Re-elect Weisenberg in 20th Assembly District

Harvey Weisenberg has served in the State Assembly since 1989, and during that time he has worked to pass nearly 300 bills, sponsored legislation that has created tougher drunken-driving laws such as Leandra’s Law, helped people with special needs and supported legislation aimed at reducing property taxes.

Yet with New York voters feeling pessimistic about the lagging state economy and fearing job layoffs in the coming year, many have called on their state representatives to do something, especially on Long Island, which has some of the highest property taxes in the country. We think Weisenberg is the candidate best qualified to tackle these issues.

His opponent, Josh Wanderer, claims that Weisenberg has toed the line in Albany and hasn’t been “trying.” He has been criticized for not being a proponent for change in Albany. And we are often alarmed by Weisenberg’s assertions that the Assembly is not dysfunctional, having chosen not to join the Ed Koch bandwagon calling for reform, something his Republican colleague in the Senate, Dean Skelos, has supported.

But Weisenberg does support nonpartisan redistricting as a way to even the electoral playing field. He knows how to navigate a byzantine governing body with bipartisanship efforts, such as his work on Leandra’s Law, during which he urged lawmakers to support a tough bill that made it a felony to drive drunk with a passenger who is 15 or younger.

Despite Wanderer’s contention that Weisenberg has failed to deliver state education aid to his district, when Governor Paterson’s draconian cuts threatened state school aid this year, Weisenberg fought to restore $600 million in education funding.

Though we agree that tax cuts and reduced spending are needed, Wanderer offered few details about his pledge of a 10 percent cut in both categories. And as a member of the minority party, we doubt Wanderer would have much chance of enacting his plan if he were elected.