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In 16th LD incumbent Leg. Steve Stern opposed by William M. Groh
The two candidates running for a county seat in that district agree. "This facility would be built on 105 acres of environmentally sensitive land that, by law, should be transferred to the Edgewood Preserve," said William M. Groh, a Republican who squares off against Democratic incumbent Steve Stern on Nov. 6. "It will add 600 trucks per day onto our streets." Groh said that the best way to ensure the intermodal facility is not built is to deny it access to the Southwest Sewer District, which falls within the County's jurisdiction. "I will be proactive in preventing that from happening, while my opponent is reac- and that is why I am the better candidate," he said.
The plan is designed to alleviate truck traffic on Long Island by offering a central location for shipping merchandise and goods via rail. According to the DOT, the facility would benefit Long Island by reducing traffic emissions and highway congestion, and would help the local economy by reducing shipping costs for businesses. Stern, a resident of Dix Hills, is running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families lines. Groh, a North Babylon resident, is running on the Republican and Conservative lines. Stern stands on his record of the past two years, while Groh said Stern has not done enough during that time. "I'm a civic leader and I fashion myself as an activist," said Groh. "When I see something I don't like, I try to change it. I'm proactive while my opponent is reactive, and that is why I am the better candidate." Stern said he is running on his record- a record that speaks for itself. "I'm very proud of my record on fiscal responsibility, protecting the environment, protecting our children, working for the rights of veterans and seniors and working hard to continue our community's quality of life," said Stern. "I hope to continue the progress I have made." In line with that, Stern points to his work in support of a county tax cut- the second in two years. "And, we have been able to do this while maintaining essential services," he said. Groh said the county can do more, and supports eliminating the energy tax as part of his plan for reducing taxes. He also proposes that a central purchasing agency be established to reduce the cost of fuel, oil, books, computers and other supplies, some- that Levy's administration has been working on for more than a year. Groh would like to see the County enact a measure that would set a cap on the gasoline tax. Under his proposal, on the first $2 per gallon would be taxed. The proposal never came to the legislature for a vote, but Stern said he supported doing that, voting against tabling the measure in committee. He said he would support if it came up for a vote before the lawmakers. Groh charges that the county has 1,600 unfilled positions, inflating the County's budget; Stern calls that claim grossly inaccurate. "While there are many vacant positions that must be filled, it is absolutely false that all of those positions are funded," countered Stern. "My opponent's comment points to his lack of experience." While both candidates say they oppose the intermodal railway, Groh takes Stern to task for allowing the development of the Tanger Mall. "Deer Park and Dix Hills have become a dumping ground for overdevelopment- especially by New York City contractors who have given tens of thousands of dollars to Suffolk and Babylon Democrats," charged Groh, adding that his opponent had a chance to stop Tanger from hooking up to the Southwest Sewer District, but failed to act on behalf of his constituents. "Tanger saved millions of dollars because they hooked up at a discount and didn't have to build their own sewer treatment plant. This will cost the taxpayers money," said Groh. The Tanger Mall project is within the Town of Babylon's jurisdiction, but required county approval for sewer hook up. Stern said he voted against giving the developers that approval. "It's a clear distortion, and area residents know that I fought hard against that hook-up," saidStern of Groh's comments. "I also strongly reject the assertion that my representation could be based on party or contributors. I have a solid record of taking a very strong record of overdevelopment in the area. I have criticized Democrats and Republicans. Fighting overdevelopment has been a top priority and I will continue to work hard to ensure the residents quality of life in our area." Stern points to Canon, a company that moved to Huntington, as an example of the type of jobs that are needed and that are vital to economic growth. He called for a four-town summit to address the needs of the entire region. During the heated debate about the Tanger Mall project, which had an impact not only on Town of Babylon residents but also on those in other towns adjacent to Babylon, critics pointed to the notification process. They pointed out that many impacted by the project were not notified of the public hearings and did not have an opportunity for input because they lived outside of the Town of Babylon. As a result, Stern introduced a bill in the legislature to change that policy, a law he said that ensures greater public awareness and government accountability. On illegal immigration, Stern and Groh support the County Executive's efforts to deal with the effects of illegal immigration and support a county law adopted last year that requires that County contractors verify that employees are citizens or in the Country legally. Both men also oppose a regulation change proposed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer that would give illegal immigrants drivers' licenses. Stern, an attorney, is married and has two children. He was elected to the legislature in 2005, defeating Republican Frank Gargano by ten points. Groh is also an attorney. He graduated from Hofstra Law School in 1996. Along with his wife, son and their two dogs, Groh lives in North Babylon. The 16th LD covers Deer Park, North Babylon, Centerport, Greenlawn, East North port, Melville, Dix Hills, Huntington, South Huntington and Elwood. There are 50,318 registered voters: 17,397 Republicans, 16,580 Democrats; 1,421 Independence, 1,021 Conservatives, 1,323 Working Families, 68 Green and 10 Libertarian voters. A total of 12,498 list no party affiliation.
Election Day is November 6. The polls are open from 6 a.m.to 9 p.m.
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