Congressman Rick Lazio, stopped off at the New Hyde Park Inn last week as part of his campaign for the United States Senate seat, to speak to the village officials and some town officials from around Nassau County. Lazio discussed the important role these officials play in the state and spoke about how, if he were elected to the Senate, he would be working alongside them to help their communities grow and prosper.

Lazio, was elected to Congress in 1992, upsetting an 18-year incumbent, after twice being elected to the Suffolk County Legislature and spending time as a village attorney and working as a prosecuter in the Suffolk County district attorney's office. He began his campaign for Daniel Patrick Moynihan's senate seat with 1/3 of the time to campaign as his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

At the New Hyde Park Inn, Lazio did not focus on his disadvantages in the campaign but instead reflected on his time serving Long Island in Congress and his plans for Long Island and the rest of the state if elected to the Senate. Lazio spoke of his gratefulness for what he has been given and his desire to give back.

The need for downtown revitalization was the first area that Lazio spoke of, noting that the villages and downtown areas are at the heart of the community. "The truth is that people do want to get into the downtown areas, they want to reconnect with people. They look at the villages as a place where they can re-establish their identity," said Lazio. He then spoke about areas such as transportation and technology that need to be addressed in Nassau County and what he has done in his district during his tenure as congressman. He also spoke about the need to develop properties for housing such as affordable senior housing and housing so young people can afford to stay on Long Island. Lazio said the federal government's role is not to dictate how these plans are developed but to allow the communities to develop a plan that is fitting for themselves and then to provide funding to allow the communities to implement that plan. "It's critical for us to look at each other as partners, for me to be able to stand before you and say that when I get elected you're going to have a partner in Washington, you're going to have someone you can work with and someone you can count on, somebody who you won't have to go through others to get to, that we'll have the kind of relationship where we can plan and work together and then we can celebrate our accomplishments," Lazio told the officials.

Lazio described himself as someone who has lived on Long Island his whole life, and developed a reputation for delivering for Long Island. He noted that this Senate race is being watched by people across the nation and said that he is hearing people say that they are more interested in the New York Senate race than they are in the their own state's elections. "Many people think this is a race about the heart and soul of the country," said Lazio. "For many New Yorkers, around the state this is a race about the heart and soul of our state and I am one of those. I think this is a pivotal election. It's an opportunity for us not just to stand against things but to stand for things. I think it is very important to stand for the premise that character still counts in public service, that integrity still matters."

An important aspect of this election, according to Lazio, is the fact that up until last year's election, New York has had a senator from each party in office. He noted the significance of this in working with both Democratic and Republican senators from other states. He also explained that the common thought is that the United States Senate will be controlled by the Republicans after this election so if he were to be elected then New York would have at least one senator in the majority party. He said that he, in his tenure in Congress, has also developed the reputation as being able to cross party lines and work in a bipartisan fashion.

Lazio noted that Senator Moynihan has stated that New York sends $15 billion more to Washington then we get back. That for every tax dollar sent to Washington, New York only gets back $0.85. "We need to have someone in Washington who is not going to put up with that, who is going to stand up for New York," said Lazio.

Lazio went on to speak of the practice of double taxation, the practice where New Yorkers have money taken out of their paycheck and then have to pay income tax. "I think we ought to put an end to that," he stated. He explained that the heart of his economic plan is to allow people to deduct the payroll taxes that they pay and, in addition, putting an end to the marriage penalty tax. "I don't know how you can say you are for families if you are for a tax penalty on marriages," said Lazio. These tax cuts, according to Lazio, could bring an additional $2,600 a year into the average two-income family's home.

The economic plan that Lazio has laid out focuses on four areas- earning, learning, saving, and investment. With regard to earning, Lazio noted the importance of a work ethic and explained that as he was growing up he was not given an allowance but was brought into his father's store and taught how to earn money. He described this as a way of giving people a sense of responsibility. The tax cuts that Lazio has proposed would offer New Yorkers a savings that they could use to make investments. He spoke about the need to expand IRAs and allow people to reap the benefits of their investments as well as cutting the capital gains tax. He also spoke about the need to provide a way of helping small businesses expand so they can stay in this area. In the area of learning, Lazio addressed the need for tuition savings accounts and deductability for all student interests. He said he wants to bring down the real cost of education.

Lazio then spoke about what he has done to work toward this tax plan during his time in the House. He explained that he was the author of small business tax relief legislation that passed the house. He spoke about the need to increase the low income housing tax credit with a program to boost housing opportunities for all, including seniors and young people, not just low income families.

"No world economy can long last without having a world-class educational system," said Lazio in introducing his plans for education. He said that New York has to have a plan that puts more money into the classrooms so that children benefit from the federal funding. He has laid out a $97 billion plan for the next 10 years for education. He said that this plan comes with a sense of accountability, where results are a requirement. Although results would be required, Lazio's plan allows for flexibility, allowing each school district to determine what area their funding needs to address, whether it be new textbooks, additional space, or more teachers.

This education plan, laid out by Lazio is also geared toward the recruitment and retention of good teachers, helping to pay for the education of those in the top of their class who plan to go on to be teachers. This plan is geared especially for those who go into the areas of math, science and technology, where the need for skilled workers is the greatest right now. By having teachers who are prepared to teach in these areas, students will be more prepared to enter the workforce with these skills.

A real problem, according to Lazio, is the lack of skilled workers, because so many of these workers leave Long Island, often leaving the state. This begins, said Lazio, when they go off to college in another state. He noted that it is important to make sure that these young people come back to Long Island after they graduate. In an effort to address this Lazio has established a partnership with the 50 fastest growing companies so that those companies will recruit Long Islanders who have left the state for college to come back to the Island to work during the summers and for the companies to guarantee them a job when they graduate so they come back to live and work after college.

Mentoring programs, and teacher competency testing are also areas that Lazio plans to focus on in his plan for education. He said that, a parent of two girls attending New York Public Schools, one in second grade and one in third grade, he is glad that there are increased New York State Regents standards and wants to be able to help the schools prepare these students for the new standards, while allowing the district the flexibility to address these standards in a way that is fitting for each individual district.

Summarizing the core of his beliefs, Lazio stated, "Let's increase federal commitment to education, increase the commitment to special education, because that impacts our property taxes. Expect accountability, expect those dollars to get into the classroom, provide some flexibility to allow local school districts to decide how to get there. I want to help ensure that we keep more of our dollars here in our local community, to fight for New York and make sure that we deliver for our backyard. Make sure that we don't forget downtown revitalization." He concluded that, if elected, he would work closely with the residents of Nassau County and Long Island. "I want to be able to come back here and celebrate some of the accomplishments with you," concluded Lazio. "I will work hard and help protect our state. I will earn your trust and make you proud."