Candidates Square Off At Howard Beach Meet

City Council Member Joseph Addabbo (fourth from left) and State Sen. Serphin Maltese (fifth from left) join members of the Howard Beach Civic Forum at Tuesday night's debate. Education, economics, transportation and healthcare were a few of the topics addressed by State Sen. Serphin Maltese and City Council Member Joseph Addabbo in an issue-driven debate at the Howard Beach Civic Forum meeting held Tuesday, Sept. 23 at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church.

The 90-minute session featured both candidates—vying for the 15th District State Senatorial seat—giving their take on how to mend the local economy during trying times.

Addabbo called for an end to property tax increases, as well as the need to offer tuition assistance to parents and students having a difficult time paying for their education.

"We need to look for ways to decrease the cost of living in the area," said Addabbo. "We can cut government spending in other places, cut government waste and lower taxes wherever possible."

Maltese, currently in his tenth term as state senator, looked at Aqueduct as a potential source of local revenue that would help the community prosper.

"Assemblywoman [Audrey] Pheffer and myself really worked hard with other legislators to make sure it never closed," he said, "and yet the entire community agreed that Aqueduct should have VLTs (Video Lottery Terminals)."

Companies bidding to operate these VLTs, he said, have intentions to make Aqueduct Raceway's surrounding area in South Ozone Park a "destination venue." The VLTs, he added, would add $1 million a day to education.

On the topic of education, Addabbo said that it's one of the main reasons why people leave a community, and told of his ongoing efforts to fund capital improvement projects for each school in his 32nd Council District.

With many schools expanding to K-to-8 institutions, the eighth-year City Council member was adamant about getting additional state monies into the city and outer boroughs, and keeping classroom sizes down.

Maltese spoke of individual grants he secured for schools for the addition of computer-operated Smart Boards that are replacing old chalk boards.

He went on to highlight his seniority in the State Senate as one of the factors that helps him receive millions of dollars for district schools.

Taxes were a recurring theme throughout the debate, with Addabbo insisting that he would seek ways to "cut government first" before increasing tax fees.

He further proposed a local moratorium on foreclosures that are not only causing people to lose their homes, he said, but are driving down the value of property taxes and leading some individuals to commit crimes. There are currently 500 homes in the Howard Beach area alone, according to Addabbo, that are on the verge of entering foreclosure.

In addition, the Ozone Park native brought up the need for oversight on insurance companies that are dropping people from their policies without informing them.

As the son of an upholsterer, Maltese delved into the preservation of commercial shopping strips (conof sisting of small specialty shops) that are being suppressed by "big block" stores.

The 75-year-old elected official touched upon taxes by recounting how he and fellow senators advised Gov. David Paterson to decrease the state budget by six percent and increase taxes that wouldn't directly affect individuals of his district.

Maltese promoted tax hikes on cigarettes, as well as collecting taxes from Indian reservations.

Both candidates vehemently opposed the issuance of tax breaks to companies involved in the outsourcing of their services and depriving Americans of jobs.

They also agreed to crack down on Medicaid fraud.

Addabbo promised to make healthcare more "accessible" and "affordable" by ensuring that Medicaid funds are solely used for Medicaid programs.

He also preached focusing on preventive healthcare through medical tests and education in order to reduce the cost of long-term health care.

Maltese stressed the importance of healthcare by revealing how he and other state legislators stepped in and put a stop to former governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to cut the healthcare budget by $59 million.

Also noted was his past work to save hospitals and nursing homes, such as the time when he secured $140 million to keep Ridgewood's Wyckoff Heights Medical Center open in 1990.

In his closing statement, Addabbo cited his record of balancing seven city budgets and pledged to keep on fighting for the issues that keep people in their communities.

The lawmaker noted that he intends on getting city residents "their fair share" from New York State and to put them on par with Nassau and Suffolk counties in that respect.

He chastised state government for implementing increased spending back in June only to revise their plans in August and call for cutbacks.

"How can you increase spending when there's no money to spend?" he asked. "Business as usual doesn't work. We need to reduce spending and be more fiscally responsible."

During Maltese's closing remarks, he placed heavy emphasis on his past accomplishments by mentioning his 239 Maltese laws that he's authored over the years along with 700 other bills that are reportedly pending.

He also shared his dedication to society's youth by listing the numerous grants that have been provided to youth centers and boys' and girls' clubs.