New York State Assemblywoman Donna Ferrara is running for her sixth term in the newly reapportioned 15th Assembly District (A.D.). She was first elected in 1992 and is running this year on the Republican, Conservative, Independent and Working Families lines.

Ferrara, a resident of Westbury, is an attorney who received a bachelor's degree in English and business from the State University of New York at Albany and a doctorate from St. John's University School of Law. She began her career as a legislative aide for the late Senator Norman Levy in Albany and, upon admission to the New York State Bar, served as a legislative counsel to Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City).

Over the years, Ferrara has served as a deputy town attorney for the Town of Hempstead where she was the town's Freedom of Information Officer as well as counsel to both the Map Committee and to the Department of Planning and Economic development. She also represented the Town of Hempstead in foreclosure actions, bankruptcies, acquisition and sale of real property.

Ferrara is currently chair of the Joint Conference Committee, Ranking Minority Member of the Insurance Committee and the Libraries and Education Technology Committee as well as a member of the Banks Committee and the Tourism, Arts and Sports Development Committee. She is also a member of the New York State and Nassau County Bar Association and the board of directors of the Adelphi New York Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program.

In her first legislative term, Ferrara created statewide legislation prohibiting discrimination by insurance companies against breast cancer victims. This August, her proposed bill to improve breast cancer detection rates was signed into law by both houses. The law will pave the way for insurance coverage of the Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system to be used as part of routine mammograms and covered by insurance providers in New York State.

"I am pleased that passage of this bill will help encourage widespread use of CAD and provide patients with the most advanced breast cancer screening available," she said. "Until a cure is uncovered, our only weapon against breast cancer is early detection and screening," said Ferrara. "On Long Island, where one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, this disease affects far too many families to allow enhanced screening tools to go unused."

A strong advocate for women's issues and senior citizens, Ferrara has also been a proponent of Child Health PLUS and the EPIC Pharmaceutical Program which helps seniors with their prescriptions. "The seniors have contributed to the community for so long and they are on fixed incomes," she said. "We need to do all we can to continue helping them so they can stay here."

At the state level, Ferrara said her main issue is car insurance rates. "New York has the second highest auto insurance rates in the country, behind New Jersey, and if we don't do something we are going to be number one. The reason behind that is fraud." In order to reduce fraudulent accident claims in the state, Ferrara said the Assembly and the Senate need to come to an agreement on how to deal with the criminal. "The Assembly proposal calls for the [crime] to be considered a misdemeanor, which is usually just a slap on the wrist and usually bargained down to a violation," she said. "The Senate wants to make it a felony crime to deter other people." Ferrara added that she is hoping the issue will be addressed in either a special session this year or regular session next year.

If re-elected, Ferrara said she would like to see the way voting is done in the Assembly changed. "The way it is now, once you card in, you could leave, go on vacation or anywhere you want, as long as you want to be recorded as a yes vote," she said. "There are not a lot of people sitting in the Assembly during a vote because the way things are now, you don't have to be present for a vote. It's ridiculous and it's an abuse. I feel that it is very important that people be present for votes."

In addition, Ferrara would like to work toward having the state budget completed in a more timely fashion. She also believes that Assembly members should have a chance to review the budget prior to the vote. "Generally, the budget is about 1,000 pages and we don't get to see it any sooner than the public," she said. "I feel we should have some sort of viewing time, whether it is eight hours or 12 hours or 24 hours, to look it over. How can you possibly know what's in 1,000 pages? They try to brief us, bring us into a conference and tell us what's in because they don't want us voting blindly, but you can't cover 1,000 pages in a half-hour or an hour."

On a local level, one of the issues Ferrara said she is concerned with is the Underhill property located on the northeast border of her district. "I think it is a big issue in the whole district about conserving open space for generations to come," she said. "Preservation is very important. I have gone on record stating that I would like to see the Underhill property preserved. Nassau is starting to look like Queens and I don't like that look. I like more parks and green areas and places to go with your family."

As a politician, Ferrara is proud to consider herself one of the most moderate Republicans in the Assembly. "Because I have such moderate views, I am able to bring a different angle, a different insight into various issues," she said. "I think that has been very helpful." As a result, she would like to see Albany become more bipartisan. "When I first started, 1993 was my first session and it was less partisan," she said. Each year it becomes more and more partisan. Republicans are generally never permitted to go on bills. They keep us very separated and I don't think that's good for the institution."

