Democrat Matthew Meng is running for the NYS Senate 5th District. He and his wife Claire Louise have three daughters, and have lived in East Norwich since 1995.

His business experience includes 10 years in a manufacturing business for music industry, and 28 years at the Little Garage which fixes specialty cars. Mr. Meng said, "I've been fixing a lot of problems all my life and I think I can solve a lot of dysfunction in government. And, I've worked across party lines as a civic leader."

Mr. Meng said, "The most important issue in the state today is in one word, the economy. That, and how to as painlessly as possible, close the deficit gap in Albany. There is going to be pain for everyone; and, unfortunately, we lack transparency in government on the federal, local and state level as well as in the financial community.

"There were warnings out there for a long time that the economy was overleveraged and now we all have to pay the penalty unfortunately. And now, everything has to be reviewed and on the table."

Another financial issue is the price of gas, and the use of alternative energy sources. Mr. Meng said, "We need to explore all the possibilities of energy alternatives. It is long overdue, shamefully overdue and we need a national leader to be the figurehead to set a target to free ourselves from fossil fuel consumption. As for alternative energy," he said. "American ingenuity will prevail and new industries will emerge."

He said, "I think we need to aggressively set new standards to get better gas mileage. When it is done across the board it is easier for all car companies to compete."

Mr. Meng said of the recent property tax cap on school budgets passed by the Senate, "The property tax cap is one of many different methodologies that need to be used to bring down property taxes and control runaway state spending - and all them are reasons to vote the Democrats in so the Senate can go Democratic for the first time in 43 years. Then with the Assembly and the governor being Democratic - it is up to the Democrats to show that we can come up with the solutions that are needed in this period of economic crisis - or throw us out in two years.

"The entire Assembly and Senate are up for re-election and again in two years. By saying 'we better deliver,' the burden will be on us and we will not be able to blame the Republicans. These are unusual times and it requires thinking outside of the box. To allow all three branches of government to be Democratic will stop the dysfunctional mentality that has been permeating Albany for many years."

Mr. Meng said, "It would be good for Long Island if the Democrats took over because it will show that we had the strength to flip the Senate, and we have Governor David Paterson, who loves Long Island and will work with the majority Democrats for Long Island."

He said, "There are 31 Republicans and 30 Democrats. If for no other reason, wouldn't you want a Democratic Senator in Albany versus a Republican senator in Albany."

"An important issue is that in 2010 the State will be doing a re-districting of the election districts based on the census report, and the majority party in control can have a say in it. I would like to see the re-districting done by an independent bipartisan committee. That would be the fair way to do it and to bring fairness and openness to government. It is time to make changes and that is a perfect thing to change," he concluded.

Republican NYS Senator Carl Marcellino has held the NYS Senate 15th District seat since winning a special election in 1995 after the resignation of Ralph Marino. He and his wife Patricia live in Syosset and have a son, daughter and granddaughter.

Senator Marcellino said the most important issue in the state today is the economy. He said, "We need to focus on job creation and stability. We need to focus on reducing the tax burden for both young and old. We need to slash government spending and keep the money where it belongs, in the overburdened taxpayer's pocket."

One of those challenges is the rising cost of gasoline. Mr. Marcellino said, "As a nation, we have been on the sidelines too long, as the cost of gasoline rises. We can begin to reverse a decade of unprogressive inaction today. It is imperative that Congress develop a far reaching energy program that will fund alternative fuels and vehicles and those who create these technologies.

"This past session alone, the state Senate passed legislation that would provide an EZ Pass discount for fuel-efficient vehicles; removed the State sales tax on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles; and provided a tax exemption for Energy Star products. We also expanded the net metering law to businesses so now they, like residential customers, can generate energy and make their meters spin the other way. It is a good start, but we can and must do more.

"We need a major commitment by both the federal and state government to promote the use and production of alternative fuels. As partners in this energy crusade, we can renew, revitalize and rejuvenate a domestic economy that exports our new technology to the world and leads us all to a better tomorrow," said the senator.

He added, "This year in the Senate we not only passed a property tax cap on school spending, we passed a tax cap on state spending. Every level of government has got to control spending. New York State is not in trouble because we tax too little; we are in trouble because we spend too much. However, we must also acknowledge the expenses that school districts face.

"Some districts have reported that costs associated with the special education programs exceed 20 percent of their total budget and the burden on the districts is being felt by taxpayers across the state. I have introduced legislation that seeks to remove these costs from the districts over a five-year phase-in. By removing the financial hardship, schools districts will be required to pass the savings along dollar for dollar in the form of tax relief," said the senator.

