Candidates Talk Issues, Differences at New Rochelle Debate

The New Rochelle League of Women Voters hosted a debate for local candidates Wednesday at the New Rochelle City Hall.

Given the opportunity to present their cases to potential voters were Jared Rice and Peter Parente, running in a special election for an unexpired term for New Rochelle City Council District 3; incumbent Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Rene Atayan, vying for the 88th Assembly district seat; incumbent Assemblyman George Latimer and Bill Reed, to represent the 91st Assembly district; incumbent state Sen. Jeffrey Klein and Frank Vernuccio, running for the 34th Senate district, and incumbent state Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, for the 37th Senate district. Her opponent, Bob Cohen, was unable to attend because of a family emergency.

The debate, according to moderator Harry MacLaughlin of Katonah, allowed for each candidate to give a two-minute opening statement, followed by a one-and-a-half-minute answer to a question from the League, as many questions as time would allow from the public at the same length and a one-minute closing statement.

Because Cohen was not present to answer questions, the debate rules only allowed Oppenheimer to give an opening statement, after which she left the council chambers.

She said it was a difficult year in Albany.

"But I must say it was an enormously productive one for me," Oppenheimer said.

There were significant bills passed for education and reform. Oppenheimer is the chairwoman for the education committee.

"One (bill) touches on how we train teachers and evaluate them," she said. Another aspect of legislation passed allowed for the tracking of every student from pre-K to post-graduate work.

"These are the bills that permitted us to succeed in winning the Race to the Top," Oppenheimer said. "We got $700 million from these bills."

In New Rochelle's District 3 Council race, Rice, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, said his experience as a local attorney and small business owner puts him in a good position to represent the district and the city.

"The No. 1 issue concerns the economy," he said. "Overall we need to keep property taxes in check and to avoid layoffs."

As a criminal defense attorney, Rice said he had a keen sense of what can be done to about crime.

"You have to show them education is the key," he said. "Without that I wouldn't be sitting here today."

As a business owner and former Marine, Parente said he is best positioned bring the extemely diverse district together. He is running on the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines.

Parente said the election in District 3 could change the political makeup of the council. The party of the winner will determine the majority party of the seven member council.

"If you approve of the way the city's been run and managed, if you approve of the way the city is heading, I might not be the man for you," Parente said. "If you are looking for financial and fiscal responsibility, common sense and youth programs, then I need your support."

Paulin, seeking re-election in the 88th Assembly District, cited the faltering economy and out-of-control taxes as the reason she broke with Democratic leadership on the budget. She is running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families lines.

"I've been outspoken in trying to fix Albany," she said. "I've sponsored legislation to create independent oversight for the executive and legislative branches.," as well as continuing to push for nonpartisan redistricting.

Atayan, a marketing consultant who wants to unseat Paulin, said she was a challenger. She will appear on the ballot on the Republican and Conservative lines.

"So I'm going to challenge the question of why," Atayan said. "Why are our taxes the highest in the country, why do we pay 80 percent above the national norm (in taxes) just to stay in our homes? Why is our legislature nationally infamously renowned as dysfunctional?" 

Latimer, running for re-election in the 91st Assembly District on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families lines, said the problems in the state have been brewing for 30 years.

"Do we use this opportunity to point fingers of blame or make this a moment to start to make change?" he said.

"We need a complete overhaul of our ethics and overhaul the way we budget in this state," Latimer said.

His opponent, Bill Reed, running on the Conservative and Republican lines, is a musician who operates a small software development business.

Reed equated Albany with East Berlin. "They are turning us all into infantile cripples," he said.

"We need to be able to make more of our own decisions," Reed said. "(Who said) removing choice along with your wallets was designed to improve our lives?"

Deputy Majority Leader Jeffrey Klein is running for another term on the Democratic, Independence and Working Families lines for the 34th Senate District.

He said he is not afraid of a fight.

"I passed legislation which developed a new sexual predator e-mail information system," Klein said, "and I led the way in taking on the banking industry.

"Most of all I'm someone who prides himself in taking on local matter," he said. "We developed with the Mayor (Noam Bramson) programs to enhance safety in New Rochelle."

Vernuccio, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, said by any objective criteria New York State is failing.

"We have soaring unemployment, and our legislature has failed to listen," he said.

Taxes need to be reduced, Vernuccio said, not just tax increases being capped.

"We need to keep small businesses here," he said. "We need to regulate agencies like the MTA who are taking your money. We have to bring jobs back to the state."

League President Cindy Kahn thought the debate went well.

"We certainly got a taste of where the candidates stand on issues," she said. "I think it was a good balance of questions and amiable conversations among candidates."