Solages, Moncion outline platforms

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, the Democratic incumbent in Assembly District 22, is being challenged by Republican Gonald Moncion, a school guidance counselor, in the upcoming election.

The district, which covers Elmont, North Valley Stream, Valley Stream, South Valley Stream, North Woodmere, Floral Park, South Floral Park, Bellerose Terrace, Stewart Manor and parts of Franklin Square, voted overwhelmingly for a then-27-year-old Solages, making her one of the youngest legislators in Albany and the first Haitian-American elected to state government.

Solages described herself as the voice of young professionals in the region.

“I have a lot of peers who are leaving Long Island,” Solages said. “They’re going to places like North Carolina and Texas, where it’s cheaper to live. We have to find ways to keep people here by making it financially feasable to stay here.”

She stressed her commitment to bringing home state funding for capital improvements to local municipalities and school districts, citing $1.5 million she said she’s securing for local projects.

Moncion said he doesn’t think Solages is effective enough at securing such money. “She’s been there for two years but where is it all?”

Moncion, a former teacher and current guidance counsellor with the New York City Department of Education, is a Valley Stream resident of 15 years, having immigrated from Haiti when he was 16. He said his commitment to his community is defined by his experience in this country. “I’m truly the American Dream. If I can come here and be succssful, it shows how possible it is.”

Raising three sons in Valley Stream, Moncion said he has a lot invested in the community’s long-term viability. “I don’t like the direction the district is going, so instead of just complaining about it I decided to do something.”