Democratic registration is growing in Nassau County. When asked if the Democrats took over the NYS Senate would that be good for Long Island, Senator Marcellino said, "A Democrat takeover of the Senate would be a financial catastrophe for Long Island. The Senate Democrats are controlled by New York City members who believe that the Island wants too much and spends too much. In a recent newspaper article, Senate Democrats went on record and bragged about how they would bring radical change to the doorstep of every Long Islander, including increasing income taxes, reintroducing the commuter tax and reducing state aid for 'rich' Long Island School districts. Democrats control the state Assembly, and occupy the offices of governor, attorney general and comptroller; their view is NYC centric where their voting base is and they simply do not understand the plight of the Long Island property taxpayer." he said.

The senator is running on his environmental record, he has written over 114 environmental laws: cleaning the air; remediating brownfields; preserving open space; reclaiming waterfronts; working on habitat improvement; fighting against greenhouse gases; pursuing alternate energy sources; and encouraging energy conservation for which he received numerous environmental awards.

Charles Lavine is running for his third term to represent the New York State 13th Assembly District on the Democratic, Working Families and Independence party lines. He said he is spearheading his campaign based on his record and his reputation as a reformer in the Assembly.

"There is no course offered called 'how to run a district'," said Lavine. "You learn as you go and I really immersed myself in this job. Experience is so important."

Lavine said that a successful assemblymember must have a strong presence in the Assembly Chamber in order to be able to author and then pass meaningful legislation. When he first took office, majority assemblymembers would swipe their identification cards and that automatically voted yes for all of the bills on the floor that day. "People were not there and they were not present in the conferences where important policy was decided," said Lavine. "I was responsible for making people be present and pressing 'yes or no' for every bill."

Lavine said that when he was first elected in 2004, Tom DiNapoli was the most senior assemblymember from Nassau County and since DiNapoli became State Comptroller, Lavine said he has striven to help fill the gap left by his absence by authoring and then passing legislation needed by Nassau County. Some of the legislation that Lavine is most proud of includes the hotel/motel sales tax extension, sales tax extender and the cold war veterans real property tax exemption.

"Working on behalf of Nassau County, I advanced the red light camera legislation against the interests of the powerful chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, an issue that drew considerable press attention, and stood up to that chairman with a resolve rarely seen in Albany," said Lavine. "And while that measure has yet to pass, I will certainly put to good use the tools that I learned during that struggle as I continue to fight in the next session for this common sense legislation that actually saves the lives of our citizens."

Lavine said his goals, if re-elected, are to use his governmental experience and good judgment to solve the financial challenges and reduce property taxes. "I will also continue to fight for laws that best protect our citizens from felons and weapons dealers, while standing up for the civil and human rights of our fellow New Yorkers," said Lavine.

Lavine lives in Glen Clove and he and his wife Ronnie have two children - Gregory and Andria.

"Based on my life's experiences of fighting for the rights of our citizens, my experience in the judicial system, my long-standing commitment to community and the invaluable insight and knowledge I have gained from serving in the Assembly, the Glen Cove City Council, the Glen Cove Planning Board and as general counsel for the Community and Industrial Development Agencies as well as the North Country Reform Temple, I am the best person for this job," he said.

Brian McMenamin is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines for the New York State 13th Assembly District seat. Although he doesn't have any political experience, he said that his life experiences are invaluable and he is basing his run for office on change.

"I feel that we need change in the State Assembly and an end to tax-and-spend legislating," he said. "We cannot afford more of the 'same old Albany'. We need to live within our means and reduce the tax burden for the people of Long Island."

McMenamin is a former member of the New York Police Department and a retired detective. He traveled internationally for a currency-trading bank and for a private company engaged in similar high valuables transport. He has worked as an educator, serving as a substitute teacher in the North Shore School District and is a licensed private investigator. "All of my experiences have exposed me to people in their daily lives both domestically and internationally," he said. "I appreciate the benefits of living in such a wonderful country and especially the Long Island lifestyle."

On top of McMenamin's priority list is to reduce the tax burden for Long Islanders. "I will stop spending," he said. "I will endeavor to reduce the tax burden for Long Islanders including the tax on gasoline, which in New York State is about 30 cents per gallon higher that any of our contiguous states."

His solution, he said, is bringing "common sense back to government. I believe that it is of critical importance that we learn to live within our means - not our expected revenues - but within a reasonable budget which taxes the least and provides the services necessary to our citizenry."

McMenamin said, if elected, he wants to localize the position of assemblymember and maintain an open line of communication with his constituents. "I would meet with community groups in the areas represented in the 13th Assembly District and be of assistance wherever possible," he said. "I would utilize direct mailings to request the peoples' position on issues that are before the Assembly and I would keep my constituents informed of what the Legislature was proposing, as well as what was enacted."

Restoring the constituents' faith in government is something McMenamin said he would also make a priority. "I regret that our Assembly is not held in very high regard. I would like to be a part of having the New York State Assembly become a trusted and effective branch of the NYS Legislature and I would like to help the people of the 13th Assembly District become proud of their representatives and come to see that they can truly be represented in our state's capital. I will be part of the solution," he said.

McMenamin resides in Sea Cliff with his wife Marian and they have five children.