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The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Nassau County and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Education Finance,
Redistricting
Click on a name for candidate information. See also more information about this contest.
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1. Public education is financed through property taxes and state funds. What other means of raising revenue would you support?*
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Answer from Donald Birnbaum:
Savings not taxes. Complete restructuring of the manner in which money is spent needs to change. I recommend a multifaceted approach: (a) eliminate the layers of taxing authorities. We should have a general services administration operating water districts, sewer districts, lighting districts, etc. (b) We should pass a Sarb-Ox law to make it criminal for a school board to deliver a misleading financial statement. (c) Capital equipment must be pooled by the various school districts.
Answer from David G. McDonough:
The current system could be improved by helping to reduce school spending through consolidation of common services. Also, I advocate a regional cost adjustment in distribution of state funds. Long Island does not get an equitable share of state funding based on its enrollment. Adjusting this would increase state aid for Long Island to help reduce property taxes.
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2. Legislative districts have been determined on a partisan basis. Would you support establishing an independent commission as a more open and ethical way to create the districts? Please explain.*
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Answer from Donald Birnbaum:
Gerrymandering is designed to keep incumbents in office, which in effect causes lack of accountability. Today district lines are drawn for only two reasons (a) to elect and (b) to re-elect those parties who draw the lines. Independent commissions must form districts geographically not politically. In this manner an accountable, representative, fair and democratic government will exist. I disagree with the courts, which have decided that this is a political and not legal issue.
Answer from David G. McDonough:
I support the creation of an independent commission to assure an open and less partisan process in establishing legislative districts.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League.
- Original answers for a published Voters Guide
were limited are presented as submitted. Candidates have since been invited
to supply answers of any length for the Web.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.
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League of Women Voters of New York Education Foundation
