News

Long Island’s Economy Today

Sep
13
2012

Long Island’s middle class suburban lifestyle was built on the promise of hard work and a solid education for our kids. Our hopes were pinned on the idea that the next generation would do even better than the present. That promise has become harder to fulfill in the past 20 years. Today, families need to spend more than 35% of their income for housing on Long Island. The gradual decline of private sector jobs on Long Island is making it even harder. The jobs that have been created pay less than before. Pay per employee is at a 10-year low on Long Island, down 3% since 2000. In the same period, average wages in the United States grew by 4%.| read more ››

Calarco Pushes for Progress on Traffic Violation Bureau

Sep
11
2012

Hauppauge, LI—Thursday, September 6: Legislator Rob Calarco, Chair of the Government Operations Committee, put the implementation of the Suffolk County Traffic Violations Bureau front and center at the most recent meeting of his Government Operations Committee. At the request of Leg. Calarco, Tom Melito, Director of Performance Management, made a presentation about TVB progress.

“The next steps will involve location of the TVB office; the issuance of an RFP for the software; and a decision as to whether we handle the processing in-house or use an outside firm. I strongly support the idea of doing it in-house as it would enable the county to rehire some of the staff that has been laid off. This would be a win-win...| read more ››

Foley Facility Serves a Very Special Need (Op Ed)

Sep
10
2012

Today the Suffolk County Legislature is scheduled to vote as to whether the County should sell the John. J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility. Those supporting the sale of the facility feel that Suffolk County no longer needs to provide long-term skilled nursing care given that there are many private sector facilities providing such services on a regular basis. The argument has merit; government should not be providing services that the private sector is perfectly capable and willing to meet. However, this argument ignores something vital when it comes to the population served by the JJFSN Facility.

The JJFSN Facility meets a critical need for the community that is absolutely not being met by nursing homes in the private sector....| read more ››

Rich Schaffer Announces Run For Babylon Town Supervisor

Rich Schaffer meets with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone
Sep
7
2012

Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer has announced the kickoff of his reelection campaign, promising to continue the Democratic policies that have kept Babylon moving in the right direction. Schaffer’s commitment to keeping taxes low, making strategic investments to the town’s infrastructure and keeping Babylon business-friendly are the cornerstones of his campaign and will ensure that Babylon remains a great place to live, work and play.

Schaffer was appointed by the Babylon Town Board in January of 2012, after previously serving from 1992 to 2001. His return to the position of Supervisor came as a result of a vacant seat left by his protégé Steve Bellone, who served from 2002 to 2011, after he was elected to the office Suffolk...| read more ››

"Damned Lies" in Reckless NY1 Campaign

Sep
6
2012

Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY1) has represented the East End of Long Island since January 2003, having defeated Randy Altschuler (R-C-I) in 2010. This year Altschuler is mounting another challenge against the 12th-generation Long Islander. He claims in his August 22 campaign letter that Rep. Bishop's votes in Congress since 2003 have "forced more than 30,000 jobs to leave Long Island." To use someone else's term -- see below -- it's a "damned lie," and the outsourced-to-New-Jersey Altschuler campaign knows it.

Every month for 13 years, as chief economist to three elected New York City comptrollers, I studied area job numbers. The latest month of data for payroll jobs on Long Island is July 2012. Compare this number with the number...| read more ››

Communications Workers of America Local 1108 Endorses Joe Dujmic

CWA 1108
Sep
5
2012

We are extremely proud to announce that we have received the endorsement of the Communications Workers of America Local 1108 (CWA 1108).

The following is a statement from President Don Dunn was: "It is my pleasure to inform you that CWA Local 1108 is endorsing you for New York State Assembly in the Tenth Assembly District. It was a pleasure to meet you and we feel you will be a strong advocate for the membership of CWA 1108 and the working men and women in not just the Tenth District, but in all of New York State"

What an honor to receive the endorsement of such a storied union that has represented thousands of Long Island's working families throughout the...| read more ››

Letter: Altschuler Has Foley All Wrong

Sep
5
2012

To the Editor,

There's a saying that "character is what we do when we think no one is looking." In politics, character is doing the right thing even when it goes against your self-interest.

The Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees public sector union recently screened Congressman Tim Bishop and his opponent Randy Altschuler. In exchange for their endorsement, they pushed the candidates to take a stand against my proposal to sell the John J Foley Skilled Nursing Facility to a private buyer; despite the fact that my plan will reduce next year's deficit by $30 million, keep all the patients at the facility and require the buyer to offer union jobs to all the current employees.

Congressman Bishop has...| read more ››

Bishop Comments on Pell Grant Cuts

Sep
4
2012

“Across America, there are more than 20 million college students heading back to classes this fall,” Bishop said. “Paul Ryan’s Altschuler-approved budget would slash Pell Grants by billions, eliminating the grants for 400,000 students in academic year 2013-2014, cutting grants for hundreds of thousands more in years to come, and reducing assistance for virtually every other recipient.”| read more ››

Joe Dujmic Promotes Job Creation and Small Business Development with Five-Point Growth Plan

Huntington Village, NY
Sep
4
2012

Huntington Station, NY - With the economy and employment top among concerns of more and more Americans, New York State Assembly candidate Joe Dujmic today unveiled a comprehensive Five-Point Plan to Spur Job Creation and Economic Growth - a package of tax incentives and policies designed to increase local work opportunities and support small businesses.

Released the day after Labor Day, The Five-Point Plan to Spur Job Creation and Economic Growth includes: A Small Business Tax Credit for new jobs; Incentives for landlords offering office space to small business incubators; A tax credit for "Angel Investors; "A requirement for the use of New York State companies and employees on state contracts; Aid to educational institutions that establish training in alternative...| read more ››

New York City Corrections Officers Endorses Joe Dujmic

NYC COBA
Sep
1
2012

Recently, our campaign received a major boost when it was announced that the Correction Officers Benevolent Association of New York City (COBA) was endorsing our candidacy.

The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association represents New York's Boldest, the 9000 men and women who patrol the toughest precincts in New York...the City jails. COBA is the first law enforcement organization to endorse our candidacy thus far.

In typical trendsetting fashion, COBA President Norman Seabrook announced to his radio audience on August 24th that his organization would be endorsing my candidacy based partly on our mutual dedication to ridding our streets of illegal guns and in turn reducing the violence in our neighborhoods. President Seabrook hosts a popular weekly radio program on am 1600...| read more ››