The issues haven't changed in the seven months since New York State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr's successful first run for office. Fuschillo, who is campaigning for re-election to the 8th District seat, said taxes, education, crime and health care continue to be the issues that most concern his district's residents. As the Nov. 3 election approaches, the freshman senator said he believes that he and the Republican Party have a good track record to refer to.

Mirroring the 12th Assembly District race between 36-year-old incumbent Steven Labriola and retired lawyer Ben Podgor, 37-year-old, Fuschillo is running against John Hagan, a 73-year-old, retired elementary school educator.

In March, Fuschillo was elected to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator Norman Levy, a senator who made an indelible mark on New York state as a leader on transportation issues. At the time of his nomination, Fuschillo was chief operating officer of the Education and Assistance Corporation (EAC), a not-for-profit agency which provides a variety of counseling and educational services to children, families and senior citizens. Yet, Fuschillo said the transition from a nonprofit ceo to state senator was a natural one.

"I always aspired to public office," said Fuschillo, adding that his father was a councilman and both of his parents were active in their community. "It was a way of life for me. It was a dream."

No stranger to politics, Fuschillo served as a legislative aide in both the Senate and Assembly and worked in Nassau County government for 12 years, before becoming the ceo of EAC. He held the positions of chief deputy county clerk, special assistant to the Nassau County Board of Supervisors and assistant director of the Office of Labor Relations.

Fuschillo believes his combined experience in social work and government has given him insight he can put to good use as senator. At his request, Fuschillo was assigned to work on the Senate committees for alcohol and drug abuse, and children and families, which deal with issues he is particularly familiar with due to his experience as head of EAC. He said the time he spent at EAC gave him a first hand look at the problems the committees address.

"It opened my eyes to the realities," said Fuschillo about EAC. "It's been a tremendous asset to me."

Working within the constraints of an abridged term, Fuschillo said he spent his time following up on the platform items he ran on a short seven months ago. He said he voted for lower taxes, increased school aid and Jenna's Law, which eliminated parole for first time violent felons. Locally, he's obtained funds for the Massapequa Rail Road Station and the Massapequa School District.

Massapequa Park Mayor George Nussbaum credits him with obtaining thousands of dollars in grants for the Brady Park renovations, improving the soccer facilities in Mansfield Park and Senior Citizens Club programs.

Saying it's a great time to be in politics, Fuschillo points to decreased numbers of welfare recipients, increased jobs and LIPA refunds as major accomplishments of the state that he's proud of. He also cited the STAR (School Tax Relief) Program as a highlight of recent government actions. STAR reduces school taxes by about 27 percent for homeowners and up to 45 percent for senior citizens whose incomes do not exceed $60,000.

Fuschillo said, "The Republican Party in New York state has demonstrated their support for senior citizens by making life more affordable. That's a demonstrated commitment."

While Fuschillo is pleased with the direction the state has been going in, he said there is more to be done.

"As far as taxes, I'd like to see New York state follow its trend of cutting taxes," Fuschillo said, adding that tax decreases have stimulated the state's economy. "We also have to keep the pace of providing more funding for our schools."

In keeping with efforts to get tougher on crime, Fuschillo announced recently that he has introduced legislation that would increase penalties for endangering the welfare of a child. State Attorney General Dennis Vacco requested that Fuschillo introduce the legislation into the Senate. If enacted the legislation would create stiffer penalties for child endangerment crimes.

"Endangering the welfare of a child has become a catch-all charge for crimes which range from leaving a child unattended in a car, to exposing a child to drug use, to extreme torture and abuse," said Fuschillo in a recent press release. "Currently, most individuals convicted of endangering the welfare of a child merely receive probation because the type of abuse inflicted on a child does not fit squarely within the parameters of our state's assault statutes and other criminal laws. It's time to change these outdated laws and make the punishments fit the crimes."

Fuschillo said he also wants to push legislation which would require fingerprinting and criminal background checks for school bus attendants. While the legislation has been passed in the Senate, the Assembly has yet to pass it.

Healthcare being another issue Fuschillo identified as being on top of the list of constituent concerns, the senator said he wants to see legislation passed that would increase HMO liability. "The scope of liability for HMOs is very small," he said.

Meanwhile, although confident about his accomplishments so far, he's not taking the public's support for granted. Despite endorsements and the obvious advantage of being a Republican in a largely Republican district, Fuschillo walks door-to-door talking and listening to people. It's an aspect of the job, he said, that comes naturally to him. Fuschillo described himself as a people person and said he's an "extremely hands-on" senator. "It's something I inherited from my parents," he said.

While not overwhelmed by pressure to live up to Levy's legacy, Fuschillo acknowledges the expectation of service that comes with succeeding the late senator. It's also with that expectation in mind that he said he walks door-to-door and with the help of his staff, works hard to respond to the hundreds of constituent calls and letters requesting his help with a variety of issues.

Fuschillo described his job as tremendously challenging, but extremely rewarding. "I love what I do," he said. "It's been the greatest experience of my life."