Due to new state legislative district boundaries released earlier this year by the Joint Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, Long Island's Assembly delegation was reduced from 22 to 21 seats, granting the remaining seat to New York City. As a result, the 14th A.D., which currently falls under the jurisdiction of Assemblyman Marc Herbst, was eliminated and the 15th A.D. was increased.

The 15th A.D. is currently comprised of 40 election districts and communities within the Town of Hempstead, Town of North Hempstead and Town of Oyster Bay. The district will now include Locust Valley, Hicksville, Oyster Bay, Glen Head, Mill Neck, East Norwich and Glenwood Landing as well as parts of Jericho, Syosset, Bethpage, Old Westbury, Westbury and East Meadow.

While the district gained all of Hicksville, it lost North Bellmore, Levittown, the Brookvilles, East Hills, Matinecock, Mineola, Muttontown, North Bellmore, North Merrick, Oyster Bay Cove, Roslyn Harbor, Sea Cliff, North Wantagh and Woodbury. The change also splits Westbury between the 15th A.D. and 17th A.D. and New Cassel between the 15th A.D. and 13th A.D. In addition, the change leaves East Meadow split among the 15th A.D., 17th A.D. and 19th A.D.

Also included in the 17th A.D. are the communities of Carle Place, New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Garden City South, Garden City, Mineola, Albertson, Williston Park, East Williston, Uniondale, North Merrick, North Bellmore, Merrick and Roosevelt.

The 17th A.D currently falls under the jurisdiction of Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell, the 13th A.D. under Assemblyman David Sidikman and the 19th A.D. under Assemblyman David G. McDonough.

Jim Buonagura, a political newcomer who is running on the Democratic and Liberal Party lines, is seeking election to the 15th Assembly District (A.D.). A resident of Hicksville, 28-year-old Buonagura said he decided to run because he believes there is a need for change in state government.

Buonagura is a lifelong resident of Nassau County and the district he hopes to represent. Prior to graduating from Bethpage High School in 1992 he enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve and was honorably discharged in May 1993. After returning home, Buonagura went to work in the security industry. He left for a short time to train as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for a private ambulance company, but has since returned to the security industry and is currently working at Securitas. In addition, Buonagura is working toward a bachelor's degree in American government and public administration at Empire State College. He is scheduled to graduate in 2003.

Buonagura is a member of the Knights of Columbus and a parishioner of St. Ignatius Loyola R.C. Church in Hicksville. In 1996, he became an auxiliary police officer for the Nassau County Police Department. He has worked to discourage youths from loitering in parks and playgrounds and has worked to avert vandalism, noise pollution and underage drinking in our communities. In 1999, Buonagura decided to take his involvement a step further and volunteered as an EMT through the Auxiliary Police Program.

Buonagura, whose mother ran for a seat in the 14th A.D. against Marc Herbst in 1998, said his passion for politics began in 1996 after interning at the Board of Elections. "I started going to conventions, became a committee person, that pretty much prompted me to become active," he said. "I have gone before the TOB [Town of Oyster Bay] town board to argue different issues."

Over the past seven years, he has been active in local politics, having served as a Democratic County Committee member and was affiliated with the Gianelli Democratic Club, the Mid-Nassau Democratic Club, the Levittown Democratic Club, the Wantagh-Seaford Democratic Club and the NorthWest Civic Association. Buonagura believes in the idea that one voice and one vote can make a difference and has gone before the Oyster Bay Town Board to argue issues that help protect the environment and welfare of residents.

As a member of the Assembly, Buonagura believes he can be effective in seeing that change is made. "There have been a lot of things discussed by House Republicans that have never gotten done," he said. "I believe I am one of those people who has the time and energy to stand up and shout from the rafters what the problem is and how to fix it. I think that my youth and my passion for politics will give me an advantage on the podium arguing in front of 149 other members and 62 state senators.

According to Buonagura, one of the most important issues facing New York State is the budget and its residual effect on taxes. "Every time there is a budget problem down the line, there is going to be tax increases," he said. "The budget itself, every dime being spent in New York, needs to be overhauled. We need to find out exactly where money is going and we need to end the sweetheart deals that both parties are passing and find competitive pricing."

A strong advocate for emergency medical services, Buonagura would like to see the version of health class currently given in the schools improved through what he refers to as a state-funded Life Saver Program. "I don't want to demolish the health class, but rather introduce a program where juniors and seniors can be exposed and have the opportunity to take certified first responder and EMT classes so that they are picking up some medical knowledge and basic survival skills," he said. "Exposure to that training is going to save countless lives over the years. The more people that we expose, the more it becomes prevalent that first aid is necessary."

