RSS 2.0 FeedThursday, November 3, 2011, Merrick Life
Meet the candidates
Civics host candidate night.
The North and Central Merrick Civic Association and the South Merrick Community Civic Association co-hosted a “Meet the Candidates” night last week at the Merrick Road Park Clubhouse. The event was attended by about 50 residents and 16 candidates.
The many candidates for judicial positions made it clear early on, and often, that, ethically, they could only discuss their qualifications and not politics.
County Court judge
Democratic candidate Elizabeth Kase said she was running for a 10-year term in the felony court because “I want to devote myself again to community service.”
Judge Kase said she had been a felony court prosecutor in Manhattan before joining her father’s private practice in Garden City. She has since taken over that practice and is also serving as an appointed judge in Baxter Estates in Port Washington. Judge Kase said she was found “well qualified” by the Nassau County Bar Association.
Second District Court judge
Democratic candidate Judge Carmen St. George said she had been a prosecutor for over six years in Queens before joining a private firm to practice civil litigation. She said her expertise has been called upon as a commentator for both CNN and Fox News cable TV networks.
Republican incumbent Anthony Paradiso said his judicial philosophy is, “You can’t administer justice in cookie-cutter fashion. What’s right in one situation may not be right in another. Each case is different. I try to do what’s right in each situation without prejudging a case.”
Republican incumbent Gary Knobel said he has been an Oceanside resident off and on since 1972. Mr. Knobel said, “I waited a long time to be a judge.” He said he worked as a law clerk for a number of judges and that he also presides over psychiatric retention hearings for Nassau County.
Republican incumbent Eric Bjorneby said he has spent 23 years as a Brooklyn prosecutor and served in the state attorney general’s office. He said, “I have the kind of background that prepares me very well.” Judge Bjorneby said he has been endorsed by the CSEA union and the Nassau County Sheriffs Association. He grew up in Valley Stream and now resides in Malverne.
Democratic candidate Kristen McElroy said she was a district attorney in Nassau County and is running because she wants to make a difference. She is now working at a private practice that assists legal aid clients when there is a conflict with legal aid.
Ms. McElroy said she practices solely in Nassau County, mostly in district court, and that being both a prosecutor and a defense attorney are important attributes for the job as district judge.
Democratic candidate Anthony Rattoballi said he was a district attorney in the homicide trial bureau in Queens, but now specializes in criminal defense. Mr. Rattoballi said he has prosecuted and defended a variety of criminal cases. He is a member of 9/11 Trial Lawyers Care, an organization that provided legal services to the families and victims of the September 11 attack.
Town of Hempstead supervisor
Democratic candidate Gary Port is an attorney practicing matrimonial and commercial law. He is also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He said, “How many nice Jewish boys in the ’80s joined the Army? I did, because I have a sense of purpose.” He said people are leaving the Town of Hempstead because there are no jobs. “Without jobs everything falls apart.” He said, “I promise if I get elected I’ll cut the Town of Hempstead supervisor salary by 25%.” He said he’d cut other town board salaries by 10%. He said he’d cut mailings. He said in order to bring in jobs, “We need to market the town. We need to fix the zoning.”
13th Legislative District
Democratic candidate Patricia Maher, an East Meadow resident, said, “I believe I can cross party lines.” She said she has been endorsed by the PBA and the CSEA. Ms. Maher said she is against the Republican redistricting plan for the county Legislature.
Republican incumbent Norma Gonsalves said, “Why do I want to continue to serve? When you are successful and getting the job done it’s important you continue to do what you do best.” Legislator Gonsalves said she is an advocate for the environment. She said she did vote for redistricting based on the census results.
19th Legislative District
Merrick chiropractor Fred Jones is running as the Republican challenger in the 19th Legislative District. Mr. Jones said, “I just don’t like the way things are going. Nassau County is broken.”
Mr. Jones has been a resident of Merrick for 27 years and is a volunteer in the Freeport Fire Department. When asked about closing police stations, he said he believes in “consolidating” police precincts and redistricting with substations. Mr. Jones said this will not cause a loss of police jobs.
Democratic incumbent Legislator Dave Denenberg said, “We really have to make Nassau County sustainable in the long run.” He said, “We don’t want to lose our quality of life.”
He said he is against closing down police stations. He said, “We really have an issue where our public safety and quality of life are at risk.” He cites a reaction time of 57 seconds to the recent pit bull attack in North Merrick. He said, “Nassau County also needs targeted development in our traditional downtown areas.”
Town of Hempstead clerk
Steve Anchin, the Democratic candidate for Hempstead Town clerk, said, “I am a businessman, I’ve been a businessman all my life. I believe it’s time to bring a business background to the town.” The town clerk position handles licensing such as hunting, fishing, marriage, and also birth and death certificates.
Republican incumbent Town Clerk Mark Bonilla of Bellmore said the Town of Hempstead is the largest passport accepting facility in the county. He said he spearheaded both the Child Safety Program where children are photographed and finger printed, and the new Senior Citizen Identification Program. The Senior Citizen Identification Program also includes photographs, finger printing, and indentifications with doctor and medical information.
Hempstead Town’s Fifth Council District
Democratic Town Board challenger Claudia Borecky said, “I think there’s a lot of fat in the Town of Hempstead.” She said, “I’d stop mailings. I’d plan to get more industry in the area.”
She said specifically that she’d like to see more biomedical research in the town. She said she’d work to get rid of “archaic” zoning laws. She said the town needs mixed zoning with small apartment buildings in downtown business areas, so stores can flourish and people can take pride in where they live.
Receiver of taxes
Democratic candidate Wilton Robinson Jr. said, “We need someone with fiscal responsibility. I can be an advocate for the people of the Town of Hempstead.” Mr. Robinson said he plans to have forums to explain taxes to residents. He closed with, “We are in disarray and we need to fix it.”
