Calling it the next step in his run for Congress, Mineola Mayor Jack M. Martins officially opened his campaign headquarters on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola on Sunday in front of a crowd of supporters.

Martins, who finds himself in the underdog role as he takes on longtime Democratic incumbent Carolyn McCarthy, believes issues such as high gas and oil prices can't be ignored any longer. "I know people firsthand that right now can no longer afford to drive to work," he said. "How many people do you know that have oil heat that don't know whether or not they'll even be able to heat their homes this winter?"

Martins continued that turning the thermostat down and putting on a sweater in the winter or walking to work is not the answer. "We have always prided ourselves on addressing every issue head on and this is an issue. Right now, we send billions of dollars every month overseas to places like Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran for oil that we can be drilling right here. We can be re-investing in our own country. We can be keeping our own oil prices down by supplying ourselves and what are we doing. We've stuck our head in the sand because nobody in Washington is willing to take on the established leadership," he said.

McCarthy, Martins' opponent, has not ruled out supporting offshore drilling nor has she committed to it. McCarthy maintains that all options should be considered.

- Joe Rizza