Bill Funk, a Massapequa resident, is making his second run for the 12th Legislative Assembly seat on the Democratic and Working Families party line. The district includes the Massapequas and Plainedge, as well as Farmingdale and South Farmingdale.

"If elected", Funk said, "I would work to fix Albany by challenging the leadership there." In his first race for the 12th Assembly seat, Funk warned voters about the problems he perceived in Albany, and questioned the governor's actions of scheduling the special election for March 9, 2004, one week after the presidential primary and one week before the village elections.

"Three elections in one month was discouraging to voter participation and a costly un-funded state mandate funded by Nassau property taxpayers," Funk explained. "Despite low voter turnout, I achieved approximately 34 percent of the vote--the highest percentage a Democrat ever received in the 12th AD."

Funk claims that since the special election, the situation in Albany has gotten worse. He noted that the state again failed to provide an on time budget, failed to rein in unfunded state mandates that drive up local and school district taxes, failed to raise the minimum wage, and failed to adopt affordable housing measures.

Counting this time around on high voter turnout from the presidential election, and on Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi's "Fix Albany" campaign, in which Suozzi, a Democrat, is handpicking candidates to run against incumbents in order to reform a state government that he claims needs mending, Funk is confident he will turn the tables on his opponent.

"Instead of hitting the ground running, my opponent just fit into the Albany establishment without distinguishing himself," Funk said. "We can no longer afford status quo Joe."

Funk is currently executive director of corporate affairs at Nassau OTB. Prior to his assignment at Nassau OTB, Funk served at the Nassau County Legislature since its inception in 1996, through 2001. He was research director to Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs and was a top aide. Other government experience includes the New York State Senate in 1995 and the Office of the State Comptroller in 1994.

Funk earned an M.A. in Political Science from C.W. Post University and a B.A. in history and political science from the State University at Albany. He is especially proud to have been a graduate of Nassau Community College and his experience as student government president in 1992.

Funk also serves as the secretary and a board member of the civic and environmental group Friends of the Massapequa Preserve. This group is dedicated to the promotion and protection of the preserve, an issue that Funk feels strongly about.

In his capacity at OTB, Funk is part of the senior management team that built the Race Palace, the premier Off-Track Betting facility located in Plainview. The Race Palace, which was built with union labor, generates profit for its sponsoring jurisdiction Nassau County.

Funk resides in Massapequa with his wife Jenni.

After defeating his opponent in a special election in March to replace Steven Labriola, who vacated the seat to be Oyster Bay town clerk, incumbent Joseph Saladino lobbied for legislation that seven months later has already become a law, an accomplishment he claims "almost broke records" in the 12th AD.

The bill, which passed the Assembly almost unanimously, requires manufacturers to prominently label mercury-added products for recycling and disposal purposes, and Saladino said it is indicative of his commitment to protecting the environment.

"There are a lot of cases of cancer on Long Island," Saladino said. "Protecting the environment from carcinogens, heavy metals, and pollutants, and ensuring that our quality and quantity of drinking water is preserved for many generations, is of utmost importance to me."

Saladino, who is also running on the Conservative and Independence lines, accused the Democratic Party of taking Long Island taxpayer's money to fund New York City. "A change in school aid formulas is necessary in order to take into account the regional cost of living," he said. "Everyone knows it is much more expensive to live here, therefore we need much more state aid."

Working with state senators, Saladino claims he was able to get increases in school aid to all of the districts to offset the property taxes, as well as a $125,000 grant that, together with Senator Charles Fuschillo, he was able to bring to the Village of Massapequa Park. He said he has also successfully worked with the governor to bring sizable grants to libraries in the district.

"Because I am member of the same party as our senators, I am able to work together to provide more for our districts."

Protecting women and children from sexual abuse and pedophiles is another issue that is important to Saladino. Among the bills he has introduced is legislation that would make public juvenile sex offenders' records. He also plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit sex offenders from living near their victims.

"Seventeen years of government experience and a lifelong commitment of community experience to the job are just two of the reasons why I am the best candidate for the job," Saladino said.

Saladino is a lifelong resident of Massapequa, where he has been active in the community as a member of the Massapequa Kiwanis Club, where he received the award of "Kiwanian of the Year," a member of the Sons of Italy-Columbus Lodge, a former trustee of the Massapequa Historical Society, and co-founder of the Massapequa Anti-Graffiti Involvement Committee.

Saladino studied at Tulane University and holds a master's degree from the New York Institute of Technology. Previously, he had a career in broadcast journalism, working as a news anchor and broadcaster for television and radio stations including WNYG, WALK, WLIW and NEWS 12. Most recently, he was the director of operations for the Town of Oyster Bay, and formerly served as executive assistant for the Town of Hempstead.