aggressive and independent enforcement and harsh penalties. I have long fought for these reforms and I will keep fighting until they are the law in New York State. I have also been a long-time supporter of “clean elections” or the public financing of campaigns. Changes are also needed in the area of enforcement of campaign finance rules. There is no valid reason to continue the antiquated requirement of forcing a deadlocked Board of Elections to bring lawsuits to enforce ministerial filing and excess-contribution violations. Rather, any candidate who fails to file, or who files late, or who accepts an illegal contribution automatically should be penalized. This simple change would greatly enhance compliance.
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4. What reforms would you support for the redistricting process?
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Answer from Robert Domenici:
I completely agree that an independent redistricting commission should draw election boundaries before the 2012 election. I do not believe that elections should be politicized no matter if Republicans or Democrats are in the majority. Since I would like to also reform the budget process, we should include this in a constitutional convention and reform.
Answer from Neil Breslin:
I support independent, nonpartisan redistricting: a transparent, good-government legislature begins with transparent, good-government redistricting without gerrymandering. But just as I support nonpartisan redistricting, I also support honoring the constitution’s duty to enact a fair redistricting plan on time: the Legislature has a duty to pass a redistricting plan before the 2012 election. I would also give serious consideration to the following reforms:(1)an independent redistricting commission funded outside the legislative process;(2)absolute equality of population between districts (same standard as U.S. House);(3)prohibition on considering partisanship or residency of incumbent or any challenger;(4)mandatory district contiguity;(5)mandatory compactness (with maximum ratio of perimeter to area to minimize gerrymandering);(6)prohibition on increasing the number of Senate districts;(7)mandatory public hearings and comment period on proposed maps and public access to all data sets.
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5. Would you support a cap on property taxes and, if so, how do you think school districts can deal with the decrease in revenue?
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Answer from Robert Domenici:
I do support a cap on property taxes but only after we work to reduce our expense side. We have to put both sides of the state’s financial statements in play. Once we reduce expenses and cap property taxes, our school districts will be able to work with a more consistent stream of revenues and, if we do our job right, we should be able to keep revenues and expenses fairly flat moving forward. As a school board member, I know how difficult it is when school districts are held hostage to Albany's dysfunctional budget process. By giving them better budget certainty, districts will be able to plan accordingly.
Answer from Neil Breslin:
I would have to analyze the specific proposal for a local property tax cap plan before committing any support. There are several local property tax cap plans currently being discussed in the Legislature. Regardless, providing adequate funding for public education will undoubtedly continue to be a challenge in the years to come. I voted for changes to make New York competitive in the Race to the Top grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. As a result we were awarded a large grant. These funds will allow us to infuse $700 million into our schools at a time when it is needed most. In order to give our school districts the resources they need, especially in trying economic times, I also supported a four-measure mandate relief plan tailored specifically to ease the economic constraints under which so many of our school districts are operating. I will continue to explore other options to ensure that we protect and strengthen public education in New York.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation, Inc.
