Ralph Suozzi, Reggie Spinello and Bob Benazzi all have one thing in common. They're all considered nice guys.

That would seem to even the playing field on this issue of which one is a nice guy. So, how are voters supposed to choose the best person to serve as mayor?

I believe that the answer to that depends upon what one views to be the most pressing issues facing Glen Cove. In my opinion, the major issue that our new mayor will have to deal with is the development of the waterfront. Glen Cove is in dire financial trouble. The waterfront, while it may not provide a complete fix, is certainly a very important part of the solution.

On that note, the choice seems simple. Ralph Suozzi has had a chance to do something with the waterfront. He hasn't used the opportunity to do anything except impose a moratorium on its revitalization.

Reggie Spinello is a successful businessman with his expertise in nutrition, having been involved in a publicly-held food supplement company. No doubt, with his success, he certainly has to know something about running a business. He talks about being the best candidate to do something with the waterfront; however, he has not yet outlined a single strategy as to how he will go about it.

Bob Benazzi is a senior partner of a major 250-man consulting engineering firm in New York City. He, too, is a successful businessman and possesses obvious skills in running a company. He's been a member, and was chairman, of the Glen Cove Planning Board over a period of a dozen years. He's worked on projects as large as, and larger than, the waterfront development. When it comes to the waterfront, he's the only candidate with the necessary professional background to do this job properly. He's already stated publicly that in his first 90 days, he'll put all of the right people - developer, consultants, mayor, etc. - in the same room and then present a plan to the city for approval and get a shovel in the ground before the end of 2008. Yes, a plan will be presented to the city for approval- not just a stamp of approval without discussion. Bob Benazzi is the only candidate who seems to be focusing on how to move the waterfront revitalization forward instead of just complaining about it as a "problem."

Of the three nice guys, it's clear that it's easy to choose one of them. Bob Benazzi is really the only sensible choice. No insult to the other two candidates. They just don't have Bob's ability for this particular job. I'm voting for Bob Benazzi.

Lisa Cohn