The-Leader_2005-03-03

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T1*e CoratBuriiity Newspaper
Thursday, March 3, 2005
lir^ Meet the Candidates Night draws a crowd
by Jim Golding
Neither snow, nor cold, blustery winds nor poor driving conditions could keep nearly 100 Freeport residents from their appointed gathering across from the post office at Freeport Library with candidates for Village offices.
The Northwest Civic Association spon­sored the first Meet the Candidates Night on February 24 with all four mayoral con­tenders, five trustee candidates and two vying for village justice.
"I am amazed so many people would come out in this weather," said co-moder­ator Kenneth Bagatelle. "It's a testament there is still an interest in village govern­ment."
Village Justice
Incumbent Roy Cacciatore is being challenged by first-time candidate Tierre Jeanne-Porter.
Judge Cacciatore has served as village justice for 12 years; presiding over the second largest village court in state. A Freeport native, he also is very active in the local Little League and hockey pro­grams
Ms. Jeanne-Porter has 17 years' expe­rience as an attorney and holds a law degree from Hofstra University. Her experience includes being a corporate "officer, a mediator and CEO/founder of a non-profit corporation. She also is a member of three bar associations.
TIFFANY GRIMES, a 17-year-old junior at Baldwin High School, is a state finalist for the Miss New York Teen Pageant. The Miss New York Teen Pageant will be held in August. If Miss Grimes wins she will represent New York State in the Miss Teen U.S.A. national competi­tion.
Trustee candi­dates
Seven persons are running for two positions occupied by
incumbents Renaire Frierson-Davis and Don Miller. Five
attended the
forum; Candace Howard and Ms. Davis could not attend.
The other can­didates include:
Peter Norris, a foiirth generation Freeporter who has been in busi­ness 21 years. He said three major issues of concern to him are "a lot of major debt," taxes, and gang troubles. A famil­iar audience mem­ber at the village board meetings, Mr. Norris said he decided to run for office "because I need to see something hap­pen" and is concerned about the future of his daughter, who is about to enter school.
"I love this town," he said. "This is
QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS were fielded by Freeport's candidates.
where I built my business and I want the Village to be a shining beacon to other communities."
Robert T. Kennedy, a three-year Freeport resident, has been in business 30 years and has real estate and construction management experience. "I love the vil­lage and I think we can do a little better
with it," he said of his desire to become a trustee. He is running, on The Open Door Team slate, which includes Andrew Hardwick for mayor, Ms. Jeanne-Porter, and Candace Howard. , • Mr. Kennedy, who works in Manhattan, was delayed by the snow storm from attending the forum and was
(continued on page 3)
Medicaid sliifts couid hurt taxpayers
by Laura Schofer
"Perhaps it is time for the people to revolt," mused North Bellmore resident Renaldo Nunez, when learning that local taxpayers may be asked to carry a greater portion of state Medicaid costs.
President Bush wants to cut at least $45 billion in federal Medicaid payments over 10 years and shift costs to the state -and its people. In New York alone that means residents could lose $6,131,351,000 in Medicaid aid by 2010. And as many as 24,400 senior citi­zens could lose benefits or have them greatly reduced, according to the not-for-profit Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid, • in Washington, D.C.
Ron - Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a national organization for health care consumers, called the cost-cutting plan "an ill-conceived move
that will add to the financial burden states are already experiencing. The dollar amount lost in the fifth year [of the ten-year proposal] alone is the equivalent of providing health coverage for over 345,000 seniors. It is also the equivalent of giving health coverage to almost 1.8 million children."
It also means that, in New York State, local taxpayers will have to dig deeper into their pockets, unless Albany can come up with a plan to alleviate the bur­den.
Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg said, "New York State is one of just two states in the nation that passes on Medicaid costs to the local taxpayer. Here in New York, the state passes on 50 percent of the [Medicaid] costs to local property taxpayers. Now the federal gov­ernment is telling New York that we must come up with more money. It's a oppres­sive pattern."
Nassau County Executive Thomas
Suozzi and other county executives have urged Albany legislators to pass Medicaid reform in the 2005 session.
"New York State local taxes are already seven percent above the national average, because New York is the only state in the nation that requires the counties to pay such a huge amount of Medicaid costs," Mr. Suozzi has said in the past.
Medicaid costs the county twice as much as it collects in general fund prop­erty taxes. The cost of Medicaid to local property taxpayers in Nassau County is $28rmillion this year, and is estimated to rise to $319 million in 2006. But that was before President Bush's suggestion to cut Medicaid funding to the states.
"The county has seen increases [in their share of Medicaid costs] of about $50 million a year on average since 2000 up from $30 million," said Mr. Denenberg. •
(continued on page 8)