Hillary Rodham Clinton, candidate for the United States Senate from New York, came to Long Island last week to meet with local village officials and local newspaper editors at Westbury Manor. Mrs. Clinton told the press that she was eager to discuss matters of importance to Long Islanders as well as general policies.

The first question she was asked was her position on charter schools, recently a hot topic in Great Neck. In general she supports the concept of charter schools which have been successful in other parts of the country. She said, however, that she thinks the New York model is flawed because responsibility is split between the governor and the Board of Regents. She went on to say that although Long Island has some of the best schools in the country, some districts are in need of improvement. She believes that as a senator she could help direct federal funds to states so that more teachers could be hired. She also recommends that the federal government give tuition credit to students who enter the teaching profession and promise to remain in it for four years.

The candidate opposes school vouchers believing that they could violate the separation of church and state, "I think vouchers are constitutionally suspect," she said. She is a firm supporter of public schools because they embrace diversity. "There is no more diverse state than New York," she said. "As a nation one of our greatest attributes is that we learn to respect differences. Public schools are one of the unique attributes that mark America."

The next question focused on health care. The questioner said that members of minority groups cannot afford health care insurance and the emergency room is their first recourse when illness strikes. Mrs. Clinton agreed, saying that an increasing number of the uninsured end up in the emergency room, which in the long run costs everyone more money since the cost of this care must come from somewhere. There are one half million uninsured children in New York, children of the working poor. She also cited the problems of people between the ages of 55 and 65, not eligible for Medicare and often without insurance because they are no longer employed. She is a strong supporter of a Patient's Bill of Rights, she said.

Asked about the carpetbagger issue, she said, "I chose to live in New York and look forward to being a New Yorker for the rest of my life." She said that there is a big difference between herself and her opponent on the issues. "I think my positions are closer to those of most New Yorkers...I would not have voted the way my opponent has voted. His votes have not been in the best interests of New York."

Mrs. Clinton was asked what she would do to help the areas in New York that show up as cancer clusters, especially since the numbers are increasing and the victims are getting younger. She replied that she has been working on the issue for the past eight years. Under the Clinton administration a national action plan has been put into place that includes establishing mammography vans and including their costs as a Medicare benefit. The administration is also funding a national study concerning breast cancer and prostate cancer on Long Island. She believes that the high rate of cancer on the island must have some connection with the aquifer under the island, which has received deposits of pesticides.

"Being pro-environment means looking at health questions," she said. "Protecting the environment is more than just keeping the beaches from eroding and keeping areas looking nice. It is also about protecting the environment from becoming hazardous to New Yorkers' health. We need to protect the environment from the problems we may have caused.

One young woman asked Mrs. Clinton what she thinks about the issue of affordable housing on Long Island and the candidate replied that that is the question she is asked about most. She replied that in order to get Nassau County taxes down the county must get more from Washington in return for what it sends. In her first mention of her opponent by name she said, "Lazio tried to prevent the FHA from increasing eligibility limits. Lazio fought it because the mortgage industry opposed it. We must change our housing policy to give incentives to private industry to build more affordable housing. As it is today, developers build one house for $500,000 rather than three at $150,000 each. We also need more rental housing."

Asked if she is running from New York because there are so many problems here, she replied that there are also a lot of opportunities. "I look on them as challenges rather than problems. There are solutions."

She concluded by saying that New York will suffer a huge loss when Senator Moynihan retires. "Schumer is doing a fabulous job. Together we could accomplish a lot."