Politics

Talking to 9th Senate District candidates

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In the race to fill former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos’s seat after he was convicted on corruption charges in December, both state Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) and Chris McGrath (R-Hewlett) have come out swinging in the weeks leading up to the special election on April 19.

The campaign, though only two months old, has had as many twists and turns as a long, drawn-out electoral brawl. The main reason is that the balance of power in the State Senate, which is now tentatively controlled by Republicans, hangs in the balance. If Kaminsky wins, the power could shift back to Democrats and give the party control over all three houses of state government.

Because the race is so important, the Herald asked the candidates questions that are on the minds of residents of the 9th Senate District, which includes Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Hewlett, Inwood, Island Park, Lawrence, Lido Beach, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Oceanside, Point Lookout, Rockville Centre, South Hempstead, Valley Stream, West Hempstead and Woodmere.

Herald: If elected, what are your plans to ease the property tax burden on residents?

Chris McGrath: I have proposed making the state property tax cap permanent that has saved homeowners more than $7.6 billion over the last four years. I have also announced a plan for increasing the amount of money Nassau homeowners receive in the property tax rebate program, by restoring the full value of the STAR property tax rebate program that was eliminated when New York City politicians were in charge of the Senate, Assembly and the governor’s office in 2009 and 2010. In addition, I proposed cutting state personal income taxes on middle-class families by 25 percent and exempting retirement income from state taxes. The income tax cut would save middle-class families $3.5 billion, and the retirement exemption would save seniors $275 million.

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