Meet The Candidate: Shreya Gupta For Town Of Oyster Bay Clerk

TOWN OF OYSTER BAY, NY — Long Island residents will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Ahead of Election Day, Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaign — and the results will be published as candidate profiles in the days leading up to the vote.

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Shreya Gupta is running for Town of Oyster Bay Town Clerk on the Democratic line against challenger and incumbent Richard LaMarca, who is running on the Republican line.

Shreya Gupta for Town Clerk:

Name:

Shreya Gupta

How old will you be as of Election Day?

27

Does your campaign have a website?

N/A

What city or town do you live in?

Bethpage (Town of Oyster Bay)

What office are you seeking?

Town Clerk

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

B.S. Civil Engineering, M. Eng Civil Engineering. Both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

What is your occupation?

Structural Engineer

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Yes, my parents are both well-educated, but are currently in unrelated fields. My mom is a homemaker, and my dad is in the gemstone industry. My older sister is in her final year of medical school, and my younger sister has her own startup.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective? No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running for election and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I'm personally tired of hitting potholes each time I drive, and I know that the Town has the capacity to do better by its residents, but I am aware that maybe there's not a propensity for it, given that the same people have held the positions for several years and continue to do nothing.

I am tired of seeing no improvement, having our quality of life get worse, and in general, with the issues that we're currently facing (a hunger for data centers which will directly negatively impact residents, corporations being allowed to price gouge residents (utility companies), a lack of privacy and increased surveillance, and the climate crisis), I don't believe the people
who currently hold Town positions are responding to pressing issues appropriately.

I'm tired of having to pay for parking in the LIRR parking lots, and having no parking infrastructure available, especially in the abnormally snowy winters we've been having and will continue to have, and in general, I'm tired of a lack of action.

All of the issues that the Town faces, to me, are solvable, and I think it just takes someone who's willing to do the work for it.

I'm willing to do the work.

Please complete this statement:

The single most pressing issue facing constituents is: the lack of timely, appropriate, and intelligent action from our policymakers.

What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?

The corporations responsible for causing environmental harm should be held accountable. No corporation should be allowed to pollute our water or our air, and corporations must be held to a higher standard. Creating stringent environmental regulations and financial regulations and enforcing them is a baseline to ensure that the air we breathe, the water we drink, and our futures are protected. If a corporation leaches chemicals into the ground, those eventually make it into our water, and we use water for everything. The corporations that were responsible for the plume weren't, in my opinion, held accountable, and as a result, taxpayers continue to pay for cleanup.
Taxpayer money (in the millions) continues to be spent trying to address water quality issues, and even after several decades of remediation work, residents have to worry about whether their water is safe to drink. We're also seeing, currently, a rush to skip over proper environmental due diligence in order to "develop" certain areas, and in my opinion, it would be best to learn from history and take special care to protect our residents.

What do you think can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?

1) Invest in basic maintenance (fill potholes before the winter season, do inspections, come up with a long-term infrastructure plan to rehabilitate our major highways and better prepare them for environmental events in the future), 2) impose a tax on corporations that use our roads the most frequently, and 3) impose a significantly heavier fine for the owners of overweight trucks.

How would you plan to help local business owners, who are struggling because of high rents, inflation and labor shortages?

I think if the Town focused on solving real problems instead of spending money (in the millions) on unnecessary lawsuits, we can address some of these issues. Although the position of Town Clerk is not a policy position, I would advocate for rent freezes, grants, and subsidizing some labor via a youth employment program.

How are federal issues impacting local government?

Federal issues are local issues. To act as though federal policies don't impact local government is ignorant. Take, for example, environmental regulations. We share the environment, and environmental effects are not stationary. I think the current federal decision-making is not forward-thinking, and as a result, we're seeing the same anti-intellectual decision-making in our local government.

What is your stance on how ICE enforcement has impacted local communities?

ICE has had a tremendously horrible impact on local communities. It has made people fearful; it has caused further
division, resulted in many unnecessary deaths, and has cost the country financially.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

The other candidate seeking this post is the incumbent, and while I can't speak to whether he is personally future-facing, his actions are indicating otherwise. All the small budget problems manifest into, for example, snow- and ice-covered, non-operational bus stops, snow- and ice-covered sidewalks, and a gargantuan mound of snow in your local LIRR parking lot. I am an engineer -- we have to trust science and the rules of space-time, and all of the science is pointing us to a climate crisis.

In my opinion, nothing has been done to seriously address the impacts of climate change, including even getting the appropriate equipment.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I would like to address the smaller issues first (like potholes) and alleviate those. The Town should work for its people, and the Town should understand the issues people are facing. I would like to work to implement a 311 number so that the Town can take preventive action for potholes and other hazards before they become dangerous, lower LIRR parking permit fees, work on a youth employment program, and partner with local small businesses to lower costs for working families.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My education has always been rigorous, and I graduated with both my Bachelor's & Master's Degrees in Engineering within 4 years. I currently work as a structural engineer, and my work requires

1) a high level of education

2) critical thinking skills

3) reading, comprehension, and the application of many codes

4) working with many disciplines in working towards a common objective.

More than anything, my work requires me to care about people and their safety, now and in the future.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am motivated, I'm not afraid to put in the work, and I'm willing to work for the constituents.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you and why?

My dad always tells me to do the best I can, and I can always do better!