As Steve Labriola asks voters to return him to office to serve a third term as Assemblyman for the 12th district, he is campaigning on his accomplishments, saying he is proud of the government reform he has helped initiate by working with the Pataki administration.

"I'm very happy with what we've been able to accomplish, and proud of it," the Republican incumbent from Massapequa said in an interview last week. He noted that he and his Republican colleagues are responsible for the passage of key legislation in the areas of education, healthcare, crime, the environment, and economic development.

"We've touched on all the major issues, including the controversial one," he added, referring to the School Tax Assessment Relief (STAR) a school property tax relief program which is being phased in under the current administration. This has been a major accomplishment, Labriola noted, because school property tax relief has been a controversial issue, as the levying of property taxes have traditionally been under the jurisdiction of local school districts. As a result of the STAR program, he said, senior citizens are now seeing the benefits of the third year of the program - a 45 percent reduction in property taxes, which in his district, amounts to $1400 a year. All homeowners other than seniors are in the second year of the phase-in, and will receive an 18 percent reduction this year. Next year, he said they will get a 27 percent reduction.

While reducing the property tax burden, Labriola noted, lawmakers have raised the level of state aid for education. "We've increased state aid to the highest level in the history of the state of New York," he said. "How have we done this? Because we have reformed government in the state of New York."

According to Labriola, the state has been able to fund such programs through money saved by moving people off the welfare rolls. Under the Pataki administration, he said, the state has moved 800,000 people off the welfare rolls, by replacing welfare with work-fare, a system which requires that the poor work for their benefits.

In the area of healthcare, he said he was a part of the introduction of the EPIC program which provides senior citizens with prescription drug coverage. The program, initiated last year, currently serves 120,000 seniors. The income eligibility limits have been expanded this year, to $35,000 for singles and $50,000 for a married couple. "While the national candidates have been talking about a prescription drug plan, New York has the best in the nation," said Labriola.

Other programs have been implemented to target the health care needs of specific segments of the population, he said, such as Child Health Plus and Healthy New York. Child Health Plus provides coverage to poor children, and is geared to those from single-parent homes. Healthy New York helps small businesses provide health insurance to employees.

Labriola is also proud of such crime legislation as Jenna's Law, which eliminates parole for violent felons, and Megan's Law, which provides a registry of sex offenders living in residential communities. He said he wants to expand on that by pushing for a law that requires sex offenders to spend time in a secured mental health facility after they are released from prison.

In the area of the environment, Labriola said he introduced legislation to protect the public from the environmental health hazards of the gasoline additive MTBE. His legislation is known as "MTBE Public Health and Environmental Protection Act of 2000." He said he also supported the Neighbor Pesticide Notification legislation, which requires that residents inform their neighbors of pesticide applications.

To promote economic development, Labriola said the state has set up economic development zones, and offered incentives to encourage businesses to operate in New York. For example, he said he recently secured $25,000 in state incentives to encourage Goya to build an $11 million warehouse on the former Grumman site in Bethpage.

Reducing taxes also continues to be a priority, according to Labriola. "New York state is leading the nation in tax cuts," he said.

Labriola said he has also been responsive to the specific needs of local residents, both through work in Albany and constituent services at his district office.

Responding to the accidents and deaths of children due in connection with ice cream trucks that have alarmed the local community, this year Labriola has introduced a bill which would require the trucks to be equipped with a swing-arm stop sign with flashing red lights and other warning signs, which require a motorist to stop, and then proceed with caution.

He noted that he has also won funds for community projects and organizations, such as an outdoor nature exploratory for Unqua elementary school, computer hardware and software for Plainedge Public Library, a video production system for the Massapequa Library and funding for a new family counseling program offered by YES Community Counseling Center.

Prior to serving as assemblyman, Labriola served as a congressional aide to Congressman Norman F. Lent, as a planner for the Town of Oyster Bay Department of Planning and Development, assistant to the Town Board, and director of Operations for the Town of Oyster Bay. He is a graduate of Massapequa Public Schools, and St. John's University. He was born and raised in Massapequa Park and now lives in Massapequa with his wife and children.

Labriola was elected to fill the term of Assemblyman Phil Healy in 1996, after the death of the long-time lawmaker. In this largely Republican district, he was re-elected by a landslide number of votes against Democratic challenger Benjamin Podgor in 1998.

