Dem Power On Display At Swearing-In

State Senator Jim Gaughran, third from right, celebrates his official swearing in ceremony at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport with Democratic politicians, from left, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Governor Andrew Cuomo, as well as his wife Carol and son Michael. Photos/Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

It was a show of power from state Democratic politicians at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport Sunday for the swearing-in ceremony of recently elected State Senator Jim Gaughran.

Governor Andrew Cuomo made the trip from Albany to lead Gaughran in the oath of office in front of a full house of enthusiastic supports. Gaughran’s wife Carol and son Michael were also on hand to witness the ceremony.

Cuomo said he was “excited” to work with Gaughran, who Cuomo said would give Long Islanders “a voice and power they have not had before.”

“Nobody sweeps away Jim Gaughran,” Cuomo said. “You're going to have the strongest delegation you have ever had and you're going to see a state government that delivers more for Long Island.”

Gaughran’s defeat of veteran Republican State Senator Carl Marcellino in the 5th State Senate District in November was a significant victory for New York Democrats. Senate Democrats picked up eight seats and enter 2019 with a 39-24 majority.

As state lawmakers return to Albany this week for the start of the new legislative session, Democrats now control the governor’s office and both houses of the legislature.

In his speech during Sunday’s ceremony, Gaughran said the Democratic majority signaled the “end of years and years of the state senate not allowing votes on so many critical issues.”

Issues Gaughran said he hoped to tackle during his term included criminal justice and ethics reform, healthcare, the Long Island Rail Road, environmental issues and gun safety reform.

A who’s who of Democratic power players flanking Gaughran on stage for the ceremony also included Senator Chuck Schumer, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D- Glenn Cove) who served as master of ceremony.

Schumer said Gaughran “earned” his senate seat on a record of ethics reform while serving on the Huntington town board and Suffolk County legislature.

“Some people are just born dedicated to public service, and that’s Jim Gaughran,” Schumer said.

Bellone also highlighted Gaughran’s leadership experience at the local level.

“Jim has been a leader here in this town, this county and on Long Island for decades now,” Bellone said. “I know Jim is going to continue to make us proud representing our interests here in the fifth district.”

Despite the new Democratic majority, Gaughran said he wants to work with republicans to “bring civility back to government.”

He said he would “do more to encourage democracy, bring more civility to politics and work with my Republican colleagues to get things done.”

Bipartisan Backing For Bill To Restore Tax Deduction

Congressmen Thomas Suozzi, left, and Peter King announce at a press conference Monday the introduction of their King-Suozzi bill to repeal the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions. Photo/Office of Rep. Thomas Suozzi

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

Long Island Congressmen Thomas Suozzi (D- Glen Cove) and Peter King (R- Seaford) have introduced legislation to restore the full State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction capped by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

The King-Suozzi bill, introduced Friday as the 116th Congress began work, would repeal the $10,000 cap on SALT deductions and retroactively restore a full deduction.

Both King and Suozzi said the $10,000 cap has a disproportionately negative impact on middle-class families in areas with high taxes like Long Island, and both voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

“Eliminating deductions for local and state taxes will have a devastating effect on Long Island,” King said at a press conference Monday.

King said Long Islanders “already give far more to Washington then we get back,” getting 79 cents back from every tax dollar paid to the federal government.

“That’s a $48 billion shortfall and hurts our middle class,” King said.

Suozzi called the 2017 tax bill a “punch in the gut” for Long Islanders. In Suozzi’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes all of the Town of Huntington, 250,000 families, or 43 percent of households, claim the SALT deduction at an average rate of $18,300, Suozzi said.

Suozzi said he began brainstorming ways to reinstate the full SALT deduction almost as soon as the 2017 tax bill passed because “my district is in the top ten in America state and local tax deduction claims.”

“We pay very high taxes, and we’ve always relied on the deduction,” Suozzi said.

Suozzi said he has had “informal conversations” with other representatives and feels there’s “a lot of interest in this issue.”

In order to reach a vote on the floor of the Democratic-controlled House, Suozzi said the King-Suozzi bill must first pass through the House Ways and Means Committee. The Republican-controlled Senate must also approve the bill, where Suozzi said he anticipates a much tougher battle to get enough votes.

Suozzi said “most New York Democrats and Republicans will support us in this,” but urged Long Islander to continue to “make this [SALT deductions] an issue” with their federal representatives.

Newcomer Announces Bid For Town Board

Political newcomer Michael Bento announced his candidacy for a town board seat in the Nov. 2019 election.

By Connor Beach

cbeach@longislandergroup.com

Northport resident Michael Bento got his first political campaign off to an early start last week when he announced his candidacy for Huntington Town Board.

Bento, 30, a Democrat, said he is looking to bring a “fresh, young voice” to the town board.

The pair of town board seats up for election in 2019 are currently held by Democrat Councilwoman Joan Cergol and Councilman Eugene Cook, an Independence Party member who last election also ran on the Republican ticket.

Bento said growing up he spent his summers at his grandparents’ home in Asharoken Village, and more recently the damaged Asharoken seawall was the “issue that really launched me into wanting to serve.”

“I found the seawall is symbolic of the overall crumbling infrastructure townwide,” Bento said in an interview Tuesday.

Bento earned his master’s degree in history from Queens College, and has previously worked as a constant for investment baking operations. He worked on six Democratic campaigns during the 2018 election cycle, and was elected last year to the Suffolk County Democratic Committee.

In addition to infrastructure upgrades, Bento said ethics reforms were needed at town hall.

“We need a fundamental change in how the town board does business,” Bento said. “We need to eliminate patronage jobs. Jobs should only be created out of necessity and merit.”

He also advocated the town restructure its process for awarding contracts to private companies.

“I think we need a more open and transparent bidding process for those contacts, and we need to find out which of them are not a necessity to the town,” Bento said.

As a Northport resident, Bento said he is aware of the potential impacts of LIPA’s tax challenge of the Northport Power Plant. He argued the town should “mandate LIPA goes back to the original agreement of being a productive member of the community,” including restoration of nearby beaches.

“We need to be a lot harsher and firmer with our terms of settlement,” Bento said. “There needs to be a net zero loss to the Northport-East Northport School District in any settlement.”

If elected, Bento pledged to become a “full-time councilman.”

“I won’t have any outside jobs or income because I don’t want any conflict of interest, and I want to be there 100 percent of the time for the citizens of Huntington.”

Cergol will run for a new four-year term in November, and a spokesman said she plans to formally announce her campaign for town council later in the year.

Cergol has served on the town board since December 2017, when she was appointed to the seat left vacant by Susan Berland’s resignation. Cergol won election last year to serve out the remaining year of Berland’s term.

Cook, who was first elected in 2011, said he hasn’t yet decided if he will run for a third term on the town board, and encouraged residents to let him know their opinions.

He said, “I’d like the people to let me know what they think; I’d like to hear from them.”