Letter to the Editor: A New Direction for Albany

The following Letter to the Editor was written by Matt Varvaro, a Republican candidate in the race for a spot in New York's 16th State Assembly District.

Varvaro discuses the changes he would like to see if elected to the Assembly. Read his letter below:

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A new direction for Albany

New Yorkers are some of the most innovative people in the world. Whether in culture, music, theater, sports, or business, New Yorkers have always been at the forefront of groundbreaking innovation.

Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about our state government. In that regard, New York lags far behind other states, and New Yorkers are suffering as a result. I am running for the State Assembly to lay out a new direction for Albany and to help bring our state government into the 21st century.

First, we need to pass comprehensive ethics reform. We cannot have a functional state government when it is constantly mired in scandal. Among other reforms that I am proposing are term limits, a strong ethics board, tougher penalties for corrupt politicians, more transparency, and an overhaul of the state contract and grant process. These reforms will go a long way toward reforming Albany and delivering the people a government of which they can be proud.

Second, we need to rethink our state’s economic policies. New York is among the highest taxed and most regulated states in the country. As a result, Long Island is becoming increasingly unaffordable to families and small businesses. We need to fundamentally reform our tax and regulatory codes by lowering rates, eliminating loopholes, and scaling back burdensome and unnecessary regulations. These pro-growth reforms will help create jobs and make New York the economic powerhouse that it traditionally has been.

Finally, we need to modernize our education system. The most valuable asset that an individual can possess in our 21st-century economy is a quality education. Unfortunately, many of our state’s education policies are stale and outdated. I have proposed revamping our school system with more technology in the classroom, greater educational choice, and common-sense tenure and compensation reform. By bringing our education system into the modern era, we can make Long Island schools the best in the world.

New Yorkers have never shied away from a challenge. And make no mistake about it: Reforming our broken state government is as big a challenge as we have faced in a long time. With your help, I look forward to taking on this challenge and leading the charge to bring fundamental reform to Albany.

Matt Varvaro
Candidate for New York State Assembly
16th District