If elected to the Assembly, Buonagura said he plans to propose a Home Improvement Tax (HIT) Credit. The credit would be a way to not only provide affordable housing for all residents, but would also encourage families to remain in New York. "If you look around Nassau County, there is just not enough affordable housing. A lot of people are putting an upstairs on their houses, building out in the back ... for their children or elderly parents. Either way, you are keeping family together and reinforcing the family structure by creating the affordable housing situation for the entire family," he said. "But after the reassessment, these people end up paying a tremendous amount of taxes on this newly constructed part of their home. We need to give incentives to people to stay here and do things like that."

Buonagura said that by offering an incentive in the form of a multi-year tax credit many families will remain living here rather than moving someplace cheaper. "It would not be a critical decrease in the budget and at the same time you are creating an incentive for these people who are teetering on moving someplace like North Carolina which is cheaper than staying here. We want to retain the people here who built up New York. I think that kind of incentive is warranted."

In addition, Buonagura is aware of the critical nature of environmental issues on Long Island and stated that priority should be taken to ensure that the brownfields and Superfund sites are cleaned up. "Twenty years ago when Congress put the Superfund project together it was the greatest idea. We were going to fix everything, clean everything up and it was going to be one of those 'let's use the space we have' routines," he said. "But over the course of the decades, on a state level, our money has diminished and diminished until this year where there is pretty much nothing in the budget. We need to invigorate a Superfund and brownfield campaign. There are always places that can be cleaned up so that businesses have incentive to go back to work there."

On a local level, Buonagura said the Underhill property in Jericho is a huge priority on his list. "Not only is it a federally protected aquifer, it is one of the only few open spaces we have," he said. "I have nothing against putting up affordable and senior housing ... but we need to start re-evaluating where these places are being built."

Political newcomer George T. Jung is seeking election to the 15th Assembly District on the Right to Life Party line. A resident of Hicksville for 27 years, Jung is running against Democrat and Liberal Party candidate Jim Buonagura, also of Hicksville, and incumbent Donna Ferrara, of Westbury, who is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independent and Working Families lines.

Jung, who was asked to run by the Nassau Right to Life Party, said his goal is to defend life. "As a candidate, I'm concerned about other issues such as homeland and community security, health care, child safety, jobs, affordable housing, taxes, the environment, etc., and I will fight for these as well," he said. "But what higher cause can we be called upon to fight for in life than to protect the innocent, helpless pre-born little babies, the sick and the elderly? That's why I am running on the Right to Life ticket ... to defend life. It's the right thing to do."

An advocate for the unborn, Jung said his goal is to educate people on the ramifications of an abortion. "Abortions destroy more than one life," he said. "It also destroys the mother's life, the father's life, a sister's life, a brother's life, the grandparents' lives, the lives of aunts, uncles, friends and on and on. It is truly a tragedy affecting hundreds of millions of people right here in America."

Jung is active in various social, religious and environmental causes. In addition to being a member of the Parish Council at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Brookville, Jung has served as a seventh-grade religious education assistant teacher, Sunday usher, Lenten lector and Eucharistic minister. He is a former volunteer of the Friends of the Bay, Okeanos Ocean Research and Rescue and Momma's House.

Jung was a Saturday volunteer at The Life Center of Long Island in Deer Park and participated in two March for Life events in Washington, DC. He is also a volunteer presenter in Nassau County Prison Job Ready Workshops sponsored by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Jung, who graduated from Long Island University, has over 25 years of executive level experience managing budgets, issues, policies and people. He is experienced in human resources and currently works as a vice president for Citibank, responsible for the company's Long Island, Brooklyn and Staten Island branches and operation centers and National Credit Card Business. At a group and corporate level, Jung is in charge of employee relations and counseling, compensation and benefits, staffing and executive recruitment, relocation services, training and management development, organization planning and design and human resource information systems.

Prior to taking a vice president position at Citibank, Jung worked as a manager of corporate salary administration at National Bank of North America and as an employee relations officer for Chase Manhattan Bank. Jung, who currently owns Roth Young Long Island, an executive search firm, also managed the Nassau County Five O'clock Club, a national job search strategy group and was on the staff of Right Management Consultants, Inc., an international executive outplacement consulting firm.

Jung has been married for 34 years. He has two sons and three grandchildren.