Candidates discuss policy differences in race for 116 Assembly district
This year, she is facing a Republican challenge from
"There's going to be a few key issues between my opponent and I,"
"A decade is definitely too long," he said. "If you haven't made the change that you're looking to make in a decade, it's time to move on and serve somewhere else."
Asked if eight years was too long, he said he did not want to "pigeonhole" himself.
"I may take any term limit opportunity," he said. "I think it should start with term limits on leadership."
"I stand for election every two years and I have had opposition every time except for one year," she said. "I think voters should have that say."
As for term limits on leadership positions,
"I don't support those arbitrary limits," she said. "It's important to have strength within your elected bodies."
Instead,
Outside of the length of service,
"New Yorkers get picked on,"
When it comes to taxes,
"You need to spend it like it's someone elses, like it's your grandmother's
Leaving more money in people's pockets also equals more freedom, he said. In a similar vein, he would like to see much of
"Return that money to the people that actually create jobs," he said. "You need to leave as much control as possible to the local government."
"From your SAFE Act to whatever nanny state bill there is, we're overregulated," he said. "In
Working for
"Each agency should have the same perspective -- they work for the people," he said. "It's the agency's job to help you get into compliance," not punish people.
If good people need more freedom,
"Our prison system has become a revolving door for drug dealers," he said. "There's a big difference between an addict who needs help and a drug dealer who is profiting from addicts who need help."
Asked about the apparent failure of several decades of the war on drugs to limit the supply of drugs,
"We've always had pretty stiff penalties for drug users,"
She also said, generally, Assembly Republicans have backed stricter sentencing but then declined to support additional resources for addicts.
"(They say) there's not the money to be compassionate," she said.
"I'm against free iPads for prisoners, I'm against free college tuition for prisoners," he said.
"The No. 1 thing is jobs," he said. "There's education, there's prevention, there's treatment, there's law enforcement, there's detox, there's rehab -- you can get all of these things right, but if there's no jobs, the recidivism rate at the end of the day is terrible."
In this,
"Often opportunity is one of the most important parts of confronting drug use," she said.
She also believes in expanding mental health services, detox, and drug courts.
"I think we need to provide additional resources to health care ... so you don't have to wait for a bed in detox,"
But
"You can't go there for prisoners," he said. "To give the drug dealers free college tuition is offensive to me."
"Use of marijuana has hurt our poor communities," she said.
In cities, these have often communities of color, she said, but it has also impacted whiter rural communities.
"We are a poor community and are similarly impacted,"
Beyond criminal justice,
"They will be very similar to the work I've done," she said of her goals if re-elected.
There are basic issues, like making sure funding for education remains strong. Then there are local projects.
"I've led the charge in protecting
"There's also larger issues with our energy system,"
"(I will) force the dialogue to occur so the agricultural sector isn't playing second fiddle to the financial sector," she said.
When it comes to economic development, she has called for Gov.
"I've been a co-sponsor of that legislation for years,"
As for the increased costs,
"Single-payer doesn't mean health care will be free," she said. "(We would) fund that through a more equitable tax structure ... it would negate the need for insurance premiums."
"It would increase taxes 150 percent," he said. "Access to care is important ... but we can't afford the taxes."
There is one final, pragmatic difference between the candidates --
"I bring the voice of the north country to the majority,"
"What's wrong with
As for resources, "There's no crystal ball, we could have a Republican governor come January," he said. "(And) being a member of the minority allows you to be a loud voice."
"I thought I was going to teach history before I got an internship in the state
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