Some political observers have said that this year may provide an opportunity for Democrats to make inroads in state races, due to possible backlash against the Republic Party stemming from the Nassau County fiscal crisis, even in traditionally Republican strongholds. However, Labriola said he is confident that voters know the difference between their levels of government, and that people in his district know the work he has done. "I think people are much smarter than the Democrats think they are," he said. "It's almost insulting that their entire campaign is based upon the assumption that people don't understand the different levels of government." He added that the state has intervened in the county fiscal crisis and is forcing accountability through the creation of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which will take over the county's finances as a control board if the municipality does not get its finances back on track.

Labriola noted that he wants to be re-elected in order to continue to help constituents and be a part of the reform of New York state government. "I think there's so much more to do," he said.

John Tartaglia of Massapequa Park is running as the Democratic challenger against Republican incumbent Steve Labriola for the 12th Assembly District seat.

Born and raised in Massapequa Park, Tartaglia is a carpenter and member of the Nassau Democratic party who has noted that he is running because local residents are overtaxed, and he has the fresh perspective needed to make reforms.

Due to jaw surgery, the candidate was unable to conduct an interview during the course of the past few weeks, and therefore responded to a questionaire provided by the Observer.

"I would make a great Assemblyman because I'm just an average guy trying to make a living," he noted in his response, adding that he has never run for political office before. "I am not a professional politician and I haven't been hand picked by a political boss...I think I would bring a new and fresh approach to Albany."

Asked why he wants to be elected, Tartaglia responded, "We're paying the highest property taxes in the country. It's almost impossible for young married couples to live here and tough for my grandmother who is 81 to stay here. The Republican machine has controlled this county for almost 100 years, now they are telling us Nassau is bankrupt. Gulotta, Mondello, and Labriola are part of the political machine that is killing us with high taxes. I am running because I want to take their hands out of our pockets. It's not only for a change---a change is our only chance for survival."

Asked what his goals/campaign issues are, he stated: "My three most important issues are: 1 - Reducing the property tax burden, which can be done by expanding the state STAR program. This would help young people to be able to own a home here and it would allow more senior citizens to stay in the homes they worked for all their lives. 2- Providing affordable Health Care for the elderly and the children. The State has a huge surplus; let's share it and expand Medicaid so children and seniors can have the kind of coverage they deserve. 3 - Improving our quality of life by protecting our environment and our suburban quality of life. I believe an Assemblyman's responsibility does not end in Albany. When there are issues that threaten our quality of life, he should speak out on the public's behalf in Town Hall and in Mineola."

Tartaglia's campaign has consisted of distributing literature and signs, handing out pens at the Massapequa and Massapequa Park railroad stations, and preparing press releases regarding his candidacy for the 12th Assembly District for News 12.com, Newsday, and the Observer.

Asked if there is anything that he would change about the way government in New York is currently being run, Tartaglia responded, "The state's priorities are out of sync with the public's needs. Property taxes are much too high in counties like Nassau and Suffolk. Expanding the STAR program would help all homeowners. Health care should be made available and affordable to all state residents. Lastly, increasing state aid to schools is great, but there has to be greater accountability. The state sends billions of dollars annually to our school districts; this should be tied to a formula that also seeks excellence in education."

He added, "Let's improve our education standards commensurate with the state aid districts receive. Let's take those districts where standards have been falling and put them on a five-year improvement program that is tied directly to increased aid. In other words, create a pilot program that targets those districts that fall below standards and give them more state aid that is tied directly to the level of improvement."

An interesting aspect of this year's local assembly race is that the Democratic Party has chosen a Massapequa Park resident to challenge the Republican incumbent Steve Labriola on his home turf - the Massapequas. And, some political observers have said that this year may provide an opportunity for Democrats to make inroads in state races, due to possible backlash against the Republican party stemming from the Nassau County fiscal crisis, even in traditionally Republican strongholds. Asked if he feels the Democrats have a particular opportunity this year, in light of the Nassau County fiscal crisis, Tartaglia responded, "There exists a slight possibility that the voters are still angry over the transfer tax issue, and prone to go with a Democrat, not a Republican." He added, "After over 50 years of Republican control, people are looking for a change."

A life-long resident of Massapequa Park, Tartaglia graduated from Massapequa High School and currently is a member of the local carpenters' union. He is single, but noted that he would like to some day raise a family here.

He is known in the local community for various service activities, as well as campaign work with the Democratic Party. "For many years, I have been very active in the Toys for Tots program, which helps bring some joy into the lives of impoverished and less fortunate children at Christmas time. I also donate new winter coats to needy families at Christmas, and anonymously donate several complete dinners to less fortunate families at Thanksgiving time," said Tartaglia. He added, "Over the past several years I have also supported and volunteered my assistance for the campaigns of Lew Yevoli, Elizabeth Tartaglia, Dal Lamagna, and last year's race for the Town of Oyster Bay."